Leviticus 3:1-17 And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female… I. THEIR NATURE. They were sacrifices of thanksgiving, whereby the godly testified their gratitude to God for the benefits received from Him. II. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM AND OTHER SACRIFICES. 1. Generally they were thus distinguished from other sacrifices, which are afterward prescribed (Leviticus 4:5), because these were voluntary, the other necessary and commanded; and the peace-offerings were never offered alone, but always joined with other sacrifices, showing that the godly should begin always with giving of thanks. 2. Herein it also differs from the holocaust, which might be of birds; but so were not the peace-offerings, because they were to be divided; so could not the holocaust of birds (Leviticus 1:17). 3. The holocausts, which were of beasts, were only of the males, but the peace-offerings might be either males or females, because this kind of sacrifice was not so perfect as the other. III. WHY THE PEACE-OFFERINGS WERE CONFINED TO THESE THREE KINDS — OXEN, SHEEP, GOATS. 1. All these were a figure of Christ, who indeed was that Peace-offering whereby God is reconciled to us: the ox resembled His fortitude; the sheep His innocence; the goat, because He took our flesh, like unto sinful flesh. 2. Some apply them to the divers qualities of the offerers: the ox signifying the workers and keepers of the law; the sheep, the simple; the goats, the penitent. 3. But the true reason why these beasts are prescribed only for peace-offerings, not turtledoves or pigeons, as in the burnt-offerings, is because they could not rightly declare their gratitude to God in giving things of no value. IV. WHAT BLEMISHES AND OTHER IMPEDIMENTS WERE TO BE AVOIDED. The impediments which made the beasts unfit for sacrifice were either general in respect of the kind, or particular in regard of the thing offered. 1. For the kind. Some were both unlawful for meat and sacrifice (chap. Leviticus 11:3), others for sacrifice but not for meat (Deuteronomy 14:4). 2. The particular impediments were either intrinsical in the things themselves, or extrinsical without. (1) The inward defects were such as made them altogether unfit for any kind of sacrifice, as if they were blind, broken, scabbed, &c. (2) The external impediments were such as came by touching any unclean thing. V. WHY THE FAT, AS OF THE BELLY, KIDNEYS, AND LIVER, WAS SET APART FOR SACRIFICE. 1. Generally hereby is signified that all our carnal desires are to be mortified by the fire of the Spirit. 2. More particularly by the fat which covereth the inward parts where the heart is, the seat of anger is insinuated, that we should temper our wrath; and by the kidneys and reins, wherein is the strength of lust, carnal concupiscence; and by the liver the fountain of heat, the gluttonous desire, may be understood all which must be sacrificed unto God. Hereunto the signification of the Hebrew word here used agreeth; for chelaioth, the kidneys, is derived of Calah, desire. 3. And further, because the fat is of its own nature, without sense, and so signifieth the hardness of the heart, which is the cause of unbelief: hereby they were admonished to remove and take away all hardness of heart. VI. WHETHER IT WERE REQUIRED GENERALLY IN ALL SACRIFICES THAT BLOOD SHOULD BE SPRINKLED ON THE ALTAR. AS there was difference in the end, use, and manner of sacrifices, for some were only for the honour of God, as the burnt-offerings; some for the benefit of the offerer, either for obtaining of some benefit, or giving thanks for some benefit received, as the peace-offerings, or for expiation of sin, so there was difference in the sprinkling and offering of the blood; yet because in all sacrifices there was some relation unto the expiation of some sin, there was an oblation of blood in all sacrifices, &c.; and so the apostle saith that in the "law without effusion of blood, there was no remission," whereof this reason is given because the life is in the blood, and therefore the Lord gave the blood for the expiation of their souls (Leviticus 17:11), that whereas they themselves had deserved to die for their sins. VII. OF THE MANNER AND ORDER OF THE PEACE-OFFERINGS. 1. The priest killed the beast, sprinkled the blood, flayed it, and took out the inwards. 2. Then he cut the flesh in pieces, and separated the breast and right shoulders with the inwards, and put them into the owner's hands. 3. Then the priest put his hands under the owner's, and waved all before the Lord; if many Joined in one oblation, one waved for all, the women waved not, but the priest, unless in the offering of jealousy (Numbers 5.), and of a Nazarite (Numbers 6:4). After he salted the inwards, and laid them on the altar, and the priest had the breast and right shoulder, the owner the rest; but the priest was not to have his part until the Lord were first served and the inwards burnt. VIII. WHAT BECAME OF THE REMAINDER OF THE PEACE-OFFERINGS WHICH WAS NOT BURNT ON THE ALTAR. Though it be not here expressed, yet it may be gathered out of other places that the priests had part, and the offerer that brought it had his portion also, so then some sacrifices there were of the which nothing remained, as the burnt-offerings. 1. In some other, the part which remained was to be eaten only among the males of the children of Aaron; and they were the sin-offerings (Leviticus 6:18). 2. But the heave-offerings and shake-offerings, as the shoulder and breast, were lawful to be eaten, not only by the males and sons of the priests, but by their daughters also (Numbers 18:17). 3. But in the peace-offerings there was greater liberty, for of them they which brought the offering might eat (Proverbs 7:14). (A. Willet, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD. |
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