The Purpose of Offerings

Leviticus 3 (NIV)

The Fellowship Offering

3 “‘If your offering is a fellowship offering, and you offer an animal from the herd, whether male or female, you are to present before the Lord an animal without defect. ² You are to lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash the blood against the sides of the altar. ³ From the fellowship offering you are to bring a food offering to the Lord: the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, ⁴ both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys. ⁵ Then Aaron’s sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that is lying on the burning wood; it is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

⁶ “‘If you offer an animal from the flock as a fellowship offering to the Lord, you are to offer a male or female without defect. ⁷ If you offer a lamb, you are to present it before the Lord, ⁸ lay your hand on its head and slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar. ⁹ From the fellowship offering you are to bring a food offering to the Lord: its fat, the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, ¹⁰ both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys. ¹¹ The priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering presented to the Lord.

In Hebrew scripture it would be impossible for anyone to worship the Lord in true holiness. The Bible reminds us that all people are indeed sinners and that on our own efforts, we cannot please God. However God has provided methods so that we can worship God properly.

Leviticus comes into play an important role here because for the Hebrew people that method was sacrifice. Therefore in Leviticus chapters 1-7, we see that God sets the mandate to bring five types of offerings. There is a Burnt Offering, Grain Offering, Fellowship Offering, Sin Offering,  and Guilt Offering. These offerings have also came to be known as 1) The Burnt Offering, 2)The Meal Offering, 3) The Peace Offering, 4) The Sin Offering 5) The Trespass Offering. Looking at these offerings according to the latter helps us to understand that the purpose of these 5 offerings was to make the people whole and one with God through the forgiveness of sins, trespasses and short comings bringing redemption. They would give to God parts of the animals that they killed. Sometimes they gave the whole animal. The priests burned the gift on the altar at the house of God. God accepted the animal’s death so that the Jews could worship God. The animal had suffered death so that the Jews could live as friends with God.

Does any of this sound familiar to Christians? Does Communion, the Lord's Prayer, of the roles of Jesus life and death come to mind? We must remember as Christians we are not separated from the Hebrew people of Scriptures, the Old Testament is truly part of our history and word for a reason. Christianity is indeed birthed out of the Jewish faith.

Be well today, Love P.J.