Leviticus 7

1 [The LORD continued,] "These are the instructions for the guilt offering. It is very holy.

2 It must be slaughtered in the same place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. [A priest] will throw the blood against the altar on all sides.

3 He will offer all the fat, the fat from the tail, the fat covering the internal organs,

4 and the two kidneys with the fat on them. He will also remove the lobe of the liver along with the kidneys.

5 The priest will burn them on the altar. It is a guilt offering by fire to the LORD.

6 Any male among the priests may eat it. It will be eaten in a holy place. It is very holy.

7 "The same instructions apply to the offering for sin and the guilt offering. Both offerings belong to the priest to make peace with the LORD.

8 The skin of the burnt offering belongs to the priest who sacrifices it.

9 Every grain offering, whether baked in an oven or prepared in a skillet or a frying pan, belongs to the priest who offers it.

10 Every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, will be shared equally by all of Aaron's sons.

11 "These are the instructions for the fellowship offering that you must bring to the LORD.

12 If you offer it as a thank offering, you must also bring rings of unleavened bread mixed with olive oil, wafers of unleavened bread brushed with olive oil, and loaves made from flour mixed well with olive oil.

13 In addition to these rings of bread, you must bring bread with yeast along with your fellowship offering of thanksgiving.

14 From every offering you must bring one loaf to the LORD as a [special] contribution. It will belong to the priest who throws the blood of the fellowship offering.

15 "The meat from your fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered. Never leave any of it until morning.

16 "If your sacrificial offering is something you vowed or a freewill offering, it must be eaten the day you offer it or the next day.

17 However, on the third day any meat left over from the sacrifice must be burned.

18 You will not be accepted if any meat from the fellowship offering is eaten on the third day. You will not receive credit for it. It is repulsive to God. The person who eats any of it must be punished.

19 "Meat that touches anything unclean must not be eaten. It must be burned. Anyone who is clean may eat from these sacrifices.

20 Those who eat meat from the LORD's fellowship offering while unclean must be excluded from the people.

21 Those who touch anything unclean, human or animal, or any other disgusting uncleanness and still eat the LORD's fellowship offering must be excluded from the people."

22 The LORD spoke to Moses,

23 "Tell the Israelites: Never eat any fat from bulls, sheep, or goats.

24 The fat from an animal that dies naturally or is killed by wild animals you may use for any other purpose, but you must never eat it.

25 Those who eat the fat from an animal which they sacrificed by fire to the LORD must be excluded from the people.

26 "Never eat the blood of any bird or animal no matter where you live.

27 Those who eat any blood must be excluded from the people."

28 The LORD spoke to Moses,

29 "Tell the Israelites: Anyone who offers the LORD a fellowship offering must bring a part of that sacrifice as a gift to the LORD.

30 Bring the sacrifices by fire made to the LORD yourself. Bring the fat with the breast. Take the breast and present it to the LORD.

31 "The priest will burn the fat on the altar. However, the breast will belong to Aaron and his sons.

32 You will also give the priest the right thigh as a contribution.

33 When any of Aaron's sons offer the blood and fat of the fellowship offering, the right thigh will belong to him as his share.

34 From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that was presented [to me] and the thigh from the contribution offering. I have given them to the priest Aaron and his sons. This is a permanent law for generations to come.

35 "This is the share for Aaron and his sons from the sacrifices by fire made to the LORD. It was given to them on the day Moses ordained them to serve the LORD as priests.

36 The LORD commanded the Israelites to give it to them on the day he anointed them. This is a permanent law for generations to come."

37 These are the instructions for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the offering for sin, the guilt offering, the ordination offering, and the fellowship offering.

38 On Mount Sinai the LORD gave Moses commands about these offerings at the same time that he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to him in the Sinai Desert.

Leviticus 7 Commentary

Chapter 7

Concerning the trespass-offering. (1-10) Concerning the peace-offering. (11-27) The wave and heave offerings. (28-34) The conclusion of these institutions. (35-38)

Verses 1-10 In the sin-offering and the trespass-offering, the sacrifice was divided between the altar and the priest; the offerer had no share, as he had in the peace-offerings. The former expressed repentance and sorrow for sin, therefore it was more proper to fast than feast; the peace-offerings denoted communion with a reconciled God in Christ, the joy and gratitude of a pardoned sinner, and the privileges of a true believer.

Verses 11-27 As to the peace-offerings, in the expression of their sense of mercy, God left them more at liberty, than in the expression of their sense of sin; that their sacrifices, being free-will offerings, might be the more acceptable, while, by obliging them to bring the sacrifices of atonement, God shows the necessity of the great Propitiation. The main reason why blood was forbidden of old, was because the Lord had appointed blood for an atonement. This use, being figurative, had its end in Christ, who by his death and blood-shedding caused the sacrifices to cease. Therefore this law is not now in force on believers.

Verses 28-34 The priest who offered, was to have the breast and the right shoulder. When the sacrifice was killed, the offerer himself must present God's part of it; that he might signify his cheerfully giving it up to God. He was with his own hands to lift it up, in token of his regard to God as the God of heaven; and then to wave it to and fro, in token of his regard to God as the Lord of the whole earth. Be persuaded and encouraged to feed and feast upon Christ, our Peace-offering. This blessed Peace-offering is not for the priests only, for saints of the highest rank and greatest eminence, but for the common people also. Take heed of delay. Many think to repent and return to God when they are dying and dropping into hell; but they should eat the peace-offering, and eat it now. Stay not till the day of the Lord's patience be run out, for eating the third day will not be accepted, nor will catching at Christ when thou art gone to hell!

Verses 35-38 Solemn acts of religious worship are not things which we may do or not do at our pleasure; it is at our peril if we omit them. An observance of the laws of Christ cannot be less necessary than of the laws of Moses.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 7

The several things contained in this chapter are the law of the trespass offering, Le 7:1-7 the portion the priests had in the burnt offerings and meat offerings, Le 7:8-10 the law of the peace offerings, whether by way of thanksgiving, or a vow, or voluntary oblation, Le 7:11-21 the prohibition of fat and blood, Le 7:22-27 the parts the priests should have in the peace offerings, the breast and right shoulder, Le 7:28-36 and the chapter is concluded with a recapitulation of the various things contained in this and the preceding chapters, Le 7:37,38.