Leviticus 3

During the three main annual festivals (Exodus 23:14–17), thousands of Israelites brought fellowship offerings to be sacrificed on the altar of burnt offering (Exodus 27:1). The fellowship offerings were voluntary; they were offered to express thanksgiving, to fulfill a vow, or simply to show one’s devotion to the Lord.

Further information concerning the fellowship offering is given in Leviticus 7:11–21.

17 You must not eat any fat or any blood. Because the fatty portions of the fellowship offering were the only parts burned on the altar, the fat of all animals was considered, in a sense, to be sacred and thus not to be eaten. In particular, eating the fat of any animal that could be offered as a burnt offering (cattle, sheep and goats) resulted in the person’s being cut off from his people (Leviticus 7:22–27).

The prohibition against eating blood was very important in ancient Israel (see Leviticus 7:26–27). The reason was that blood represented life; it was a symbol of life. Blood is not equal to life; it has no magical properties. It is only one of many parts of the body that enable people and animals to “live.” However, because blood is so visible, and because loss of blood can cause death, blood has become associated with life itself. Therefore, out of respect for the sacredness of life—especially human life—the Israelites were forbidden to “eat” blood (see Leviticus17:10–12 and comment).