Leviticus 7

22–27 Here again the prohibition against eating fat and blood is repeated (see Leviticus 3:17 and comment). In particular, the Israelites were forbidden to eat the fat of cattle, sheep or goats (verse 23)—that is, any animal that was suitable for an offering by fire (verse 25). And under no circumstances were they allowed to eat the blood of any living being (see Leviticus17:10–12 and comment).

The Priests’ Share (7:28–38)

28–36 The fellowship offerings provided a major part of the meat available to the priests. Recall that priests were allotted no land of their own on which to raise animals, so they relied for their livelihood on the tithes and offerings of the people (Numbers 18:20–24). In this section, the portions of the fellowship offering²⁰ reserved for the priests are mentioned: the breast and the right thigh (verses 31–32). The breast was to be waved before the Lord as a wave offering (verse 30), which signified the offering of the breast to the Lord and the receiving of it back again to be eaten (see Exodus29:22–28 and comment).

The Lord’s provision for the Old Testament priests is a reminder that those who serve God “full—time”—that is, those who have no other sufficient source of income—are entitled to be supported by God’s people (see 1 Corinthians 9:3–14;1 Timothy 5:17–18). Jesus said to His disciples, “. . . the worker is worth his keep” (Matthew 10:10). Even the ox was allowed to eat from the grain it was treading out (Deuteronomy 25:4).

For further discussion of the priests’ share, see Numbers 18:8–32 and comment.

37–38 These verses give a brief summary of the five major offerings discussed in Chapters 1–7. A sixth offering is included, the ordination offering, which is described fully in Exodus 29:1–35; Leviticus8:14–36.

Before leaving the subject of these major offerings, it is worth summarizing once more their differences, because each in its own way symbolizes one aspect of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. The four blood sacrifices were meant to remedy four different consequences of sin. First, the burnt offering (Leviticus 1:1–17) dealt with sin as objective guilt. All people are guilty in God’s sight because of their sinful nature and predisposition to sin, and the burnt offering was the major atoning sacrifice by which that guilt could be removed. Since the burnt offering was totally consumed on the altar, it also signified that the offerer desired to dedicate himself totally to the Lord.

The fellowship offering (Leviticus 3:1–17) dealt with sin as a destroyer of fellowship between God and His people and between the people themselves. The fellowship offering provided atonement for the people’s sin and thereby restored them to fellowship with God and with each other.

The sin offering (Leviticus 4:1–35; 5:1–13) dealt with sin as defilement and pollution causing inner uncleanness. The sin offering provided a means by which each sin could be atoned for, the uncleanness washed away and forgiveness obtained. This repeated cleansing from sin was necessary if God was to continue dwelling among His people.

Finally, the guilt offering (Leviticus5:14–19; 6:1–7) dealt with sin as a debt that must be paid, a wrong that must be righted. This required not only an atoning sacrifice to make things right with God but also payment of restitution to make things right with one’s neighbor.

These four blood sacrifices had to be repeated over and over again; they could not permanently remove the consequences of sin. But when Jesus Christ offered Himself on the cross as the final sacrifice for sin, He dealt permanently with all these aspects of sin at one time. After Jesus’ death, the sacrificial system of the Old Testament was no longer necessary, and soon ceased altogether²¹ (Hebrews 10:1–4,10–14).