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Leviticus Chapter 7
- Leviticus 7:1 Likewise this is
the law of the trespass offering: it is most holy.
Most holy, just like the holy offering of
Jesus Christ when He offered Himself as a sacrifice for our
trespasses and sins.
- Leviticus 7:2 In the place
where they kill the burnt offering shall they kill the trespass
offering: and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about
upon the altar.
Again we are reminded that without the
shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Sins must be
remitted, cleansed and forgiven before we can be saved and inherit
eternal life.
- Leviticus 7:3 And he shall
offer of it all the fat thereof; the rump, and the fat that
covereth the inwards,
- 4 And the two kidneys,
and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the
caul that is above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take
away:
- 5 And the priest shall
burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto the
LORD: it is a trespass offering.
- 6 Every male among the
priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place:
it is most holy.
It could be that having only the male eat of
this offering shows us that the one who made the final sacrifice for
our salvation would be a male. It was a male who brought sin into
the world and a perfect sinless male had to reverse the curse. The
male could eat of this offering but not female.
This shows us that trespass offering was for
that which was done against God and to get forgiven of the sin.
These offerings had to be done in the exact manner in which God
instructed them or they would not be forgiven of the sin.
Again we see that there is only one
way of salvation. God made a plan to save all of mankind that would
believe. This salvation of course is for male and female as we see
in the New Testament that even the mother of Jesus needed salvation
when she called her own son, savior.
- Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My
soul doth magnify the Lord,
- 47 And my spirit hath
rejoiced in God my Savior.
Every human that lives to the age of
accountability needs a savior from sin in order to inherit eternal
life.
- Leviticus 7:7 As the sin
offering is, so is the trespass offering: there is one law for
them: the priest that maketh atonement therewith shall have it.
- 8 And the priest that offereth any man's burnt offering, even the priest shall have to
himself the skin of the burnt offering which he hath offered.
- 9 And all the meat
offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is dressed in
the frying pan, and in the pan, shall be the priest's that offereth it.
- 10 And every meat
offering, mingled with oil, and dry, shall all the sons of Aaron
have, one as much as another.
- 11 And this is the law of
the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the
LORD.
Not only was these offerings given to make
atonement for sin which was temporary until the death of Jesus
Christ but also they provided food for the priests and sons of Aaron
who served at the altar.
Israel was instructed to support the priests
and Levites who had no inheritance but gave up their inheritance to
serve the Lord and the temple, perform sacrifices and other duties
appointed to them. The other tribes were to tithe their increase and
what they produced from there land to support the tribe that had no
land, just cities to dwell in.
This is an extra blessing to be able to
support the spread of the gospel by supporting missions and those
that can't work secular jobs to do what God calls them to do. We
should also give to the poor as the spirit of God brings to our
attention those that have a need. God will surely reward us with
more of His presence and His spirit if we are kind to those that
spread His word and even spread the word ourselves.
After we come to Christ we are under the law
of love in which we now give because we love God and love His work.
We give as the Lord prospers us.
It is a way of joy, giving, sharing and
love. Some people take an exact ten percent and make it a rule and
that's okay but for myself, I will use the ten percent as a
guideline but it is not set in stone.
I don't believe the New Testament church is
under any curse if they are truly born again Christians even if they
do not tithe. If one is truly born again though sooner or later they
will want to give and help support their local church. If they don't
and have it to give, they are not bearing the fruit that a person
who claims to love God should bear.
However, I believe in cheerful giving
because we love God, not threatening people with a curse if they
don't or riches if they do. That is my take on this whether or not
one agrees. It is much more fun to give because we love to give and
make it part of our worship. I never believe in threatening people
with hell, fire and brimstone if they do not tithe. There is no
scripture that indicates any such teaching.
I also do not believe in promising people
that they are going to get rich. God promises us that we will be
rich in spiritual things with treasure in heaven. He promises to
take care of our needs and we are not to worry about them but never
are we promised riches in this life if we pay tithes.
Some people like Solomon could not handle
being rich. It would destroy them. There are also plenty of rich
people who do not pay tithes and are not even saved. Some do not
even believe in God. So being rich is not a sign of God's favor.
I have seen God bless people's businesses
who willingly give to the poor or to the work of God. They do not give to be seen of men
though because they don't seek publicity. Being a church treasurer
for 15 years, I sometimes see what others didn't.
I'm not saying that God does not bless us
with material goods but some have left their jobs for the gospel's sake and
some are robbed of the finances because the have believed in Jesus
Christ by those that rob and persecute them.
Whatever gospel we teach, it must apply to
those believers in 3rd world countries as well as those in the
United States. If riches are a sign of the favor of God then
what about those that are in prison, denied their homes and riches
because they are believers?
A nation that cares for their poor is
promised blessing and prosperity. God does prosper nations
financially that observe His ways and are obedient to Him. Usually
countries that have poverty and lack of wealth are nations whose
ancestors turned away from God. So all these teachings need balance.
Always give to the real needy though, not deadbeats that are just
lazy.
- Isaiah10:1 Woe unto them
that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness
which they have prescribed;
- 2 To turn aside the
needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of
my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob
the fatherless!
Both Old and New Testament shows us true
giving is by the law of love but it was stricter in the Old
Testament because the Levites having no land of their own and
scattered among the other tribes to do service for the Lord, had to
be supported and cared for.
- Leviticus 7:12 If he offer it
for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of
thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened
wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine
flour, fried.
- 13 Besides the cakes, he
shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice
of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.
- 14 And of it he shall
offer one out of the whole oblation for a heave offering unto
the LORD, and it shall be the priest's that sprinkleth the blood
of the peace offerings.
- 15 And the flesh of the
sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten
the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it
until the morning.
- 16 But if the sacrifice
of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be
eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the
morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten:
- 17 But the remainder of
the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with
fire.
- 18 And if any of the
flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on
the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be
imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination,
and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.
- 19 And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt
with fire: and as for the flesh, all that be clean shall eat
thereof.
- 20 But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that
pertain unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, even
that soul shall be cut off from his people.
- 21 Moreover the soul that
shall touch any unclean thing, as the uncleanness of man, or any
unclean beast, or any abominable unclean thing, and eat of the
flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which pertain unto
the LORD, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.
Remember the peace offering is one that is a
sweet savor offering that satisfies God, the priest, and the common
people. They are to share in this offering and benefit from it.
Jesus Christ is our peace offering also
along with being an offering for sin. We are reconciled to God or
made our peace with God when we have believed and accepted Jesus
Christ.
This peace offering was one of thanksgiving
and praise similar to our praise and worship when we gather together
to worship God.
- Leviticus 7:22 And the LORD
spoke unto Moses, saying,
- 23 Speak unto the
children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of
ox, or of sheep, or of goat.
- 24 And the fat of the
beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn
with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no
wise eat of it.
- 25 For whosoever eateth
the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by
fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut
off from his people.
- 26 Moreover ye shall eat
no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of
your dwellings.
- 27 Whatsoever soul it be
that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off
from his people.
- 28 And the LORD spoke
unto Moses, saying,
I have argued with people about this one but
I don't believe even in the New Testament that we are supposed to
eat anything that contains blood. This part of the commandment is
repeated by the apostle Paul who teaches salvation by grace more
than any other.
- Acts 15:19 Wherefore my
sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the
Gentiles are turned to God:
- 20 But that we write
unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from
fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
In fact when some Jewish believers tried to
force Gentile believers to keep the feast days and observe
circumcision, the apostles and elders had a meeting about it and
stressed that Gentiles were not under any obligation to come under
the law but they did say that:
The eating of blood was forbidden even to
Gentile believers.
Life is dependent upon blood to survive and
perhaps that is a hint to why it is forbidden.
- Leviticus 7:29 Speak unto the
children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of
his peace offerings unto the LORD shall bring his oblation unto
the LORD of the sacrifice of his peace offerings.
- 30 His own hands shall
bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the fat with the
breast, it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved for a
wave offering before the LORD.
- 31 And the priest shall
burn the fat upon the altar: but the breast shall be Aaron's and
his sons'.
- 32 And the right shoulder
shall ye give unto the priest for a heave offering of the
sacrifices of your peace offerings.
- 33 He among the sons of
Aaron, that offereth the blood of the peace offerings, and the
fat, shall have the right shoulder for his part.
- 34 For the wave breast
and the heave shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel
from off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given
them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons by a statute
forever from among the children of Israel.
- 35 This is the portion of
the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons, out of
the offerings of the LORD made by fire, in the day when he
presented them to minister unto the LORD in the priest's
office;
- 36 Which the LORD
commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day
that he anointed them, by a statute forever throughout their
generations.
- 37 This is the law of the
burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering,
and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of
the sacrifice of the peace offerings;
- 38 Which the LORD
commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the
children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD, in
the wilderness of Sinai.
Notice how the Lord makes provisions for
those that serve the altar as well as make provision to be forgiven
of sin all through the offerings and sacrifices.
All of this points to the one to come who
will make all believers priests and kings through the death of Jesus
Christ the Son of God. DC
- Revelation 1:4 John to the
seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace,
from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from
the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
- 5 And from Jesus
Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of
the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him
that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
- 6 And hath made us
kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and
dominion forever and ever. Amen.
- 7 Behold, he cometh
with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which
pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of
him. Even so, Amen.
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