Leviticus 7 - The Priest’s Part in the Offerings

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2020/02/leviticus.html
"This chapter provides more information on the restitution offering, the fellowship sacrifice, fat and blood prohibited from the Israelite diet, and the portion of the offerings for the priests."

http://www.doodlethroughthebible.com/2015/04/leviticus-7.html

Leviticus 7 Amplified Bible (AMP)
The Priest’s Part in the Offerings
https://www.biblegateway.com

7 ‘This is the law of the guilt offering; it is most holy. 2 In the place where they kill the burnt offering they are to kill the guilt offering, and he shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 3 Then he shall offer all its fat, the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, 4 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. 5 The priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar as an offering by fire to the Lord; it is a guilt offering. 6 Every male among the priests may eat it; it shall be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy. 7 The guilt offering is like the sin offering, there is one law for [both of] them: the priest who makes atonement with it shall have it for himself. 8 The priest who presents any man’s burnt offering shall have for himself the hide of the burnt offering which he has presented. 9 Likewise, every grain offering that is baked in the oven and everything that is prepared in a pan or on a griddle shall belong to the priest who presents it. 10 Every grain offering, mixed with [olive] oil or dry, all the sons of Aaron may have, one as well as another.

• MOST HOLY. Holy has been repeatedly mentioned about the guilt offering, and about the priest eating it in the holy place (v.1,6). God is a holy, and righteous God, and everything shall be done according to His will and according to His ways. How could a holy God be reconciled to unholy people? Through an atonement, and the ultimate atonement that is the Lord Jesus Christ.

"And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." Isaiah 6:3   

"because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." 1 Peter 1:16   

"Your way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God?" Psalm 77:13   

11 ‘Now this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which shall be presented to the Lord: 12 If one offers it as a sacrificial meal of thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour mixed with oil. 13 With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall present his offering with cakes of leavened bread. 14 Of this he shall present one [cake] from each offering as a contribution to the Lord; it shall belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.
15 ‘The meat of the sacrifice of thanksgiving presented as a peace offering shall be eaten on the day that it is offered; none of it shall be left until morning. 16 But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day that which remains of it may be eaten; 17 but what is left over from the meat of the sacrifice on the third day shall be [completely] burned in the fire. 18 If any of the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is ever eaten on the third day, then it will not be accepted, and the one who brought it will not be credited with it. It shall be an abhorred (offensive) thing; the one who eats it shall bear his own guilt.

• GOD CARING FOR THE PRIESTS. How hard was it to do the calling of being a priest during Moses' time? Their lives are literally 'offered' and surrendered to the Lord. As a Mediator, High Priest for all the people, they are responsible to keep a right standing with the Lord-- or else they will die, if there were hidden transgressions in their hearts. God cares for them by allowing them to partake in the offering, and have a part to eat from it. The Levites cannot work (for a living, like being a shepherd, farmer)-- they are a priestly tribe that serves God.

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Peter 2:9-10

19 ‘The meat that comes in contact with anything that is unclean shall not be eaten; it shall be burned in the fire. As for other meat, everyone who is [ceremonially] clean may eat it. 20 But the one who eats meat from the sacrifice of peace offerings which belong to the Lord, in his uncleanness, that person shall be [a]cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them]. 21 When anyone touches any unclean thing—human uncleanness, or an unclean animal, or any unclean [b]detestable thing—and then eats the meat of the sacrifice of the Lord’s peace offerings, that person shall be cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].’”
22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘You shall not eat any fat from an ox, a sheep, or a goat. 24 The fat of an animal which dies [of natural causes] and the fat of one which is torn [to pieces by a predator] may be put to any other use, but under no circumstances are you to eat it. 25 For whoever eats the fat of the animal from which an offering by fire is presented to the Lord, that person who eats shall be cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them]. 26 Moreover, you are not to eat any blood [of any kind], whether of bird or animal, in any of your dwelling places. 27 Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.’”

• BEING CUT OFF FROM THE PEOPLE. I believe God not only has practical or hygienic purposes, but also has spiritual purposes-- regarding laws that has to do with touching the unclean. This was a time wherein the people was not yet able to study science, medicine, etc. To me, the laws speak of God's love, care and protection over the Israelites.

"Depart, depart, go out from there, Touch nothing unclean; Go out of the midst of her, purify yourselves, You who carry the vessels of the LORD." Isaiah 52:11    


"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 4:8

28 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 29 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord from the sacrifice of his peace offerings. 30 With his own hands he is to bring offerings by fire to the Lord; he shall bring the fat with the breast, so that the breast may be presented as a wave offering before the Lord. 31 The priest shall offer up the fat in smoke on the altar, but the breast shall be for Aaron and his sons. 32 You shall give the right thigh to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifices of your peace offerings. 33 The son of Aaron who offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh as his portion. 34 For I have taken the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering from the Israelites, from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as their perpetual portion from the Israelites.

• WITH HIS OWN HAND. This means the offering has to come from the heart-- the people shall bring it out of the abundance and willingness of their hearts.

"The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

35 ‘This is the consecrated portion from the offerings by fire to the Lord that was designated for Aaron and his sons on the day he presented them to serve as priests to the Lord. 36 The Lord commanded this to be given to the priests by the Israelites on the day that He anointed them. It is their portion perpetually throughout their generations.’”
37 This is the law of the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the consecration (ordination) offering, and the sacrifice of peace offerings, 38 which the Lord commanded Moses at Mount Sinai on the day He commanded the Israelites to present their offerings to the Lord, in the Wilderness of Sinai.
Footnotes: Leviticus 7:20 This may involve banishment or execution.
Leviticus 7:21 Some mss read swarming thing.

• PERPETUALLY AND THROUGHOUT GENERATIONS. It's amazing how God ordained and sealed this commandment, for the sake of the His anointed priests. It shall be forever, just like what Jesus has done for us in the cross-- it has forever perfected our salvation and redemption. This finished work, this free gift of eternal life will be perpetually available throughout all the generations. 

After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!): 

d. Whoever eats the fat of the animal of which men offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, the person who eats it shall be cut off from his people: This principle is again. The fat (speaking of the good and the abundance) and the blood (speaking of the life) belonged to God, and had to be given to Him.

 e. The breast may be waved as a wave offering to the LORD: This was a specific waving of the portion of meat or bread dedicated to the LORD, waving it before the LORD in a specific pattern. In this way, even though the priest kept the portion, he had still dedicated it unto God.
i. The late chief Rabbi Hertz described the wave offering as thus: First, the portion was laid upon the hands of the donor. Then the officiating priest placed his own hands beneath those of the person offering the sacrifice, and moved the portion first forward and backward, then upward and downward. These motions make a sign of a cross! 

Jesus Christ and The Sacrificial System
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever,
sat down at the right hand of God. (Hebrews 10:12)

JESUS FULFILLED THE BURNT OFFERING (Leviticus 1)

As Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma (Ephesians 5:2)

JESUS FULFILLED THE GRAIN AND FIRSTFRUITS OFFERING (Leviticus 2)

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20)

JESUS FULFILLED THE PEACE OFFERING (Leviticus 3)

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God though our Lord, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)

JESUS FULFILLED THE SIN OFFERING (Leviticus 4)

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21)

JESUS FULFILLED THE GUILT OFFERING (Leviticus 5)

Who was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised because of our justification (Romans 4:25)

You have made His soul an offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10)

JESUS FULFILLED EVERY SACRIFICE FOR US!

"He is the Burnt-offering, the Meat-offering, the Peace-offering, the Sin-offering, and the Trespass-offering for His people. By His one oblation of Himself once offered, He has stood in all these different relations" (Jukes)

We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10) 

 

Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Lev/Lev-7.cfm © 2004 David Guzik