After justifying Israel through the Burnt offering, sanctifying him with the Grain offering then comes, in order, the Peace offering.
There are three points:
- The meaning of the inwards parts being offered.
- The meaning of peace.
- The fruit of the peace offering.
1. In “The Preachers Homiletical Commentary on the Book Leviticus” Rev. Jellie states on page 30 regarding verse 3, “All the fat that is upon the inwards. In the burnt offering it was the fat connected with the limbs and external parts of the victim which God required; but in the peace sacrifice He specifically asks the inward fat which covers the vitals. This denoted inward health; and typified the inmost excellency of Christ. And as this was to be for God, placed and consumed upon His altar, it bespeaks now all the virtue and grace of Jesus in His own essential perfectness and preciousness were necessary to a satisfactory peace between God and man. For what inferior sacrifice could sacrifice? The enmity and outrage wrought by our sin and sinfulness were such that the most absolute excellence was essential in our propitiatory offering. But Christ offered “all” His virtue to God for us.”
Herein lies the good news: that all of Jesus Christ was offered up that God would be comprehensively satisfied and thereby we are able to be at peace with God.
2. In the “Gospel in Leviticus” Joseph Seiss says of the Peace offering on page 60, “This particular kind of offering is called the peace offering. The word peace, in the language of the Scriptures, has a shade of meaning not commonly attached to its ordinary use. With most persons it signifies a cessation of hostilities, harmonious agreement, tranquility, the absence of disturbance. But in the Scriptures it means more. Its predominant import there is, prosperity, welfare, joy, happiness…..We may therefore confidently take the peace-offering as a joyous festival, a solemn sacrificial banqueting, illustrative of the peace and joy which flows to believers from the atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our sanctification through His blood and Spirit.”
Even Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ”. Thus the blessings Christians receive was established in God’s word to Israel and fulfilled in the Peace offering.
3. In “The Preachers Homiletical Commentary on the Book Leviticus” Rev. Jellie states on page 30 regarding verse 11, “The food of the offering made by fire unto the Lord. God finds “food”-satisfaction, gratification-in the altar offering, in the excellencies of Christ devoted in sacrifice to win man’s acceptance. Grand truth: the presentation of atonement by Jesus for man’s peace yields to God a satisfying “food,” a substantial joy, which both dlls all the Divine desires and answers all the Devine demands. The Savior’s sacrifice was very precious to the Holy God.”
Consider from Rev. Jellie’s comments that God is completely, comprehensively satisfied, as food satisfies man, with the offering of Christ. God is satisfied to the point that He is happy and eager to receive thanks to the offering of Christ.
Views from an Evangelist 