Leviticus 7:1-27
Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people. – Leviticus 7:27
To read the full passage, click on the link below: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=lev%207%3A1-27&version=ESV
The instructions about offerings from today’s passage can be divided into three parts.
1. For priests to handle guilt offering and their portion (vv.1-10)
2. For people eating the peace offering (vv.11-21) 3. For prohibition on eating fat and blood (vv.22-27)
Our God is an exact and detailed God. There are no grey areas or ambiguity in his law. We can see this in the way he allotted each part of the offerings without leaving anything to be fought over by the priests. They were sufficiently supplied with food to feed their families with. We can also observe God’s precision is the way he instructed the people to eat the peace offering: if given for thanksgiving, the meat was only clean on that day; if given for a vow, the meat was clean until the next day. None of it could be eaten on the third day; it had to be burned up.
As we’ve seen repeatedly, God is particular about purity and cleanness, and he gave clear instructions regarding the holiness of the food offered and the cleanness of the people who were to eat of the peace offering. He also commanded in no unclear terms that eating of the fat and blood were prohibited for his people. Those who broke his laws would be “cut off from his people”.
When we read with awareness of how quickly meat spoils and how quickly bacteria can contaminate upon contact, some of these laws actually make sense. God also explained before that blood represented life, and his people were not to eat anything that was living. So that makes sense, too. But then, why the peace offering for thanksgiving was to be eaten that day, while the peace offering for a vow could be eaten for one more day, even though they’re both peace offerings, is hard to figure out. It may even seem quite arbitrary in some cases, for example, how the priests got the right side of the animal while the people were given the left side.
Perhaps these laws were not meant to be figured out or to be understood by our limited common sense. Perhaps they were simply meant to be obeyed with precision, caution and reverence, trusting that in everything God knows what’s best for his glory and for us.
As God’s people we are called to trust his goodness and obey his commands. If we have questions, we can ask, but this shouldn’t delay our obedience. He doesn’t shortchange the people who serve him.
Reflection:
Is there anything that the Lord is telling us to do that doesn’t make sense, that we can’t accept by our own understanding? Perhaps this is a call for surrender, trust, and obedience. The holy God calls his people:“Come, see what it’s like to partake in my holiness.” Indeed to be his pure and holy people, we will not make sense to the world, but that is where the abundant blessing of communion with the divine can be experienced.
Prayer:
God, we know our understanding and knowledge is limited and can’t comprehend the mystery and wonders of your commands and will. You are faithful and kind, and love us more than we love ourselves. Help us to trust in you, to surrender our pride and fear, and to live a life of intentional obedience. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
To read the full passage, click on the link below: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=lev%207%3A1-27&version=ESV
The instructions about offerings from today’s passage can be divided into three parts.
1. For priests to handle guilt offering and their portion (vv.1-10)
2. For people eating the peace offering (vv.11-21) 3. For prohibition on eating fat and blood (vv.22-27)
Our God is an exact and detailed God. There are no grey areas or ambiguity in his law. We can see this in the way he allotted each part of the offerings without leaving anything to be fought over by the priests. They were sufficiently supplied with food to feed their families with. We can also observe God’s precision is the way he instructed the people to eat the peace offering: if given for thanksgiving, the meat was only clean on that day; if given for a vow, the meat was clean until the next day. None of it could be eaten on the third day; it had to be burned up.
As we’ve seen repeatedly, God is particular about purity and cleanness, and he gave clear instructions regarding the holiness of the food offered and the cleanness of the people who were to eat of the peace offering. He also commanded in no unclear terms that eating of the fat and blood were prohibited for his people. Those who broke his laws would be “cut off from his people”.
When we read with awareness of how quickly meat spoils and how quickly bacteria can contaminate upon contact, some of these laws actually make sense. God also explained before that blood represented life, and his people were not to eat anything that was living. So that makes sense, too. But then, why the peace offering for thanksgiving was to be eaten that day, while the peace offering for a vow could be eaten for one more day, even though they’re both peace offerings, is hard to figure out. It may even seem quite arbitrary in some cases, for example, how the priests got the right side of the animal while the people were given the left side.
Perhaps these laws were not meant to be figured out or to be understood by our limited common sense. Perhaps they were simply meant to be obeyed with precision, caution and reverence, trusting that in everything God knows what’s best for his glory and for us.
As God’s people we are called to trust his goodness and obey his commands. If we have questions, we can ask, but this shouldn’t delay our obedience. He doesn’t shortchange the people who serve him.
Reflection:
Is there anything that the Lord is telling us to do that doesn’t make sense, that we can’t accept by our own understanding? Perhaps this is a call for surrender, trust, and obedience. The holy God calls his people:“Come, see what it’s like to partake in my holiness.” Indeed to be his pure and holy people, we will not make sense to the world, but that is where the abundant blessing of communion with the divine can be experienced.
Prayer:
God, we know our understanding and knowledge is limited and can’t comprehend the mystery and wonders of your commands and will. You are faithful and kind, and love us more than we love ourselves. Help us to trust in you, to surrender our pride and fear, and to live a life of intentional obedience. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!