A peace offering:
What is the largest sacrifice that we could make?

The Askja Volcano Crater With The Viti Lake

What is a peace offering?

One of dictionary.com definitions for peace offering is:

1. any offering made to procure peace.
2. a sacrificial offering made in order to assure communion with God . . . .

Let’s see what the Scriptures say about a peace offering or sacrificial offering.
Let’s start with the book of Exodus.

Exodus 20:24 (NIV):

24 " 'Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship
offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be
honored, I will come to you and bless you.

Leviticus 3 (NIV): The Fellowship Offering

1 " 'If someone's offering is a fellowship offering, and he offers an animal from the herd,
whether male or female, he is to present before the LORD an animal without defect.
2 He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the
Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood against the altar
on all sides.
3 From the fellowship offering he is to bring a sacrifice made to the LORD by fire: all the
fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them,
4 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he
will remove with the kidneys.
5 Then Aaron's sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that is on the
burning wood, as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

6 " 'If he offers an animal from the flock as a fellowship offering to the LORD, he is to
offer a male or female without defect.
7 If he offers a lamb, he is to present it before the LORD.
8 He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it in front of the Tent of
Meeting. Then Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides.
9 From the fellowship offering he is to bring a sacrifice made to the LORD by fire: its fat,
the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, all the fat that covers the inner parts or is
connected to them,
10 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which
he will remove with the kidneys.
11 The priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made to the LORD by fire.

12 " 'If his offering is a goat, he is to present it before the LORD.
13 He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then
Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides.
14 From what he offers he is to make this offering to the LORD by fire: all the fat that
covers the inner parts or is connected to them, 15 both kidneys with the fat on them near
the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys.
16 The priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire, a pleasing
aroma. All the fat is the LORD's.

17 " 'This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You
must not eat any fat or any blood.' "

Questions:

- What is a peace offering?
- What is the largest sacrifice that we could make?
- Do you a have a close friend that you trust with helping to make tough decisions?
- What is the significance of Jesus Christ dying on the cross in lieu of
us continuing the sacrificing practices?

- Do you allow Jesus Christ to help you decide what to do in tough situations?

Let’s read what Dr. J. Vernon McGee had to say from his popular teaching’s
“Thru The Bible” on “The Peace Offering”

The peace offering (Leviticus 3) speaks of the communion and fellowship of
believers with God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. The only way you
and I can come to God is through Jesus Christ. He is the Way!

No single offering can set forth the manifold wonders of the person of Christ and
the many facets of His glory. Just as we need four Gospels in the New Testament
to set forth His earthly life, so also we need the five offerings of Leviticus to set
forth His person and work.

The peace offering does not speak of the peace that Christ made through His blood on the
cross, as that has to do with sin and comes properly under the non-sweet savor offerings.
Rather, the peace offering speaks more specifically of the peace to which Paul referred in
Ephesians, the peace which brings all believers into communion with the Father by the
Holy Spirit, through the Lord Jesus Christ. "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off
are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken
down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby"
(Ephesians 2:13-16).

In the peace offering, the emphasis is not upon the peace that He made by the blood of the cross, but
upon the peace He is because of the blood of the cross. He is the meeting place of all believers together
and of each believer with God the Father. Christ is the only one who can break down the walls that separate
individuals, families, religions, races, and nations. All are made one in Christ. Then they become a habitation
of God in the Spirit and have access to the Father. You see, only believers can join together in partaking of
the wonders, the beauties, and the glories of Christ. They can have communion with the Father and fellowship
one with another as they share the things of Christ.

This is what the apostle John is saying. "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also
may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3).
The peace offering brings us together. It is only as we meet around the person of Christ that we can be drawn together.

Additional Scriptures for further study: Exodus; Leviticus; Numbers;
Deuteronomy; Joshua; Judges; 1 Samuel 10; 2 Samuel; 1 Kings; 2 Kings; 1 Chronicles;
2 Chronicles; Proverbs 7:14; Ezekiel; Amos; Ephesians 2:13-16; and 1 John 1:3

References:
The following websites were referenced on Nov. 8, 2006:

http://www.worldofstock.com/closeups/TIC1012.php
http://dictionary.reference.com
http://www.biblegateway.com

http://www.thruthebible.org/site/c.hvKSLdMYIsG/b.441549/k.ED9D/May_I_Say.htm