The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 85

enveloped in it, and, in the case of the sheep; CHAPTER IIL the fat tails, for consumption by the 11~ THE rEACE OFFERING, The pllllce offer- 3. To offer one of each of the three different ing, though the instructions here given kinds of unleavened cakes, and one loaf respecting it preocde those relating to the of the leavened bread, as a heave offering. sin offering (for a reason to be stated here- 4. To wave the breo.et of the animal back- wards and forwards, nnd to heave the leg or after), is the last in order of the sa.crifices haunch upwards und downwards, in token of when they were all presented together. consecration ( see notes on eh. vii. 14 30 First, the sin offering taught the need of, 31 ). 5. To take for his own eating, and'that and symbolically wrought, propitiation and of his brethren the priests, the three cakes atonement; next the burnt offering repre- and loaf und haunch that had been heaved and waved. G. To return the rest of the sented the absolute surrender of man's will unimal, and the remaining cakes and to God', will; then the meat offering, by its loaves, to the offerer, to serve as a feast for gift of homage, declared the loyal submission him and his, to ho eaten the same or the of the offerer; and then followed the peaoe next day, in the court of the tabernacle. offering, symbolizing the festive joy which The lesson taught by the peace offering was the blessedness of being in union with pervades the souls of those who are in com- God as his covenant people, and the duty munion with God. The essential ch:i.rac- and happiness of exhibiting a joyous sense teristio of the pea.ea offering is the feast of this relation by celebrating a festival upon the sacrifice, participated in sym- meal, eaten reverently and thankfully in bolically by God (by means of the part the house of God, a part of which wo.e given to God's priests, and a part consumed consumed on the altar, and the part eaten s.vmbolically by God himself. The burnt by his ministers) and actually by the offering had typified self-surrender; the offerer and his companions. It served as a meat offering, loyal submission; the peace· memorial to the Israelites of the institution offering typified the joyous cheerfulness- of the covenant between God and thcm- of those who, having iu a spirit of perfect selrns (a covenant in the East being ordin- loyalty surrendered themselves to God, had become his children, and were fed at too arily ratified by the parties to it eating very board at which he deigned symbolically together), and reminded them of the bless- to partake. The most essential part of th& ings thence derived, which naturally called meat offering was the presentation; of the forth feelings of joyous thankfulness ; burnt offeriug, the consumption of the victim while it prefigured the peace wrought for on the altar; of the peace offering. the festive meal upon the sacrifice. The combined burn• man by the adoption in Christ, through and meat offeriug was the sacrifice of ou11 which he Las communion with God. giving himself up to God; the peMe offer- Ver. !.-Peace offering, Zebach shelamim, ing, that of one who, having given himse!..t' " sacrifice of peace offerings." The singular, up to God, is realizing his communion with ,hclem, occurs onco (Amos v. 22), Tho him. In this respect the pence offering of -::onditions to be fulfilled by a Jew who the old dispensation foreshadows the Lord's offered a peace offering wero the follow- Supper in the new dispensation. Several ing:-!. He must bring either (1) a young other names have been proposed for the bull or cow, or (2) a youug sheep of pence offering, such as thank offering, sal- dU1cr se:x, or (3) a young he-goat or hhe- Vlltion offering, eto. No nume is more goat. 2. He must offerit iu the court of the suilllble t!,nn peace offering, but the word tabernacle. 3. In offeriug it he must place, or must be underslood not in the sense of an lean, his hand upon its hi,a,l 4. He musl kill offering to bring about peace, hut an offer- it at the door of the tabernacle. 5. He must ing of those who nre in a state of ponce. provide three kinds of cakes similar to those nn.iwering to !ho Greek wor<l <ip11v11<~, rather offered in the meat offering-, uud leavtned tl1an to tho Lutin word pacifica. "A state bread (eh. vii. 11-13). The priest hacl: of peace Rnd friendship with God was the 1. To catch the blood, and striko the sidee basis nn<l 8ine qua non to the presentation of tlie altar with it, as in the Lurnt sacrifices. of a eltelem, ancl the design of that presen- 2. To place upon the burnt offering, smoul- tation, from which its name was derived, dering upon the altar, ull the internal fat of was tl.Je realization, establishment, verifica- the unimal's body, together 11ith the kidneys tion, and enjoyment of the exi■ting rclationa en. m. 1-17.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 41