New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Leviticus 7
2
You must kill the animal for the guilt offering in the same place where you kill the animal for the burnt offering. Sprinkle its blood against every side of the altar.
Reference
3
" 'Offer all of its fat. It must include the fat tail and the fat that covers the inside parts.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 29:13
4
It must include both kidneys with the fat on them next to the lower back muscles. It must also include the covering of the liver. Remove all of it together with the kidneys.
5
The priest must burn all of it on the altar. It is an offering that is made to the Lord with fire. It is a guilt offering.
6
" 'Any male in a priest's family can eat it. But he must eat it in a holy place. It is very holy.
Reference
7
" 'The same law applies to the sin offering and the guilt offering. Both of them belong to the priest who offers them to pay for sin.
Reference
8
The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone can keep its hide for himself.
9
" 'Every grain offering that is baked in an oven belongs to the priest who offers it. So does every grain offering that is cooked in a pan or grilled on a metal plate.
Reference
10
Every grain offering belongs equally to all of the priests who are in Aaron's family line. That is true whether it is mixed with olive oil or it is dry.
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Corinthians 8:14
11
" 'Here are some more rules for friendship offerings a person may bring to the Lord.
12
" 'Suppose he offers a friendship offering to show he is thankful. Then together with the thank offering he must offer flat cakes of bread. He must make them without yeast. He must mix them with olive oil. Or he must offer wafers that are made without yeast. He must spread oil on them. Or he must offer flat cakes that are made out of fine flour. He must add oil to it. He must work the flour and mix it well.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 107:8
Ephesians 5:20
Romans 1:21
Luke 17:16
Luke 17:18
Sacrifice
Leviticus 2:4
Numbers 6:15
1 Peter 2:5
Hebrews 13:15
Psalm 116:17
13
" 'He must bring another friendship offering along with his thank offering. It should be flat cakes of bread that are made with yeast.
Reference
14
He must bring one of each kind of bread as an offering. One kind is made with yeast. The other is not. Both of them are a gift to the Lord. They belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the friendship offerings.
Reference
Sacrifice
Numbers 18:19
15
" 'The person must eat the meat from his thank offering on the day he offers it. He must not leave any of it until morning.
16
" 'But suppose he brings a friendship offering to keep a promise he has made. Or suppose he brings an offering he chooses to give. Then he must eat the sacrifice on the day he offers it. But if anything is left over, he may eat it the next day.
Reference
Sacrifice
Deuteronomy 12:6
18
Suppose he eats any meat from the friendship offering on the third day. Then the Lord will not accept the offering. He will not accept it as a gift from that person. It is not pure. If the person eats any of it, he will be held accountable for it.
Reference
19
" 'He must not eat meat that touches anything that is "unclean." He must burn it up. Anyone who is "clean" may eat any other meat.
20
" 'But suppose a person is not "clean" and eats any meat from the friendship offering that belongs to the Lord. Then that person will be cut off from his people.
21
" 'Suppose a person touches something that is not "clean." It does not matter whether it comes from a human being who is not "clean." It does not matter whether it comes from an animal that is not "clean." It does not matter whether it comes from something that is hated and is not "clean." And suppose the person eats any of the meat from the friendship offering that belongs to the Lord. Then that person will be cut off from his people.' "
Reference
22
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
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"Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats.
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Do not eat the fat of any animal that is found dead. Do not eat the fat of an animal that wild animals have torn apart. But you can use the fat for any other purpose.
Reference
25
" 'Suppose an animal has been sacrificed as an offering that is made to the Lord with fire. No one may eat its fat. If he does, he will be cut off from his people.
27
If anyone does, he will be cut off from his people.' "
Reference
Blood
Hebrews 10:29
28
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
29
"Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Suppose a person brings a friendship offering to the Lord. Then he must bring part of it as his special gift to the Lord.
30
He must bring it with his own hands. It is an offering that is made to the Lord with fire. He must bring the fat together with the breast. He must lift the breast up and wave it in front of the Lord as a wave offering.
Reference
31
The priest will burn the fat on the altar. " 'But the breast belongs to Aaron and the priests who are in his family line.
Reference
33
The priest who offers the blood and fat from the friendship offering must be given the right thigh. It is his share.
34
" 'I, the Lord, have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh that is given. I have taken them from the friendship offerings of the people of Israel. And I have given them to the priest Aaron and the priests who are in his family line. The offerings are their regular share from the people of Israel.' "
35
That is the part of the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire and given to Aaron and the priests who are in his family line. It was given to Aaron and his sons on the day they were set apart to serve the Lord as priests.
36
On the day they were anointed, the Lord commanded the people of Israel to give that part to them. For all time to come, it will be the regular share of Aaron and the priests who are in his family line.
Reference
37
Those are the rules for burnt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings and friendship offerings. They are also the rules for the offerings that are given when priests are being prepared to serve the Lord.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 29:1
38
They are the rules the Lord gave Moses on Mount Sinai. He gave them on the day he commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to the Lord. That took place in the Sinai Desert.
Summary of Leviticus 7
Leviticus chapter 7 contains further instruction on the different sacrifices that were to be brought before the Lord. Much of the chapter deals with instructions for the priests concerning what they should do with the offerings that had been made. The offerings were not simply private acts of worship; they were part of the organized worship of Israel. The priests had particular responsibilities in relation to the animals, blood, fat, and meat.
The first part of the chapter discusses the law of the trespass offering. When the trespass offering was brought, the animal was killed in the same place as the burnt offering and it was blood was sprinkled around the altar. The fat of the animal - the fat that was upon the inwards, the kidneys, and the fat upon them, and the part that covered the liver - should be removed and burnt upon the altar - these were dedicated to the Lord.
The priest who brought the trespass offering was allowed to eat from the meat of the sacrifice, though it had to be eaten in the holy place, within the courts of the tabernacle. The meat of the trespass offering was holy because it had been dedicated to God, and the priests had a responsibility to treat it with holy reverence. Similarly with the sin offering and the trespass offering, it was a priest who made atonement with the offering who could receive the meat as his priestly provision.
The chapter then moves to the burnt offering and the meat offering. The priest who brought the burnt offering had to make sure that it was handled properly. The skin of the animal was given to him. The meat offering could be eaten by the priests - except for that part which was specifically burnt upon the altar.
Attention then turns to the peace offering which was different in that the person who brought the sacrifice could share in eating its meat. There were several reasons for bringing the peace offering. A person could bring it as a thanksgiving offering or as a voluntary offering or because of a vow to the Lord. It was an expression of fellowship, gratitude and worship.
The peace offering was to be accompanied by unleavened cakes mixed with oil, wafers anointed with oil and cakes made from fine flour mixed with oil. These cakes were presented with the sacrifice and when they had been offered one cake from each type was given to the priest who had sprinkled the blood of the peace offering. The rest of the food was to be eaten in accordance with the directions given for the sacrifice.
There was an important instruction concerning the meat of the peace offerings. If a thanksgiving offering was brought with the sacrifice it had to be eaten on the same day as the offering, nothing was to be left until the next morning. If it was a peace offering connected with a vow or a voluntary offering it could be eaten on the day it was brought and on the following day, but whatever was left over until the third day had to be burnt.
The reason for this instruction was that if the meat had been left until the third day and if someone ate from it, the sacrifice would not be acceptable to the Lord; it would be regarded as an unacceptable offering and the person who had eaten from it would be responsible for his iniquity.
A further important law related to the law of cleanness. The person who ate the flesh of the peace offering had to be clean. If an unclean person ate from it, he was subject to being cut off from his people. Similarly with anything else that had touched unclean food, the Israelites were being taught that they had to treat holy sacrifices with care and that they had to be mindful of the difference between that which was unclean and clean.
A further law connected with fat and blood. The fat of animals used in sacrifice was not to be eaten. The fat of the ox, sheep and goat was to be offered to the Lord. Specific parts of the animal fat were burnt upon the altar. It was permitted to eat the fat of animals that had died naturally or been killed by another animal, but the fat of these animals was not to be used as food.
The law with regard to blood was even more strict. The Lord commanded that the Israelites were not to eat any blood - the blood of birds or animals. This law was repeated several times in Leviticus because blood was particularly sacred - connected with life and with the sacrificial system. Blood was not to be used as food, it was connected with the altar.
At the end of the chapter the portions of the peace offering that belonged to Aaron and his sons are described. The person bringing the sacrifice was to present the breast before the Lord as a wave offering and the right shoulder was to be given as a heave offering. These two portions of the offering were to be assigned to the priests as their provision for serving at the tabernacle. The Lord laid these portions down as a permanent law for the priests and their sons.
This passage reminds us that the priests did not serve without provision. They served in maintaining the worship of Israel and certain portions of the offerings were their food. At the same time they could not eat their fill - the offerings were divided in accordance with the instructions given by God.
The final verses of the chapter serve to remind us that these were the portions given to Aaron and his sons from the sacrifices that the children of Israel brought. These portions had been laid down from the day the priests were anointed to serve the Lord. The chapter ends with a reminder that these were the laws concerning the burnt offering, meat offering, sin offering, trespass offering, consecration offering and peace offering.
Leviticus chapter 7 includes a great many of the rules that related to the sacrifices that were made by Israel. We are reminded not only what was to be laid upon the altar, but also what was to be done with the offerings that were brought. Some of the portions of the sacrifices were wholly dedicated to the Lord, some went to the priests, and some could be eaten by the person who brought the sacrifice. We are told about what was to be done with the blood, the fat, the clean and unclean, and how the food was to be eaten. Clearly, not only the sacrifice itself, but also the way in which the food, fat, and meat were treated was of concern to the Lord. The sacrifices were not simply a means of providing a meal or expressing religion, they were acts of worship that had to be carried out in accordance with precise instructions.
The first part of the chapter discusses the law of the trespass offering. When the trespass offering was brought, the animal was killed in the same place as the burnt offering and it was blood was sprinkled around the altar. The fat of the animal - the fat that was upon the inwards, the kidneys, and the fat upon them, and the part that covered the liver - should be removed and burnt upon the altar - these were dedicated to the Lord.
The priest who brought the trespass offering was allowed to eat from the meat of the sacrifice, though it had to be eaten in the holy place, within the courts of the tabernacle. The meat of the trespass offering was holy because it had been dedicated to God, and the priests had a responsibility to treat it with holy reverence. Similarly with the sin offering and the trespass offering, it was a priest who made atonement with the offering who could receive the meat as his priestly provision.
The chapter then moves to the burnt offering and the meat offering. The priest who brought the burnt offering had to make sure that it was handled properly. The skin of the animal was given to him. The meat offering could be eaten by the priests - except for that part which was specifically burnt upon the altar.
Attention then turns to the peace offering which was different in that the person who brought the sacrifice could share in eating its meat. There were several reasons for bringing the peace offering. A person could bring it as a thanksgiving offering or as a voluntary offering or because of a vow to the Lord. It was an expression of fellowship, gratitude and worship.
The peace offering was to be accompanied by unleavened cakes mixed with oil, wafers anointed with oil and cakes made from fine flour mixed with oil. These cakes were presented with the sacrifice and when they had been offered one cake from each type was given to the priest who had sprinkled the blood of the peace offering. The rest of the food was to be eaten in accordance with the directions given for the sacrifice.
There was an important instruction concerning the meat of the peace offerings. If a thanksgiving offering was brought with the sacrifice it had to be eaten on the same day as the offering, nothing was to be left until the next morning. If it was a peace offering connected with a vow or a voluntary offering it could be eaten on the day it was brought and on the following day, but whatever was left over until the third day had to be burnt.
The reason for this instruction was that if the meat had been left until the third day and if someone ate from it, the sacrifice would not be acceptable to the Lord; it would be regarded as an unacceptable offering and the person who had eaten from it would be responsible for his iniquity.
A further important law related to the law of cleanness. The person who ate the flesh of the peace offering had to be clean. If an unclean person ate from it, he was subject to being cut off from his people. Similarly with anything else that had touched unclean food, the Israelites were being taught that they had to treat holy sacrifices with care and that they had to be mindful of the difference between that which was unclean and clean.
A further law connected with fat and blood. The fat of animals used in sacrifice was not to be eaten. The fat of the ox, sheep and goat was to be offered to the Lord. Specific parts of the animal fat were burnt upon the altar. It was permitted to eat the fat of animals that had died naturally or been killed by another animal, but the fat of these animals was not to be used as food.
The law with regard to blood was even more strict. The Lord commanded that the Israelites were not to eat any blood - the blood of birds or animals. This law was repeated several times in Leviticus because blood was particularly sacred - connected with life and with the sacrificial system. Blood was not to be used as food, it was connected with the altar.
At the end of the chapter the portions of the peace offering that belonged to Aaron and his sons are described. The person bringing the sacrifice was to present the breast before the Lord as a wave offering and the right shoulder was to be given as a heave offering. These two portions of the offering were to be assigned to the priests as their provision for serving at the tabernacle. The Lord laid these portions down as a permanent law for the priests and their sons.
This passage reminds us that the priests did not serve without provision. They served in maintaining the worship of Israel and certain portions of the offerings were their food. At the same time they could not eat their fill - the offerings were divided in accordance with the instructions given by God.
The final verses of the chapter serve to remind us that these were the portions given to Aaron and his sons from the sacrifices that the children of Israel brought. These portions had been laid down from the day the priests were anointed to serve the Lord. The chapter ends with a reminder that these were the laws concerning the burnt offering, meat offering, sin offering, trespass offering, consecration offering and peace offering.
Leviticus chapter 7 includes a great many of the rules that related to the sacrifices that were made by Israel. We are reminded not only what was to be laid upon the altar, but also what was to be done with the offerings that were brought. Some of the portions of the sacrifices were wholly dedicated to the Lord, some went to the priests, and some could be eaten by the person who brought the sacrifice. We are told about what was to be done with the blood, the fat, the clean and unclean, and how the food was to be eaten. Clearly, not only the sacrifice itself, but also the way in which the food, fat, and meat were treated was of concern to the Lord. The sacrifices were not simply a means of providing a meal or expressing religion, they were acts of worship that had to be carried out in accordance with precise instructions.