Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Leviticus 7
Leviticus 7:5Then the priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering with a pleasing aroma. All fat is the Lord's.
Leviticus 7:15And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering.
The rule to eat the thanksgiving peace offering on the same day it was offered turned the sacrifice into an immediate, joyful feast, reinforcing the communal and celebratory nature of worship.Leviticus 7:27Whoever eats blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.
The strict prohibition against consuming blood underscores a core biblical principle: life belongs to God alone, and it must be treated with reverence and respect.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Divine Handbook for Priestly Duties
This chapter serves as a detailed instruction manual for the newly established priesthood. Continuing from the laws in chapter 6, God gives Moses the specific procedures for handling the guilt offering and the peace offering. The focus is highly practical, ensuring that Aaron and his sons know exactly how to perform their duties, what their portion of the food is, and how to maintain holiness in every step of the process. This isn't a narrative story but a foundational legal text for Israel's worship.
From the Altar to the Community Table
The scene shifts from the technical rules for the guilt offering to the more communal aspects of the peace offering. Here, the instructions expand to include the worshiper and their family. The chapter lays out regulations for different types of peace offerings - thanksgiving, vow, and freewill - and specifies strict timelines for consumption. This demonstrates that worship was a vertical act toward God and a horizontal one that strengthened community bonds through shared, sacred meals.
The Rules for Offerings and Sacred Meals
In the shadow of Mount Sinai, God continues to give Moses the foundational laws for Israel's worship. Leviticus 7 acts as a procedural guide, detailing the specific actions the priests and the people must take for two key sacrifices. The chapter outlines who gets what portion of the animal, the strict rules for maintaining purity, and the prohibitions that set Israel apart as a holy nation.
The Guilt Offering and the Priest's Share (Leviticus 7:1-10)
1 "This is the law of the guilt offering. It is most holy."
2 In the place where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be thrown against the sides of the altar.
3 And all its fat he shall offer from it: the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails,
4 Then he shall offer from it all its fat; the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails,
5 Then the priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering with a pleasing aroma. All fat is the Lord's.
6 Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.
7 The guilt offering is just like the sin offering; there is one law for them. The priest who makes atonement with it shall have it.
8 And the priest who offers any man's burnt offering shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering that he has offered.
9 And every grain offering baked in the oven and all that is prepared in a pan or on a griddle shall belong to the priest who offers it.
10 But the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for they are given as your due and your sons' due from the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the people of Israel.
Commentary:
The guilt offering makes things right with God, and in the process, provides food for the priests who serve Him.
The Peace Offering and Its Timelines (Leviticus 7:11-21)
11 “And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that one may offer to the Lord.
12 If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour well mixed with oil.
13 With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread.
14 And of it he shall offer one from each offering, as a food offering to the Lord.
15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering.
16 But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten.
17 But what remains of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned up with fire.
18 If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten on the third day, he who offers it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be credited to him. It is tainted, and he who eats of it shall bear his iniquity.
19 "And the flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned up with fire. All who are clean may eat flesh,"
20 If anyone who is unclean eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of the Lord that is offered as a food offering to the Lord, that person shall be cut off from his people.
21 And if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether human uncleanness or an unclean beast or any unclean detestable creature, and then eats some flesh from the sacrifice of the Lord's peace offerings, that person shall be cut off from his people.
Commentary:
Peace offerings are for celebrating fellowship with God, but they come with strict rules about timing and personal purity.
Forbidden Foods: Fat and Blood (Leviticus 7:22-27)
22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
23 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, You shall eat no fat, of ox or sheep or goat.
24 And the fat of an animal that dies of itself and the fat of one that is torn by beasts may be put to any other use, but on no account shall you eat it.
25 For anyone who eats the fat of an animal of which a food offering may be made to the Lord shall be cut off from his people.
26 Moreover, you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places.
27 Whoever eats blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.
Commentary:
God commands the people not to eat fat or blood, as these elements are sacred and belong exclusively to Him.
The Priests' Perpetual Portion (Leviticus 7:28-38)
28 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
29 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘Whoever offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord from the sacrifice of his peace offerings.
30 His own hands shall bring the Lord's food offerings. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord.
31 And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be for Aaron and his sons.
32 And the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifice of your peace offerings.
33 Whoever among the sons of Aaron offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh for a portion.
34 For the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed I have taken from the people of Israel, out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons, as a perpetual due from the people of Israel.
35 This is the portion of Aaron and of his sons from the Lord's food offerings, in the day when they were presented to serve as priests of the Lord.
36 On the eighth day he shall bring them to the priest to offer them to the Lord before the Lord; then the priest shall offer them, the grain offering and the drink offering.
37 This is the law of the burnt offering, of the grain offering, of the sin offering, of the guilt offering, of the ordination offering, and of the peace offering,
38 which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day that he commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai.
Commentary:
God permanently assigns the breast and right thigh from peace offerings to the priests as their rightful share.
Holiness, Provision, and Community in Worship
The Holiness of God
The meticulous rules about handling sacred food, observing timelines, and maintaining personal purity all point to one central truth: God is holy. Approaching Him is a privilege that requires reverence, obedience, and a recognition that He sets the terms for worship.
Divine Provision for Ministry
God intentionally designed the sacrificial system to sustain the priesthood. By assigning specific portions of the offerings to Aaron and his sons, God demonstrated that those who dedicate their lives to serving Him will be provided for through the faithful worship of His people.
Worship as Fellowship
The peace offering stands out because it culminates in a shared meal between God (who received the fat on the altar), the priest, and the worshiper's family. This shows that worship is a joyful expression of relationship and communion with God and with one another, rather than a solemn duty.
Applying Ancient Rules to Modern Faith
The command to offer the fat to the Lord in Leviticus 7:25 teaches you that God deserves your very best, not your leftovers. This principle applies to your finances, time, and talents. Honoring God with the 'firstfruits' of your life is an act of worship that acknowledges He is the source of all your blessings.
The peace offering was a sacred meal celebrating fellowship with God and others (Leviticus 7:15). This reminds you that faith is not a solo activity. It thrives in community. Sharing meals, celebrating together, and participating in communion are modern ways to live out the spirit of the peace offering, strengthening your bond with God and fellow believers.
The strict separation between clean and unclean in Leviticus 7:20-21 highlights the seriousness of sin and the need to be spiritually prepared to enter God's presence. For you today, this isn't about ritual purity but heart purity. It's a call to regularly examine your life and confess your sins, allowing Christ to make you clean so you can worship God wholeheartedly.
Worship is Orderly, Relational, and Holy
Leviticus 7 reveals that God cares deeply about the details of how He is approached. These specific rules for offerings were designed to teach Israel about His perfect holiness, His faithful provision for His ministers, and His desire for joyful fellowship with His people. The message is that true worship is not chaotic or self-designed. It is an ordered, reverent response that honors God, supports community, and celebrates relationship.
What This Means for Us Today
The intricate laws of Leviticus 7 ultimately point to a greater reality: God desires to be near His people, but holiness must be respected. These offerings provided a temporary way to draw near, foreshadowing the one perfect offering of Jesus. Today, the invitation is not to a physical altar but to a restored relationship with God, made possible entirely by Christ's sacrifice on our behalf.
- In what area of my life do I need to give God the 'best part' instead of the leftovers?
- How can I better contribute to the provision and encouragement of those who lead and serve in my church community?
- When was the last time my worship felt like a joyful celebration and shared meal with God and others?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter provides the priestly instructions for the burnt, grain, and sin offerings, leading directly into the laws for the guilt and peace offerings in chapter 7.
Following the laws of sacrifice, this chapter describes the formal ordination of Aaron and his sons, putting the rules from the previous chapters into practice.
Connections Across Scripture
This passage explains how Christ's sacrifice is the ultimate fulfillment of the Levitical system, achieving a perfect and permanent cleansing that animal blood never could.
Paul discusses participation in the Lord's Supper as a form of communion with Christ and fellow believers, echoing the sacred, shared meal aspect of the peace offering.
This verse calls believers to live a life of love, described as a 'fragrant offering and sacrifice to God,' connecting our daily lives to the concept of a 'pleasing aroma' from the Levitical offerings.
Discussion Questions
- Leviticus 7 emphasizes that certain parts of the offering belonged to God, others to the priests, and some to the people. How does this division of portions reflect a well-ordered relationship with God and community?
- The peace offering was often a joyful, communal meal. In what ways can our modern worship services or small groups better capture this spirit of celebration and fellowship?
- The prohibitions against eating fat and blood were central to Israelite holiness. While we are not under these specific dietary laws, what are the 'fat and blood' in our lives - the things we should reserve for God alone?
Glossary
figures
theological concepts
terms
Guilt Offering
A sacrifice to atone for sins that violated God's holy things or defrauded another person, often requiring restitution.
Peace Offering
A voluntary sacrifice expressing thanks or celebrating fellowship with God, parts of which were eaten by the worshiper and their family.
Wave Offering
A ritual where a portion of the sacrifice was symbolically lifted and waved before the Lord to dedicate it to Him before being given to the priest.