Leviticus Chapter 7

What is the meaning of Leviticus 7?

Introduction to Leviticus 7

Leviticus 7 continues the detailed instructions for the sacrificial system, focusing specifically on the guilt offering (asham) and additional regulations for the peace offerings (shelamim). This chapter serves as a crucial bridge between the technical aspects of sacrifice and their deeper spiritual significance in Israel’s worship. The meticulous attention to detail reflects the holiness of God and His desire for intentional, orderly worship that points to the ultimate sacrifice of the Messiah.

Context of Leviticus 7

Leviticus 7 concludes the extended section on sacrificial offerings that began in chapter 1. These chapters form a comprehensive manual for the priests, ensuring proper handling of the various offerings brought by the Israelites. The placement of these instructions immediately following the establishment of the tabernacle in Exodus emphasizes the centrality of proper worship in Israel’s relationship with יהוה.

The chapter’s position within Leviticus is significant as it marks the transition from the general laws of sacrifice to the inauguration of the priesthood that begins in chapter 8. This strategic placement underscores the vital role of the priests as mediators between God and His people, a role that would ultimately find its perfect fulfillment in Yeshua the Messiah.

Ancient Key Word Study

• Asham (אָשָׁם) – The guilt offering, derived from the root meaning “to be guilty” or “to incur liability.” This offering addressed specific violations of God’s holiness and required both restitution and a sacrificial offering, highlighting the dual nature of sin as both moral failure and debt requiring payment.
• Shelamim (שְׁלָמִים) – The peace offering, from the root shalom (שָׁלוֹם), meaning completeness or peace. This offering uniquely allowed the worshipper to share in the sacrificial meal, symbolizing communion with God and fellow believers.
• Cheilev (חֵלֶב) – The fat portions reserved exclusively for יהוה, representing the best and richest part of the offering. The prohibition against eating fat emphasized God’s right to the finest portions and taught Israel about giving their best to Him.
• Minchah (מִנְחָה) – The grain offering accompanying the peace offering, symbolizing dedication of daily work and sustenance to God. Its bloodless nature complemented the animal sacrifices and represented the fruit of human labor.
• Tamei (טָמֵא) – Ritual uncleanness that disqualified one from eating the peace offering, emphasizing the need for holiness in approaching God’s presence.
• Todah (תּוֹדָה) – The thanksgiving peace offering, expressing gratitude for God’s specific acts of deliverance or blessing. This offering had the strictest time limits for consumption, encouraging immediate celebration of God’s goodness.
• Qodesh (קֹדֶשׁ) – Holiness or separateness, describing both the offerings themselves and the required state of those handling them. The frequent use of this term emphasizes the sacred nature of worship and the need for reverent handling of holy things.
• Tenufah (תְּנוּפָה) – The wave offering, involving a ceremonial lifting and moving of portions before יהוה, symbolizing presentation to God and His returning of the portion to the priests for their use.
• Mishpat (מִשְׁפָּט) – The prescribed ordinance or regulation, emphasizing the binding nature of these sacrificial laws and their role in maintaining proper worship.

Compare & Contrast

• The distinction between the fat (cheilev) being reserved for יהוה and the meat being shared among priests and worshippers reflects the theological principle of God’s preeminence. The Hebrew could have used the more general term shuman (שׁוּמָן) for fat, but cheilev specifically denotes the finest, richest portions, emphasizing the requirement to give God our best.
• The phrase “perpetual due throughout your generations” (לְחָק־עוֹלָם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם) uses olam rather than netzach (נֵצַח) for “perpetual,” suggesting regulations that would endure until fulfilled rather than literally forever, prophetically pointing to their completion in the Messiah.
• The threefold categorization of peace offerings (thanksgiving, vow, and freewill) employs distinct Hebrew terms (todah, neder, and nedavah) rather than using a single general term, highlighting the different motivations and spiritual conditions prompting worship.
• The specification of eating the peace offering “on the same day” for thanksgiving offerings versus allowing two days for votive and freewill offerings reflects different levels of urgency in expressing gratitude versus fulfilling vows, using the precise Hebrew yom echad rather than the more general bayom.
• The requirement to burn leftover portions on the third day uses the specific term saraf (שָׂרַף) for burning rather than the usual sacrificial term hiqtir (הִקְטִיר), emphasizing destruction rather than offering, showing these portions were no longer acceptable for sacred use.

Leviticus 7 Unique Insights

The rabbinical tradition provides fascinating insights into the deeper meanings of the peace offering regulations. The Talmud (Zevachim 36a) discusses how the strict time limits for consuming the thanksgiving offering fostered community participation, as the offerer would need to invite others to help consume the large quantity of meat within the prescribed time. This created an opportunity for public testimony of God’s goodness and strengthened community bonds.

The early church father Origen saw in the prohibition of eating sacrificial meat on the third day a prophetic type of Christ’s resurrection. Just as the sacred flesh could not remain until the third day, so Christ’s body would not see corruption but would rise in glory. This interpretation, while not explicitly stated in the text, shows how early Christians found Messianic significance in seemingly mundane regulations.

The requirement for ritual purity when eating the peace offerings points to an important theological principle: communion with God demands holiness. The Hebrew concept of tumah (ritual impurity) was not primarily about physical cleanliness but about symbolic separation from death and disorder. This foreshadowed the New Covenant reality that fellowship with God requires both positional and practical holiness.

The delegation of certain portions to the priests established a system where those who served at the altar were supported by their ministry, a principle later affirmed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:13. The specific assignment of the right thigh and breast portions symbolized both the strength and affection required in priestly service.

Leviticus 7 Connections to Yeshua

The guilt offering’s requirement for both restitution and sacrifice powerfully foreshadows the work of Yeshua. As our guilt offering, He not only paid the penalty for our sins but also made full restitution for all that was lost through sin, restoring our relationship with the Father and our lost inheritance as children of God.

The peace offerings’ unique feature of shared meals between God, priests, and worshippers points to the intimate fellowship made possible through Yeshua’s sacrifice. This finds its New Covenant expression in the Lord’s Supper, where believers share in the meal that commemorates His sacrifice, and looks forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb described in Revelation 19:9.

The emphasis on the blood and fat belonging exclusively to יהוה reminds us that Yeshua’s sacrifice was first and foremost for God’s glory, satisfying divine justice before securing our salvation. This priority of God’s glory over human benefit is central to understanding the cross.

Leviticus 7 Scriptural Echoes

The peace offering regulations find fulfillment in the New Testament’s teaching on fellowship and thanksgiving. Paul’s discussion of the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 10:16-18 explicitly connects it to the peace offerings, showing how Christ’s sacrifice enables true communion with God.

The requirement for ritual purity echoes throughout Scripture, from David’s men eating the showbread in 1 Samuel 21:4-5 to Paul’s warnings about examining oneself before partaking of communion in 1 Corinthians 11:28.

The concept of thanksgiving offerings finds its ultimate expression in Hebrews 13:15, where believers are called to offer continual sacrifices of praise. This shows how the physical sacrifices of Leviticus have been transformed into spiritual worship under the New Covenant.

Leviticus 7 Devotional

The detailed regulations for offerings remind us that God cares about how we worship Him. While we are no longer bound by these specific ceremonial laws, they teach us enduring principles about approaching God with reverence, gratitude, and careful attention to His instructions.

The peace offerings’ emphasis on shared meals reminds us that true worship has both vertical and horizontal dimensions. Our relationship with God should overflow into fellowship with other believers, creating opportunities to testify of His goodness and strengthen community bonds.

Consider how you can apply these principles in your own worship:

• Are you giving God your best, or merely your leftovers?
• Do you approach worship with careful preparation and a pure heart?
• How can you make your thanksgiving to God more public and community-oriented?
• Are you maintaining proper priorities in worship, focusing first on God’s glory rather than personal benefit?

Did You Know

• The guilt offering was the only sacrifice that required a specific monetary valuation (a ram worth two shekels), teaching that sin creates quantifiable damage requiring restitution.
• The prohibition against eating fat was so strict that violation carried the penalty of being “cut off” from the community, the same punishment as for eating blood.
• The wave offering ceremony involved the priest placing the offering in the worshiper’s hands and then placing his hands under the worshiper’s, moving them in a horizontal motion toward the altar and back.
• The thanksgiving offering required four different types of bread to accompany it: unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and leavened bread.
• The Hebrew word for “breast” in the wave offering (chazeh) is related to the word for “vision” (chazon), leading some rabbis to teach that this portion symbolized the priest’s role in receiving and sharing divine revelation.
• The right thigh given to the priests was specifically the hind leg, considered the strongest and most valuable portion of the animal.
• The time limits for eating peace offerings created a practical need for hospitality and community sharing, as one family could rarely consume the entire offering alone.
• The guilt offering was unique in that it could not be offered voluntarily – it was only brought in response to specific violations requiring restitution.
• The peace offering was the only sacrifice where the ordinary Israelite could eat part of the meat, making it unique in fostering a sense of communion with God.