Leviticus 7
Leviticus 7 contains additional regulations for the guilt offering, fellowship offering, the prohibition against eating fat and blood, and the portions given to the priests. The chapter can be divided into regulations for the guilt offering and related priestly portions (verses 1–10), regulations for the fellowship offering (verses 11–21), the prohibition against eating fat and blood (verses 22–27), the priests’ portions from the offerings (verses 28–36), and a final summary of the sacrificial regulations (verses 37–38).
1verse“‘This is the law of the trespass offering: It is most holy.
2verseIn the place where they kill the burnt offering, he shall kill the trespass offering; and its blood he shall sprinkle around on the altar.
3verseHe shall offer all of its fat: the fat tail, and the fat that covers the innards,
4verseand he shall take away the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys;
5verseand the priest shall burn them on the altar for an offering made by fire to the LORD: it is a trespass offering.
6verseEvery male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.
7verse“‘As is the sin offering, so is the trespass offering; there is one law for them. The priest who makes atonement with them shall have it.
8verseThe priest who offers any man’s burnt offering shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered.
9verseEvery meal offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is prepared in the pan and on the griddle, shall be the priest’s who offers it.
10verseEvery meal offering, mixed with oil or dry, belongs to all the sons of Aaron, one as well as another.
11verse“‘This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which one shall offer to the LORD:
12verseIf he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mixed with oil.
13verseHe shall offer his offering with the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving with cakes of leavened bread.
14verseOf it he shall offer one out of each offering for a heave offering to the LORD. It shall be the priest’s who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.
15verseThe flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning.
16verse“‘But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow, or a free will offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice. On the next day what remains of it shall be eaten,
17versebut what remains of the meat of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned with fire.
18verseIf any of the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted, and it shall not be credited to him who offers it. It will be an abomination, and the soul who eats any of it will bear his iniquity.
19verse“‘The meat that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned with fire. As for the meat, everyone who is clean may eat it;
20versebut the soul who eats of the meat of the sacrifice of peace offerings that belongs to the LORD, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from his people.
21verseWhen anyone touches any unclean thing, the uncleanness of man, or an unclean animal, or any unclean abomination, and eats some of the meat of the sacrifice of peace offerings which belong to the LORD, that soul shall be cut off from his people.’”
22verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
23verse“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘You shall eat no fat, of bull, or sheep, or goat.
24verseThe fat of that which dies of itself, and the fat of that which is torn of animals, may be used for any other service, but you shall in no way eat of it.
25verseFor whoever eats the fat of the animal which men offer as an offering made by fire to the LORD, even the soul who eats it shall be cut off from his people.
26verseYou shall not eat any blood, whether it is of bird or of animal, in any of your dwellings.
27verseWhoever it is who eats any blood, that soul shall be cut off from his people.’”
28verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
29verse“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the LORD shall bring his offering to the LORD out of the sacrifice of his peace offerings.
30verseWith his own hands he shall bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the LORD.
31verseThe priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’.
32verseThe right thigh you shall give to the priest for a heave offering out of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.
33verseHe among the sons of Aaron who offers the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right thigh for a portion.
34verseFor the waved breast and the heaved thigh I have taken from the children of Israel out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel.’”
35verseThis is the consecrated portion of Aaron, and the consecrated portion of his sons, out of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister to the LORD in the priest’s office;
36versewhich the LORD commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them. It is their portion forever throughout their generations.
37verseThis is the law of the burnt offering, the meal offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, the consecration, and the sacrifice of peace offerings
38versewhich the LORD commanded Moses in Mount Sinai in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their offerings to the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai.
Summary of Key Contents
- Regulations for the guilt offering (verses 1–10): The guilt offering is described as most holy, and the priestly portions are specified. The priest who makes atonement receives a share according to the regulations.
- Regulations for the fellowship offering (verses 11–21): Specific instructions are given for thanksgiving, vow, and freewill offerings. The meat must be eaten within the appointed time, and only those who are clean may eat it.
- Prohibition against eating fat and blood (verses 22–27): The people are forbidden to eat the fat of sacrificial animals or any blood, emphasizing that life belongs to God.
- The portion for the priests (verses 28–36): Certain parts of the offerings are given to the priests, and this regulation continues through the generations of Aaron’s descendants.
- Concluding summary (verses 37–38): The chapter summarizes the main categories of sacrifice and states that these ordinances were commanded by the Lord to Moses at Mount Sinai.
Overall Meaning and Lessons
Leviticus 7 emphasizes not only the details of sacrificial regulations, but also the seriousness of worship offered to God and the order of the community. It repeatedly shows that participation in God’s holiness requires obedience to His appointed conditions and order. In particular, it emphasizes the state of the worshiper (cleanness or uncleanness), the time for eating the offering, the proper place, and the roles of both priests and people. This symbolically shows that worship and life before God are not carried out by individual preference alone, but through reverence for God and respect for the order He establishes.
Points for Meditation
- Let’s reflect on why the sacrifices and worship offered to God are commanded so specifically and in such an orderly manner.
- It would be good to examine what holiness, obedience, and order mean as you draw near to God in your life.
- Let’s take to heart once again how precious worship offered together with the community is.
Applying It to Me
- Let’s reflect on my attitude and mindset when worshiping God.
- Let’s check whether I am humbly carrying out my role for the community I belong to, and whether service and order are being revealed in my life.