A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Leviticus · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Verſ. 1. ANd if his oblation be a ſacrifice of peace-offering, if he offer it of the herd, whether it be male or female, &c.]
Peace-offerings were either to obtain from God ſome bleſſing which they wanted, or by way of gratulation or thankſgiving for ſome bleſſing received. The chief and moſt ordinary uſe of them was doubtleſſe in a way of thankſgiving for their peace and proſperity, the ſeverall ſorts whereof are ſet down in the ſeaventh chapter. But yet ſometimes they were alſo uſed when men in their troubles prayed unto God for peace and ſalvation: ſo Judges 20. 26. when the Iſraelites faſted and ſought unto the Lord for his aid and favour, becauſe the men of Benjamin had twice beaten them in battel, they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord; and when David ſought to appeaſe Gods anger, when the peſtilence raged in the land becauſe of his numbering the people, He built an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-of-ferings, 1. Chron. 21. 26. the Lord hereby teaching us that with ſupplications for what we want we muſt alſo joyn thankſgiving for what we already injoy. So then the peace-offerings ſignified 1. Chriſts oblation of himſelf, whereby he became our peace, Epheſ. 2. 14. and 2. the ſacrifice of praiſe which in and through him we offer unto God. The ſacrifices appointed here for the peace-offerings are a male or female of the herd or of the flock: turtle doves and young pigeons are not here allowed for the poorer ſort, as in burnt-offerings they were, and that becauſe the peace-offerings were to be divided into three parts; one for the altar, another for the prieſt, and a third for the offerer, and ſuch a diviſion could not be conveniently made in ſo ſmall ſacrifices. But yet becauſe this ſacrifice was by way of thankfulneſſe for temporall bleſſings externall, peace and proſperity, therefore a female, a leſſe perfect ſacrifice was here accepted of God. Why it muſt be without blemiſh, ſee in the notes upon chap. 1. ver. 3.
Verſ. 2. And he ſhall lay his hand upon the head of his offering.]
See the notes upon Levit. verſ. 4.
And kill it at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation, &c.]
Why this ſacrifice was to be killed by the prieſts, and the bloud to be ſprinkled upon the altar, you may ſee by that which is ſaid before upon chapter 1. verſ. 5. That which is particularly obſervable here is, that theſe ſacrifices of peace-offerings were not killed at the ſame place where the oth…r ſacrifices were killed; for the burnt-offerings were killed on the one ſide of the altar Northward before the Lord, and ſo were alſo the ſinne-offering and the treſpaſſe-offering in the very place where the burnt-offering was killed, chap. 6. 25. and chap. 7. 2. But now the peace-offerings were to be killed in another place, to wit, at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation, that is, the very entrance of the court, where ſtood the braſen altar, which was more Eaſtward then the place where the other ſacrifices were killed. And the reaſon of this we may well conceive was, 1. Becauſe the fat and the breaſt of theſe peace-offerings were to be waved before the altar in the hands of the offerer, who might not go into the court, but ſtand at the doore, chap. 7. 30. and 2. Becauſe theſe peace-offerings, whereof the offerer did eat a part, were not reckoned amongſt the moſt holy things, which were onelyonly eaten by the prieſt. And hence this is given as a reaſon why the treſpaſſe-offering was to be killed in the ſame place where the burnt-offerings were killed, becauſe it was moſt holy, and to be eaten by the prieſts onelyonly, chap. 14. 13.
Verſ. 3. And he ſhall offer of the ſacrifice of the peace-offering, a n offering made by fire unto the Lord.]
Namely, that which is afterward expreſſed: the reſt of the offering was thus diſpoſed of▪ the breaſt and right ſhoulder were waved and heaved before the Lord, and given the prieſts to eat. See Levit. 7. 30. the remainer was eaten by him that brought it, his family and friends, Levit. 7. 15, 16.
The fat that covereth the inwards, &c.]
The fat as the beſt of the ſacrifice is offered up unto the Lord, and ſo teacheth that the beſt is to be ſtill given unto him; and it might withall ſignifie, that all our carnall deſires are to be mortified with the fire of the ſpi…it.
Verſ. 5. And Aarons ſonnes ſhall burn it.]
To wit, being firſt ſalted, Levit. 2. 13.
On the altar upon the burnt ſacrifice, &c.]
That is, upon the remainer of the dayly burnt-offering, which alwayes had the firſt place.
Verſ. 9. The fat thereof and the whole rump, it ſhall he take off hard by the back-bone▪ &c.]
Becauſe the rump of thoſe countrey ſheep was large and exceeding fat, as Writers report, and the fat was to be burnt, and withall becauſe the rumps of ſheep are ſweeter and better then thoſe of bullocks, therefore the rump of the ſheep is alſo ſet apart for the ſacrifice, though not of the bullocks.
Verſ. 11. It is the food of the offering made by fire unto the Lord.]
So called, to ſhew Gods acceptation of it, that it ſhould be as meat to him, and withall to expreſſe his love, who reckons himſelf as a gueſt at their feaſts.
Verſ. 16. All the fat is the Lords.]
That is, it muſt be burnt upon the altar, neither may the prieſt nor owner eat of it.
Verſ. 17. It ſhall be a perpetuall ſtatute for your generations, throughout all your dwellings, &c.]
Upon the Lords ſetting apart the fat of all ſacrifices to be his peculiar portion, and to be burnt upon the altar, there is here a more generall ſtatute given them in charge, towit, that the people ſhould never eat any of this fat of theſe beaſts fit for ſacrifices, no not in their o…n private dwellings, when they killed them for their ordinary food, and not ſor ſacrifices; which was doubtleſſe to keep in them a reverend remembrance of theſe holy rites, and the ſpirituall myſteries ſignified thereby. Indeed there is great difference of judgement amongſt Expoſitours concerning this law, to wit, whether the eating of all fat was here forbidden the Iſraelites▪ or onelyonly the eating of the fat of their ſacrifices. But for this we muſt know 1. that it is meant onelyonly of the fat of beaſts that were appointed for ſacrifices, for ſo much is expreſſed chap. 7. 23. Y… ſhall eat no manner of fat of ox, of ſheep, or of goats: 2. that it was not meant of ſuch fat as is mixed with the fleſh of ſuch beaſts, as in the ſhoulder, breaſt, &c. (for ſuch fat they were doubtleſſe allowed to eat, whence Deut. 32. 14. The fat of rammes and lambs of the breed of Baſhan, and goats, is r…ckoned amongſt the dainties which God had given the Iſraelites in the land of Canaan) but it is meant onelyonly of the fat which we call ſuet or tallow, the fat before mentioned, which when theſe beaſts were ſacrificed was alwayes burnt upon the altar: and 3. for this fat, it is farre more probable that the Iſraelites were by this law forbidden to eat of it, at all times, and in all places, whenever they killed either ſheep, or ox, or goat, for their ordinary food, not onelyonly becauſe it is ſaid that this ſhould be a law for them throughout all their dwellings, that is, even when they killed theſe cattel at home in their own private dwellings; but alſo eſpecially becauſe fat and bloud are here joyntly alike forbidden: Now the bloud even of thoſe cattel which they killed at home for their private uſe they might not eat (the reaſon whereof ſee in the note upon Gen. 9. 5.) and therefore not the fat neither.