1 - 9 A Part of Each Sacrifice Is for the Lord
1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the LORD has commanded, saying, 3 “Any man from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or who slaughters it outside the camp, 4 and has not brought it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to present [it] as an offering to the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD, bloodguiltiness is to be reckoned to that man. He has shed blood and that man shall be cut off from among his people. 5 The reason is so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they were sacrificing in the open field, that they may bring them in to the LORD, at the doorway of the tent of meeting to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the LORD. 6 The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and offer up the fat in smoke as a soothing aroma to the LORD. 7 They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat demons with which they play the harlot. This shall be a permanent statute to them throughout their generations.” ’ 8 “Then you shall say to them, ‘Any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9 and does not bring it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to offer it to the LORD, that man also shall be cut off from his people.
Of all the slaughtered animals, the Israelites must bring a portion to the doorway of the tent of meeting in order to sacrifice it to the LORD. In the situation described here, an animal is slaughtered to be eaten with others. It therefore has the character of a peace offering, which speaks of fellowship between the members of God’s people and of God’s people with the priest and with God.
In the precept that God gives here, He expresses that He does not want His people to have fellowship with one another without His involvement. For God, every slaughtered animal has the character of a peace offering. He wants His people to know this clearly. The application for us is: Do we share every joy we have, with God and with all the people of God?
The peace offering is a picture of the Lord Jesus. He is the center of our fellowship and its foundation. We are “called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1Cor 1:9). The right translation is not “fellowship with” but “fellowship of”. This means that the fellowship is characterized by Jesus Christ, that He is the common object of all who are part of this fellowship. Friendships must also have this center and foundation. The eldest son from Luke 15 wants a young goat from his father to celebrate alone with his friends (Lk 15:29b). He doesn’t want to have his father with him. That is the evil of his way of celebrating.
The flesh meals of the people are either dedicated to the LORD, or to the demons. The devil is successful when God is kept out of our feasts. It is in his interest that the Lord Jesus is not the center of our conversations.
Paul applies this in his first letter to the Corinthians. He points out to the Corinthians, in connection with the Lord’s Table, Israel and their service at the altar in offering the peace offering: “Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?” (1Cor 10:18). In this context he warns not to act as the nations do and says: “I do not want you to become sharers in demons” (1Cor 10:20). Paul mentions the people of Israel who sat down to eat and drink, and who rose up to play “idolaters” because they kept God out of this feast (1Cor 10:7; Exo 32:6). Idols are demonic powers. We are called upon to flee from idolatry (1Cor 10:14).
Fellowship with God is not limited to a single event per year, as at the day of atonement for Israel. Fellowship is an everyday matter. We experience and express fellowship in a special way in celebrating the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table, but it is not limited to that. Fellowship with God and with each other is a matter of every day. God wants to be present at all our ‘meals’ and enjoy the relationship with each other and with the Lord Jesus.
In our personal lives, in everything we do, we will contribute to or detract from fellowship with God and with one another. It enhances the testimony that we have as believers on earth or it harms it. That is why we have to ask ourselves personally: Can I share what I do with my brothers and sisters with joy, or would I rather not want them to know, because I know that my behavior will make them sad? How I behave when I am alone, or with people from the world, is important.
10 - 14 Prohibition to Eat Blood
10 ‘And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’ 12 Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘No person among you may eat blood, nor may any alien who sojourns among you eat blood.’ 13 So when any man from the sons of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, in hunting catches a beast or a bird which may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. 14 “For [as for the] life of all flesh, its blood is [identified] with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.’
This section is about eating blood. Twice before in this book God spoke about the blood (Lev 3:17; 7:26). The blood should not be eaten, because life is in the blood and life belongs to God. Blood is not only life; it is also the means of making atonement (verse 11). We may eat an animal, but God retains the right to blood. We acknowledge God’s right to life by not eating blood.
The ban on eating blood does not only apply to Israel. The first Christians are also told this as an everlasting commandment (Acts 15:28-29). Eating blood or, for example, blood sausage, remains prohibited.
15 - 16 Food That Makes Unclean
15 When any person eats [an animal] which dies or is torn [by beasts], whether he is a native or an alien, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening; then he will become clean. 16 But if he does not wash [them] or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt.”
Eating “[an animal] which dies or is torn [by beasts]”, means eating an animal of which the blood has not come on the altar. Nor has its blood been poured out in the manner prescribed by God, nor has it been covered with earth (verse 13). Someone who eats unconsciously of such an animal is unclean. It must be said to him, and when he hears it, he must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water. If he does not, he shows indifference in the things of God and “he shall bear his guilt”.
Applied to us, it means that we feed ourselves with something that is not first dedicated to God. It can be material or spiritual. We may enjoy all that God has created, but it is important that we realize that it comes from Him. We do this by thanking Him for it. Then we involve Him in it (1Tim 4:4-5). If we forget that and become aware of it, we must confess it.