Leviticus 03 Bible Study - The Fellowship Offering

In this Bible study, we unpack Leviticus chapter three and the Fellowship Offering (also known as the peace offering).  The Fellowship Offering was designed to be a thanksgiving offering made in friendship and peace with the Lord.  The offering was a cow, goat or sheep (male or female) shared between; God, the priests, and the offerer.  While we no longer need to sacrifice animals to say thanks to God there is a lesson to be learned here.

Outline: 

01:24 - “Fellowship Offering” word study - šelem, שֶׁלֶם - “Peace offering, requital, sacrifice for alliance or friendship.  voluntary sacrifice of thanks.” “Shalom” - The root of this word is the same that is used for Shalom.  First use, Exo 20.24.  Lev 23.15-21

04:00 - Leviticus 3 reading

06:57 - Lev 3.1-6, “herd” Lev 3.6-16 “flock.”  Herd = cows, bulls.  Flock = sheep or goats.  Notice that V7-11 specifies a lamb (within the flock category) and V12-16 is goats (within the flock category).

08.12 - Lev 3.1, 6 - “Male or female” - unique to the offerings this far - could offer a female animal for the fellowship offering.

08:35 - Lev 3.1, 6 - “without defect” - similar to Lev 1:3&10 - burnt offering.  Lev 22.21-25 - the animal could be deformed or stunted.

10:30 - Lev 3.2, 8, 13 - “lay your hand on the head of the offering.”  Same as Lev 1.2,8,13.  This is your animal, you own it, you are sacrificing it, you are giving it up, you are taking ownership of the sacrifice.  Rather then atonement for your sins, you are doing it in thanksgiving and honor to God.  “I know you will provide, I want to share this with you”

12:00 - Lev 3.2, 8, 13 - “Splash the blood against the sides of the altar”  Same as Lev 1.5,11,15.  

Lev 17.14 - the life of a creature is its blood.  The blood on the Altar was yet another reminder that a valuable animal gave up its life.  This is important.  This is sacred

14:07 - Lev 3.7-11 - lamb and V12-16 Goat within the same family.  Compare: 7-12,8-13,9-14.  The only real difference v9 - the entire fat tail of the lamb - sheep in Malawi 

15:44 - Sheep versus goats in Malawi.  Sheep have tails and look like dogs.

17:39 - A pleasing aroma to the Lord

18:20 - Lev 3.17 - A lasting ordinance for generations to come - you must not eat any fat or any blood?  Gen 9.4 - (amp) “you shall not eat meat along with its life, that is, its blood.”  Lev 7.22-27, “Eating Fat and Blood Forbidden.  Lev 17.10-12, “Eating Blood Forbidden”

21:15 - why were the Jews forbidden from eating blood in their meat?

24:21 - Additional details about the fellowship offering from outside Lev 3.

Lev 7.31-34;  Lev 6-7; 1 Kings 8.62-63, 65-66.

29:36 - APPLICATION.  Which type of Christian are you?

Reference: 

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References:

Dave reads from an NIV (New International Version) of the Bible.

Barker, L. Kenneth.  The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Abridged Edition, Old Testament.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994. 

Gane, Roy. The NIV Application Commentary, Leviticus, Numbers. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004.

Tenney, Merrill.  New International Bible Dictionary.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987.

Wiersbe, Warren W.. The Bible Exposition Commentary, Old Testament, The Pentateuch. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2001.