LEVITICUS 3 - PEACE OFFERING: SHARING ONE TABLE WITH GOD: INVITED, PARTNER OF THE COVENANT
- Pr Enos Mwakalindile
- Jul 14
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 30
Drawing Close to God: Walk in the Leviticus, Look to Christ.
❓ Is there a way to share the same table with God as a friend, entering into the peace of fellowship with him?
🪔 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT
After fully giving ourselves to God through the burnt offering, we now enter into the peace offering—the offering of sharing a table with God as a friend. In ancient traditions, the communal table was a symbol of peace, security, and intimate connection. Leviticus 3 reveals to us a unique offering— the peace offering ( shelamim in Hebrew), which was not entirely consumed by fire, but was divided: part for God, part for the priest, and part for the offerer. For the first time in the sacrificial system, man is invited to eat in the presence of God —not in fear, but in the joy of fellowship.
In the peace offering, the sacrifice does not end with death but continues at the communion table, where God and man partake together.
📖 READ FIRST: LEVITICUS 3
Read this chapter while watching:
Who eats what?
What part of the animal is offered to God?
How does this offering differ from a burnt offering?
📖 STRUCTURE OF A PEACE OFFERING
Freewill offering for communion (v. 1)
Laying a hand on an animal – connecting with the offering (v. 2)
Shedding blood – cleansing the way of fellowship (v. 2)
The fat and the entrails are offered to the Lord (vv. 3–5)
The offerer partakes of the sacrificial meat in a holy feast (cf. Leviticus 7:15–21)
📖 STUDY STRUCTURE FOR THIS CHAPTER
📖 VOLUNTARY PARTNERSHIP – V. 1
Unlike the burnt offering, the peace offering is not the cost of forgiveness but the fruit of forgiveness —it is an offering to celebrate God’s welcoming love. It was not offered out of compulsion, but out of a heart of gratitude, a vow, or the joy of communion with God (cf. Leviticus 7:11–16).
In Christ, we see the one who prepares a table for us in the presence of our persecutors (Psalm 23:5), who breaks down the wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14), and invites us to eat with him in the new covenant (Luke 22:19–20).
“Bring the fattened calf, that we may eat and be merry.” — Luke 15:23–24
📖 HANDS ON SACRIFICE: SHARING PEACE – V. 2
As with the burnt offering, the offerer was required to lay his hand on the animal. But here, instead of being completely burned, the offerer did not leave empty-handed—he was invited to sit at the table and partake of the offering .
The peace offering emphasizes: The relationship is open. Welcome home.
In a peace offering, the giver does not just say ‘I am forgiven,’ but ‘I am accepted.
📖 OIL AND INNER PARTS – GOD’S OFFERING – V. 3–5
In the peace offering, the innermost parts of the animal—the fat, kidneys, and liver—were offered to God. These were the fattest parts and were considered the source of life and emotion , according to ancient Middle Eastern thought. Therefore, the offering of the innermost part of the creature gives God special honor .
These parts are burned on the altar, and the aroma rises as a pleasing aroma to the Lord (v. 5). It is a sign that God is pleased with this peaceful communion, not just on the outside, but on the inside of the giver.
When I poured out my deepest parts, I gave God my heart. In the smoke of the altar, I saw his mercy rising.
In Christ, who gave his whole self—inside and out—this sacrifice takes on its full meaning: not just an external sacrifice of the body, but of the whole heart.
“Christ is the sacrifice of peace who came to break down the barrier of hostility between God and man.” — (Ephesians 2:13–18)
📖 SACRIFICE OF THE SHEEP AND THE GOAT – V. 6–17
In verses 6–11, we encounter the peace offering if the animal is a lamb. The sequence of actions is the same—laying hands, slaughtering, sprinkling blood, and offering oil to the Lord. But the emphasis is on the special parts of the fat and the thick tail of the lamb (v. 9), which were a very valuable part of Israelite society.
“This oil represents not just what is good, but what is best—it gives God the very best of creation.”
Verses 12–17 introduce the offering of a goat as a peace offering, again in the same order. These differences show that God does not favor the offerer based on the type of animal but on the quality of his heart and the sincerity of his worship .
The final verses (16–17) give a permanent command: all fat and blood belong to the Lord—they are never to be eaten. The blood is the life; the fat is the glory. This teaches us that the life and glory of every creature should return to the Creator.
"This is a perpetual statute, from generation to generation: blood shall not be shed. Life is not owned by man but by God."
In Christ, who gave his blood for us (Matthew 26:28) and poured out his whole life as a fragrant aroma (Ephesians 5:2), we find the perfect peace offering unfettered by an animal or an earthly altar. He is the heavy tail of our life; he is the oil of our anointing.
🧱 TRAINING SUMMARY
The Peace Offering is the culmination of the covenant call: to live with God not in fear, but in friendship. Unlike other offerings, here we are invited to eat. This is the table of life, the banquet table. It is a shadow of the Lord’s Supper in the new covenant, and an invitation to each of us: Welcome. Don’t hide anymore. Don’t feel left out. You are invited.
“You are satisfied with the abundance of your house; you give them drink from the stream of your delights.” —Psalm 36:8
🔍 THINK AND ASK YOURSELF
Do you feel accepted before God as a friend, or do you still walk in fear?
What areas of your life have not entered the table of peace with God?
Your home table—how does it reflect God’s peace?
🛤️ SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
Host a small party this week—be it tea, a meal, or a fellowship gathering. Set your table with worship. Light a candle. Invite someone over. Before you eat, say out loud: “Lord, as you have prepared your table for me, I invite others to your peace.” Remember those you have held a grudge against. Mention their names silently. Say: “Lord, prepare me to share the table of peace with them too.”
🙌 BLESSING – THE SMELL OF PEACE, THE FESTIVAL OF GRACE
May the Lord prepare a table for you in the midst of the wilderness,
Let him cut the flesh of peace and set it on the fire of grace,
May he receive the fragrance of your repentance like everlasting incense,
And fill your table with indescribable peace.
In Christ, broken for you,
You are reconciled, you are welcomed,
You are invited to the table.
Eat. Enjoy.
Amen.
📣 COMMENTS AND PARTICIPATION
Was there an idea or part of today's lesson that touched you or gave you new insight into your relationship with God? We invite you to share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies in your study group or by sending us a message through maisha-kamili.com .
👉 Discuss as a group: In our current lives, how can we develop tables of peace and spiritual friendship between ourselves and God, and between ourselves and others?
Welcome to the conversation of grace.
➡️ NEXT LESSON: “Sin Offering – Leviticus 4”
Is there a chance to be forgiven even for sins you don't know you've committed?
📚 SOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDIES
L. Michael Morales , Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? , IVP Academic, 2015.
This book has been an important foundation for understanding the structure of Leviticus as a journey of approach to God through the sacrificial system, with an emphasis on the peace offering as the culmination of communion.
Tim Mackie , BibleProject: Sacrifice and Atonement Series , 2017.
Tim Mackie offers a modern and ritualistic explanation of sacrifice, highlighting the peace offering as an invitation to partake of God's table as a sign of acceptance.
John H. Walton , The Lost World of the Torah , IVP Academic, 2019.
Walton explains how the laws of the Torah, including the sacrificial system, were designed to promote God's dwelling place among the people, and not laws for personal righteousness.
NT Wright , The Day the Revolution Began , HarperOne, 2016.
Wright describes the cross of Christ as the culmination of covenant history, and how Christ's sacrifice perfectly fulfills the essence of the peace offering.
Ellen G. White , Patriarchs and Prophets , Review and Herald, 1890.
In chapter 30, White explains the importance of the sacrificial system as a shadow of the work of Christ, also highlighting communion and feasting as part of sacred worship.
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