The Sanctuary. Lesson 15 Peace Offerings. Date

Transcription

1 The Sanctuary Lesson 15 Peace Offerings Date

2 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27) 2

3 The offerings in the Old Testament were embodied prayers. They combined faith and works... In their totality they expressed man s entire relationship to and need of God. (Andreasen, The Sanctuary Service, p. 117) 3

4 Burnt offerings were wholly burned on the altar and no part eaten. Meal offerings were partly burned on the altar and partly eaten. Peace offerings were divided among God, the priest, and the offerer, the greater part given to the offerer and his family. God s part was burned on the altar (Lev 3:14 17), the priest received the wave breast and the heave shoulder (Lev 3:33, 34), and the rest belonged to the offerer, who could invite any clean person to partake with him. It must be eaten the same day, or in some cases the next day, but not later. 4

5 Unleavened cakes mingled with oil, wafers and fried cakes, and leavened bread were part of the peace offering. A part was first given to the Lord as a heave offering and then it was given to the priest as his portion. 5

6 The whole ceremony constituted a kind of communion service in which priest and people partook with the Lord at His table a joyful occasion, where all united in thanking God and praising Him for his mercy. (Andreasen p. 118) 6

7 Peace offerings were a praise offering for mercies received, a thank offering for blessings enjoyed; a voluntary offering from an overflowing heart. They asked for no favors as such; they ascribed praise to God for what He had done, and magnified His name for His goodness and mercy to the children of men. (Andreasen, p. 117) 7

8 Peace offerings were used on any occasion that called for thankfulness and joy, and also in making a vow. (Andreasen p. 116) 8

9 So, when the Hebrews voluntarily brought their peace offerings, or their thank offerings, they were acknowledging that God had provided wholeness, or completeness, to them, and they were thankful. Peace offerings were also offered when peaceful relationships had been established among men. 9

10 Deuteronomy 12:

11 This was a distinguishing feature of the peace offering. It must be eaten the same day, and it must be shared; it must be eaten before the Lord, and the partakers must rejoice. It was a joyful, communal meal, and in this respect differed from other offerings. (Andreasen p. 119) 11

12 Shalom Chaverim, Shalom Chaverim, Shalom, Shalom. Lehitraot, Lehitraot, Shalom, Shalom. Goodby my friends, Be safe my friends. Have peace, have peace. Goodby my friends, Be safe my friends, Have peace, have peace. Till we meet again, Till we meet again Have peace, have peace. #672 new SDA hymnal Till we meet again, Till we meet again, Have peace, have peace. 12

13 sh-l-m shalem; to be complete, sound shalom peace shillem recompense shelem peace offering shalmon reward shalam be in a covenant of peace shillum recompense, reward shalem perfect, whole, shilluma reward full shlomoh Solomon 13

14 Shalom Means absence of strife, but entails much more a completeness, wholeness, harmony, fulfillment, unimpaired relationships with others, and fulfillment in one s undertakings. Shalom is also used as a greeting or a farewell. To wish one shalom implies a blessing; to withhold the wish implies a curse. Most of the time shalom describes the state of fulfillment which results from God s presence. This peace has its source in God; for example, God speaks shalom to his people (Ps 85:8) 14

15 Jesus is the Prince of peace, sar shalom the one who brings fulfillment and righteousness to the earth (Isaiah 9:6) Shalom results from the LORD blessing us, keeping us, shining his face upon us, being gracious unto us, and lifting up his countenance upon us. All this gives us peace (Numbers 6:24 26). And Paul says Jesus is our peace, the one who brings wholeness and redemption to mankind (Ephesians 2:14) 15

16 The peace offering was one of only two offerings that commanded leavened bread to be used. Ordinarily leaven was not permitted in any sacrifice, but in the peace offering both leavened and unleavened bread were commanded. Andreasen explains why: May it not be... that the unleavened bread represents him who is without sin and who is our peace and that the leaven represents the imperfection of man who is nevertheless accepted by God (pp. 118, 119)? In other words, a peace was to be made between the two. 16

17 Peace offerings could also be vow offerings. The law of vows is in Leviticus

18 Samuel was vowed to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:11). 18

19 A vow concerning a person could ordinarily be redeemed or bought back, after an evaluation by the priest, but if the vow concerned a beast, it could not be bought back. If a man attempted to exchange one beast for another, both beasts were to be offered. (Leviticus 27:9, 10). If it were an unclean beast, the priest could evaluate it, and the offerer could redeem it by adding one fifth to the estimated value (vs ). 19

20 It was a clearly stated principle that nothing already belonging to God could be vowed. Under this rule were the firstborn (vs. 26, 27), anything devoted to God (vs. 28, 29), and the tithe (vs. 3 34). (Andreasen, p. 120) 20

21 God provided for vows, but it was better not to vow than to vow and not pay (Eccl. 5:5), at times vows were in order and acceptable to God. The chief point is this, that a man is to keep that which he has promised. He must not break his word. He must not even be slack in fulfilling his vow. When the proper time comes, he must pay. God expects this. (Ibid.) 21

22 God wants his people to be honest and dependable. He wants them to keep their promises. No man is fulfilling his Christian duties if he is undependable in business dealings. No man can break his word and retain God s favor. No man can forget to pay his bills, or even be slack concerning them, and be counted honest in the sight of heaven. A Christian, above all people, must be a man of his word. He must not only be upright; he must be prompt. (Ibid., p. 121) 22

23 This is an age in which many consider their word as of little weight, and have small respect for their promises. While this may be expected of the world, there can be no excuse for any who bear the name of Christ to repudiate their promise. Yet how many unpaid pledges there are, how many broken vows! The marriage vow is broken; the baptismal vow is broken; the ordination vow is broken. Covenants are repudiated, agreements violated, pledges forgotten. Breaking of faith is common, disregard of responsibility almost universal. (Ibid.) 23

24 In the midst of all this confusion there must be, there will be, a people upon whom God can depend, in whose mouth is found no guile, who are true to their word. The question asked in Psalm 15 is also answered there. The question: Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernalce? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? (Ibid.) 24

25 Let s read the answer. Psalm 15 25

26 In summary: The peace offering was a communal offering in which God, the priest, and the people partook. It was a communal meal, held within the precincts of the temple, in which joy and happiness prevailed, and priest and people held converse. It was not necessarily an occasion when peace was effected; it was rather a feast of rejoicing that peace existed. It was generally preceded by a sin offering and a burnt offering. Atonement had been made, the blood had been sprinkled, forgiveness had been extended, and justification had been assured. In celebration of this, the offerer invited his near of kin and his servants, as well as the Levites, to eat with him. Thou mayest not eat within thy gates, was the command, but only in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose. Deut. 12:17, 18. And so the whole family celebrated in a festal manner the peace that had been established between God and man, and between man and man. (Ibid., p. 123) 26

27 Texts on peace: Romans 5:1 Isaiah 35:10 Ephesians 2:13 17 Isaiah 52:7 John 14:27 Isaiah 9:6 Isaiah 26:3 Isaiah 54:13 Psalm 119:165 Isaiah 55:12 Isaiah 57:20, 21 1 Kings 8:63 27