Torah Studies · Study 4
Peace with God and Life Close to Him
Connecting the Torah and Jesus
Day Four · Leviticus 3 and the peace offering
God taught Israel to thank Him and share a special meal through the peace offering. As followers of Jesus, we learn how He brings us peace with God and helps us live in peace with others.
In this study
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Our first three studies explored God’s instruction, the burnt offering, and the grain offering. Today we look at the peace offering. It teaches us about thankfulness, belonging, and fellowship. Fellowship means sharing life with God and His people.
Our main question: What does it mean to belong to God and enjoy life close to Him?
Read one section at a time. The Bible verses keep the wording of the King James Version. The explanations use everyday language to help us understand them.
Opening prayer: Father, help us understand Your Word. Show us the peace You give through Jesus. Teach us to thank You and care for others. Amen.
What was the peace offering?
In ancient Israel, a worshiper brought an animal as an offering to God. Part was burned on the altar, and other parts were shared in a special meal. An altar was the place where offerings were presented to God. This was a real part of Israel’s worship.
The Hebrew name, shelamim, belongs to a family of words connected with peace and wholeness. This sacrifice is often called a peace offering or fellowship offering. Leviticus 3 explains what happened at the altar. Leviticus 7 explains more about the meal.
1. Coming near to God with respect
Leviticus 3:1-5 King James Version
1 And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD.
2 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
3 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
4 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
5 And Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Words to know: “Oblation” means offering. “Without blemish” means without a defect. The “tabernacle” was the special tent where Israel worshiped God. The “inwards” are the animal’s inner organs; the “caul” is a covering near the liver. “Sweet savour” means a pleasing smell.
The animal could be male or female, but it had to be without a defect. The worshiper placed a hand on its head and killed it. The priests put its blood around the altar and burned the parts God had named.
These directions taught Israel to take worship seriously. Coming “before the LORD” meant coming to worship Him in the way He had given them. Being close to God includes listening to Him and showing Him respect.
2. Paying attention to God’s instructions
Leviticus 3:6-11 King James Version
6 And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.
7 If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the LORD.
8 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar.
9 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
10 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
11 And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD.
This section explains the offering of a lamb. God repeats many of the same directions. The worshiper and the priest each had a part to do. Following God meant paying attention to His instructions.
“Rump” here refers to the sheep’s fatty tail. “Food of the offering” describes what was given on the altar. It does not mean God needed food to stay alive. These were gifts offered to honor Him.
3. Honoring what belongs to God
Leviticus 3:12-17 King James Version
12 And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD.
13 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about.
14 And he shall offer thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
15 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
16 And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD’s.
17 It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.
God also gave directions for offering a goat. Again, the blood went around the altar, and the priest burned the parts God had set apart for Himself. The fat named in this offering belonged to the Lord. God told Israel not to eat fat or blood.
These were instructions for Israel’s worship and life. We first learn what they meant for Israel. Then we consider how the New Testament connects worship and peace to Jesus. We do not need to invent a hidden meaning for every animal part.
4. A meal filled with thanks
Leviticus 7:11-16 King James Version
11 And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD.
12 If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.
13 Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.
14 And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for an heave offering unto the LORD, and it shall be the priest’s that sprinkleth the blood of the peace offerings.
15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.
16 But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten:
A peace offering could express thanks, be connected with a vow, or be given freely. A vow is a serious promise to God. A freewill offering is something a person chooses to bring.
“Unleavened” bread has no yeast. “Leavened” bread has yeast, which helps it rise. Some bread with yeast came with this thanksgiving offering. That is different from burning it on the altar. The meat from a thanksgiving offering was eaten that same day. A vow or freewill offering could also be eaten the next day.
Leviticus 7:19 King James Version
19 And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt with fire: and as for the flesh, all that be clean shall eat thereof.
“Clean” here means meeting the special rules God gave Israel for taking part in worship. It does not simply mean having washed hands or never having sinned. This meal was holy: it was set apart for God and had to be treated with care.
Leviticus 7:31-32 King James Version
31 And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’.
32 And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for an heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.
The fat was burned for the Lord. The priests received the breast and right shoulder. The remaining meat could be eaten by those allowed to share the offering. The meal brought together worship, gratitude, and care for others.
5. Jesus gives us peace with God
John 14:27 King James Version
27 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.
Jesus spoke these words to His disciples before His death on the cross. Trouble was coming, but He promised them His peace. His peace does not depend on everything around us being easy.
Romans 5:1-2 King James Version
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
“Justified by faith” means that God declares us right with Him as we trust in Jesus. “Grace” means God’s kindness that we do not earn. Through Jesus, we can come to God and stand in His grace.
Peace with God is deeper than a calm feeling. It means our relationship with Him has been made right through Jesus. We may still feel worried or sad. Those feelings do not mean that Jesus has stopped caring for us.
The peace offering helps us think about gratitude and life close to God. The New Testament tells us that our peace with God comes through Jesus. We serve God to thank Him for His love. Our good deeds are not a payment to make Him accept us.
6. His peace brings people together
Ephesians 2:13-18 King James Version
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Paul is speaking about Jewish people and Gentiles, who are people from the other nations. “Enmity” means hostility or being enemies. “Reconcile” means restoring a broken relationship. “Twain” means two.
Through His death on the cross, Jesus brings both groups to God and makes them one people in Him. Verse 15 says He removes the hostility connected with the law’s commands and rules. Paul’s point here is that both groups can come to the Father through Jesus, by the same Spirit.
This peace changes how we treat people. Someone from a different family, culture, or background is not less valuable. We can listen, welcome others, and ask forgiveness when we have hurt someone.
7. A shared meal shows that we belong
1 Corinthians 10:14-18 King James Version
14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
“Communion” means sharing or taking part together. The Greek word is koinonia. “Idolatry” means worshiping false gods. Paul tells believers to stay away from that worship and remain faithful to Jesus.
Paul connects the bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper with sharing in Christ. He also points to Israel’s sacrificial meals: eating together expressed a real connection with the altar. These meals were acts of worship.
As Christians, we can see a connection between the peace offering’s shared meal and our fellowship through Jesus. Paul’s comparison helps us understand belonging and faithfulness. It does not mean every detail of Leviticus 3 describes Jesus, or that we repeat His sacrifice.
Talk about it with friends
1. What parts of the peace offering helped Israel show respect and thankfulness to God?
2. How is peace with God deeper than simply feeling calm?
3. Why do we serve God: to earn His love, or to thank Him for the love He gives through Jesus?
4. How should belonging to Jesus change the way we treat someone who is different from us?
5. What do Paul’s words about the shared bread teach us about belonging to Christ and to one another?
Put it into practice today
Pray honestly. Tell God what is on your mind. You can come to Him through Jesus.
Name three things you are thankful for. Be specific: a meal, help from a friend, or strength to face a hard day.
Share a meal or some time with a friend or family member. Put your phone down, listen carefully, and ask how you can help.
Choose one action that brings peace. Speak kindly, include someone who feels left out, or apologize for something you did wrong.
A verse to remember
Romans 5:1 King James Version
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Remember: Through Jesus, we can have peace with God and learn to live in peace with others.
Closing prayer
Father, thank You for making peace possible through Jesus. Help us trust Him and come close to You. Give us thankful hearts. Teach us to listen to Your Word, care for others, and make peace where we can. Let our lives show that we belong to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scripture and sources
Scripture text was checked against the King James Version published by eBible.org. Complete verses retain the historical wording; editorial footnotes are omitted. Scripture references link to the source chapter.