Expert: Dean Gade - 10/30/2005

Question
Dear Dean:

    I have several questions about the peace offering prescribed in Leviticus 7

#1) They were required to sprinkle the blood of the animal on all sides of the altar. Why was this required?

#2) Why were they allowed to use either a Male OR a Female animal?

#3)I understand that the fat was considered the best part of the animal, but why did God also want the Kidneys dedicated to Him?

#4) Why was the peace offering placed atop the burnt and meal offerings? What is the significance of this order?

#4) Since the Passover Lamb was also shared by both God and the priests and people.....was it also considered a type of peace offering?

    Thankyou very much for your time, I really appreciate it.    Sincerely, Pete

Answer
The sacrifices  under Levitical laws were elaborate and were to tell much about the sacrifice of the Messiah which it pre-figured.

1. The blood is the life of the animal  without blemish. These tell of the Messiah.  His blood is "sprinkled" to cleanse our conscience of the penitant.
Here are a few passages from the New Testament which tell us what it meant:

Heb 9:13-14
13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!  

Heb 9:18-22
18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep."   21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

2. I can't find any reason given in the Bible for this concerning the offerings.  However, the NT tells us that God is not concerned with sex but with the heart and this may be the reason:
Gal 3:28
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
(all above from the New International Version)

3. The kidneys were covered with the purest of fat and so it was counted as the choicest, and belonged to God alone.

4. Again going to the NT, Christ is our Peace.  He is pre-eminent and above all.

5. Yes, this relates to the Lord's Supper instituted at the Passover feast by Jesus and His disciples.  Christ died for the sins of the whole world, for all.