Leviticus – Chapter 3: The Fellowship Offering

The first two chapters of Leviticus brought us God telling the Israelites how to do offerings, both a burnt offering of animals and a burnt offering of grain.  Leviticus 3 brings us another set of instructions on offering to God.  This time it’s a fellowship offering.

“From the fellowship offering you are to bring a food offering to the Lord: the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys. Then Aaron’s sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that is lying on the burning wood; it is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.” – Leviticus 3:3-5

Apparently a fellowship offering is nothing more that offering animals to the Lord for Aaron to burn and God to smell.  This is one messed up God.

“This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.” – Leviticus 3:17

Basically Leviticus 3 is a repeat of Leviticus 1 with the caveat that one must not eat any fat or blood from the offering.  I don’t think God has to worry much about that one.  Maybe it was more common in biblical times and I guess there are reasons to use the fat and blood from an animal, but no one is going to eat/drink it.  But if they did, what’s the problem?  If God isn’t burning it or giving it to Aaron, who cares?  A God jealous of someone drinking the blood of dead animals I suppose.

Coming Soon:  Leviticus – Chapter 4:  The Sin Offering