Leviticus 3 Study Notes

3:1-2 The three kinds of fellowship sacrifice were thanksgiving, vow, and freewill (7:11-21). The fellowship offering signified communion between the worshiper and God (9:18,21; 23:19; Nm 6:18) because it was the only sacrifice in which the worshiper ate the shared meal with the priests (Lv 7:31-35). Guests of the offerer—including his household, Levites, and the poor—were part of the communal meal (Dt 12:7,12,18; 26:12-13; Ps 22:25-26). Shared meals characterized the life of the early church (Ac 2:46). That the daily burnt offering preceded the fellowship offering conveyed the importance of atonement as the basis for fellowship with God (Lv 3:5; 6:12); Christ provided this for the church (Rm 5:1; 1Jn 1:3). The fellowship offering required a valuable contribution by the worshiper. Those who have been set free by Christ can do no less (Php 3:10; 2Tm 1:8; 1Pt 4:13).

3:3-5 The rationale for restricting the fat is not stated, except that the fat was the prerogative of God (Is 43:24; Ezk 44:7). The fat was considered the best part of an animal (Gn 4:4; 45:18; Is 34:6) and was associated with robust power (2Sm 1:22; Is 10:27). Fat was especially associated with the fellowship offering (1Kg 8:64; 2Ch 7:7). Figuratively, the kidneys conveyed a person’s feelings and inner thoughts (often parallels “heart,” Ps 73:1), and both the liver and kidneys were vital to physical life (Jb 16:13; Pr 7:23).

3:6-10 The entire fat tail refers to the broad-tail sheep whose tail was reputed to be a heavy fat organ weighing from five to fifteen pounds (Herodotus).

3:11 Identifying the animal sacrifice as a food offering occurs here in connection with the fellowship offering that could be eaten (v. 16; 21:8; Nm 28:2). Since the Hebrews did not conceive of God as fed by the sacrifice (Ps 50:12-13), the offering requires a different explanation, perhaps as a metaphorical allusion to the worshiper sharing in a meal with the Lord.

3:12-16a The goat is distinguished from the sheep (unlike the burnt offering, 1:10) because of the special feature of the fat in sheep. Otherwise the procedure is the same.

3:16b-17 Belongs to the Lord applies to the fat that was removed from a sacrifice at the altar (Ezk 44:7) and not necessarily the fat of animals for the common table. The fat of nonsacrificed animals and birds could be eaten but never the blood (Lv 7:22-27; Dt 12:15-16,20-24; 32:14). Permanent statute and wherever you live show that there were no exceptions to the command. On blood, see notes at 17:10 and 17:11-14.