Reading – Leviticus 7-8

Highlight Verse:

““If you bring an offering to fulfill a vow or as a voluntary offering, the meat must be eaten on the same day the sacrifice is offered, but whatever is left over may be eaten on the second day.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭7‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Here’s the early church potlucks!

Okay, not exactly. But did you know that some of the sacrifices beyond the normal guilt and sin offerings were eaten by the people who brought them instead of giving them to the priests or having them burnt up?

This passage refers to the peace offering, a voluntary offering above and beyond the normal sacrifices required by law.

This along with sacrifices made at Passover, Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters were celebrations of the goodness of God to His people.

Having been to some modern Jewish festivals, I can tell you that if the Old Testament festivals were anything like the ones I’ve been to, they must have been a blast.

It’s easy to look back at Leviticus and think how terrible it would have been to have to offer sacrifices all the time.

While Jesus gave the perfect sacrifice to end the constant animal sacrifice system, the Old Testament system provided the predecessor to Jesus’s sacrifice.

The temporary atonement and expression of devotion to God brought great joy to God’s people.

As you read these seemingly endless descriptions, think about the joy surrounding them.

Then think how much greater joy we should have when we accept the complete and permanent atonement of Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

What is the most fun you have had at a church or faith-based celebration?
What differences do you see in Old Testament celebrations compared to New Testament or modern celebrations?