Peace-offerings, also known as fellowship offerings, hold a significant place in the sacrificial system of ancient Israel as outlined in the Old Testament. These offerings were a means of expressing gratitude, fulfilling vows, and seeking communion with God. They were distinct from other types of sacrifices, such as burnt offerings or sin offerings, in that they were shared between the altar, the priests, and the offerer, symbolizing a communal meal with the Lord.

Biblical Foundation

The peace-offering is first introduced in Leviticus 3, where the procedures for offering cattle, sheep, or goats are detailed. The offering was to be without blemish, and the fat and certain internal organs were burned on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. The remaining portions were consumed by the priests and the offerer, signifying fellowship and peace with God.

Peace-Offerings at Festivals

The peace-offerings were integral to the celebration of Israel's major festivals, serving as a means of communal worship and thanksgiving. These festivals included Passover, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of Tabernacles, among others. Each festival had its own specific requirements for peace-offerings, reflecting the communal and joyous nature of these sacred times.

1. Passover (Pesach): During Passover, peace-offerings were part of the broader sacrificial system that commemorated Israel's deliverance from Egypt. While the primary focus was on the Passover lamb, peace-offerings were also made to express gratitude for God's salvation and continued provision.

2. Feast of Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost): In Leviticus 23:19, the Feast of Weeks is described as a time when a peace-offering of two lambs was to be presented alongside the wave offerings. This festival celebrated the firstfruits of the wheat harvest and was a time of thanksgiving for God's provision.

3. Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot): The Feast of Tabernacles, as detailed in Numbers 29, involved a series of sacrifices over seven days, including numerous peace-offerings. This festival celebrated the end of the harvest season and God's provision during the Israelites' wilderness wanderings. The peace-offerings during this time underscored the themes of joy and communal fellowship with God.

Symbolism and Significance

Peace-offerings at the festivals symbolized reconciliation and fellowship with God. They were a tangible expression of the covenant relationship between God and His people, emphasizing themes of gratitude, joy, and communal worship. The shared meal aspect of the peace-offering highlighted the intimate relationship between the worshiper and the divine, as well as the unity among the community of believers.

Scriptural References

· Leviticus 3:1-17: Introduction and regulations for peace-offerings.
· Leviticus 7:11-21: Additional laws concerning peace-offerings.
· Leviticus 23:19: Peace-offerings during the Feast of Weeks.
· Numbers 29:12-40: Peace-offerings during the Feast of Tabernacles.

The peace-offerings at the festivals were a vital component of Israel's worship, reflecting a deep-seated acknowledgment of God's sovereignty, provision, and the desire for ongoing fellowship with Him. Through these offerings, the Israelites expressed their devotion and gratitude, reinforcing their identity as God's chosen people.Numbers 10:10
Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Service Common to the Festivals of the Holy virgin.
... make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings, and I ... nativity,
O Sovereign Theotokos and Virgin, and with all thy festivals the cycle ...
/.../anonymous/the general menaion/chapter ii the service common.htm

Separation to God.
... example of this was the sacrifice of peace-offerings made by ... At the special festivals
a he-goat was sacrificed ... offering of JESUS CHRIST once for all; and more ...
/.../taylor/separation and service/part i separation to god.htm

Scriptural Types.
... sacrifices connected with the national festivals, and the ... as the great King of all
nations, is beautifully represented as paying his peace-offerings to God ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxvii scriptural types.htm

Leviticus
... Priests' share of the meal and peace offerings, x.12-15. ... dealing with the three great
ancient festivals that rested ... This code, like all the others in the Old ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/leviticus.htm

"Lo, I Come": Exposition
... long periods, and when the festivals were maintained ... formality, and thus missed all
spiritual benefit ... sacrifices, and presented their peace-offerings; but the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/lo i come exposition.htm

Interpretation of Prophecy.
... three times a year at the great national festivals. ... for boiling the flesh of the
peace-offerings, precisely as we ... But all sacrifices are done away for ever in ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxviii interpretation of prophecy.htm

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... at Bethel, in the midst of the festivals which pilgrims ... the first place, the downfall
of all the surrounding ... neither will I regard the peace offerings of your ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm

Book ii.
... the shadow of joys above and of heavenly festivals. ... if thou blow with one trumpet,
all the princes ... whole burnt sacrifices and at your peace-offerings, and it ...
//christianbookshelf.org/ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/book ii.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... to the belief of a later age, the law had been engraved.** Yearly festivals were
celebrated before it, and it was consulted as an oracle by all the Israelites. ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

What is a heave offering? | GotQuestions.org

What is a wave offering? | GotQuestions.org

What is a grain offering? | GotQuestions.org

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