THE ACCEPTABLE FELLOWSHIP OFFERING
Key verse: 18
NIV
The Fellowship Offering
11 “‘These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the Lord:
12 “‘If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering(A) they are to offer thick loaves(B) made without yeast(C) and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves(D) made without yeast and brushed with oil,(E) and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in. 13 Along with their fellowship offering of thanksgiving(F) they are to present an offering with thick loaves of bread made with yeast.(G) 14 They are to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the fellowship offering against the altar. 15 The meat of their fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; they must leave none of it till morning.(H)
16 “‘If, however, their offering is the result of a vow(I) or is a freewill offering,(J) the sacrifice shall be eaten on the day they offer it, but anything left over may be eaten on the next day.(K) 17 Any meat of the sacrifice left over till the third day must be burned up.(L) 18 If any meat of the fellowship offering(M) is eaten on the third day, the one who offered it will not be accepted.(N) It will not be reckoned(O) to their credit, for it has become impure; the person who eats any of it will be held responsible.(P)
19 “‘Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten; it must be burned up. As for other meat, anyone ceremonially clean may eat it. 20 But if anyone who is unclean(Q) eats any meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord, they must be cut off from their people.(R) 21 Anyone who touches something unclean(S)—whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean creature that moves along the ground[a]—and then eats any of the meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord must be cut off from their people.’”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 7:21 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac and Targum (see 5:2); most Hebrew manuscripts any unclean, detestable thing
Cross references
- Leviticus 7:12 : ver 13, 15; Lev 22:29; Ps 50:14; 54:6; 107:22; 116:17; Jer 33:11
- Leviticus 7:12 : Jer 44:19
- Leviticus 7:12 : Nu 6:19
- Leviticus 7:12 : S Lev 2:4
- Leviticus 7:12 : S Lev 2:1
- Leviticus 7:13 : S ver 12; S Ex 34:22
- Leviticus 7:13 : Lev 23:17; Am 4:5
- Leviticus 7:15 : S Ex 12:10
- Leviticus 7:16 : S Ge 28:20; S Lev 1:2; Dt 23:21-23
- Leviticus 7:16 : Ex 35:29; Lev 22:18, 21; 23:38; Nu 15:3; 29:39; Dt 12:6; Ps 54:6; Eze 46:12
- Leviticus 7:16 : Lev 19:5-8
- Leviticus 7:17 : Ex 12:10; Lev 19:6
- Leviticus 7:18 : 2Ch 33:16
- Leviticus 7:18 : Lev 19:7
- Leviticus 7:18 : Nu 18:27
- Leviticus 7:18 : S Lev 5:1
- Leviticus 7:20 : S Lev 5:3
- Leviticus 7:20 : S Ge 17:14; Lev 22:3-7
- Leviticus 7:21 : S Lev 5:2
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
11 “And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that one may offer to the Lord. 12 If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice (A)unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour (B)well mixed with oil. 13 (C)With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread. 14 And from it he shall offer one loaf from each offering, as a (D)gift to the Lord. (E)It shall belong to the priest who throws the blood of the peace offerings. 15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings (F)for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning. 16 But (G)if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten. 17 But what remains of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned up with fire. 18 If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten on the third day, he who offers it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be credited to him. It is (H)tainted, and he who eats of it shall bear his iniquity.
19 “Flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned up with fire. All who are clean may eat flesh, 20 but the person who eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of the Lord's peace offerings (I)while an uncleanness is on him, that person shall be cut off from his people. 21 And if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether (J)human uncleanness or an (K)unclean beast or any (L)unclean detestable creature, and then eats some flesh from the sacrifice of the Lord's peace offerings, that person shall be cut off from his people.”
Read full chapterCross references
- Leviticus 7:12 : ch. 2:4; Num. 6:15
- Leviticus 7:12 : ch. 6:21
- Leviticus 7:13 : Amos 4:5
- Leviticus 7:14 : Ex. 29:27, 28
- Leviticus 7:14 : Num. 18:8, 11, 19
- Leviticus 7:15 : ch. 22:29, 30
- Leviticus 7:16 : ch. 19:6-8; 22:21
- Leviticus 7:18 : ch. 19:7
- Leviticus 7:20 : ch. 15:3; 22:3
- Leviticus 7:21 : See ch. 12; ch. 13; ch. 15
- Leviticus 7:21 : See ch. 11:24-28
- Leviticus 7:21 : See ch. 11:10-23
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
The fellowship (peace) offering was offered to the LORD in three cases: thankfulness (12), a vow, or freewill (16). When the offerer brought an animal for a fellowship sacrifice, he also had to bring four different kinds of bread (12,13). One loaf from each kind was offered to the LORD as a peace offering (14) and then given to the priest who sprinkled the blood of the fellowship offering. The meat of the fellowship offering of thanksgiving had to be eaten the same day, but the meat of the fellowship offering for a vow or a freewill offering had to be eaten by the next day. It should not remain until the third day. Also, unclean people were not allowed to eat the fellowship offering.
Why do you think the LORD commanded his people to eat the fellowship offerings within the time limit? Otherwise, the offering was not acceptable. God’s word commands us: “Give thanks in all circumstances.” (1Th 5:18); “When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it…” (Ecc 5:4); “Settle matters quickly with your adversary…” (Mt 5:25). Thanksgiving, fulfilling vows, and reconciliation should not be delayed. Tomorrow could be too late.
Prayer: Father, help me to repent today, to be reconciled with my brothers today, and to give thanks to you today!
One Word: Eat today!