Leviticus 3:1  ‘Now if his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings, if he is going to offer from the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without defect before the Lord.’

It’s not that uncommon to have students who come to school pretty sure that the teachers are basically bad people. Or at least that they are people who are out to spoil their fun and make their life miserable. It takes some time with these students for the teacher to convince them that they are really there for the student’s good and that they intend them good and not ill.

In this third chapter of Leviticus, Moses is giving the people the instructions he has been given about peace offerings (sometimes translated fellowship offerings.) This is easy to misunderstand. Often, when we consider such things at all, we are of the mind that this would be something we were doing to make peace with God. But that is not what this is.

The Israelites had been free for a few months. They were on their way out of Egypt and slavery headed to the Promised Land. In those few months they had not had a great record of obeying and pleasing God! They had whined and murmured against Him. They had had moments of rebellion against Moses, God’s chosen leader. They had even built and worship-ed a golden calf! If God was looking for an excuse to bring judgment on them, He had plenty. Yet here they still were.

The peace (fellowship) offering is a celebration. It’s a thanksgiving of the peace that they could have with God. It’s an acknowledgement that God is not basically bad, or a God that was out to spoil their fun or make their life miserable. It’s an acknowledgment that peace with God is something to be embraced and celebrate!

We have an advantage over the Israelites because we see fully God’s plan in Jesus. We do not have to ‘make peace’ with Him. He has done all the peacemaking on the cross! It is only up to us to accept what He has done and enjoy it! We can celebrate peace with God! We can enjoy fellowship with God! He is not looking for a reason to punish us. (He has plenty of those already!) By His grace He loves us.

Some students figured out that I, the teacher, was not as bad as they thought and we developed a great relationship that we both enjoyed. Others never did and sadly, did not have as good a time in class. I was the same either way.

Our relationship with God is not determined upon whether or not He loves us. We just need to accept His love for us and confess our sins, repent, and begin to celebrate the peace that God initiated on our behalf!

Blessings,