Commentary - Leviticus 3:12-17

Bird's-eye view

In this portion of Leviticus, we are dealing with the peace offering, or fellowship offering. This is a crucial aspect of the sacrificial system because it presupposes that peace with God has been established. The burnt offering dealt with the need for total consecration, the sin offering with specific transgressions, but the peace offering was a celebratory meal, a time of communion between God, the priest, and the worshiper. This particular passage details the instructions for a peace offering when the animal is a goat. The principles remain consistent with the offerings from the herd (vv. 1-5) and the flock (vv. 6-11), but the details are important. God is a God of detail. The central themes here are substitution, the giving of the best to God (represented by the fat), the sanctity of life (represented by the blood), and the establishment of perpetual statutes that govern the covenant community. It all points forward to the ultimate peace offering, Jesus Christ, through whom we have true fellowship with the Father.

The structure is straightforward. First, the presentation of the goat (v. 12). Second, the act of identification and slaughter (v. 13). Third, the specific portions to be offered to Yahweh by fire, namely the fat (vv. 14-15). Fourth, the priest's role in the offering and the declaration of God's ownership of all fat (v. 16). And fifth, the concluding statute which makes the prohibition of eating fat or blood a permanent fixture for Israel in all their generations (v. 17). This isn't just archaic ritual; it's a picture of how a holy God makes it possible for a sinful people to draw near and have table fellowship with Him.

Outline

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 12 ‘Moreover, if his offering is a goat, then he shall bring it near before Yahweh,

The law provides for different economic levels. Not everyone could afford a bull. Some could afford a lamb, and others a goat. God makes provision for all His people to be able to approach Him. The offering must be brought "before Yahweh." This is not just a general direction; it means to the tabernacle, to the place where God has chosen to place His name. Worship is not a private affair conducted however we please. It is a corporate activity done according to God's explicit instructions and in His presence. The worshiper is actively involved; he is the one to "bring it near." This is our responsibility, to come to God on His terms.

v. 13 and he shall lay his hand on its head and slaughter it before the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall splash its blood around on the altar.

Here we have the central act of substitution. When the worshiper lays his hand on the head of the goat, he is identifying with it. He is saying, in effect, "This goat is taking my place. Its death will be my death." This is a profound confession of sin and a recognition that the wages of sin is death. The worshiper himself then slaughters the animal. This was not a detached, clinical process. It was a visceral reminder of the cost of sin. He saw the life drain out, and he was the one to cause it. This act took place "before the tent of meeting," in the sight of God. Then the priests, the designated mediators, take over. The sons of Aaron splash the blood on the altar. The blood represents the life of the animal. Leviticus 17:11 tells us, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls." The blood, the life, is presented to God as the payment for sin, reconciling the worshiper to God and making fellowship possible.

v. 14 And from it he shall bring near his offering as an offering by fire to Yahweh the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,

Now we get to God's portion of the meal. The peace offering was shared, but God gets the best part first. The fat was considered the richest, most desirable part of the animal. This offering of the fat "by fire to Yahweh" symbolizes giving our very best to God. It's not about leftovers. The specific mention of the fat covering the internal organs points to the innermost parts of the animal. This signifies that our devotion to God must not be merely external; it must come from the very center of our being. We are to love Him with all our heart, soul, and might. God is not interested in superficial piety; He desires truth in the inward parts.

v. 15 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys.

The detailed anatomical description is not superfluous. God is precise. The kidneys and the fat on the loins were considered in the ancient world to be the seat of the emotions and the center of strength. By offering these to God, the worshiper is surrendering his deepest affections and his personal strength to the Lord. It is an acknowledgment that all our vitality, all our emotional life, belongs to Him and should be consecrated to Him. The lobe of the liver is included, again specifying the complete surrender of the animal's (and therefore the worshiper's) inner being to God.

v. 16 And the priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar as food, an offering by fire for a soothing aroma; all fat is Yahweh’s.

The priest acts as God's representative, placing these choice portions on the altar. The fire consumes them, and they ascend as smoke. This is described as "food" for God, an anthropomorphic way of saying it is acceptable and pleasing to Him. The result is a "soothing aroma." This doesn't mean God has a physical nose that enjoys the smell of barbecue. It's a covenantal expression. The aroma is soothing because it represents the obedience of the worshiper and the atonement that has been made. It satisfies God's justice. It is the smell of peace restored. The verse concludes with an emphatic declaration: "all fat is Yahweh's." This is not a suggestion; it is a divine claim of ownership on the best of everything. He is the creator and sustainer, and He deserves the first and the best of all His creation.

v. 17 It is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your places of habitation: you shall not eat any fat or any blood.’ ”

This command is not temporary or tied only to the tabernacle. It is a "perpetual statute." It applies "throughout your generations" and "in all your places of habitation." This is a foundational principle of covenant life for Israel. The prohibition is twofold: no fat and no blood. Why? Because the fat represents the choicest portion, which belongs to God alone, and the blood represents life, which is sacred and is given by God for atonement. To eat either would be to usurp God's prerogative. It would be a profane act, treating as common that which God has declared holy. For the Christian, these laws are fulfilled in Christ. He is our peace offering. His blood was shed for our atonement, and He gave His all, His very best, for us. We no longer abstain from literal fat and blood in this way, but the principle remains. We are to give God our best, and we are to honor the life that He has given, recognizing that our own lives have been bought with the precious blood of Christ.

Application

The peace offering teaches us about fellowship with God. Such fellowship is not possible without substitutionary atonement. The goat died so the man could live and eat with God. Christ died so that we might have peace with God and be welcomed to His table. When we come to worship, we must remember the cost of our peace. It was purchased with blood.

Furthermore, God demands our best. The fat belonged to Him. We are not to offer God our leftovers, our spare time, our pocket change. We are to offer Him the fat of our lives, our first fruits, our energy, our deepest affections, our strength. When we do this, our worship becomes a "soothing aroma" to Him, not because of any intrinsic merit in our offering, but because it is an offering of faith, pointing to the one true offering of Christ.

Finally, the perpetual nature of this statute reminds us that God's principles do not change. While the ceremonial expression has been fulfilled in Christ, the underlying truths are permanent. We must not profane what is holy. We must recognize God's ownership over all things. We must never forget that life is sacred and that atonement is found only in the shed blood of the Lamb. Our entire lives, in all our dwelling places, are to be lived out as a response to the peace that God has made with us through the cross.