A FEAST OF JOY
The fifth point is that the peace offering is a matter of joy. “Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your new moons, ye 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.” “And thou shalt present peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the Lord thy God” (Num. 10:10; Deut. 27:7, lit.). The peace offering is a joy and a feast. It is a little different from the burnt offering and the meal offering. It is absolutely a matter of joy and feasting.
First Corinthians 10:18 refers to the peace offering, for it says that the people of Israel ate the sacrifices and were partakers of the altar. By the following verses in this chapter, we can realize that presenting Christ to God as the peace offering today is to come to the Lord’s table. When we come to the Lord’s table, that is the time to present Christ to God as our peace offering. And the Lord’s table is a joyful feast. Whenever we come to the Lord’s table, we come to enjoy a feast. We will see more concerning this later.
THE FELLOWSHIP OF FIVE PARTIES
God Himself
The sixth point is that the peace offering is the fellowship of God’s people with God and with one another. In Leviticus 3 and 7, we are told clearly how many parties have the right to enjoy the peace offering. The first party that enjoys the peace offering is God. All the fat, the inwards with the kidneys, and the net over the liver belong to God. All of these tender parts are God’s portion. These verses tell us clearly that these parts are food to God. He is the first party to enjoy the peace offering.
The Serving Priest
The second party to enjoy the peace offering is the serving priest who sprinkles the blood and offers the fat unto God. The serving priest enjoys the right shoulder (the right foreleg) and one of each kind of the cakes of the meal offering. All these pieces are called the heave offering, which signifies the ascended Christ. To “heave” signifies to ascend. The ascended Christ is the heave offering, and this is the highest enjoyment of Christ. The serving priest enjoys Christ in these pieces as the ascended One.
The Priesthood
The third party to enjoy the peace offering is the priesthood. Aaron and his sons have the breast as their portion. The leg (the shoulder) signifies the walking strength, and the breast signifies the embracing love. The priesthood can enjoy the embracing love of the peace offering. This is called the wave offering. The wave offering signifies Christ in resurrection. These points are all very meaningful.
The Presenter
The fourth party to enjoy the peace offering is the presenter. The one who presents the offering enjoys the flesh, that is, the meat. All the flesh is for the enjoyment of the one who offers the peace offering.
(Christ as the Reality, Chapter 18, by Witness Lee)
