Leviticus 6-7:

Eating the Sacrifice: 
Most sacrifices were meant to be eaten. In fact, the sacrificial offering was not complete until it was eaten, generally by the priest.  The Levitical priests were the ones partaking in the sacred meals in the sacred space of the Sanctuary.  Most of the time, the common person, the laity, could not eat of the sacrificial offering.  [This is contrasted with the egalitarianism of the New Testament, where all believers are a part of the common priesthood of the faithful, and all can participate in the Eucharist sacrifice.  All can eat of the Body and Blood of Christ.]  The cereal offering is made with “fine flour and oil, together with all the frankincense . . but it must be eaten in the form of unleavened cakes and in a sacred space.” (Ex. 6:8-9)  Unleavened cakes foreshadows the Eucharistic hosts.  “The flesh of the thanksgiving sacrifice shall be eaten on the day it is offered; none of it may be kept till the next day.”  (Ex. 7:15)  This is reminiscent of the manna that may not be kept till the next day, and the Eucharist that is offered as “our daily bread.”  In these offerings again we see the motifs of “bread” and “flesh” coming together as one sacrifice.  Bread and flesh are sacrificial offerings for ritual purity and forgiveness, which must also be eaten.  The Eucharist is the bread of life, the manna from heaven, which is also the Body and Blood of Christ, the flesh of Jesus, that must also be eaten.  God insists that only those in a state of ritual purity may eat of the offerings. “All who are clean may partake of this flesh.  If, however, someone while in a state of uncleanness eats any of the flesh of a peace offering belonging to the Lord, that person shall be cut off from his people.” (Lev. 7:19-20)  This foreshadows the fact that Christians should not partake of the flesh of Christ unless they are without sin, that is, if necessary, unless they are made clean in the sacrament of Reconciliation.  In the Acts of the Apostles, all the believers and disciples come together in one house to “break bread together.”

Common Priesthood of the Believers:
There is not the same distinction as in the Old Covenant as to who can eat of the sacrifice (ie, the priests) and who cannot eat of the sacrifice (ie, the common Israelite).  In Christianity, priest and layman alike partake in the Lord’s Supper and Mass of the Eucharist.  [In the New Covenant, we are all priests of the priesthood of believers, all fit for sacred space, all fit for the sacred meal of Communion, all fit to be priests of Yahweh.  We are all the universal family of God.]

Daily Burnt Offering:  
This daily burn offering is done every morning and evening.  The priests are to never let the fire go out.  It is, in effect, the “house warming gift” to God’s house, the Tabernacle.  “The fire on the altar is to be kept burning; it must not go out.” (Ex. 6:5) The priest is to be dressed in “linen robe and wearing linen drawers on his body,” again to distinguish them from the pagan priests, who sometimes officiated their pagan ceremonies nude and performed sexual acts and orgies as part of the heathen rituals. Yahweh’s priests are covered, and the rituals are de-sexualized.

Drink No Blood, and Jesus’ Blood:
The Lord tells the Israelites that no one shall drink any blood. “Wherever you dwell, you shall not partake of any blood, be it of bird or of animal. Every person who partakes of any blood shall be cut off from his people.” (Lev. 7:26) With this mindset of the Israelite and the Jew, it is no wonder that many are shocked and dismayed when Jesus tells them that they must they must drink His blood. Consequently, many of Jesus’ disciples abandon Him at that point. [From the Bread of Life Discourse: “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” (Jn. 6:53-56) Jesus’ Body and Blood contain the life of His resurrected flesh and blood. By consuming His resurrected flesh and blood, His life force, if you will, that supernatural, eternal life fills our bodies and souls. Christ’s life becomes our life. You are what you eat. By eating Christ’s resurrected flesh and drinking His resurrected Blood, His power of eternal life raises our lives to be one with His. As is described later in Leviticus, “life” resides in the blood: “Since the life of a living body is in its blood . . because it is the blood, as the seat of life, that makes atonement.” (Lev. 17:11) By drinking Christ’s Blood, we somehow mysteriously and supernaturally drink His eternal grace into our bodies and souls, transforming us.

Peace Offering:  
This is the Thanksgiving offering, or the “todah” offering, using unleavened cakes formed from cereals and grains.  It was used to express gratitude towards God.  Generally, when one had escaped great danger, and was extremely grateful to God, he would offer the thanksgiving offering.  This has Eucharistic connotations.  Many have even speculated the Last Supper was a Todah Offering.  Eucharist is derived from the word for “thanksgiving.”  The Offerer would wave the offering, a “wave offering” to the Lord as a gesture to show God your offering and present Him with something.  God gets the first portion, or first fruits, then, the priests.

Leave a Reply