FELLOWSHIP OFFERING

1. What are the different types of sacrificial offering mentioned in the Book of Leviticus in the Bible?

a) Burnt offering (Leviticus 1: 1 – 17).

i) About total sacrifice / surrender my life to Christ

ii) 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1, 2 NIV)

b) Grain / Meal offering (Leviticus 2: 1 – 16).

i) About giving my labours (fruit) to Christ.

c) Peace / fellowship offering (Leviticus 3: 1 – 17).

i) A peace offering is also called fellowship offering.

ii) The peace offering is an expression of peace and fellowship between the giver and God. A communal meal is included.

iii) About part given to God, part eaten by the priest, and part eaten by giver. It is a picture of having communal fellowship.

iv) 3 kinds of peace offering (Leviticus 22: 18 – 25; 29 – 30).

@1. Thank offering – showed gratitude for a special blessing or deliverance.

@2. Free will offering – expressed gratitude to God without regard to any specific blessing or deliverance.

@3. Votive offering – showed gratitude for a special answer when a vow had accompanied the petition.

d) Sin Offering (Leviticus 4: 1 – 35).

i) For inadvertent (unintentional) sins, not wilful!

@1. 16If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. (1 John 5:16, 17 NIV)

@2. Blasphemy (words or actions that dishonour God) against the Holy Spirit results in spiritual death (Mark 3: 29).

#1) 28Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” (Mark 3:28, 29 NIV)

@3. Not observing the Communion Table sometimes ends in physical death (1Corinthians 11: 30).

#1) 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 11:30 NIV)

e) Guilt / trespass offering (Leviticus 5: 14 – 19).

i) I am to restore, adding 20% to those who have been trespassed against by me.

2. How is the law for peace offering to be carried out in Leviticus 19: 5 - 8?

a) 5“ ‘When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 6It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up. 7If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted. 8Whoever eats it will be held responsible because they have desecrated what is holy to the Lord; they must be cut off from their people. (Leviticus 19:5-8 NIV)

3. What lessons can we get from this passage?

a) Observe and offer correctly.

i) The priest and the giver have to do it right so that it will be accepted by God.

ii) Eat the allowed sacrifice the same say or the next day at the least.

iii) Do not go beyond what is expected of God.

iv) Do not eat it on the third day. Why? God will consider it repulsive and will not accept it.

4. Prayer focus

a) Pray that we live, act and do right in respect of our relationship to God and man.