Peace Offering
I have heard of Peace Offerings before because I’ve been the recipient of one and the giver of one. Peace offerings imply that there has been a dispute or a battle between two people. I’ve given something as simple as an apology with a gift card and at other times more elaborate gifts. I feel like the peace offering can also mean I don’t want to be at odds with you anymore. It doesn’t necessarily mean that an apology is in order, but a “cease fire” of words. This sometimes needs to happen inside family disputes. Otherwise the dispute can escalate into years of broken relationship. The Lord instituted a peace (aka fellowship) offering for His people. Check this out…
1 ‘“If your offering is a fellowship offering, and you offer an animal from the herd, whether male or female, you are to present before the Lord an animal without defect. 2 You are to lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash the blood against the sides of the altar. 3 From the fellowship offering you are to bring a food offering to the Lord: the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, 4 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys. 5 Then Aaron’s sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that is lying on the burning wood; it is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. (Leviticus 3:1-5 NIV)
This is one offering that involves the individual who brings the offering is the one who does the killing. I believe that this would be in my face a bit. I think it would leave a mark on my heart having to take the life of a young animal to restore fellowship or peace with God.
I must confess that I don’t always understand the context of these sacrifices and offerings. It confuses me and I’m so glad that God made a way directly to Him through Jesus – the One and Only sacrifice needed for sin. The downside to these terms is that I take them for granted. I believe the involvement in the fellowship/peace offering would bring the issue that I was working at resolving front and center and in my face. The fact that an animal had to die to restore fellowship and peace would be a very sobering event.
As long as it depends upon me, I want to learn to work and cooperate with everyone. I don’t want to be difficult or impossible to deal with. I welcome feedback and input in all my relationships so that I can keep growing. I want to grow in my understanding of difficult people. I’m thankful that I can go directly to the Lord regarding all my relationships including my relationship with Him. I’m thankful that Jesus became the final and ultimate sacrifice to restore fellowship and peace with God.
Pressing On!
Dwayne