CHRIST - OUR PEACE!

Leviticus 7:11-38   

Friday, 11 July 2025

He who offers the sacrifices of his peace offerings to the LORD shall bring his offering to the LORD from the sacrifice of his peace offerings. His own hands are to bring offerings by fire to the LORD…….  –Leviticus 7:29-30 

Our reading today speaks of one of the several offerings that God ordained for Israelites. The Old Testament sacrifices were a shadow (Heb.10:1) of the perfect sacrifice that Jesus replaced in the New Testament. Heb.10:10 says “…we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Heb.10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”

While on the cross, Jesus stated: “It is finished.”(John 19:30). The finished work on the cross involves His fulfillment of the Law (Matt.5:17) which included all types and shadows in the OT. Thus the fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrifices was in the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross!

Our topic today is Peace Offering, which focuses on man seeking peace with God. Lev.3:1-2 says that the animal for Peace Offering shall be without defect and the offerer shall lay hands on the animal’s head. This points to Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God with whom each of us need to have a personal relationship (lay hands on the animal).

Eph.5:2 says, ”Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us” Therefore, Jesus Christ is our Peace Offering. The peace offering was a fellowship offering. It foreshadowed the peace and restoration of communion that Christians have with God through our relationship as forgiven sinners. Col.1:20 “and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peacethrough the blood of His Cross.” 

In peace offering two portions have special mention as food of the priests— the heave shoulder and the wave breast (Lev.7:30-34). The shoulder indicates the place of strength and the breast the place of affection and these two are particularly the food of the believer. The two linked together reminds us of how we lean on the shoulders of His strength and the breast of His never dying love. Isaiah 40:11 pictures God carrying us close to His bosom. Paul’s two prayers in Eph.1:19: that they may know His power and Eph.3:17-19: that they may know His love, are the subject of feeding upon Christ typified by the offerings-a very powerful one.

The Cross is the place where both Jew and Gentile receive peace. Our peace begins with our salvation. Rom.5:1 “having justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” He Himself is our peace and He established peace through the cross (Eph.2:14-16). On the cross through Jesus Christ, peace comes to a believer and from the believer peace is placed on a house. Jesus told His disciples that when they enter into any house they have to first place‘peace’ in it. (Matt.10:11-13 / Luke10:5-6). Only when we truly acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Peace that He offers will rest upon us.

The Bible tells us to seek peace and pursue it (1 Peter 3:11).

➢ Christ is our peace offering (Eph.5:1, Eph2:14)

➢ Shed blood of Christ on the Cross is the basis of our peace (Col.1:20)

➢ Christ gives us peace (John 14:27)

➢ We receive peace when we are saved (Rom.5:1)

➢ When we acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus, His peace will rest upon us (Acts10:36)

➢ We need to lean on His strength and love to maintain the peace in us (Lev.7:30-34/Is.40:11)

➢ We need to be peace makers (Matt 5:9)

➢ We need to be peace givers (Matt.10:13)

➢ We need to be peace seekers (Ps.34:14 / 1Pet.3:11)

➢ We need to be peace sowers (James 3:18)                  

Before Gideon got the victory over the enemy he built an altar and called it “Jehovah Shalom” (Judges 6:24). Peace in Hebrew is SHALOM which denotes peace, wholeness, and completeness and in Greek EIRENE which denotes a state of untroubled, undisturbed, wellbeing. Let us declare our peace by faith so that the divine peace will dwell in our every situation.

Our tongue has the power to sow peace and also the power to destroy peace. When it connects with the demonic realm, the tongue can become a fire that can transmit hell fire (James 3:13-16).However, a true disciple of Christ who trusts in His strength and feeds upon His love becomes a carrier of divine peace to be a peace seeker, peace maker, peace sower and peace giver.

Think on: “Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)