Daily Devotion | Leviticus 3 | 2026 January 16

Title: Daily Devotion

Dear brothers and sisters, peace to you. By God’s grace, we have come to a new day to study the Daily Devotion. Today’s passage is Leviticus chapter 3, which teaches us how the peace offering is presented.

Let us pray. Lord, we thank you and praise you. We thank you for your willingness to show such grace and mercy. You place these offerings before us one by one, so that we may see more clearly how perfect the sacrifice is that Jesus Christ has offered for us, and how we ought to respond to the grace you have given us. O God, have mercy on us. Awaken our ears this morning to understand your will. Be with us. In the name of Christ, amen.

Let us now look at the third offering: the peace offering. Generally speaking, the peace offering is brought by the people to express thanksgiving to God and to seek peace from Him. As we mentioned earlier, every offering contains an element of atonement, but each offering also points to a distinct aspect of our relationship with God.

The peace offering emphasizes that through sacrifice, peace is granted, and through sacrifice, reconciliation between God and humanity is accomplished. This is the central meaning of the peace offering.

Let us first look at how the peace offering is presented. If the offering is from the herd, the animal may be either male or female. Notice this carefully: in the peace offering, both male and female animals are acceptable. In contrast, for the burnt offering, only male animals were permitted. This distinction is important.

As we examine each offering one by one, we can see that the differences among the sacrifices reflect different theological emphases. In the peace offering, male and female animals may be offered, as long as they are without blemish. The same applies when sheep are offered, and later when goats are offered. The text does not restrict the peace offering to male animals only.

This already suggests something about the meaning of the peace offering. It carries the sense of removing barriers and bringing peace. Although this may not be immediately obvious, it becomes clearer as we reflect on the details.

As with the other offerings, the worshiper lays his hand on the head of the animal. The animal is then slaughtered at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Once again, it is the worshiper himself who slaughters the animal, not the priest. The sons of Aaron then sprinkle the blood around the altar.

From the peace offering, the worshiper presents a food offering to the LORD. This does not involve cutting the animal into pieces as in the burnt offering. Instead, specific portions are offered: the fat covering the entrails, all the fat on the entrails, the two kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which is removed with the kidneys.

We have mentioned this briefly before, but it is worth repeating here. Why are these particular parts offered in the peace offering? These inner organs and their fat carry symbolic meaning. The fat represents the richest and best portion of the animal, while the kidneys and liver represent the deepest inner life.

In the peace offering, the worshiper gives to God what is best and what is deepest. After these portions are burned to the LORD, the remaining meat may be eaten by the priests and by the worshiper himself.

This is very different from the other offerings. The boundaries in the peace offering are not as strict. The animal may be male or female, and after the best and deepest portions are given to God, the rest is shared. This reflects the removal of distance and the restoration of fellowship, bringing peace and harmony.

The same pattern applies when a sheep is offered. The blood is sprinkled around the altar, and the fat, including the entire fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the two kidneys, and the lobe of the liver, is offered to the LORD. Again, these represent the best and the deepest parts.

The same is true when a goat is offered. These portions are burned as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. The final statement of the chapter is very clear: all fat belongs to the LORD, and neither fat nor blood is to be eaten. This is a perpetual statute throughout the generations.

The animal fat must be burned, and the blood must be poured out. In essence, the life of the animal is fully given to God.

The ritual details of the peace offering are largely the same across all three types of animals. What matters most is not the variation, but the meaning of the offering itself.

Now let us pause and reflect on what the peace offering signifies and points toward.

We have already observed that in the peace offering, male and female animals may be offered, unlike other sacrifices. Only a portion of the animal is burned: the blood is poured out, and the best and deepest parts are given to the LORD. The remaining meat is shared by the priests and the worshiper.

This is the basic structure of the peace offering. The act of slaughter still belongs to the worshiper, following the laying on of hands, while the priest performs the ritual actions at the altar.

But the theological meaning of the peace offering is rich and profound. Ultimately, the peace offering points to Jesus Christ Himself.

Jesus Christ offered Himself at the prime of His life, at thirty-three years of age. In the fullness of His strength and vitality, He gave Himself on the cross. In doing so, He fulfilled not only the burnt offering and the grain offering, but also the peace offering, as well as the sin offering and the guilt offering.

All five offerings find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The peace offering, in particular, is fulfilled in Him.

Christ gave His very best to God, and through His sacrifice, He brought peace from God to humanity. Because of sin, humanity was unable to draw near to God or enjoy peace from Him. But Christ offered Himself and accomplished reconciliation between God and man.

Through His blood, we may come before the throne of grace. In Jesus Christ, we are justified by faith. God the Father looks upon us through Christ and regards us as righteous. As a result, we are reconciled to God.

The book of Romans speaks very clearly about this. Having been reconciled to God, we once again become God’s people and God’s children. From the perspective of the kingdom, we are God’s people; from the perspective of family, we are His sons and daughters.

We return to God. We worship Him, serve Him, and enjoy the peace that He gives. This peace can only come from God, because only the Creator can grant true peace and rest to His creatures.

This peace may also be understood as rest. Such rest can only be given by God. At this point, we must clarify what peace and rest truly mean.

Peace and rest do not mean that all the problems in our lives are resolved. This is something we have emphasized repeatedly. Believing in Christ does not mean that every difficulty disappears. In fact, our problems may even increase, and we may become busier than before.

So what do peace and rest mean? They mean that when we truly take refuge in Jesus Christ and entrust everything in our lives to God, God assumes full responsibility for us. Our hearts are at rest. We are not anxious, not agitated, and not consumed by worry.

We entrust ourselves fully to Him, trusting that as we obey God’s law, He knows all that we need and will surely provide it. This is the essence of rest.

Our circumstances may grow more difficult, and our environment may become more hostile, yet the peace God gives becomes deeper. This peace does not come from resolved problems, but from the inner beauty of walking with God.

We can also consider how those who do not believe in God are searching for rest, though they do not know what true rest is. Why do people pursue wealth so desperately? They say, “If I have enough money, I can retire peacefully.” They seek status, power, and recognition, all in the hope of finding peace.

Everyone is searching for a place of rest. People hope that health, wealth, large homes, or happy marriages will give them peace. Yet these things are fleeting. The joy they bring is short-lived, and people must continually search for the next source of satisfaction.

In the end, they grow weary and exhausted, yet never find true rest. Ultimately, apart from Christ, there is no peace—only deeper unrest.

For believers, however, things are different. Through the peace offering fulfilled in Christ, God grants us the deepest peace.

This peace is the greatest reward a creature can receive: freedom from anxiety and restlessness, even in the midst of difficulty. This peace is accomplished through Christ’s perfect sacrifice.

Now we must ask: how do we experience this peace in daily life? Christ has accomplished peace for us, and the Holy Spirit has given us faith, but how do we truly enjoy this peace?

The answer is reflected in the peace offering itself. We must offer what is best and what is deepest within us to God. The peace offering first points to Christ’s accomplishment, but it also calls us to respond.

We must bring our deepest thoughts, desires, and intentions before God. Faith is not superficial. It is not merely attending worship, keeping the Lord’s Day, or even giving offerings. These things are necessary, but they do not in themselves produce true peace.

True peace comes when we surrender the deepest parts of our hearts to God. Faith is not merely external behavior; it is an inner exchange of life between us and God.

Many people reserve a “private area” in their hearts. They worship God outwardly, but inwardly they keep something for themselves—money, career, time, security. They are willing to give some portion, but not everything.

This kind of reservation must not remain. We are a people called to a life of sacrifice. God desires our deepest intentions. We cannot hide them from Him; we only deceive ourselves.

We may even complain, saying, “Have I not done enough? Why do I still lack peace?” But God is waiting for us to open our hearts fully, to allow Him to cleanse and consume what lies deepest within us.

Only then will we experience the deepest peace in our lives.

Just as Christ centered His life entirely on God and offered Himself fully, we too must entrust every part of our lives to God. Not 30%, not 90%, but 100%.

When we do so, God’s Spirit fills us, and we experience true peace from heaven. We become new creations, and our lives grow increasingly rich in Him.

May God have mercy on us. As we stand before these offerings, may we reflect honestly on the deficiencies in our spiritual lives. May we learn to offer ourselves fully to God, so that our entire lives may bring glory to His name.

We will conclude today’s sharing here. Thank you, everyone.

Translator’s Note