November 2020 Series on Thanksgiving – for more information and an outline see here.
11 “‘These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the Lord: 12 “‘If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering they are to offer thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with oil, and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in. 13 Along with their fellowship offering of thanksgiving they are to present an offering with thick loaves of bread made with yeast. 14 They are to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the fellowship offering against the altar. 15 The meat of their fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; they must leave none of it till morning.
Leviticus 7:11-15 New International Version
We start our series of scripture devotionals on Thanksgiving with a description of the peace offering for thanksgiving. Leviticus chapters 1 to 7 describe the various sacrifices and offerings, which included the burnt offering, grain offering, sin offering, guilt offering and fellowship or peace offering. The peace offering took three forms: a freewill offering, an offering for a vow or fulfillment of a vow and the offering of thanksgiving.
The thanksgiving offering involved sacrifice of animal flesh and the offering of loaves of bread, specifically to include ones that included yeast. Unlike other offerings and sacrifices, the meat and loaves of the thanksgiving offering were to be eaten the day they were offered. We see examples of the thanksgiving offering in Jeremiah 17:26 and 33:11, as well as mentions of thank offerings in Psalms 50:14, 50:23, 56:12 and Psalm 107:22 (we’ll look at these next week).
Some things to note about the thanksgiving offering:
- The Hebrew word translated as “thanksgiving” in this passage is yada, and the word toda is also often translated as “thanks” or “thanksgiving”. Both are also sometimes translated as “praise”. Many of the Old Testament passages we’ll look at in the next few days along with the Psalms in later days in the series, contain one of these two words. Since these words have multiple meanings of both “thanks” and “praise”, we should consider how our praise of God is also an expression of thanks, and when we thank God we also are offering praise. What are some ways you offer praise and thanks to God?
- The peace offering for thanksgiving is unique in that the meat and bread offered were to be consumed that day. Are we this urgent in expressing our thankfulness to God, or do we let our feelings pass and not thank God enough for our blessings?
- As with other sacrifices and offerings, the instructions for the thanksgiving offering is very detailed and specific: Leviticus 3 gives instructions on selection of the animals and how they were to be presented, and Leviticus 7 adds specific instruction on the loaves of bread to be prepared in addition as part of the thanksgiving offering. How specific and detailed are we when we offer our thanks to God? Do we offer a only a general quick prayer of thanks, or do we go beyond that to sacrifice our time or find some other way to serve God out of thankfulness?
- The offering of thanksgiving is a peace offering or fellowship offering. Ephesians 2:13-15 tells us that though we were far away, like the Gentiles were from the Jews, we are now brought near through Jesus Christ – he is our peace! Jesus was our sin and guilt offering, but also our fellowship and peace offering. As his sacrifice brings us salvation from our sin and guilt, it also brings us peace and fellowship in unity of the body, his church. Take time today to thank God for the gift of His Son, who takes away the sin of the world and brings us, who were far, near as one in Him.