Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-10-20
Lesson 4.-The Peace Offering.
LEyIrreusT; Ills.

pay thy unto the Most High. 90 H.
Central Truth - joyful communion
with God the privilege of the justified
believer.
OF the various Jewish sacrifices the
most important were three, the sin.oi.
fering, the burnt. offering and the peace
offering, which are ths subject of our
present lesson. All these had points of
resemblance. In each there was the
sacrifice of animal life. In each the OF.
ferer made the victim his own repre-
sentative by laying his hand upon its
head. And in each there was the pour.
ing or sprinkling of blood on the altar,
round about, and portion at least OF
the offering was TO be burnt. But, be-
sides these points OF resemblance, they
had also others of difference. In the
burn offering the entire animal was
consumed on the altar. In the peace
Offering the sacriiicial meal was the
point of chief importance. A portion,
after being waved to and fro or lifted
upward in token of its presentation to
God, was set apart for the officiating
priest aud the remainder was carried
away by the offerer TO be eaten by him
self with his household and friends.
II should be observed that the un-
leavened cakes and the waters with oil
were rather accompaniments OF the
peace. offering than parts OF it. These
were of themselves a "meat or food OF
fering, expressive of thanksgiving and
praise. The leavened bread WAS not
placed on the altar. bat was added to
make the meal palatable.
The peace offerings were eNher public
or private. for all the people or for the
individual. The two lambs offered at
Pentecost were a public offering. So
was that which Solomon offered at the
dedication Of the temple when she Of
fered two aud twenty thousand oxen
and one hundred and twenty thousand
sheep" Private peace offerings were,
rs our lesson indicates, of three kinds,
the sacrifice of thanksgiving" for mer
cies received, the "vowh or fulfilment
of some promise to God. and the "vol.
untary Offering" dictated bye glad and
loving heart. The Psalms are full of
illusions to these, as where it is writ.
ten; "Thy VOWS are upon me, God; J
will render praises unto thee;" 81 will
freely sacrifice unto thee; | will praise
thy name, o Lord, for il is good" 81
will offer to thee the sacrifice OF thanks
giving and will call upon thy name, o
Lord; | will pay my VOWS unto the
Lord now in the presence Of all the peo-
ple."
The peace ofFeing was joyous sacri-
fee. the most so of all. As the burnt.
offering specially expressed consecra.
ton, this signifie1 reconciliation and
communion. or this there could be no
more impressive symbol than the meal
in which God himself was supposed to
share. There was IN this meal fitness
TO promote human friendship and fami.
ly affection, as there Is in our own
Thanksgiving reunions. But the pur-
pose in it was higher than this. 1t was
70 express and promote fellowship with
God, and how significant il is that
atonement always went before, as il TO
prepare the way for the joyous neal!
Does il not remind us that there can be
no really happy fellowship with one an.
other. much less with a covenant keep
ing God, until the conscience is relieved
Of the burdening sense of guilt? We
cannot praise God truly until we are at
peace with him through the one sacri.
fice OF Christ. "BY him, therefore let
us offer the sacrifice of praise to God
continuity"
II is to be remembered that in this
sacrifice the whole was first given TO
God. Therelcze the portion which went
to make up the sacrifoial meal was in
reality given back by God to the oiferer.
Thus IL was God who spread the table.
IL was be who provided the feast, just
as il is he who spreads and furnishes
every joyous board. Aud his conde.
scension to share the feast was the full
filing beforehand of the gospel prom.
ise, III will come in to him, aud will sup
with him, and he with me-"
OF this pesce-offerins there are many
antitypes. There is delightful one in
the act by which the sinner closes with
the Savior and takes him to be his
atoning sacrifice, and in the great Joy
which sometimes fills the soul in its new
sense Of reconciliation aud oneness
with God. There il one in the table ol
communion 1t which we commemorate
che dying love of Christ for our pardon
and life, und then, with emotions oI
grateful love. feed upon him as the "liv.
ing bread" That Is q glad feast, and
never il God more sensibly with US. 10.
deed, any expression which brings God,
as our pardoning and covenant keeping
God, near To the heart. and In which
We feel that he IL il who is loading "
with benefits, OF granting TO US great
dcliverances, or glaadening Us with
good things, Is Of the nature OF this
feast of peace. And such high Joy ID IL
Gods good pleasure TO renew TO bis
people every day.
Il will be noticed that In the "sacri.
Zee of Thanksgiving ". 15) the flesh
was 10 be al eaten the same day. But
in the others any remainder might be
eaten on the morrow. Would this indi
cate that the Offering of praise was the
more sacred and so TO be exhausted by
generosity to the poor On the day OF its
0heringf" But in no case could any.
thing be kept 70 be eaten after the sec.
ond day. 10 would then be corrupt and
unfit fnr a feaaf nf sNnfch tod Ia n