Leviticus 7: Trespass Offerings, Peace Offerings and Portions for the Priests

Synopsis: 

It is a trespass offering, give the rump and the fat, the kidneys get taken away. It’s all burned and the male priests shall eat it. If it is a sin offering, the priest gets the skin of the burnt offering. If it is a meat offering,  if it is baked in a pan or fried it is for the priest. Any offering needs to be eaten the same day. You can eat anything left over the 2nd day. But if it goes to a third day, don’t eat it.  If it is unclean, don’t eat it. If it is clean, that you can eat.  If you eat anything unclean, you will be cut off from the people.  Don’t eat fat. You can use it for other things, but don’t eat it.  If you eat fat, you will be cut off from the people. Don’t eat blood. If you eat blood, you will be cut off from the people.  If it is a peace offering, the fat shall be burned but Aaron and the priests get the right shoulder.

In other words: 

Aaron and his sons, the other priests, get a portion of all offerings for themselves, but they have to eat it promptly. If it goes more than a few days, they need to burn the rest of it, presumably so they don’t get food poisoning.

Favorite bit:

(Leviticus 7: 18) Don’t eat flesh offerings after 3 days. I like this because it makes sense. They didn’t have refrigeration. The meat would probably go bad if left too long.

Odd bit:

If you eat fat, or blood you will be cut off from the people. Not sure what was so bad about that. I understand if you touch something unclean (Leviticus 7:21) getting cut off, because you could be contagious too, but blood and fat eating. Not sure how that would make you dangerous to the others.

Moral Lesson Learned:

Don’t let your food go to waste (Leviticus 7:18)