THE whole world is seeking peace. Nations are fighting for it, and
thousands of men are selling their souls to obtain riches in the vain hope
that riches will bring them peace and happiness. But there is no real, abiding
peace except that which comes from the great Prince of Peace; and it is
never received as the reward of war and bloodshed nor the grasping greed
of the world. The last legacy the Saviour gave His disciples was a legacy of
peace. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you:not as the world
giveth, give I unto you."
The animals for peace-offerings were chosen from the herd or the flock.
They were to be without blemish, for no deformed animal could fitly
represent the Prince of Peace. (Lev. 3:1) The peace- offerings were made in
token of thanksgiving, to confirm a vow or contract, and as voluntary offerings. (Lev. 7:12,16) It was a peace-offering with which Moses confirmed the old
covenant with Israel. (Ex. 24:5-8) In times of special rejoicing, as we read in the
Old Testament, the peace-offering was celebrated. When David brought the
ark into Jerusalem, he offered peace-offerings and "dealt to every one of
Israel both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece
of flesh." (1 Chron. 16:1-3)
The peace-offering was often associated with the other offerings; and
whenever, except in the Passover feast, the people ate of the flesh, it was the
peace-offering that was celebrated. THE FAT
The individual who offered the peace-offering laid his hands on the head of
the animal, and then slew it. Afterward he separated all the fat from the
different organs of the body, and the priest burned the fat upon the altar of
burnt-offering. (Lev. 7:29-34) Not only was the fat given to the priest, but also the
breast, the right shoulder, and the "two cheeks" of every offering.
The separation and burning of the fat typified the only way real peace can
be obtained; viz., by delivering all our sins to Christ to be consumed by fire. (Ps. 37:20, Isa. 43:24) The
Prince of Peace, the blessed Saviour, "gave Himself for our sins." (Gal. 1:3-4) He
purchased them that He might destroy sin and give us peace. This was
fittingly typified by the priest "who served unto the example and shadow of
heavenly things," taking the fat from the hands of the one making the peace-offering,
and burning it upon the altar. The priest waved the breast and the
shoulder before the Lord, then they were eaten by the priest as his portion of
the peace-offering.
The disposition of the fat, the breast, and the right shoulder reveal the secret
of obtaining peace. THE BREAST
The one who obtains peace must separate from sin, and then lean, like the
beloved disciple, upon the bosom of the Saviour. When Christ told His
twelve disciples that one of them would betray Him, they were afraid to ask
Him who it was. They hardly knew their true relationship to the Saviour;
but John, leaning upon His bosom, could look up into His face and say,
"Who is it, Lord!" He felt confident that he would never betray his Lord. (John 13:21-25)
The prophet Isaiah understood the meaning in the presentation of the breast
of every peace-offering to the priest, for in writing of the Saviour he says,
"He shall feed His flock like a shepherd:He shall gather the Lambs with His
arm, and carry them in His bosom." (Is. 40:11) The child of God to-day, who,
like John the beloved disciple, leans on the bosom of his Lord, enjoys the
real peace of God of which the peace-offering was only a type.
THE SHOULDER
In the antitype of the priest receiving the right shoulder of every peace-offering,
there is strength and blessing. We quote from the prophet Isaiah,
who loved to write of the Saviour:"Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is
given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be
called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall
be no end." (Is. 9:6,7)
Notice, it is the one who realizes that Christ is his personal Saviour, and
who lets the government of his affairs rest upon His shoulder, that receives
never-ending peace. The reason we so often fail to receive abiding peace
when we come to God is because we go no farther than if the individual in
the type had given the priest no other portion than the fat. We confess our
sins to Christ, and He takes them, but we give our confidence to worldly
friends; we do not lean upon the bosom of the Lord, and make Him our
confidant in everything, and trust Him to clear the way before us, as the
shepherd cares for his lambs. We do not let the government of our affairs
rest upon His strong and mighty shoulder. We fear to trust Him to manage
our temporal affairs for us; and consequently, even after we have confessed
our sins and been forgiven, we are soon entangled again with the
perplexities and troubles of our every-day duties. Instead of having the
peace of which there is no end, we have troubles without end. When we
deliver the key, or control, of all our affairs to Christ, we shall find that He
will open doors before us which no earthly power can shut, and He will
close travel, and no ways He would not have them us power of earth can
open to entrap our feet. (Is. 22:22)
After Samuel had anointed Saul to be king over house, and Israel, he
brought him to his "said unto the cook, Bring the portion thee, of which I
said which I gave unto thee, Set it by thee. And the cook took up the
shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul," and Samuel
bade him eat of it. (1 Sam. 9:23,24) If Saul had comprehended the wonderful lesson
typified by this act of Samuel, he would have placed the government of the
shoulder of the great Prince of Peace, and not have made shipwreck of his
life work. THE TWO CHEEKS There was another feature of the typical peace-offering which every one
should consider who wishes to experience the abiding peace of the
antitypical peace-offering. The two cheeks of each peace-offering were
given to the priest. (Duet. 18:3) The great antitypical Prince of Peace could' say, "I
gave . . . my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from
shame and spitting." (Is. 50:1) And to the one who would enjoy the peace that
the world can neither give nor take away, He says, "I say unto you, That ye
resist not evil:but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek turn to him
the other also." (Matt. 5:39) Job, who the Lord said was "a perfect and an upright
man," could say, "They have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully."
(Job 1:8; 16:10) The child of God is often asked to bear reproach and shame for
Christ's sake. UNLEAVEN CAKES
Unleavened cakes anointed with oil were eaten with the peace-offering. The
unleavened bread indicated sincerity and truth, (1 Cor. 5:8) and oil is used as an
emblem of the Holy Spirit, which brings peace to the heart. Leavened bread
was also eaten with the peace-offerings of thanksgiving, and was a token of
joyfulness.
After Abraham had received the promise that Sarah should have a son, three
angels visited the patriarch as "he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day,"
no doubt pondering on the promise; and in token of thanksgiving he at once
prepared a peace-offering for them of unleavened bread and flesh; and they
ate of it, and immediately confirmed again to Abraham the promise of a
son. (Gen. 18:1-10) It might have been on account of the perversion of the peace-offering
and losing sight of its significance, that the children of Israel
formed the habit of continually eating flesh. RESTRICTION SYMBOLIC OF RESURRECTION
There was one rigid restriction in the eating of the peace-offering. The flesh
was all to be eaten upon either the first or the second day. The command
was very plain:"If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings be
eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be
imputed unto him that offereth it:it shall be an abomination, and the soul
that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity." (Lev. 7:18)
This offering, which could be offered by rich and poor alike at any time of
the year and as often as they chose, was a significant type of the
resurrection of the Prince of Peace. The Jewish economy of types and
shadows is truly a "compacted prophecy of the gospel."
The Passover and waving of first-fruits on the third day taught the
resurrection; but the priest alone entered the temple, and waved the handful
of grain, in type of the resurrection of Christ; while in the peace-offering
every child of God was given opportunity to show his faith in the
resurrection of Christ.
If one ate of the flesh upon the third day, it indicated that he counted the
Antitype of his peace-offering still dead upon that day. On the other hand,
the one who refused to eat the flesh upon the third day, and burned in the
fire all that was left, showed his faith in a risen Saviour.
In the warm country of Palestine the body would begin to decay upon the
third day. Of Lazarus Martha said, "By this time he stinketh:for he hath
been dead four days." (John 11:39) But the psalmist, in prophesying of the
resurrection of Christ, said, "Neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to
see corruption." Ps. 16:10) David knew the Saviour would live the third day.
Those who lived near the Lord saw the light that was reflected from the
typical service.
It was upon this truth in regard to the resurrection of Christ as taught by
David and typified in the peace-offering, that Peter based his strongest
argument on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:25-32) Paul evidently referred to the types
of the Passover and the peace-offering when he taught that "Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He
rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Cor. 15:3-4) The eyes of even
the disciples were so blinded by sin and doubt that they could not discern
the light that flashed from the sacrificial offerings. Just as the moon
reflecting the rays of the sun gives sufficient light to guide one safely
through the night, so the light of the great antitypical Lamb of God,
reflected from the Levitical laws and sacrificial offerings, was sufficient to
lead the people safely unto the kingdom of God.
There are many people to-day who long for peace, and claim to feast upon
God and His word day by day, and yet they stumble along in darkness;
because, like the one in the type, who ate of the flesh the third day, thus
signifying that he believed the Lord still dead, they go through life
mourning as if the Lord of life and glory were still lying dead in Joseph's
tomb instead of being alive in heaven at the right hand of the Father, ready
to send light and help to every trusting follower here upon the earth. The
message He sends to us from the heavenly sanctuary is, "I am He that liveth,
and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore." (Rev. 1:8)
Christ is our peace. Eph. 2:14.
Lev. 3:1. The peace-offering must be without blemish.
Lev. 7:29, 30. Fat was separated from the offering. Fat was a type of sin. Ps. 37:20.
Lev. 7:31. The fat was burned.
Lev. 7:32,33. The shoulder was the priest's portion.
Lev. 7:31. "The breast shall be Aaron's and his sons."
Deut. 18:3. The two cheeks were given to the priest.
Lev. 7:15, 16 Flesh could be eaten the first and second days.
Lev. 7:17, 18. None of the flesh was to be eaten the third day.
1 John 3:5. No sin in Christ.
2 Cor. 13:5. "Examine yourselves; . . prove your own selves."
Matt. 25:41. Sin and sinners to be burned.
Isa. 9:6; Luke 15:5. The government shall be upon Christ's shoulder.
Isa. 40:11. "He shall carry them (the lambs) in His bosom."
Matt. 26:67; Isa. 50:6. They
spit in the Saviour's face.
1 Cor. 15:3,4. Christ lay in
the grave the first and second
days.
Matt. 28:6; Luke 24:21. The
third day the angel over the
empty tomb said, "He is not
here:for He is risen."
Stephen Haskell--Table of Contents for His Book "Cross and Its Shadow"
TYPE
ANTITYPE
"The Cross and Its Shadow" Chapter 23, pp. 153-161
Stephen Haskell was first introduced to Sabbath keeping Adventist in 1853 at the age of 22. He served as an Adventist evangelist, church administrator, missionary, writer, and Bible teacher over the next 67 years.
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