Leviticus 7:15 and 22:29
"The meat of his fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; he must leave none of it till morning."
"When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf."
First, I'm going to answer the question of "Why do they have to eat it all in one day?" Then I will dig in deeper and tie this in with peace and joy.
All meat had to be eaten promptly - on the same day. One reason may have been that in Canaan meat spoiled quickly and thus became ceremonially impure and it was not then perfect or acceptable to God. The whole idea in the first place was to become more like God and work towards purity and holiness.
In looking deeper into the details of this fellowship offering of thanksgiving, I found out more about why someone would pursue this. Personal reasons that would drive an individual to worship in this way. Two basic ideas are included in this offering: peace and fellowship. The traditional translation is "peace offering," a name that comes from the Hebrew word for the offering, which in turn is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning "peace" or "wholeness." Thus the offering perhaps symbolized peace between God and his people as well as the inward peace that resulted. Fellowship was involved because the offerer, on the basis of the sacrifice, had fellowship with God and with the priest.
Peace. We all crave peace. As for fellowship or relationship... we have a deep need for fellowship with God. He made us that way. I've heard it described many times over the years as "we were created with a God-shaped hole in our hearts." We try and try to fill that hole with all kinds of earthly things but the only way to find true satisfaction, to satisfy the craving, is to fill it with a relationship with God. Nothing else fits the shape. Nothing. The peace comes when that hole is filled with that relationship of our loving creator, God.
Yesterday as I read my daily devotional in Jesus Calling, I was overwhelmed with a need to share what I learned that morning. What God filled me with was spilling over and had to be spread around. A bit later I was on my way to my mother's meeting, MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). I just assumed that God wanted me to get up in front of the group and share the same devotional and the scripture that backed it up. Well, I am learning how to follow God's lead and quietly follow His instructions. Trust me, this is a process and I am in the infant learning stages. But, I'm trying.
Anyway, as it was, God did not actually want for me to share his words, he wanted me to show his love, share His peace. I have been a part of this amazing group for 10 years. Do I still need the twice a month break from my babies for refreshment and renewal of the two hour meeting? No, not really. So this year, since I am showing up without children (my youngest is in Kindergarten - so I come hands free), I've decided, along with another MOPS mom in her final year, to be flexible and fill in where necessary. Well, yesterday I was asked to help out in the nursery. There were 6 babies and 1 volunteer caregiver... that ratio just doesn't work when they are all awake, learning to crawl and walk, and most are struggling with separation anxiety.
So, my job was not to take a break, but to provide the break for 6 other moms. This is the volunteer service that my mom did once a month for 4 straight years. Since she now lives in heaven, I was honored to take her place in the nursery. Was it my first choice? No. Was it easy? Absolutely not. But... was it a blessing? For sure. Would I have rather shared my devotional and scripture readings with the (much younger than I) group than spend hours trying to comfort babies? Yes. But, the fact is, God prepared my heart and directed my ways... and the amazing part is... I listened and heard and followed. I had asked God to use me (for what I thought - to deliver a message) that morning. He did... and it brought peace for some frazzled moms and it brought me joy. Yes, joy. I held babies and smelled their baby smell and listened to their baby sounds and some new little words... "ma ma" and "baaa" (ball). I watched as they interacted with each other, I read them books and I rocked them in my lap. Baby fix. Ahhh... that sweet baby fix. I had no idea that I was craving that fix. Then seeing the moms return after a couple of hours of "me time" all smiles... well, I totally understand why my mom enjoyed it so much. It brought her joy.
Fellowship with God brings us peace. When we have peace we can share it with others, which in turn brings us joy. And that my friends, is truly something to be thankful for.
"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11
"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b
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