THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
Question 23: Why does the law prohibit the butchering of animals for nourishment outside the tabernacle (Leviticus 17:3-6)? God understood the depravity of certain individuals and recognized that some offered sacrifices to unclean spirits. Thus, He commanded that anyone wishing to sacrifice a bull, a sheep, or a goat must bring it to the entrance of the tabernacle, where the blood should be spilled, and the meat consumed at home. Those who fail to adhere to this command were to be judged as culpable of murder. For it is stated, ‘It shall be imputed to that man for the blood that is shed, and his soul shall be consumed from his people’ (Leviticus 17:4). The purpose of this law is illustrated further by what follows.
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It is written, ‘Let the priest offer the fat in the stench of fragrance unto the Lord: and let not their sacrifices thereby be devoured with vanity, whereby they themselves commit fornication after them: the everlasting law shall be unto you in your generations’ (Lev. 17:6-7). This law remains in effect among the Jews today, as the animals consumed are sacrificed by the priest.