Leviticus 3:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Furthermore, if a peace-offering from small livestock is presented to the Lord (Lev. 3:1-6; Lev. 1:1-6), the burnt offering could come from oxen or, at one's discretion, from sheep, and likewise the offering of the sacrifice from goats followed the same procedure. In each case, the ritual remained consistent, with the law stipulating that the sacrifice must be unblemished, whether male or female.

What is affirmed about these sacrifices can be applied directly to Immanuel. He is the unblemished offering, the perfect sacrifice, who takes upon Himself the sins of the world, as though sacrificed in the form of a goat. According to the law, the goat is offered for sin. Pay close attention to this sacrificial image; the law doesn't meticulously specify whether the offerings are male or female. It should be understood that both genders symbolize Christ: through the male, He is depicted as a leader and authority (as males are traditionally seen as more capable of leadership), while through the female, He is shown as being subject to law and governance (the female being perceived as typically in a subordinate position). Regardless, the sacrificial offering must be flawless, and Christ embodies this perfection. Hence, He proclaimed, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me" (John 14:30), and to the Jews, He asserted His divine nature by asking, "Which of you shall reprove Me with unrighteousness? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me?" (John 8:46).

Thus, the sacred sacrifice had to be without blame; it was offered before the Lord at the entrance of the tabernacle with hands laid upon it. When the blood was poured at the altar’s base, we see its entrails were to be consumed by fire. This encapsulates the death of the Son, who laid down His life for the world, witnessed by God the Father. If the scripture states, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints!" (Psalm 115:6), how much more might God and the Father honor the death of His Son? Certainly, He esteems and honors it highly, turning away from all that is vile and worthless. God would illustrate that His death held dignity by presenting as witnesses the Father Himself, the all-seeing.

It is noteworthy that the sacrificial offering was slain at the entrance of the most holy place, signifying that Immanuel's death opened a pathway for us into the Holy of Holies, granting those who believe in Him access to the heavenly church. Consequently, through Christ's death, we gain entry into the heavenly tabernacle built by the Lord, entering the exalted and beautiful city of heavenly Jerusalem, the mother of the saints, and the nurturer of angels. The sanctity of Christ's death is further illustrated by the law's command for His blood to be poured upon the altar, which represents the Church. The altar serves as an emblem of the Church, and the blood symbolizes the soul.

Moreover, the offering of the inner parts—the fat, liver, and kidneys—underscores that all aspects of Christ are pure, holy, and pleasing to God. The wise affirm that the liver is the seat of desires and aspirations, while the kidneys signify the mind’s ability to discern the useful from the harmful. If one possesses wisdom, the mind will avoid what is harmful and pursue what is beneficial. David eloquently conveys this on behalf of Christ, declaring, "Before Thee all my desire" (Psalms 37:10) and, "For Thou hast formed my inward parts, O Lord" (Psalms 138:13). The fullness of God within Immanuel is reflected in the abundance of the fat; just as the fat signifies the well-nourished, so is the mind that is fed with heavenly blessings.

Thus, Christ is holy, immaculate, and replete with virtue, a fragrant offering in every form, whether as a calf, ram, or goat. He became the redemptive sacrifice for us, uniquely giving of Himself for all, equal to every person. To God and the Father, be glory forever alongside the Holy Spirit. Amen. Therefore, we dedicate ourselves to God, dying to sin and undergoing this holy death in our minds, living "in righteousness," as stated (1 Pet. 2:24). As an offering of gratitude, we commit our lives to Him, glorious and faultless, adorned with the beauty of divine love.

This understanding arises clearly from the legislation; it is written in Leviticus: "If his sacrifice be a peace-offering, and if he bring of cattle, male or female, let him offer it unto the Lord, which is without blemish, and let him lay his hand upon the head of his sacrifice, and let him slay it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; and the children of Aaron the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar on every side; and he shall offer out of the peace-offering to the Lord the fat that covereth the entrails, and all the fat that is upon the entrails, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, that is upon the stalks, and the omentum that is upon the liver; with the kidneys he shall separate it: and the sons of Aaron shall burn it upon the altar with the burnt-offering that is upon the wood, upon the fire: it is a sacrifice, a savor that is pleasant unto the Lord" (Lev. 3:1-5).

The offering of the bullock is to be flawless, for those who approach God with fragrant offerings must be pure and as distanced as possible from any vice. Nonetheless, he was injured at the very gates of the holy tabernacle, with hands laid upon him. The meaning behind this rite is explicit: the fat surrounding the inner organs, along with the two kidneys and the fat from them, represents the well-being of the mind nourished by the Spirit’s wisdom. Divine gifts fill the minds of the saints with abundant goodness, rendering them sacred and chosen, pleasing to God. The kidneys symbolize the mind's discerning faculty, capable of distinguishing harmful things from those worthy of choice.

As the Apostle Paul admonishes us, "Do not despise prophecy. Test everything; hold fast to what is good" (1 Thess. 5:20-21). Since the kidneys serve a distinct purpose in the body, separating what is unnecessary from what is valuable, they aptly represent the mind's discerning ability. Thus, the reasoning faculties of the righteous are sacred and consecrated to God. Individuals devoted to God become wise and discerning changemakers, constantly rejecting evil while esteeming the good. The psalmist captures this devotion, proclaiming, "Thou hast created my inward parts, O Lord" (Psalm 138:13). The structure of the liver signifies the soul's motion or desire. Observers of this nature have noted that desires are rooted in the liver, and thus we must also dedicate our deepest longings to God, as expressed in the words of the psalmist, "O Lord, before Thee is all my desire" (Psalm 37:10). Only those whose aspirations are aligned with God's will can rightly profess such glorious declarations.