All the Fat Is the LORD’s
“And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD’S.”Leviticus 3:16 (KJV)
In Leviticus, God gives detailed instructions for the offerings. Over and over, one part is set aside: the fat. “And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD’S.”
In the ancient world, the fat was the richest part, the best of the animal. God claimed it. The best went to him.
The New Testament turns this around in a way that should stop us. Paul writes, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
Under the law, the people gave God their best. In the gospel, God gave us his best. He didn’t hold back the most precious thing he had. And if he gave us his Son, there is nothing good he will hold back from us now.
Count it yourself
“all the fat” appears 11 times in Leviticus.
What does it tell you about God that he gave his very best for you?
Father, you spared not your own Son. Thank you for giving me your best. I give you mine. Amen.