Certain offerings could be eaten by the priests because they were designed to provide sustenance for those who served in the tabernacle, while others were burned entirely as an act of total consecration to God. This distinction reflected the purpose and symbolism of each offering.
Leviticus 6:26 says:
“The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of meeting.”
The portions eaten by the priests were part of God’s provision for those who ministered before Him. By consuming these offerings in a holy place, the priests participated in the sacrificial system in a way that reinforced their role as mediators.
In contrast, offerings like the burnt offering were wholly consumed on the altar because they represented complete dedication to the Lord. Nothing was kept for personal use, signifying total surrender and worship (Leviticus 1:9).
This arrangement also emphasized that fellowship with God involved sharing in what was sanctified. The priests were not taking for themselves but receiving what God allotted as holy.
Ultimately, this system pointed to the truth that those who labor in spiritual service are sustained by God, and it foreshadowed the believer’s privilege to partake in the benefits of Christ’s one perfect sacrifice.
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