“All other grain offerings, whether made of dry flour or flour moistened with olive oil, are to be shared equally among all the priests, the descendants of Aaron.”

Leviticus 7:10 (NLT)

As the LORD gives instructions for the trespass offerings and peace offerings, he focuses on the portions of the offerings that would be given to the priests. This would be their compensation for ministering before the LORD. For the trespass offerings, the fat and kidneys would be burned on the altar, and the officiating priest would receive the remainder. For the burnt offerings the priest would receive the skin of the animal. For the grain offerings, only a handful would be offered to the LORD. The remainder would belong to the priest. For the peace offerings, the priest would receive the breast and shoulder along with both unleavened and leavened bread. Any male in the priest’s family could eat the meat, but it would have to be eaten in a holy place. Also, one had to be ceremonially clean to eat it.

We see from these instructions that God provided for His servants. They gave themselves to minister to the LORD, and He provided for them through the offerings of the people. This concept carries into the New Testament.

“Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.”

1 Corinthians 9:13–14 (NKJV)

Those who receive such offerings must remember that they are set apart to the LORD. They must not touch any unclean thing. Figuratively, they must eat them in a holy place. Since there is no more tabernacle, temple, or physical “holy place”, our separation is not physical but spiritual.

How are we to be holy to the LORD today? It starts by understanding that we don’t belong to ourselves; we belong to God. We have been bought with the precious blood Jesus Christ.

“‘Therefore, come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 6:17–18 (NKJV)

God wants to give us all that we need, but He always wants us to remember that we are His covenant people, set apart from this world to worship Him by our words and deeds.

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