平安祭是以色列人自願對上帝表達感恩之情最美好的方式。獻平安祭就是公開承認上帝的祝福和仁慈，表達對上帝的愛、感激、和讚美。平安祭的希伯來文是「shalom」，意思是「平安」或「健全」。獻平安祭的結果會帶來人與上帝之間的和平，以及一個人魂的健全或平安。平安祭也翻為「相交祭」（fellowship offering, NIV聖經），因為只有獻這個祭時，獻祭者可以和主祭的祭司分吃祭肉的一部分。有時平安祭的祭肉也可以在聖會中與朋友分享，不僅與上帝相交，也與其他的信徒相交。最偉大的祭牲，耶穌基督，現在已經成為信徒的平安（弗2：13~14），因為只有藉著祂我們才得著憐憫、赦罪、內心真正的平安，以及與上帝的相交。

        平安祭祭物有些特定帶脂的部位任何人都不能吃，要燒在壇上（3：11，16），作為馨香的火祭獻給上帝。這些部分獨屬於上帝，因為「脂油都是耶和華的」（3：16），如同最重要的血一樣，所以任何人都不能（3：17）。這項警告在利未記中出現了十七次。上帝賜下這條以及其他許多的律法不只具有象徵的意義，也是為了確保祂百姓的健康，同時教導他們順服。

        贖罪祭是一種強制性的必獻之祭，為贖某些誤犯的罪而獻。所有的人都是亞當的子孫，也都有犯罪的天性，由於罪和污染的結果，就必須要有贖罪祭。人必須認罪，並藉著獻祭得到赦免和潔淨。不過，並不是只用外在的獻祭之舉就能帶來贖罪。新約聖經教導我們，甚至一些猶太解經家也這麼說，只有真正悔改並相信上帝能贖他們罪的人，獻贖罪祭時才有效。　　

        耶穌在十架上時禱告說：「父啊，赦免他們，因為他們所做的他們不曉得」（路23：34），似乎也指出人類這種無心之過。今天我們需要更多認識上帝和祂的話，並求聖靈甦醒我們的心靈，將上帝的律法寫在我們心上（來10：16），使我們不致誤蹈罪網。最重要的是，我們需要不斷祈求耶穌的寶血來遮蓋我們的罪。就像希伯來書的作者所說，公牛和山羊的血不能除罪（來10：4），但「（耶穌）乃用自己的血，只一次進入聖所，成了永遠贖罪的事」（來9：12）。耶穌基督是真正的贖罪祭，祂的血潔淨所有舊約獻祭制度不足以潔淨的罪。（參民15：30）

        當大祭司犯罪，使他所代表的以色列百姓也陷入罪中（4：3），或當以色列全會眾誤犯了什麼罪時（4：13），就要獻一隻沒有殘疾的公牛犢──最貴的一種祭物──為贖罪祭。只有在這種情況裡及一年一度的贖罪日時，祭司要在聖所的幔子前用祭物的血彈七次（完全的數字）。祭司不能吃贖罪祭的祭肉，脂油和腰子燒在壇之後，所有剩下的部分要拿到營外燒掉（4：12、21）。希伯來書的作者清楚的向我們顯示這裡的類比：「所以耶穌要用自己的血叫百姓成聖，也就在城門外受苦。」（來13：12）耶穌的確是被釘在耶路撒冷城外的各各他；那是一個世人所鄙視的地方，但由於祂奇妙的救贖大功而成為聖地。

        全能的上帝，我們敬拜您，並藉著信得享您兒子，我們的救主耶穌所獻的平安祭。願我們的生命表現出您因耶穌在十架上流血犧牲而賜給我們的平安（西1：20）。奉主耶穌基督聖名，阿們！

English

        The peace offering was a beautiful voluntary expression of the Israelites’ gratitude toward God. It was offered to publicly recognize God’s goodness for His blessings and to express love, thanks, and praise to Him. The Hebrew word for the offering is “shalom”, meaning “peace” or “wholeness”. The result of the offering was to be peace between God and man, and wholeness or peace within one’s soul. This offering has been translated as the “fellowship offering” (NIV), since it was the only one from which the worshipper might eat a portion along with the officiating priest. On occasion it could be shared with friends in a holy gathering, thus allowing fellowship with God and other believers. The greatest sacrifice, Jesus Christ, has now become the believer’s peace (Eph. 2:13, 14), for it is only through Him that we receive mercy, forgiveness, true inner peace, and fellowship with God.

        Certain fatty parts of this sacrifice were not to be eaten by anyone, but were to be burned on the altar (3:11, 16), becoming a sweet aroma unto God. This is the Lord’s portion alone, for “all the fat is the Lord’s” (3:16), as is the all-important blood, so no one was to eat from them (3:17). This warning is stressed seventeen times in the book of Leviticus. God gave this law, and many others, not only for symbolic significance, but for ensuring the health of His people and teaching obedience.

        The sin offering was a mandatory sacrifice for the purpose of atonement for specific sins done unintentionally, or in ignorance. Since all people, as sons of Adam, have a sinful nature, the sin offering was required for the resulting guilt and defilement. It required a confession of sin and was to result in forgiveness and cleansing. However, it was not merely the external act of sacrificing that brought atonement. Rather, as the New Testament teaches, and even some Jewish commentators express, the sin offering was effectual only to make atonement for those who were truly repentant and had faith that God was able to bring about their atonement.

        Jesus seemed to allude to mankind’s unintentional sinning in His prayer while on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). We, as believers today, need to learn more of God and His Word and to ask the Holy Spirit to quicken our spirits and write His laws upon our hearts and minds (Heb. 10:16) that we may not fall into sin. Most importantly, we need to always plead the blood of Jesus to cover our sin. As the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews stressed, sin could not be taken away by the blood of bulls and goats (Heb. 10:4), but “with His own blood He [Jesus] entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12). Jesus Christ is the true sin offering whose blood cleanses from all sin for which the old covenant’s sacrificial system was inadequate (e.g. Num. 15:30).

        When the high priest sinned, and thus brought guilt upon all Israelite people whom he represented (4:3), or when the whole congregation of Israel was guilty of sinning unintentionally (4:13), the sin offering was to be a young, unblemished bull, the most costly of any sacrifice. Only on such an occasion and on the Day of Atonement the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled seven times (the number of perfection) before the veil of the sanctuary, This sin offering was not to be eaten by any priest, as it was in other cases, but after burning the fat, and kidneys of the bull, all the rest was to be taken outside the camp and burned (4:12, 21). The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews clearly shows a parallel her: “Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate” (Heb. 13:12). Indeed, Jesus was crucified on Golgatha, outside the city walls of Jerusalem, and it is to Him we must go; to a place despised in the world’s eyes, but made holy by His presence and His wonderful work at atonement.

        Almighty God, we worship You and we partake by faith of the peace offering made by Your Son and our Savior. May our lives show forth the peace that You have provided by the blood of the cross. (Col.1:20)