There is a time to fast, and there is a time to feast

Leviticus chapter 7:

After the division of the sacrifice between the altar and the priest, the trespass offering is shared by all priests even though it belongs to the priest who conducts the sacrifice.

What a marvelous picture in Leviticus. Today we live according to the Spirit of grace, not under the law. All saints are priests and can act on behalf of a sinner to make a trespass offering.

Though we have nothing to offer, we offer Christ. But the offering (sacrifice) has to be brought by the sinner himself, meaning that the sinner has to be genuinely repentant and draws his sacrifice from the Sacrifice made by Christ.

In trespass offering, the offerer himself, who is not a priest, does not participate the eating of the offering.

This is different from peace offering, in which everyone, including the offerer and priests, participates the eating of the offering.

The sharing of the trespass offering symbolizes the sin bearing of the priests on behalf of the offerer. And this sin bearing is shared by all priests, not just the priest who conducts the sacrifice. But because the true bearer of the sin is the offering itself, which is the sacrifice made by Christ, the sharing also indicates that all priests’ sharing of Christ.

The sin offering is made with a sorrowful heart, and is time to fast.

In contrast, peace offering is made with joy, and is time to feast. In a peace offering, even the offerer participates the eating. He is not only allowed to, but is supposed to feast upon his own offering.

There is a time to fast, and there is a time to feast. Failing to do either at the proper time is out of the order.

Also note that the peace offering offered for thanksgiving must be offered with a grain offering, which represents the humanity of Christ.

The peace comes at a cost of a warring King who is victorious. Adam’s children can share the enjoyment of that peace only because Christ took the form of man (humanity), and gave himself to us.