VI. THE PRIEST ARRANGING THE BURNT OFFERING ON THE ALTAR AND BURNING THE FAT PORTIONS OF THE PEACE OFFERING ON IT
“The priest shall…arrange the burnt offering on it; and he shall offer up in smoke the fat portions of the peace offerings on it” (6:12b). This indicates that to burn the burnt offering is to lay the foundation for the sweetness of the peace offering. The burnt offering is therefore for the enjoyment of the peace offering. In its spiritual significance, the peace offering implies fellowship with the Triune God and includes the enjoyment of the Triune God. The burnt offering was burned, but it was burned for the peace offering.
A. Signifying That We Should Have the Burning of Our Burnt Offering Laid as a Foundation for Our Sweet Fellowship with God
The burning of the fat portions of the peace offerings in 6:12 signifies that we should have the burning of our burnt offering laid as a foundation for our sweet fellowship with God. Regardless of how much we feel that we are enjoying Christ, if we do not have the real offering of the burnt offering, our enjoyment is in self-deceit. The real enjoyment of the Lord is based on our offering ourselves to God as a burnt offering. If we mean business with God and offer ourselves to Him and live a life that is absolute for Him, then our enjoyment of Christ will be real and not imaginary.
We should not deceive ourselves but consider whether we have the necessary foundation for us to enjoy the Triune God. This is not a matter of how we feel; it is a matter of actually having a proper foundation for the enjoyment of Christ. We lay this foundation by offering ourselves to the Lord as a burnt offering, and therefore we are willing to be absolute for the Lord, and we actually are absolute for Him. If we have such a foundation, then, whether we feel like we are enjoying the Lord or not, we are enjoying Him in reality. However, if we live a loose life day by day, yet feel that we are enjoying the Lord, we deceive ourselves, because our enjoyment has no foundation. Our need to have a foundation for the enjoyment of Christ is clearly pictured here in the type.
B. Signifying That on the Foundation of the Burnt Offering Our Peace Offering Should Be Burned for a Fragrance to God
Leviticus 6:12b also signifies that on the foundation of the burnt offering our peace offering should be burned for a fragrance to God. Not only the foundation should be burned, but even the very peace, the very fellowship, we enjoy should also be burned. The burnt offering should be burned, and our peace offering also should be burned. This means that both our absoluteness for God and our enjoyment of the Triune God should be a matter of burning. Thus, there is burning upon burning.
In this message we have seen the regulations concerning the burnt offering. If we desire to offer Christ as our burnt offering, taking Him as our burnt offering and enjoying Him as our absoluteness toward God, we need to follow all these regulations.
(Life-Study of Leviticus, Chapter 23, by Witness Lee)
