John Calvin Commentary Leviticus 3:16

"And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a sweet savor; all the fat is Jehovah`s." — Leviticus 3:16 (ASV)

And the priest shall burn them. He justly assigns to the priest the main duties of sacrificing, that is, to sprinkle the blood and to cast the fat into the fire, since he alone was competent to make atonement.

Moreover, although there is a harsh metaphor contained in the word “food,” it admirably expresses what the Holy Spirit would teach: that the legal service pleased God, just as the food we eat is pleasing to us. At the same time, it marks God’s familiar communion with His people, as if He sat at the same table with them.

It is indeed certain that God, who breathes life into all and borrows nothing from anyone, does not need food. However, His incomparable kindness could not be better shown than by condescending to make Himself, as it were, the table companion of His worshippers. In the same figure of speech, the ingratitude of the people is rebuked by Malachi, when he says, The table of the Lord is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible (Malachi 1:12); not because God delighted in the fat of fed beasts or in bread, but because it was a gross and intolerable act of impiety to neglect this extraordinary pledge of His grace.

This analogy, however, should be referred to the truth it represents, namely, that the exercise of faith and the proofs of our piety are no less pleasing to God than if He were feasted delicately and sumptuously. Therefore, we ought to take greater care not to defraud Him of the things He takes delight in.

It is not very clear to me why God claims for Himself the fat in all the sacrifices and commands it to be burnt, unless it was so that in this way He might accustom His servants to temperance. We have already seen that the fat is certainly considered the most delicate part, as when Moses applies this word to grain and wine. This is also clear from Psalm 63:5: My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness (Psalms 63:5).

And when God declares (Isaiah 1:11) that He does not desire the fat, He indicates that He does not require the choicest part of animals for His own sake, but so that the Israelites might remember to partake of all their food soberly, as if they had consecrated the best and first-fruits of it to Him. If anyone desires a more distinct explanation of this, the offering of the fat taught them to pay more honor to the service of God; and secondly, it instructed them in abstinence.

Allegories suited only to tickle men’s ears must be sought from others.²⁵⁵ Isychius, after pretending that the fat represented spiritual affections, soon afterward metamorphoses it into gross appetites. Others suppose that Christ was designated by it. Still others understand by it that the grossness or fatness of our flesh must be refined by the fire of the Spirit, so that it may be mortified to God.

This simple meaning satisfies me: that when the Law permitted them to eat the sacred meats, an exception was added which left the best portion in God’s hands; and secondly, that the part which might have been most attractive to the greedy was consumed in the fire as a restraint upon their gluttony.

The eating of blood is prohibited here, as also elsewhere, because it was consecrated to God to make atonement. However, there was another and higher reason why it was forbidden, which was mentioned in Genesis 9, and which must be addressed again in our exposition of the Sixth Commandment.

²⁵⁵ Abundance of these may be found collected by Lorinus. Bonar says, “Observe that all these portions of the animal are the richest; and also deep-seated, near the heart. In an offering of thanks and fellowship, nothing was more appropriate than to enjoin that the pieces presented should be those seated deep within.” The marginal deduction of Corn. a Lapide, is not very dissimilar: “The marginal deduction of Corn. a Lapide, is not very dissimilar: “Mystice, adeps est devotio et intentio, quae in omni opere ad Deum est dirigenda."."