Leviticus 7:14, commentary and pictures

Leviticus 7:14 belongs to the law of the peace offerings, which were especially an expression of thanksgiving and gratitude to God for His blessings. They were presented with prayer for His acceptance and blessing. They belonged to the Levitical system of required sacrificial offerings for religious service, through which Israel returned gifts to God and was reminded that property came from Him.

In these offerings the fat alone was to be burned upon the altar, a certain specified portion was reserved for the priests, and the greater part was returned to the offerer. Part of the peace offering was thus set apart for the priest who sprinkled the blood, while the remaining portion was shared by the offerer. That portion reserved for the people was blessed before sharing, then eaten by the offerer with family and friends in a solemn, joyful, sacred, sacrificial feast.

The sacrifices pointed forward to the death of Christ and were designed to preserve in the hearts of the people faith in the Redeemer to come, directing all hearts in gratitude and faith to the great Sacrifice that was to take away the sin of the world. For that reason the Lord's directions concerning them were to be strictly heeded in the most solemn manner. When rightly conducted, such worship fostered true devotion, kindness, and sympathy rather than mere ceremony or self-gratification. The sons of Eli violated this law because they were not content with the part allotted them but demanded an additional portion and persisted in claiming whatever portion pleased them. They refused to wait even until the fat had been burned as an offering to God, threatened to take meat by violence if denied, and used the great number of sacrifices at the annual feasts to enrich themselves at the expense of the people.