The peace offering was also exposed to the fire. Why? The fire depicts God’s holiness and righteousness, testing the sacrifice. Nothing inconsistent with God could be accepted. The peace offering passed the test, for it prefigured Christ’s perfect sacrifice. The testing by fire produced a sweet-smelling savor ascending to God, just as was true of the burnt offering (ch. 1) and the meal offering (ch. 2). God found His delight in the sacrifice and was satisfied perfectly. He found rest in the sweet savor that ascended.

The priests, not the offerer, presented the peace offering to God on the altar. The word peace offering is sometimes translated “sacrifice of prosperity,” implying that all is in order before God and in harmony with Him. The sacrifices themselves could never do so; they pointed to Christ’s person and work that alone could bring delight to the heart of God.

The priests burned the fat of the peace offering as a pleasant aroma ascending to God. The peace offering was placed on top of the burnt offering. This illustrates acceptance. It was placed on the wood on top of the never-to-be-extinguished fire. The remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice and His intense sufferings will never cease. God’s righteousness, holiness, and love were fully revealed in, and satisfied by it. Leviticus 3 describes what is especially for God, His food or bread and His table, while in the law of the peace-offering the various aspects of fellowship resulting from this offering are seen.