What is the purpose of a peace offering? You know that you are a sinner before God. Things of late have not gone as well as you would like. You know that the Lord is sovereign over all created things, therefore you offer a peace offering so that the Lord may be pleased with you, that He may bless you. The same goes for the grain offering, it is to please the Lord that he may bless you. How is the Lord pleased with us? Through faith in his son Jesus Christ.
Sin offerings are offered when one knows that he is guilty of sin; whether that be the priest, the entire congregation, a leader, or anyone. Something has to die. Paul explains that there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, all are under sin. Then in Romans 3:1 he asks a rhetorical question. "Then what advantage has that you?" The answer; "they were entrusted with the oracles of God." The Jews in the past, understood that without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin (Heb.9.22). They knew and understand that ssin equals death, but God will expect a sacrifice of blood in place of the guilty criminal. This was intended to be a type and picture of the shed blood of the only guiltless man to ever live. Jesus offering of his own blood in our place.
Bibliography
NASB Strongs Dictionary. (1998). The Lockman Foundation.
