And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace-offering, if he offer it of the herd, whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord. Leviticus 3:1
During the waning days of the Vietnam War, and during much of the 1970s, there was a so-called peace movement among many young people and others. Without realizing how dangerous their demands were, these folks marched and sat in an effort to persuade Western nations to dispose of all their nuclear weapons in what they thought would be a move toward world peace. They adopted as their symbol a circle with a broken cross within it, another misguided decision, because that symbol has actually been a symbol of hatred against Christians since the days of the Roman emperor Nero, and has been prominently used in Nazi, Marxist, and Satanic worship circles. Among its references, it has been called the witch’s foot, Nero cross, sign of the broken Jew, and symbol of the antichrist. No Christian should ever wear the so-called peace symbol. With all the delusion in the world over peace, is it any wonder that Scripture declares there is no peace for the wicked (Isaiah 57:21). And yet, there is true peace found in the One portrayed in the peace offering.
Apart from a sacrifice for peace, mankind can know no peace. Wars are constantly being fought around our planet. Individual lives are constantly being embroiled in turmoil of all kinds. Despite armistices, agreements, mediators, and all sorts of advisors on the subject, peace for most of mankind can be fleeting at best and non-existent far too often. But for the child of God, peace is is an integral part of our great Salvation package.
Most importantly, we have peace with God. No longer are we exposed to His wrath, no longer are we opponents of His will, no longer are we outside the pale of His mercy and grace. We can relax in this peace forever, knowing that the Almighty is at peace with us, and we are at peace with Him. That which the religious world is constantly seeking and never finding is conferred on us in wonderful completeness. In addition, we have peace within ourselves, as the Word of God and the Spirit of God lead us into all comfort and truth. We also have peace in the world, because our Salvation eliminates any need for us to be at conflict with anybody.
We cannot achieve this peace of ourselves, because it is far beyond our power to forge. Such peace must be wrought by One capable of satisfying the requirements, One Who could pay the price. So we look to the peace offering of the Old Testament to see the picture of the Christ of the New Testament. Only He was without blemish. Only He could give us peace.
Do you enjoy the peace that God has given you through Christ’s sacrifice? This is the only peace that matters. -Jim MacIntosh