“For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people.”
Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which a food offering may be presented to the Lord must be cut off from their people. The cutting off penalty applies to eating the fat of the altar animals — cattle, sheep, and goats. The severity of the penalty communicates the severity of the violation: eating the fat is not merely breaking a dietary rule but appropriating what belongs to God. The fat that the offering system designates as God's portion belongs to God even in the context of ordinary meals: the Israelite who eats the fat of a beef steak or a lamb chop has eaten God's portion, not their own. The consistent divine claim on the fat extends beyond the altar into the household.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
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