What is a votive offering?

There are three reasons given for the presentation of this offering, "a thanksgiving" — verse 12; "a vow," and "a voluntary offering" — verse 16. In each case it would spring from some appreciation of what God is to us through Christ. The word "peace" may be translated "prosperity," and this no doubt gives the true character of this offering. It is a spontaneous movement of affection towards God, born of an increased appreciation of all the blessing into which we have been brought. As meditating upon what has been secured for the glory of God and our blessing, we cannot refrain from opening our lips, and as in the enjoyment of spiritual "prosperity," give back to God in a response of praise, thanksgiving and worship, our appreciation of it all. This is the character of "thanksgiving," perhaps the most simple of the three presentations we have mentioned, and one which is within the reach of each of God's people.

A "vow" would have to do with some act of devotion, involving a definite committal to God to accomplish some work for His glory, and for the blessing of His people. There are occasions in our lives when we experience deep exercise as to matters affecting the divine circle, and we feel the necessity of definitely devoting ourselves to the Lord in order to be available for His interests. There is no element of servility today in our service to God, but rather a spontaneous movement of heart in being available for His pleasure. It may be devoting our time as desiring the blessing of the saints; it may be devoting oneself entirely to the will of God as we are exhorted to do in Romans 12. Are we lacking in these acts of devotion today? Few seem prepared to commit themselves to the service of God as entirely devoted to His will. If one sees a need and takes it up in communion with God, seeking grace to be devoted to the particular service involved, there would be seen the features of a "vow" peace offering. It is not obligatory, but it is a privilege open to any who have a real desire to definitely commit themselves to God in order to be used by Him. All is of the freewill of the offerer; there is nothing of an obligation here.

We now reach the law of the peace-offering, and have three revelations connected with it, ere the whole of the divine mind regarding it is unfolded. In the first of the three (which commenced at chap. 6:24), the two occasions on which such a sacrifice could be brought are stated. What was to accompany it is detailed, and the conditions under which any could partake of it are expressly declared. Being an offering of requitals, or recompenses, it might be brought as the expression of thanksgiving, or as a vow, or a voluntary offering. If the offerer presented it for thanksgiving, it could be partaken of by him, and those with him, only on the day that he offered it. If he brought it as a vow or a voluntary offering, he could feed on it for two days, but never on the third. For communion with God is a real thing; so the outward appearance of it was not to continue, when the inward energy had died away. Now, a vow, or a free-will offering, betokened a more deep-seated sense of divine goodness than that which stirred the heart to thanksgiving. For a vow, or a free-will offering spoke of something surrendered to God, whether for a time or forever. Thanksgiving spoke only of gratitude for something which had been received. Hence the spirit of it being more transient, the peace-offering as the expression of it, was only to be eaten of on the day that it was brought.

Now there are three ways in which the peace offering can be offered, firstly, in verse 12, as a thanksgiving; then in verse 16, as accompanying a vow; or thirdly as a voluntary offering. The first is very simple, a thanksgiving. It would spring spontaneously from an appreciation in one's heart of the blessings of which God has brought us into. As we meditate a little concerning the greatness and glory of Christ, and the sphere of divine blessing we have been brought into as the fruit of what Christ has done, we cannot refrain at times from opening our lips as we thank God from the depths of our soul, both for the giving of His beloved Son, and for all His beloved Son has done for His glory and for our blessing. Thanksgiving is probably the simplest of all the reasons for offering a peace offering, springing spontaneously from the hearts of the saints of God in their deep appreciation of this wonderful blessing that God Himself has brought us into.

Further down the chapter in verse 16, it is a vow which causes the peace offering to be brought; and this has to do with some act of devotion for God. In our Christian spiritual experience, there are times in our lives when there is something needed to be done that for us is going to mean committal to the Lord in relation to it, we may be given a little time for a specific work for the Lord that we feel He has called us into, and in fellowship with God, like a vow. Not binding ourselves now according to the flesh, but committing ourselves to the Lord, and saying, 'Now Lord, give me grace to do Thy work, I feel I ought to do it, it being Thy will for me'. Our committing ourselves in doing this work would be the answer to a vow. It is some definite committal in regard to some service for the Lord to which we bind ourselves. We must keep in mind that this is a peace offering, that is, a fellowship offering, it is something born of communion with God.

The name peace-offering is apt perhaps to mislead. But attention to the sacrifice will readily show that the thought is not to present Christ as meeting the guilt of the sinner, and so making peace with God, which is the sin-offering, but it is enjoyed in peace. There are two varieties of peace-offerings. The one for thanksgiving, and the other a vow, or voluntary offering. These show us the character of the offering. A man prospering in his herds brings a beast as a thanksgiving to Jehovah. So some have called it a prosperity-offering. Or again, a man like Jonah makes a vow in the day of his trouble, and when he is delivered he pays his vows, and this sacrifice would probably be a peace-offering. Jephthah's vow was, I suppose, of this character. It is an offering sacrificed in peace - not to make peace.

The daily sacrifice was not a voluntary offering, it was what Jehovah demanded of Israel, and as from the whole congregation, but it served as a pattern of the fulness that God expected from His people when they entered the good land that He would give them. A nation in the land of promise would have the opportunity of rendering their thanks to their God who had so richly blessed them by offering “a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a free-will offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the Lord, of the herd, or of the flock” (Num. 15:3).

These offerings were to come from hearts touched with the sense of Jehovah’s goodness, from those who desired to do what gave Him pleasure as is expressed in the burnt offering. A vow would be a special mark of devotion to the will of God, and a free-will offering the simple desire to give to God something in return for His bounty and goodness. The solemn feasts prompted the hearts of God’s people as being suitable occasions for ministering to Him who constantly ministered unto them from His exhaustless resources.

First of all comes a distinction peculiar to these offerings. Some were simply for thanksgiving; others might be for a vow, marking special devotedness, or they might be voluntary, and so quite as powerfully representing love and delight without any direct occasion to elicit them. They had therefore a deeper character than where the offering was for thanksgiving. But this will come again before us later on.

The closing chapter speaks of special vows. These were voluntary in their undertaking, but not as to their fulfillment when undertaken. They were then necessarily a part of simple righteousness to fulfill, and their fulfillment was a matter subject to the judgment of Him to whom they were made. Man might repent of his promise and let himself off easily as to the performance. The estimation of his vow was not therefore left to the maker of it. God Himself, or the priest as His mouthpiece, settled all.*

The Israelites were not told to make vows, but if they voluntarily made them, God said they must conscientiously perform them. Man is ever ready to boast of his strength, not being conscious of his own weakness. Israel, on hearing the law, did not hesitate to say, "all that the Lord hath said we will do;" but they alas, miserably failed. The law made vows binding, and gave directions as to exceptional cases where it was impossible to perform them. Num. 30:2-14; Deut. 23:21-23; Ps. 1:14; Ecc. 5:4-5; Nahum 1:15; etc.

The peace offering might be offered to fulfill a vow, or as a free will offering. No defect was to be allowed in such cases either, except that a bull or a lamb that had a limb too long or too short could be allowed for a free will offering, but not for a vow (vv. 21-23). But no animal that had been bruised or crushed or torn or cut was acceptable for any sacrifice. The same law must be applied to a foreigner who desired to offer anything to God (v. 25).

The peace-offering might be of the herd either male or female, or it might be a lamb, only it must in either case be without blemish. The smallest blemish would render it unfit to be offered; for it could not then portray the holy, spotless Son of God. The directions as to this were most stringent, though anything superfluous, or lacking, would not render it unfit for a freewill-offering. We read: "It shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein. Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord. Either a bullock or a lamb that hath anything superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill-offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted." (Lev. 22:21-24.) The male bullock, or a female bullock, that which was weaker, or a lamb, that which was of less worth, teach us that the measure of our communion depends on the estimate we have of the perfections and worth of Him who loved us, and gave Himself for us; though communion would be known, but in a lesser degree, by those who have a weaker apprehension of the personal qualities and worth of the sacrifice. This is comforting.