Fat Thieves?

Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the LORD and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand.  Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.  Also, before they burned the fat, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw."  If the man said to him, "They must surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as you desire," then he would say, "No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force."  Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for the men despised the offering of the LORD. (2 Samuel 2:12-17 NASB)

Ever since I read through the stories of the Bible from the Bible for myself, I wondered about this custom.  It just seemed that boiling the meat was less like sacrifice on an altar than "roasting" as the worthless priests preferred.   I've often thought that some of the things that have come off my grill at home were more like whole burnt offerings.  I can't say that about boiled meat.  It doesn't sound very appealing.

So, what was so wrong about the servant wanting the meat before it was cooked?  How is roasting instead of boiling "despising" the offering of the LORD?  Good question, glad you asked.  Go read Leviticus 3 and then 7, and come back to this page...if you can remain awake with your meal still inside you.  Yes, the description of kidneys, livers, the lob of fat on the entrails, it's all delectable...in a barbaric sort of way.

The short version is that the fat of the meat belonged to God.  There were meat portions, the breast and the right thigh, that were reserved for the priest as a gift from God.  But the fat was reserved for God to be burned on the altar.  I'm not aware of some sort of reason that made sense hygienically.   And I'm not likely to try and take the kidneys, and lob of the liver from God's portion, I would have considered it His favor on me that He took them for Himself.  So, I'm not privy to the why, but I am privy to the fact that God takes this seriously.

It doesn't take a close reading to spot the issue from the Israelite people's perspective.  The protest to the servant is that they should wait until the fat is burned.  Whatever the method, boiling or roasting, the fat is to be burned, giving it to God.  This refers to the "good stuff" of the meat.  My family would not agree that this is the "good stuff".  Having grilled a bit of beef in my day, I have to admit, that fat content above 10% but no more than 20% makes for good burgers.  And fat ribbons in chicken make for good flavor and texture.  But I'm alone in a house of women, so burgers and chicken can be dry.

I don't offer food to my Master these days.  I offer a portion of my income, I give my time in several ways, and I give my gifts and skills in the service of my church.  These aren't things I do because of my sin for which my Master needs to be appeased.  They are things I do from my gratitude because my Master appeased Himself on my behalf.  They are more like the peace and thank offerings, which are what is described in the chapters of Leviticus.  Because of that, they are shared with others, enjoyed by my family, but the best of it belongs to my Master.  What does that look like?

I'm not sure I can apply this principle for everyone, since not everyone does the same things for the Master.  Yet, for me, the principle means that what I give to participate in my congregation is my best.  The best of my time, not what's left over.  The best of my effort, not what I have left after exhausting myself in my own pleasure.  The best of my income, not what's left after my "entertainment" or "vacation" fund.  The best of my skills, not just what gets me the most attention.  In other words, I choose for my Master rather than choosing for myself.  Since my Master has chosen the congregation (including my own) as His bride, I deposit these things there, rather than hold them for Him.  I believe that part of the giving is that they are no longer in my control or beyond my ability to gain a benefit directly from them.  I give them up, not just away.

So to refuse or "forget" to do these things is to rob my Master of His "fat portions" of my life.  When the mystery "man of God" comes to Eli at the end of this chapter, his condemnation of Eli and his sons includes this line, 'Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the choicest of every offering of My people Israel?' (I added the italics).  The sons of Eli, and possibly Eli himself, had become "fat thieves".  They stole the fat that belonged to God.  I don't want to be a fat thief, in either sense of the phrase.  It is also clear in this judgement from the mysterious man of God that God does not take such stealing lightly.  The judgment frightens me.  It seems like my Master intends to draw the punishment out to cause Eli the most pain.  I don't want that sort of attention from my Master.