Hi, Can I ask what fatling of the herd would mean? Thanks for this ministry it so interesting.

Hi M____,

Thank you for your question.

You ask, “what fatling of the herd would mean?”

I typed the word ‘fatling’ into my e-sword search box, and I found only one entry:

Isa 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

However, when I highlighted my KJV+ module this is what I found:

H4806
מְרִיא
merı̂y’
mer-ee’
From H4754 in the sense of grossness, through the idea of domineering (compare H4756); stall fed; often (as noun) a beeve: – fat (fed) beast (cattle, -ling).

When I highlighted my KJC module this is what I found:

H4806
מריא
merı̂y’
Total KJV Occurrences: 13
fat, 4
1Ki_1:9, 1Ki_1:19, 1Ki_1:25, Amo_5:22
cattle, 3
1Ki_1:9, 1Ki_1:19, 1Ki_1:25
beasts, 2
Isa_1:11, Amo_5:22
fatlings, 2
2Sa_6:13, Eze_39:18
fatling, 1
Isa_11:6
fed, 1
Isa_1:11

I have highlighted the duplicates which are most always in the KJC module entries. So this word appears only ten times, and it always refers to a clean animal which has been fattened up to be offered to the Lord. While being offered to the Lord, the person making the offering generally also partook of the meat of the sacrifice.

However, the fat was always the Lord’s:

Exo 29:22 Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration:
Exo 29:23 And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD:
Exo 29:24 And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD.
Exo 29:25 And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

“The fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them” indicate the good heath of this sacrifice. A “fatling” is not a neglected or defective, sick, lame, blind or unwanted sacrifice as some had offered to the Lord:

Mal 1:8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.

Mal 1:13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.

Our Lord is not at all pleased with us when we give Him our second, third, fourth, etc. best. What He want of us is our very best as Abel brought to the Lord:

Gen 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

In the New Testament our Lord wants us to offer our very bodies as a living sacrifice in His service:

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

The fruit of such a life is to learn to think and act as Christ Himself:

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

That is the answer to your question. Christ wants us to serve Him and His body with our whole heart and not be guilty of offering Him our spare time, if we have any spare time. The fact is that Christ will not be found by anyone who is not seeking Him with a whole heart:

2Ch 15:15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about.

Jer 3:10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.

God does not play mind games with us, and we sure cannot do so with Him. He wants the fatling for Himself, because “the fatling” symbolizes the best we have to offer in service to our Lord.

I hope this answers your question. I have said it many times; our old man asks of His Lord, ‘What is permissible?’ But our new man asks only ‘What is commendable?’

Your brother who is seeking to be a whole hearted daily fatling sacrifice in our Lord’s service,

Mike