Leviticus 2: The Grain Offering - A Sacrifice of Dependence and Remembrance
And when any will offer a meat offering unto the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:
And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord:
And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire.
And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.
Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering.
And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the Lord: and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar.
And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
And that which is left of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire.
No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the Lord, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the Lord made by fire.
As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the Lord: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour.
And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.
And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the Lord, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.
And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat offering.
And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
Leviticus 2 provides detailed instructions regarding the grain offering, also known as the meal offering. Unlike the other sacrifices, the grain offering was bloodless, yet it held a significant place in the worship of the Israelites. Leviticus doesn’t explicitly state when these offerings were to be brought to the Lord, except during the firstfruits at harvest time (Leviticus 2:12-16). Numbers 28 reveals that grain offerings, like burnt offerings, were presented every morning and at twilight. This regular offering served as a constant reminder for the people to acknowledge their dependence on God for their daily sustenance and life itself.
Dependence Acknowledged
The essence of the grain offering lies in recognizing God as the provider of all things. By offering a portion of their grain, the Israelites demonstrated their reliance on God's provision and acknowledged His sovereignty over their lives. The act of offering was a tangible expression of gratitude and dependence.
The Components and Preparation
Leviticus 2 outlines the various components and methods of preparation for the grain offering. The offering was to be made of fine flour, oil, and frankincense. Notably, it was to be free of yeast and honey (Leviticus 2:11). While these could be offered as firstfruits, they were not to be placed on the altar. Scripturally, yeast often symbolizes sin (1 Corinthians 5:8), suggesting the offering was to be pure and untainted.
The chapter details different ways the priests could prepare the grain offering, including baking it in an oven, cooking it on a griddle, or frying it in a pan. Regardless of the method, the core elements remained the same.
A Memorial Portion for the Lord
A portion of the grain offering was specifically designated for the Lord. Leviticus 2:2 instructs the priest to take a handful of fine flour and oil, along with all its frankincense, and burn it as a memorial portion on the altar, "a fire offering of a pleasing aroma to the LORD." The frankincense enhanced the fragrance, signifying the sweetness of the offering to God.
The Priest's Portion and Sustenance
The remaining portion of the grain offering, considered the holiest part, belonged to Aaron and his sons (Leviticus 2:3, 10). This provision served as payment for their ministry, allowing the consecrated priests to partake in these offerings. This system ensured their physical needs were met as they dedicated themselves to serving the Lord.
The Salt of the Covenant
A crucial element in every grain offering was salt: "You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt" (Leviticus 2:13). Salt symbolizes permanence and incorruptibility. In ancient times, it was believed to be indestructible, even by fire. The concept of "a covenant of salt" appears in Numbers 18:19 and 2 Chronicles 13:5, with the latter referencing the enduring nature of God's covenant with David to establish his throne forever. This covenant finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who will reign on David's throne in His millennial kingdom.
Application for Today
While the specific rituals of the grain offering are not practiced today, the underlying principles remain relevant. We can apply the lessons of Leviticus 2 by:
- Recognizing God's Provision: Acknowledging that all we have comes from God and expressing gratitude for His blessings.
- Offering Our Best: Striving to offer God our best in all we do, whether it's our time, talents, or resources.
- Living a Life of Purity: Seeking to live a life free from sin and dedicated to God's will.
- Remembering God's Covenant: Reflecting on the permanence of God's covenant with us through Jesus Christ and living in accordance with His promises.
The grain offering serves as a timeless reminder of our dependence on God, the importance of offering our best to Him, and the enduring nature of His covenant. By embracing these principles, we can cultivate a deeper relationship with God and experience the fullness of His blessings.
And when any will offer a meat offering unto the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:
And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord:
And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire.
And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.
Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering.
And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the Lord: and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar.
And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
And that which is left of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire.
No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the Lord, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the Lord made by fire.
As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the Lord: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour.
And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.
And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the Lord, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.
And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat offering.
And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
Leviticus 2 provides detailed instructions regarding the grain offering, also known as the meal offering. Unlike the other sacrifices, the grain offering was bloodless, yet it held a significant place in the worship of the Israelites. Leviticus doesn’t explicitly state when these offerings were to be brought to the Lord, except during the firstfruits at harvest time (Leviticus 2:12-16). Numbers 28 reveals that grain offerings, like burnt offerings, were presented every morning and at twilight. This regular offering served as a constant reminder for the people to acknowledge their dependence on God for their daily sustenance and life itself.
Dependence Acknowledged
The essence of the grain offering lies in recognizing God as the provider of all things. By offering a portion of their grain, the Israelites demonstrated their reliance on God's provision and acknowledged His sovereignty over their lives. The act of offering was a tangible expression of gratitude and dependence.
The Components and Preparation
Leviticus 2 outlines the various components and methods of preparation for the grain offering. The offering was to be made of fine flour, oil, and frankincense. Notably, it was to be free of yeast and honey (Leviticus 2:11). While these could be offered as firstfruits, they were not to be placed on the altar. Scripturally, yeast often symbolizes sin (1 Corinthians 5:8), suggesting the offering was to be pure and untainted.
The chapter details different ways the priests could prepare the grain offering, including baking it in an oven, cooking it on a griddle, or frying it in a pan. Regardless of the method, the core elements remained the same.
A Memorial Portion for the Lord
A portion of the grain offering was specifically designated for the Lord. Leviticus 2:2 instructs the priest to take a handful of fine flour and oil, along with all its frankincense, and burn it as a memorial portion on the altar, "a fire offering of a pleasing aroma to the LORD." The frankincense enhanced the fragrance, signifying the sweetness of the offering to God.
The Priest's Portion and Sustenance
The remaining portion of the grain offering, considered the holiest part, belonged to Aaron and his sons (Leviticus 2:3, 10). This provision served as payment for their ministry, allowing the consecrated priests to partake in these offerings. This system ensured their physical needs were met as they dedicated themselves to serving the Lord.
The Salt of the Covenant
A crucial element in every grain offering was salt: "You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt" (Leviticus 2:13). Salt symbolizes permanence and incorruptibility. In ancient times, it was believed to be indestructible, even by fire. The concept of "a covenant of salt" appears in Numbers 18:19 and 2 Chronicles 13:5, with the latter referencing the enduring nature of God's covenant with David to establish his throne forever. This covenant finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who will reign on David's throne in His millennial kingdom.
Application for Today
While the specific rituals of the grain offering are not practiced today, the underlying principles remain relevant. We can apply the lessons of Leviticus 2 by:
- Recognizing God's Provision: Acknowledging that all we have comes from God and expressing gratitude for His blessings.
- Offering Our Best: Striving to offer God our best in all we do, whether it's our time, talents, or resources.
- Living a Life of Purity: Seeking to live a life free from sin and dedicated to God's will.
- Remembering God's Covenant: Reflecting on the permanence of God's covenant with us through Jesus Christ and living in accordance with His promises.
The grain offering serves as a timeless reminder of our dependence on God, the importance of offering our best to Him, and the enduring nature of His covenant. By embracing these principles, we can cultivate a deeper relationship with God and experience the fullness of His blessings.