Read Leviticus 2
The Grain Offering
2 “‘When anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord, their offering is to be of the finest flour. They are to pour olive oil on it, put incense on it 2 and take it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 3 The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings presented to the Lord.
4 “‘If you bring a grain offering baked in an oven, it is to consist of the finest flour: either thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in or thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with olive oil. 5 If your grain offering is prepared on a griddle, it is to be made of the finest flour mixed with oil, and without yeast. 6 Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. 7 If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, it is to be made of the finest flour and some olive oil. 8 Bring the grain offering made of these things to the Lord; present it to the priest, who shall take it to the altar. 9 He shall take out the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 10 The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings presented to the Lord.
11 “‘Every grain offering you bring to the Lord must be made without yeast, for you are not to burn any yeast or honey in a food offering presented to the Lord. 12 You may bring them to the Lord as an offering of the firstfruits, but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma. 13 Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.
14 “‘If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to the Lord, offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. 15 Put oil and incense on it; it is a grain offering. 16 The priest shall burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all the incense, as a food offering presented to the Lord.
Go Deeper
In Leviticus 2, we find God’s regulations regarding the grain offering. On its face, it looks relatively similar to the blood offering discussed in the prior chapter but digging deeper gives us fresh insight as to the significance behind the grain offering.
In our culture, finding a bag of finely sifted flour is as easy as checking a box online for grocery delivery. But let’s consider the setting within which this offering is occurring. In Leviticus, the Children of Israel are not living in the promised land (Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey). They are in the midst of a 40-year stint in the wilderness and desert. A place so inhospitable to crops that God had to provide manna from Heaven daily as sustenance for his people to simply survive. And while it is understood that the Israelites left Egypt with herds of animals that they could graze throughout their journey, the opportunity to actually plow and sow a wheat field much less reap a harvest must have been almost non-existent. This, added to the wandering nature of God’s pillar of fire, made putting down literal and figurative roots a problem.
As such, a wheat or barley offering must have carried much more significance in how precious a commodity was being laid on the altar. In contrast to the sin sacrifice of the animal, there was not a stipulation on the grain offering as to how much should be offered. There was only a stipulation that it be finely ground. There was no transference of sin by the placing on of hands for atonement. In short, the grain offering was much more of a gesture of gratitude to God rather than a sacrifice for sin. It was not to cover over failures, but was, rather, to express thankfulness to God as a first-fruits gift from the heart. For it to be pleasing to God, it needed to be finely ground. Manually grinding wheat with a millstone was a laborious process. Five cups of flour could take up to an hour to grind by hand. It was an act of love, an act of service, a product of intention and care to honor a most holy God. It was a precious commodity crafted with diligent intention to lavish on a deserving God.
As we read Leviticus 2 through the lens of the Good News of Jesus, this all makes more sense. God knew how that painful crushing of an offering would foreshadow the redemption and reunification of God to man through Christ’s sacrifice.
Questions
- What most stuck out to you about this passage as you read it?
- In what ways is your giving to God dutiful instead of lavish?
- If you were to evaluate your driving force for sacrifice to Him, is it primarily driven by obedience or by gratitude?
By the Way
Read Isaiah 53 for a description of the suffering servant and look at the corollaries between our offering to God and His offering for us.
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7 thoughts on “Leviticus 2”
Now I understand how laborious the giving of a grain offering was. It actually cost the giver time and effort to prepare and then present. Perhaps the process gave space to ponder how deserving God is of our best, not our leftovers. What if today we offered him quality time and presented the entirety of ourselves as living sacrifices?
From the readings of the last two days I can’t help but think of Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
While I start the morning praying to be a living sacrifice, it seems like I am mailing it in compared to the sacrifice of offering a prized animal or the time and dedication to make a loaf of bread when there is not much wheat around.
I need to be more intentional with my own “living sacrifice.”
Praise God for teaching moment.
Amen!
Salt
“1.) Salt represents eternity. It lasts forever without being corrupted. It’s a mineral, so no matter how long it sits on a shelf, exposed to the elements, it never spoils. It never changes.
2.) Salt keeps perishable things from perishing. It extends the “life” of whatever we preserve in it. Adding salt keeps it fresh longer.
3) Salt may preserve life, but it also prevents life. Salt plowed into the earth and salt naturally deposited in the earth render the soil dead. Forever dead. Once salt is introduced, the soil will never produce life again.” Mrs. Nix.
Covanant of Salt is trusting God completely, and totally. We are to be salty, 13 Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings. We are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice – choosing to trust God, rather than ourselves in our every day thoughts, attitudes, decisions, words and actions. We are to be salty, which in turn leads to being a light. Matthew 5:14 “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Colossians 4:6, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so you know how to give an answer to everyone.”
God thank You for the understanding of salt. Thank You that it is vitally important to You and You teach me through Your Word, how to understand and more to know to walk in this world more completely. God thank You for my conversations being full of grace, seasoned with salt because You can work within me to be salt and light for Your glory. God continue to open the eyes of my understanding to Your truth. Thank You that Your word makes sense. God thank You for the minutes of this day that I praise You in all I say and do in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10 “The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons”
I take great comfort in the significant role that continues to be played by Aaron. Even though we learned in Exodus that it was under his supervision that the Israelites rebelled, built and worshipped the golden calf! Nice to know given the mistakes I have made in my life as a leader!
Real talk, I struggle getting up just an hour earlier to read my Bible. Which I have the freedom to read any part of it, any place, any time, I can pray if I want to, worship if I want to… God has made it so simple for us today to access Him.
What a beautiful reminder that God’s design is practical, purposeful… and prophetic.
I am currently in the midst of preparing my own “grain offering,” and so find in this chapter immediate, personal application. Inspired by Amy Chadwick (woo hoo!), I found the following outline to help me focus on these essential, God-honoring elements:
1. FINELY SIFTED FLOUR. The grain offering is a labor of love – and that labor is no small effort. It requires planting, cultivating, harvesting, grinding, and sifting. This is some seriously committed, time-consuming labor!
2. OIL. Oil traditionally symbolizes God’s anointing. Our offering, to be worthy OF God, must be anointed BY God. Without God in the midst of the work, the workers “labor in vain.” Am I consecrating the work I do FOR God … TO God? Do I habitually turn to Him to “establish and confirm the work of my hands” (Psalm 90:17)?
3. SALT (“The Salt Covenant”). Salt symbolizes preservation, durability and commitment. Ultimately, “Jesus is the one that preserves us and keeps us … and only by the grace of God and our faith in the finished work are WE preserved until the day we see Jesus face-to-face!”
4. LEAVE OUT Leaven and Honey. The omission of leaven and honey was just as essential as the inclusion of oil and salt. While good and useful things, these ingredients would have compromised and even contaminated the grain offering. For example, honey “is an ingredient that, if heated, could cause fermentation or decay.” How often our most effective efforts require some tough “editing!”
5. OVENS. “Baked in the oven, griddle or pan” identify people of different economic means. God who honors “the widow’s mite“ does not measure human offerings according to human wealth — He meets and receives us right where we are. I can honor God from my plenty AND my want, lifting up my grain offering from my humble pan without feeling inadequate or envious of my neighbor’s commercial kitchen.
Read the entire outline here:
https://www.newcovenantway.com/the-grain-offering