The grain or meal offering is sometimes referred to as the meat offering
this comes from the King James Version of the Bible and is some what a misnomer
as no meat is offered, in fact this is the offering of the five in which the
flesh of an animal is not offered. The reason for using the word meat was that
in the days of king James, a person would not be asked out for a meal, he would
be asked to meat. Luther renders the term as food offering.
It was a
sweet savour offering, like the burnt and the peace offerings, it was something
pleasant and sweet to God with no thought of sin-bearing or cleansing of sin in
the offering. It was a freewill offering given voluntarily not under
compulsion, verses 4 and 14 say 'if' you bring. The meal offerings were either
public or private and were either brought with a burnt or peace offerings or by
themselves, but never with a sin or trespass offering. The three public meal
offerings were the twelve loaves of shewbread, the Omer, or sheaf of wheat, on
the second day of the Passover, and the two wave loaves at Pentecost. The four
private meal offerings prescribed by law were, the meal offering of the high
priest, at the consecration of priests, in substitution for a sin offering in
cases of poverty, and that of jealousy. There were four types of offerings,
again associated with circumstances or property of the offerer.
The uncooked flour - verse 1
Bread baked in an oven - verse 4
Bread prepared on a griddle - verse 5
Bread cooked in a pan - verse 7
There are two things or meanings expressed by the grain offering. The
first draws on the similarity to tithing (first fruit and shewbread), appears
to be expressed in the words of David from 1 Chron. 29:10-14 , "for everything
in heaven and earth is yours....Everything comes from you, and we have given
you only what comes from your hand". It recognises the sovereignty and majesty
of God and that in his bounty he bestows all earthly blessings, by dedicating
to him the best of these gifts. The second meaning ascribed to these offerings
the symbol of the spiritual food for which Israel strove after as the fruit of
its spiritual labour, or those good works in which true sanctification must
necessarily embody itself. There was a symbolism in the ingredients used for
the meal that emphasises the first of the two meanings. Let us look at these
ingredients in detail
FLOUR
Flour was the
basis of the offering it represented the bread of life as bread was the main
support to life. The sacrifices burnt on the altar are called the bread of God,
Jesus described himself as the Bread of life. The flour was to be of the finest
quality, 'fine flour' fully ground and finely sifted, free from any coarseness,
unevenness, and empty husks. The mill stones must grind the wheat to an
absolute fineness. Christ's life was one of passing through the grinding
millstone of suffering, trial, and temptation. In Christ's perfect life there
was no trace of unevenness or coarseness, in public or private he was the same
the perfect character, fine flour - finely sifted, fine gold - refined pure
metal.
OIL
The oil was poured upon the
flour, it is spoken of as being 'anointed' with oil in Lev. 7:12. Oil is of
course a symbol of the Holy Spirit. If the fine flour is seen as Christ's
perfect life anointed with the Oil of the Holy Spirit, we easily see the sense
of the Messiah being the anointed one visible in the offering. The anointing is
also for the believer, yet it is necessary for the preparation of the
millstones grinding. There was oil on and oil in the cakes (verse 5,6). The
anointing was to do with the outward working of the Holy Spirit. While the
mingling speaks of the inward working of the Holy Spirit, the indwelling. Just
as every part of Christ's life, every thought, every word, every deed, was
mingled (saturated) with the holy spirit, so should ours.
FRANKINCENSE
There must be frankincense on the offering,
probably burning in a censer, placed on top of cakes emitting fragrant smoke.
The twelve shewbread cakes (Lev.24:5-7) arranged in two piles had frankincense
on top of each pile in such a way. Christ's perfect life was a sweet smelling
savour to God (Ephesians 5:2) and we are to be a sweet savour to God (2
Cor.2:15). There are three things to be remembered about frankincense
1 )
Frankincense was exclusively for God ( verse 2 'all')
2 ) Frankincense gave
a sweet fragrance that is pleasing to God
3 ) It was fire that drew forth
the fragrance
The thought is that while going through the fiery trials of
life, we submit ourselves to God and conduct ourselves in a way that is
pleasing to God that He receives as a sweet smelling savour.
SALT
Another necessary ingredient was salt, salt must be
added to every sacrifice. Salt has a purifying influence, Christ's influence
purified the lives of those he contacted, believers are called to be the salt
of the earth. Salt is the emblem of incorruption and Christ's body saw no
corruption (Psalm 16:10). Salt is also the emblem of Divine grace and Christ's
words are always health-giving and wholesome. Finally it is called 'the salt of
the covenant' in verse 13. The offerer was in a covenant relationship with God
and salt was seen as the seal of friendship. God has made an everlasting
covenant of friendship with us.
Wine was not mentioned but was the basis
of the drink offering and was symbolic of vigour and refreshment (Psalm
104:15). There were also two substances that were particularly excluded from
use in the offering. Leaven was forbidden (verse 11) Where as salt was an
emblem of incorruption, a preservative against corruption, leaven is the emblem
of corruption. To mix the holy things of God with leaven (evil) is an
abomination to the Lord. (Hophi and Phinehas, 1 Sam.2:12)
The leaven of
hypocrisy - Luke 12:1
The leaven of pride - 1 Cor. 5:6
The leaven of
sin - 1 Cor. 5:7,8
The leaven of false teaching - Gal.5:9
The leaven of
self-indulgence - Mark 8:15 (worldliness)
Honey was also forbidden
(verse 11). Honey represents things that are sweet and pleasing and attractive
to the flesh to the natural man. In fact it often represents that which is
natural, in the spiritual sense it is that which is self-pleasing. When honey
is burnt it begins to ferment and turns sour, the smell of burning honey is
very different to the fragrance of burning incense.
In presenting the
offering the offerer simply came to the door of the tabernacle having prepared
it as instructed and gave it to the priests. There was no ceremony just simple
submission, for there was nothing meritorious in his action only obedience. The
priest received the meal offering from him, took a handful of the grain or
cakes, with all the frankincense and burned it on the altar. The remainder
belonged to the priests. It was eaten by Aaron and his sons in the court of the
tabernacle. Only a small portion of this offering belonged to God, but it was a
memorial, which means that the handful represented the whole in the sight of
God and was accepted by Him as the whole.
We give our gifts and our
service to God yet we know that man is the recipient. Our tithe goes into the
offering yet it pays the ministers salary or for the building, etc. after a
while it is easy to think that God receives nothing from our giving but that
which is given is the recognition that all came from God and is the memorial of
the whole all we possess. Not only money but also service can be self-centred.
We can be so busy with church activities that a comparatively small portion is
exclusively Gods. Yet if that handful of our time is spent in worship of Him,
spent in adoration he take that part as a memorial of our life. This meal
offering symbolises the consecration of gifts and service. We cannot give our
gifts or our service if we have not first given ourselves, many people try to
do this in the reverse order by giving things or time. These good works the
Bible talks of as being worthless in the purchasing of a relationship with God,
how can you buy love ? (Song of Songs 8:7). The very first gifts offered to
Jesus was by the three wise men yet we read in Matthew 2:11 that they fell down
and worshipped before presenting their gifts. They gave themselves so that
their gifts may be acceptable to Jesus.
Thoughts for simple sermons:
1/ Fine Flour was used, flour that was ground by
the mill stone. There is a sense that in our lives we need to go through the
mill of suffering and temptation, so that the husks of pride and the unevenness
of prejudice are removed. A man who has not suffered or been tempted can rarely
identify with life's victims or the sinner.
The Apostles rejoiced in
their suffering because they knew that God was refining them. Acts 5:41 The
Apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of
suffering disgrace for the Name. Rom 5:3 -5 Not only so, but we also rejoice in
our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us,
because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he
has given us. We should pray that we are not led into temptation and remember
that God does not tempt us, but he does provide a way for us to resist the
temptation. James 1:13-14 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting
me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one
is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 1 Cor
10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is
faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you
are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
2/ Our study shows that in verse 5 and 6 that the was oil on and oil in the cakes. The Oil is often seen as representing the Holy Spirit. The indwelling Holy Spirit is at work in our lives changing us, by the process referred to as sanctification, to be more and more like Jesus. The fruit of this work or the result of the Holy spirit's presence is seen in Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control". Whereas the pouring on of the Holy Spirit can be seen in anointing for God's work. He the Holy Spirit gives supernatural gifts that show his enabling and point to Christ. 1 Cor 12:7 -11 "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines".
3/ The frankincense was exclusively God's whereas some of the rest of the offering was given to the priest's, all the frankincense was given to God. Frankincense represents prayer and praise. Do we give our praise exclusively to God, do we pray only to him, trusting him alone. It was fire that drew forth the fragrance. The thought is of that while going through the fiery trials of life, we submit ourselves to God and conduct ourselves in a way that is pleasing to God that He receives as a sweet smelling savour. When fire come it brings out not only the fragrance in us but, as Paul discovered, as we turn up the heat snakes begin coming out of the woodwork. Acts 28:3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.
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