““When you present grain as an offering to the Lord, the offering must consist of choice flour. You are to pour olive oil on it, sprinkle it with frankincense, and bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests. The priest will scoop out a handful of the flour moistened with oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn this representative portion on the altar. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. The rest of the grain offering will then be given to Aaron and his sons. This offering will be considered a most holy part of the special gifts presented to the Lord. “If your offering is a grain offering baked in an oven, it must be made of choice flour, but without any yeast. It may be presented in the form of thin cakes mixed with olive oil or wafers spread with olive oil. If your grain offering is cooked on a griddle, it must be made of choice flour mixed with olive oil but without any yeast. Break it in pieces and pour olive oil on it; it is a grain offering. If your grain offering is prepared in a pan, it must be made of choice flour and olive oil. “No matter how a grain offering for the Lord has been prepared, bring it to the priest, who will present it at the altar. The priest will take a representative portion of the grain offering and burn it on the altar. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. The rest of the grain offering will then be given to Aaron and his sons as their food. This offering will be considered a most holy part of the special gifts presented to the Lord. “Do not use yeast in preparing any of the grain offerings you present to the Lord, because no yeast or honey may be burned as a special gift presented to the Lord. You may add yeast and honey to an offering of the first crops of your harvest, but these must never be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God’s eternal covenant. Never forget to add salt to your grain offerings.”
Leviticus 2:1-13 NLT
As always, God has more depths to everything that he does than we could imagine. Here, the grain offering is discussed and it speaks specifically to the elements used. These elements represent the important nature of sacrifice and how the interchange between elements plays out, both in the food but also with the people. Food for this offering is to be prepared in such a way that purity is observed. Certain foods are stand ins for these elements. The Holy Spirit is seen in the oil and righteousness or purity as seen by the salt. Likewise yeast and honey are seen as corrupting elements. In either case, batter is made and given to God. What is of note is the role the priests play, which is that they are to eat the remainder of what’s left of the offering. This directly places them as a class of people who eat the sacrifice of their people. One might say that they are eating the sin of the people. This is par for the course in the priestly responsibilities as the clergy constantly serves the people by accepting and proffering sacrifices that people make to God. These sacrifices are monitored to make sure they have no sin in them, and are not trite. This is demonstrated by the honey and yeast. This demonstrates the lot of clergy. They are to be direct participants in the process of the sacrifices people give to God.
Grain Offering Significance: Represents the importance of sacrifice and the interchange between elements in the offering.
Offering Preparation: Food must be prepared with purity in mind, using specific elements like oil (Holy Spirit) and salt (righteousness).
Priest’s Role: Priests consume the remaining offering, symbolizing their role as mediators between the people and God, consuming the sins of the people.
JOSH McGARY.COM 