Under Gods command

Under Gods Command (Book of Leviticus)

Leviticus 2

The Grain Offering: The grain offering accompanied all burnt offerings and was a gift of thanks to God. It reminded the people that their food came from God and that they owed their lives to him. Three kinds of grain offerings are listed: (1) finest flour with oil and incense, (2) baked cakes or wafers of finest flour and oil, and (3) roasted kernels of grain with oil and incense. The absence of yeast symbolized the absence of sin, and the oil symbolized God’s presence. Part of the grain offering was burned on the altar as a gift to God, and the rest was eaten by the priests. The offerings helped support them in their work.

1-16 “ ‘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 2and 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. 3The 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. 5If your grain offering is prepared on a griddle, it is to be made of the finest flour mixed with oil, and without yeast. 6Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. 7If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, it is to be made of the finest flour and some olive oil. 8Bring the grain offering made of these things to the LORD; present it to the priest, who shall take it to the altar. 9He 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.s 10The 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.

Why was no yeast allowed in the grain offerings? Yeast is a bacterial fungus (or mold) and is, therefore, an appropriate symbol for sin. It grows in bread dough just as sin grows in a life. A little yeast will affect the whole loaf, just as a little sin can ruin a whole life. Jesus expanded this analogy by warning about the “yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6; see Mark 8:15).

Lets Bring it Home: How do you visualize the effects of sin in your life? What do you do to eliminate sin from your attitudes and actions? 

     12You 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. 13Season 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. 

The offerings were seasoned with salt as a reminder of the people’s covenant (contract) with God. Salt is a good symbol of God’s activity in a person’s life, because it penetrates, preserves, and aids in healing. In ancient Middle Eastern lands, an agreement was sealed with a gift of salt to show the strength and permanence of the contract. Salt also points to the effects of a truthful agreement—it changes behavior. In Matthew 5:13 believers are called “the salt of the earth.”

Lets Bring it Home: God wants to be active in your life. Let him become part of you, penetrating every aspect of your life, preserving you from the evil all around, and healing you of your sins and shortcomings. Let the salt you use each day remind you that you are now one of God’s covenant people, who actively helps to preserve and purify the world.  

     14“ ‘If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. 15Put oil and incense on it; it is a grain offering. 

Crushed heads of new grain mixed with oil and baked was typical food for the average person. This offering was a token presentation of a person’s daily food. In this way, people acknowledged God as provider of their food. Even a poor person could fulfill this offering. God was pleased by the motivation and the dedication of the persons making it.

     16The 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.