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Thursday, November 21st, 2024
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33

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Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 2

LeviticusLev 1 LeviticusLev LeviticusLev 3

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Introduction

Intro:
1. Last week: Christ was represented as the Burnt-Offering, which pointed to His entire surrender!
  1. It also spoke to our life as a believer as “wholly’ belonging to the Lord. Everything we are, & everything we have, to be used for His glory!
  2. So the Bunt-Offering symbolized the life devoted to God.
  3. This next Offering, the Meal-Offering speaks of the Fruit of our labor consecrated to Him.

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Introduction

Intro:
1. Last week: Christ was represented as the Burnt-Offering, which pointed to His entire surrender!
  1. It also spoke to our life as a believer as “wholly’ belonging to the Lord. Everything we are, & everything we have, to be used for His glory!
  2. So the Bunt-Offering symbolized the life devoted to God.
  3. This next Offering, the Meal-Offering speaks of the Fruit of our labor consecrated to Him.

return to 'Top of Page'

Verses 1-16

THE MEAL OFFERING! (1-3)
1. Meal Offering – minah. A gift of any kind may be termed a minah.
  1. In this case here it is a gift to God of the daily food of the people!
  2. The meal offering stood apart from the other 4, as it was a “bloodless” sacrifice.
  3. There was thus no life given up, but a part of it was burned on the altar for a sweet aroma.
  4. “It does not speak to us of our Savior as sacrificed for sinners on the cross, but it is God’s wondrous picture of the perfection of His glorious person.” (H.A.Ironside; The Levitical Offerings)
  5. However, it was always sacrificed along with a bloody sacrifice.
    1. (Lev.23:18; Ezra 7:17)
    2. Jesus’ holy walk & devoted life couldn’t take away sins, …but a life poured out!
2. “Meat offering”? in the KJV.
  1. Meat was synonymous for food, not only flesh.
3. The Meal Offering could be presented at the altar in one of 5 ways: with Fine flour(1-3); backed in the oven(4); backed in a pan(griddle)(5,6); backed in a covered pan(7-10); or, roasted heads of new grain(14-16).
  1. These 5 ways were provided no doubt, to meet the needs of the people!
  2. Picture a pie crust, or our pizza dough, not a loaf of bread.
    1. This offering represented Jesus as the Bread of Life!
4. FINE FLOUR! (1-3)
  1. I remember sifting flour for my mom as a kid. (cakes)
  2. Fine flour – “of the best quality, without grit, without one course grain in it.”
    1. This corresponds to the “w/o blemish” of the animal sacrifices.
      1. Only the best is suitable for worship & sacrifice.
    2. Another great picture of Christ even today? Q: What is our most popular brand of flour called today? “Gold Medal” (General Mills/Betty Crocker)
    3. This was God’s picture of the humanity of Jesus. – There is no “coarseness” in Him.
    4. Q: What picture would God have used to describe you? (Fine Flour? Or, Oatmeal?)
    5. Remember it was the perfection of the Lord that gave his efficacy (effectiveness) to the work of the cross.
    6. It could not be a sacrifice from just anyone. He needed to be both w/o blemish(perfect) & His life poured out!
      1. The 2 must go together
  3. See - Ps.49:7,8
    1. “it shall cease forever” – “no use of anyone attempting”.(Ironside)
    2. This is to whom Job longed for when he said, “Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.”(Job 9:23) (mediator/daysman - Heb. one that should argue, or, umpire)
  4. Oil – Oil is always a type of the Holy Spirit. He is the anointing.
    1. It was added to all meal offerings.
    2. It was either Poured on it (1,6) or, Mixed with it – (4,5) a picture of the H.S. of God, who was given to Christ /o measure.
    3. Jn.3:34 "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.”
    4. The oil also symbolizes the H.S. who has anointed each believer “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2 Cor.1:21,22)
  5. Frankincense – A resinous gum (usually from Arabia).
    1. It was collected in the summer. The bark was stripped back, then a deep cut was made w/a sharp knife.
    2. The Hebrew name lebona (& its Gk. Name) means, “white”. When the gum 1st comes from the tree it is an amber color; later when removed from the tree the resin produces a white dust on its surface.
    3. The gum, when warmed & burned, produces a sweet, pleasant odor.
    4. This inexpressible beauty & fragrance characterized all Christ’s ways!
    5. Frankincense was of course used in one of the gifts to the baby Jesus. 2.4.5.5.1.Incense represents Prayer & Praise to God.
    6. Sweet Aroma – Again 3 times (2,9,12) – Gods approval of the offering!
  6. His was a life the aroma of which fills the world after 2000 years!
5. BACKED IN THE OVEN! (4)
  1. A great stone pitcher-oven. (Manners & Customs of Bible Lands; pg.47)
6. BACKED IN A PAN! (5,6)
  1. Griddle or a flat plate.
7. BACKED IN A COVERED PAN! (7-10)
  1. (10) Aaron & his sons – This provision serves as a reminder of God’s care for those whose lives are devoted to His service.
    1. Also, the solemn responsibility of the priest in his handling & appropriating of that which is “most holy”.
    2. For the priests “eating Gods bread” was truly communion with Him.
  2. Each of the various ways it was baked it was exposed to heat, possibly speaking of the intense trials to which our Lord was subject.
  3. Fire – also meant God’s entire exceptance!
    1. Mark 1:11 “Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
8. MATERIALS EXCLUDED! (11,12)
  1. No Leaven! – The process of fermentation, brought about by means of leaven, was looked upon as akin to corruption.
    1. It was unsuitable for the Lord’s altar, yet was continually offered to heathen deities.
    2. “No Leaven” speaks of the sinlessness of the human nature of our Savior.
    3. 1 Cor.5:7,8 “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
    4. Just as the Israelites of old were to search their homes diligently & put away all leaven in preparation of the Passover feast, so we as believers are called upon to judge every evil thing in our hearts & lives, & put it all away in the light of the work on the cross.
    5. “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” A little sin, or a little evil doctrine will soon corrupt one’s entire testimony!
  2. No Honey! – This is probably the juice of fruit, probably dates, rather than the honey of bees.
    1. This, like leaven, would be associated with fermentation.
    2. Honey is likened unto “man’s glory” which God doesn’t want anything to do with, Prov.25:27 “It is not good to eat much honey; So to seek one's own glory is not glory.”
9. MATERIALS INCLUDED! (13)
  1. Season w/Salt –
    1. The preservative of the ancient world. Also speaks of purifying.
    2. Which speaks of our Lord’s purity of character.
    3. Jesus referred to this very passage in Mark 9:49.
      1. (NIV) “Everyone will be salted with fire.”
      2. Salt is the preservative power of active righteousness, & this was ever manifested in Him & should be seen in us who have been born from above.
10. ROASTED HEADS OF NEW GRAIN! (14-16)
  1. The grain is parched, or roasted as an offering of 1^st fruits to the Lord.
  2. The Lord referred to himself as being a grain of wheat "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”
11. Again the Meal-offering spoke of full surrender & dedication “of our work” to God.
  1. 1 Cor.10:31 “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
  2. Col.1:10 “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
  3. 1 Thes.4:1 “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;”
12. Since grain represents the fruit of our labor, the meal offering was one way for the Jews to dedicate to God that which He had enabled them to produce.
  1. Remember it always accompanied one of the sacrifices that involved a blood sacrifice.
  2. Our hard work can never purchase salvation or earn the blessing of God.
  3. Here lied Cain’s problem! – See Gen.4:1-8
  4. But those who have been saved by faith in the shed blood of Christ may dedicate to the Lord what He has enabled them to produce!
  5. “Without me you can do nothing!”
    1. A few years ago, the Associated Press released a study done by an agricultural school in Iowa. It reported that production of 100 bushels of corn from one acre of land, in addition to the many hours of the farmer's labor, required 4,000,000 pounds of water, 6,800 pounds of oxygen, 5,200 pounds of carbon, 160 pounds of nitrogen, 125 pounds of potassium, 75 pounds of yellow sulphur, and other elements too numerous to list. In addition to these things, which no man can produce, rain and sunshine at the right time are critical. It was estimated that only 5% of the produce of a farm can be attributed to the efforts of man. If we were honest, we'd have to admit that the same is true in producing spiritual fruit.
13. So, Jesus is our Fine Flour, for He is of the best quality! He is anointed with Oil, for he had the full measure of the H.S.! His life was a life of Frankincense unto His Father, a sweet aroma! In Him was no Leaven or Honey, no fermentation, no corruption! He is Salt, for He has purity of character!
  1. “We should feed on His holy character by meditation, & resemble it in daily living.” (F.B.Meyer; Bible Commentary)
  2. Bearing fruit is essential to Christian discipleship. A life well lived is a more effective witness than words well said. Benjamin Franklin learned that plaster sown in the fields would make things grow.He told his neighbors, but they did not believe him and they argued with him trying to prove that plaster could be of no use at all to grass or grain.After a little while he allowed the matter to drop and said no more about it.But he went into the field early the next spring and sowed some grain. Close by the path, where men would walk, he traced some letters with his finger and put plaster into them and then sowed his seed in the field.After a week or two the seed sprang up. His neighbors, as they passed that way, were very much surprised to see, in brighter green than all the rest of the field, the writing in large letters, "This has been plastered."Benjamin Franklin did not need to argue with his neighbors any more about the benefit of plaster for the fields. For as the season went on and the grain grew, these bright green letters just rose up above all the rest until they were a kind of relief-plate in the field -- "This has been plastered.""By your fruits shall all men know that you are my disciples."

return to 'Top of Page'

Verses 1-16

THE MEAL OFFERING! (1-3)
1. Meal Offering – minah. A gift of any kind may be termed a minah.
  1. In this case here it is a gift to God of the daily food of the people!
  2. The meal offering stood apart from the other 4, as it was a “bloodless” sacrifice.
  3. There was thus no life given up, but a part of it was burned on the altar for a sweet aroma.
  4. “It does not speak to us of our Savior as sacrificed for sinners on the cross, but it is God’s wondrous picture of the perfection of His glorious person.” (H.A.Ironside; The Levitical Offerings)
  5. However, it was always sacrificed along with a bloody sacrifice.
    1. (Lev.23:18; Ezra 7:17)
    2. Jesus’ holy walk & devoted life couldn’t take away sins, …but a life poured out!
2. “Meat offering”? in the KJV.
  1. Meat was synonymous for food, not only flesh.
3. The Meal Offering could be presented at the altar in one of 5 ways: with Fine flour(1-3); backed in the oven(4); backed in a pan(griddle)(5,6); backed in a covered pan(7-10); or, roasted heads of new grain(14-16).
  1. These 5 ways were provided no doubt, to meet the needs of the people!
  2. Picture a pie crust, or our pizza dough, not a loaf of bread.
    1. This offering represented Jesus as the Bread of Life!
4. FINE FLOUR! (1-3)
  1. I remember sifting flour for my mom as a kid. (cakes)
  2. Fine flour – “of the best quality, without grit, without one course grain in it.”
    1. This corresponds to the “w/o blemish” of the animal sacrifices.
      1. Only the best is suitable for worship & sacrifice.
    2. Another great picture of Christ even today? Q: What is our most popular brand of flour called today? “Gold Medal” (General Mills/Betty Crocker)
    3. This was God’s picture of the humanity of Jesus. – There is no “coarseness” in Him.
    4. Q: What picture would God have used to describe you? (Fine Flour? Or, Oatmeal?)
    5. Remember it was the perfection of the Lord that gave his efficacy (effectiveness) to the work of the cross.
    6. It could not be a sacrifice from just anyone. He needed to be both w/o blemish(perfect) & His life poured out!
      1. The 2 must go together
  3. See - Ps.49:7,8
    1. “it shall cease forever” – “no use of anyone attempting”.(Ironside)
    2. This is to whom Job longed for when he said, “Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.”(Job 9:23) (mediator/daysman - Heb. one that should argue, or, umpire)
  4. Oil – Oil is always a type of the Holy Spirit. He is the anointing.
    1. It was added to all meal offerings.
    2. It was either Poured on it (1,6) or, Mixed with it – (4,5) a picture of the H.S. of God, who was given to Christ /o measure.
    3. Jn.3:34 "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.”
    4. The oil also symbolizes the H.S. who has anointed each believer “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2 Cor.1:21,22)
  5. Frankincense – A resinous gum (usually from Arabia).
    1. It was collected in the summer. The bark was stripped back, then a deep cut was made w/a sharp knife.
    2. The Hebrew name lebona (& its Gk. Name) means, “white”. When the gum 1st comes from the tree it is an amber color; later when removed from the tree the resin produces a white dust on its surface.
    3. The gum, when warmed & burned, produces a sweet, pleasant odor.
    4. This inexpressible beauty & fragrance characterized all Christ’s ways!
    5. Frankincense was of course used in one of the gifts to the baby Jesus. 2.4.5.5.1.Incense represents Prayer & Praise to God.
    6. Sweet Aroma – Again 3 times (2,9,12) – Gods approval of the offering!
  6. His was a life the aroma of which fills the world after 2000 years!
5. BACKED IN THE OVEN! (4)
  1. A great stone pitcher-oven. (Manners & Customs of Bible Lands; pg.47)
6. BACKED IN A PAN! (5,6)
  1. Griddle or a flat plate.
7. BACKED IN A COVERED PAN! (7-10)
  1. (10) Aaron & his sons – This provision serves as a reminder of God’s care for those whose lives are devoted to His service.
    1. Also, the solemn responsibility of the priest in his handling & appropriating of that which is “most holy”.
    2. For the priests “eating Gods bread” was truly communion with Him.
  2. Each of the various ways it was baked it was exposed to heat, possibly speaking of the intense trials to which our Lord was subject.
  3. Fire – also meant God’s entire exceptance!
    1. Mark 1:11 “Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
8. MATERIALS EXCLUDED! (11,12)
  1. No Leaven! – The process of fermentation, brought about by means of leaven, was looked upon as akin to corruption.
    1. It was unsuitable for the Lord’s altar, yet was continually offered to heathen deities.
    2. “No Leaven” speaks of the sinlessness of the human nature of our Savior.
    3. 1 Cor.5:7,8 “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
    4. Just as the Israelites of old were to search their homes diligently & put away all leaven in preparation of the Passover feast, so we as believers are called upon to judge every evil thing in our hearts & lives, & put it all away in the light of the work on the cross.
    5. “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” A little sin, or a little evil doctrine will soon corrupt one’s entire testimony!
  2. No Honey! – This is probably the juice of fruit, probably dates, rather than the honey of bees.
    1. This, like leaven, would be associated with fermentation.
    2. Honey is likened unto “man’s glory” which God doesn’t want anything to do with, Prov.25:27 “It is not good to eat much honey; So to seek one's own glory is not glory.”
9. MATERIALS INCLUDED! (13)
  1. Season w/Salt –
    1. The preservative of the ancient world. Also speaks of purifying.
    2. Which speaks of our Lord’s purity of character.
    3. Jesus referred to this very passage in Mark 9:49.
      1. (NIV) “Everyone will be salted with fire.”
      2. Salt is the preservative power of active righteousness, & this was ever manifested in Him & should be seen in us who have been born from above.
10. ROASTED HEADS OF NEW GRAIN! (14-16)
  1. The grain is parched, or roasted as an offering of 1^st fruits to the Lord.
  2. The Lord referred to himself as being a grain of wheat "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”
11. Again the Meal-offering spoke of full surrender & dedication “of our work” to God.
  1. 1 Cor.10:31 “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
  2. Col.1:10 “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
  3. 1 Thes.4:1 “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;”
12. Since grain represents the fruit of our labor, the meal offering was one way for the Jews to dedicate to God that which He had enabled them to produce.
  1. Remember it always accompanied one of the sacrifices that involved a blood sacrifice.
  2. Our hard work can never purchase salvation or earn the blessing of God.
  3. Here lied Cain’s problem! – See Gen.4:1-8
  4. But those who have been saved by faith in the shed blood of Christ may dedicate to the Lord what He has enabled them to produce!
  5. “Without me you can do nothing!”
    1. A few years ago, the Associated Press released a study done by an agricultural school in Iowa. It reported that production of 100 bushels of corn from one acre of land, in addition to the many hours of the farmer's labor, required 4,000,000 pounds of water, 6,800 pounds of oxygen, 5,200 pounds of carbon, 160 pounds of nitrogen, 125 pounds of potassium, 75 pounds of yellow sulphur, and other elements too numerous to list. In addition to these things, which no man can produce, rain and sunshine at the right time are critical. It was estimated that only 5% of the produce of a farm can be attributed to the efforts of man. If we were honest, we'd have to admit that the same is true in producing spiritual fruit.
13. So, Jesus is our Fine Flour, for He is of the best quality! He is anointed with Oil, for he had the full measure of the H.S.! His life was a life of Frankincense unto His Father, a sweet aroma! In Him was no Leaven or Honey, no fermentation, no corruption! He is Salt, for He has purity of character!
  1. “We should feed on His holy character by meditation, & resemble it in daily living.” (F.B.Meyer; Bible Commentary)
  2. Bearing fruit is essential to Christian discipleship. A life well lived is a more effective witness than words well said. Benjamin Franklin learned that plaster sown in the fields would make things grow.He told his neighbors, but they did not believe him and they argued with him trying to prove that plaster could be of no use at all to grass or grain.After a little while he allowed the matter to drop and said no more about it.But he went into the field early the next spring and sowed some grain. Close by the path, where men would walk, he traced some letters with his finger and put plaster into them and then sowed his seed in the field.After a week or two the seed sprang up. His neighbors, as they passed that way, were very much surprised to see, in brighter green than all the rest of the field, the writing in large letters, "This has been plastered."Benjamin Franklin did not need to argue with his neighbors any more about the benefit of plaster for the fields. For as the season went on and the grain grew, these bright green letters just rose up above all the rest until they were a kind of relief-plate in the field -- "This has been plastered.""By your fruits shall all men know that you are my disciples."

return to 'Top of Page'

LeviticusLev 1 LeviticusLev LeviticusLev 3

Copyright Statement
These files are the property of Brian Bell.
Text Courtesy of Calvary Chapel of Murrieta. Used by Permission.

Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Leviticus 2". "Bell's Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/leviticus-2.html. 2017.

Bible CommentariesLeviticus 2

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Introduction

Introduction

Verses 1-16

Verses 1-16

Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 2