Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20071003.htm
THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Leviticus: Fellowship With A Holy God
Part I: Acceptable Relationship With A Holy God, Leviticus 1:1-7:38
B. The Grain Offering: The Need To Donate Our Earthly Lives To The Lord
(Leviticus 2:1-16)
- Introduction
- Every child has considered what he or she will be or do "when he grows up" to be an adult!
- However, Revelation 4:11 notes that, after the rapture of the Church, we in the Church (represented in the twenty-four elders) will acknowledge that God created all life for His pleasure and glory so that every child and adult is responsible today to donate his earthly life to God for His purpose and glory!
- This truth is represented in the grain offering in Leviticus 2:1-16 as follows:
- The Grain Offering: The Need To Donate Our Earthly Lives To The Lord, Leviticus 2:1-16.
- We learned in a previous lesson that after God's presence had filled the newly-erected tabernacle in Exodus 40:34-38, in great contrast to God's having presented Himself with staggering harshness in prefect righteousness on Mount Sinai, He gently spoke from the tabernacle to Moses on how Israel could enjoy fellowship with Him, Leviticus 1:1-2.
- That fellowship with a holy God required not only a wholehearted commitment by the worshipper unto the Lord as represented in the burnt offering of Leviticus 1:1-17, but the rightful need to donate one's whole earthly life to the Lord for His will and glory as seen in the meal offering of Leviticus 2:1-16:
- Ryrie observed that "the meaning behind the Hebrew word for this offering" better known as the "meal" or "grain" offering is "gift or tribute," cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Lev. 2:1.
- That word is minchah, and it means "gift, tribute" that, in the Ancient Near East specified a gift "to superior persons, particularly kings, to convey the attitude of homage and submission to that person," cf. Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 146; Harris, Archer, Waltke, Theol. Wordbook of the O. T., vol. I, p. 514.
- Since no blood sacrifice is involved in this offering, it does not picture atonement for sin, but the believer's need to submit his earthly life unto God Who is the rightful Creator and Owner of that life:
- This "grain" offering was mixed with olive oil and topped with frankincense (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 176), representing what God initially made for man to eat in sustaining his life, Gen. 1:27-29.
- As such, it reminded man of his complete dependence upon God for sustaining his physical life, and hence of his obligation to realize his life had come from God and was actually God's possession!
- Since the Hebrew title for this offering is actually the word for "gift, tribute" (minchah) instead of "grain", this offering recalled man's need to dedicate his earthly life unto God for His will and glory!
- The offering could be offered in different ways, Leviticus 2:1-10: (1) it could be offered unbaked, in the form of ground grain mixed with olive oil and topped with frankincense, with part of it being burned on the altar and the rest being eaten by the priests (2:1-3), (2) or it could be offered in baked form as (a) baked cakes (2:4a), (b) wafers (2:4b), (c) "crumbled, griddle-baked cakes" (2:4c) or (d) pan-fried cakes (2:5a) that were mixed with olive oil, Ibid., Bib. Know. Com., O. T. , p. 177. This variation was possibly given to let worshippers of any economic status make the offering, Ibid.
- No honey or yeast was to be used, items that typify sin in Scripture (cf. Mtt. 16:6-12; 1 Cor. 5:6-8), but only salt, Lev. 2:11. This showed God wanted the worshipper's life that was to be dedicated back to Him to be righteously lived.
- [As an exception, because it was technically a different offering with a different significance, the grain of firstfruits could include honey and yeast, Leviticus 2:12 NIV. The grain of a firstfruits offering was crushed and roasted with oil with incense added, Leviticus 2:14-16.]
Lesson: The "grain" offering in its original historical and social context was a "tribute" to God as the offerer's Sovereign Ruler whereby he acknowledged before the Lord that he owed God, the Creator and Sustainer of his earthly life, his life to be used as God willed and for God's glory in righteousness.
Application: (1) As God is our Creator and Rightful Owner and Sustainer of our earthly lives, may we FOLLOW HIS LEAD in selecting the occupation, job or ministry we do for Him. (2) Then, may we PERFORM in those realms and assignments in RIGHTEOUSNESS in God's honor as we do His will!