Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20071114.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Leviticus: Fellowship With A Holy God
Part I: Acceptable Relationship With A Holy God, Leviticus 1:1-7:38
F. Clarifications Of The Offerings, Leviticus 6:8-7:38
2. Clarification Of The Grain Offering: The Need For Leaders To Be Holy In Life And Doctrine
(Leviticus 6:14-23)
  1. Introduction
    1. We learned in our lesson from Leviticus 2:1-16 that the grain or the "tribute" offering typified the need for the believer to invest his life to perform God's will in that life for God's glory.
    2. To clarify further what this involves, in Leviticus 6:14-23, the Lord taught that especially (but not only) the leaders of God's people must live SEPARATE from SINFUL ACTS and ERRONEOUS BELIEFS:
  2. Clarification Of The Grain Offering: The Need For Leaders To Be Holy In Life And Doctrine.
    1. We learned in a past lesson that after God's presence had filled the tabernacle in Exodus 40:34-38, in great contrast to God's presenting Himself with staggering harshness in perfect righteousness at Mount Sinai, He gently spoke from the tabernacle on how Israel could fellowship with Him, Leviticus 1:1-2.
    2. That fellowship included the need for the believer to acknowledge his earthly life was obliged to be lived as God willed for God's glory as signified in the grain offering of Leviticus 2:1-16:
      1. We before learned 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.
      2. That word is minchah, and in Moses' era, it pictured 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, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, vol. I, p. 514.
    3. Yet, clarifying even further what this commitment must entail, Leviticus 6:14-23 teaches God's people, and their leaders in particular, were to live separate from sinful actions and erroneous doctrines:
      1. Though Leviticus 6:14-23 repeats significant portions of God's commands regarding the grain offering of Leviticus 2:1-16, it ADDS information to it for a focus on holiness in the priests (as follows):
        1. First, the grain offering was to be eaten by the priests only in the holy courtyard surrounding the tabernacle that separated the tabernacle complex from the outside world , Leviticus 6:16.
        2. Second, this grain offering to be eaten without any corruptive leaven, Lev. 6:17 (cf. Lev. 2:11).
        3. Third, the grain offering was to be eaten by the males in Aaron's line, the priests or those who would serve as priests once they qualified to serve as mature adults, Leviticus 6:18a.
        4. Fourth, this grain offering was to be eaten by the priests or future priests as a perpetual statute, one that was to apply to all future generations of priests, Leviticus 6:18b.
        5. Fifth, a special grain offering was to be given daily not by the people, but by the priests themselves, and since it came from them, they could not eat it, but all of it was burned on the altar, Lev. 6:19-23.
      2. This Leviticus 6:14-23 clarification reveals God wants His people, with their leaders in particular, to commit their lives to God with a special focus on separating from sinful actions and errant doctrine:
        1. The eating of the peoples' grain offerings only in the holy courtyard (Lev. 6:16) by all the males in Aaron's line (6:18a) perpetually (6:18b) shows God wants especially leaders of His own to separate from sin in life and work, and that throughout their lives, and for all generations of God's servants.
        2. As the priests were to eat the grain offering without leaven (Lev. 6:17; 2:11), and leaven in Scripture typifies both sin and errant beliefs that lead to sinful lives (Luke 12:1; Mtt. 16:6, 12), God wants especially leaders to commit their lives to Him with a focus on purity in action and belief!
        3. A special grain offering was to be offered daily by the priests to God that only He consumed (seen in the burning of the offering), and that perpetually (Lev. 6:19-23), so God wants especially the leaders of His people to sense their perpetual, deep accountability to Him for holy lives and beliefs.
Lesson: God's clarification of the grain, or "tribute" offering revealed He wants especially the leaders of His people ALWAYS to SEPARATE both from SIN in LIFE and from ERRANT DOCTRINE!

Application: May we all, ESPECIALLY the LEADERS of God's people, sense a DEEP accountability to GOD to SEPARATE from SIN in LIVING and from ERRANT BELIEFS that lead to sinful lives.