Leviticus Chapter 2 Continued
We have been studying about the meat offering just inside the tabernacle door.
We have mentioned this several times before, but it is of no use at all to study the Old Testament, unless you can see Jesus.
As we look at all the sacrifices and offerings, we will be able to see Jesus in them all.
The meat offering actually contains the elements of Bread.
We mentioned that, probably, the reason it is called the meat offering is that the Bread actually symbolizes the body of Jesus.
Matthew 26:26 "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed [it], and brake [it], and gave [it] to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body."
Mark 14:22 "And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake [it], and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body."
We can easily see that the Bread and Jesus' body are one and the same.
Let us continue with the study now by reading:
Leviticus 2:11 "No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire."
This applies to the offering of
Both yeast and honey were edible foods, but were never to be used with a grain offering, since both could induce fermentation, which symbolized sin (see note on 2:4).
We see, in the verse above, that leaven is not to be used in the meat offering. As we said before, leaven symbolizes sin.
Jesus' body was free from sin.
Jesus was the only person who ever lived upon the earth free from sin.
In fact, He was holy.
Sin is an abomination to God.
To burn leaven on the altar would make a repulsive odor, not a sweet smelling savor. Honey, as well as leaven, is something to please the flesh, not the spirit of man.
God will not accept worldly offerings.
The things we do for God must not be for worldly fame.
The offerings we make must be to please God alone.
Leviticus 2:12 "As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savor."
This applies to the offering of
There is a great deal of difference between the meat offering and the firstfruits offering.
The meat offering represents the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ on the cross.
The firstfruits celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
You can easily see that first fruits are for man.
It would be alright to use leaven and honey in firstfruits, since it is pleasing to man.
1 Corinthians 15:20 "But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept."
1 Corinthians 15:23 "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."
Leviticus 2:13 "And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt."
“The salt of the covenant”:
This was included in all of the offerings in
Salt is a preserver.
Many times salt was used to confirm a covenant with God.
I will give just one example of that practice here, when God made a covenant with David.
2 Chronicles 13:5 "Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, [even] to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?"
When salt was added to this offering, it showed that it was for all of eternity.
The sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross was for all generations to come.
It was the ultimate sacrifice and there would be no need for any more sacrifices.
Jesus called the believers the salt of the earth.
Christians must be the preserver of all that is true and good.
Matthew 5:13 "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."
In this Scripture, above and in the 6th chapter of Hebrews, you can see how terrible it is for a Christian to go back into the world after confessing belief in Jesus.
Salt keeps decay away, so it is a true preserving.
Salt symbolizes incorruption.
I could go on and on about the good references about salt, but we will get into more on it later.
Leviticus 2:14 "And if thou offer a meat offering of thy first fruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, [even] corn beaten out of full ears."
“Of thy first fruits”:
These would be offered at the Feast of Firstfruits
This offering is from the first corn of the season.
Even before providing for their own family, the first corn was given to God. This is truly giving the best and first to God.
I have said so many times that God wants all of you.
He must have 100%, or none at all.
That is what I see in the first of the harvest being given to the LORD.
Christians should practice Firstfruits in their offerings to God.
We give to God in anticipation of earnings.
Others wait until they know what their earnings are and then give one tenth of that. Firstfruits is one thing that separates Christians from others.
We Christians even worship on the first day of the week, instead of the last day of the week.
Leviticus 2:15 "And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it [is] a meat offering."
“Frankincense”:
A gum resin with a pungent, balsamic odor, used in the tabernacle sacrifices.
Jesus was not only born with the Holy Ghost as His Father, but was filled with the Spirit of God.
The oil in these offerings shows the continuous presence of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of Jesus here on the earth.
The frankincense, here and in all of the offerings, shows that God the Father is pleased with everything that Jesus did.
All the actions of Jesus on the earth glorified the Father and were a sweet smell to God. This is the sweet smelling savor.
Leviticus 2:16 "And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, [part] of the beaten corn thereof, and [part] of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: [it is] an offering made by fire unto the LORD."
That which is taken out of it for a memorial, the same with the handful of fine flour and cakes of the meat offering.
"Part of the beaten corn thereof": Or that which was ground in a mill.
"And part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof":
As was done in the other meat offerings.
"It is an offering made by fire unto the LORD": See Lev. 2:2.
This portion of the offering that was burned on the fire was offered to God by the priest. It was completely burned up, not eaten by anyone.
This beaten corn is symbolic of the beaten body of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The oil is not just any oil, but the holy oil, symbolic of the Holy Spirit of God.
The frankincense sends a sweet fragrance to God and it symbolizes that all glory goes to God. We see, in all of this, that we must totally commit ourselves to God.
It is very important to do as Jesus did, and say with Jesus, not my will but thine Oh! LORD. We have been looking at two offerings that go hand in hand.
The meat offering and the firstfruits offering go together.
We can see in this that the crucifixion would not be complete without the resurrection from the grave.
We must see in all of this that total commitment to God is the only thing pleasing to God. God must be first.
We must dedicate all work that we might do to the glory of God.
The bread (Word of God), is the staff of life.
Bread is not a pleasant food, but a food of necessity.
The Bread (Jesus Christ), takes care of all our needs.
It is by grace we are saved, not of our good works.
The blood of Jesus Christ reconciles us to the Father.
To sum this lesson up, we would say that we must serve a Holy God with clean hands and a pure heart, bringing gifts acceptable unto Him.
Leviticus Chapter 2 Continued Questions
1.Where was the meat offering given?
2.If the Old Testament is to be useful to us, who must we see in it?
3.The meat offering actually contains the elements of what?
4.Why is it called the meat offering, if it contains no meat?
5.The Bread and Jesus' ________ are one and the same.
6.What 2 things were never to be part of the meat offering?
7.What does leaven symbolize?
8.What do honey and leaven have in common?
9.Why were honey and leaven acceptable in the firstfruits offering?
10.What did firstfruits symbolize?
11.What did the meat offering symbolize?
12.The firstfruits was for ______.
13.When does 1 Corinthians 15:23 tell us the Christians shall be resurrected?
14.Every oblation of the meat offering shall be seasoned with what?
15.What was used many times to confirm a covenant of God with man?
16.What Old Testament character did we give an example of sealing an agreement with salt?
17.How long was this agreement for?
18.How long was the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross good for?
19.In Matthew chapter 5 verse 13, what did Jesus call the believers?
20.What chapter in Hebrews tells of the terrible fate of those who turn away from salvation in Jesus and go back into the world?
21.Incorruption is symbolized by what?
22.What should Christians practice in their gifts to God?
23.Worshipping on the first day of the week practices what?
24.What shows the continuous presence of the Holy Spirit in these offerings?
25.What does the frankincense show about the Father in these offerings?
26.The memorial offering was eaten by whom?
27.Which 2 offerings go hand in hand?
28.The crucifixion of the LORD would not be complete without what?
29.All work that we might do must be dedicated to whom?
30.How could you sum up this lesson?