112_The meal offering

Lev 2:1-3 “When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it 2 and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 3 But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord’s food offerings.

11-13 “No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the Lord. 12 As an offering of first fruits you may bring them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. 13 You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.

Long ago, a missionary traveled deep into the heart of Africa to preach the gospel. Reaching a remote village, he found the people to be kind and attentive listeners. However, their deeply entrenched traditions coloured their ideas of religion. One day, the missionary spoke to them of Christ’s death on the cross, how he offered himself in love to God to redeem mankind from their sins. The chief listened intently and then asked, “How can an offering be costly?” In response, the missionary told him about the grain offering described in Leviticus 2. The chief pondered and finally said, “So, to give to God, I must give my best, something that takes time, effort, and care to produce.” This realization transformed the village’s perspective on worship. They no longer saw their offerings as mere rituals but as acts of heartfelt devotion springing from grateful hearts.

The grain offering in Leviticus 2 was distinct from the burnt offering in that it involved no shedding of blood. Instead, it was composed of fine flour, olive oil, frankincense, and salt—ingredients that were not easily obtained in the wilderness. These instructions were primarily intended for the Israelites after they settled down in the Promised Land. The grain offering symbolized Christ in his role as the bread of life, the provision of God for fruitfulness, strength, life, and fellowship with him.

The elements of this offering point to Christ in profound ways:

Fine flour is the product of long grinding. Christ was ground through the many and varied trials that he underwent like us, but was demonstrated to be without sin. Its even fineness speaks of his uniformly noble excellence in every virtue.

Olive oil, obtained by beating the olives until the oil emerges, reminds us of the anointing of Christ without measure by the Spirit of God and with power. He was led by the Spirit through suffering that he might be the captain of our salvation, and a merciful and faithful high priest.

Isaiah 42:1 speaks of Christ: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.” His anointing by the Spirit was evident throughout His ministry, as Peter testifies in Acts 10:38: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

Frankincense, a fragrant resin that had to be burned to release its aroma, illustrates the pleasing sacrifice of Christ’s life. All of the frankincense was wholly burned on the altar. Christ gave Himself entirely to the Father, filling the heavens with the fragrance of obedience and love. His life and death were a fragrant offering to God, as Ephesians 5:2 declares: “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Paul commended the Philippians for their generosity, saying in Philippians 4:18, “I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.” When we share our goods with the needy among God’s people, we serve God.

Jesus the Son of God lived as a perfect expression of God’s will. In John 1:18, we read, “No one has ever seen God, but the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has made Him known.” He lived in complete transparency, revealing God with nothing hidden. His very existence was an offering to God. When John’s disciples asked where He stayed, Jesus invited them with the words, “Come and see.” His life was an open book, a perfect manifestation of divine love and holiness.

Yet, there were elements that were strictly forbidden in the grain offering—leaven and honey:

Leaven represents corruption and sin. Jesus, our perfect offering, was without sin, and those who belong to Him are called to live with sincerity and truth. Hebrews 4:15 reminds us that Christ was “tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin.” 1 Corinthians 5:8 urges us, “Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Honey, though naturally sweet, is subject to fermentation and change over time. But Christ remains unchanging—“the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Salt was an integral part of the offering. Every grain offering was to be seasoned with salt, reminding Israel of their enduring covenant with God. It represents the covenant of God with his people. This speaks to the unchanging nature of God’s promises—what He establishes remains firm. Salt preserves and flavors everything. It signifies covenant faithfulness. Numbers 18:19 speaks of the “covenant of salt,” a perpetual agreement. In 2 Chronicles 13:5, King Abijah declares, “Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?”

As redeemed people, we rest in the assurance that our covenant with God, sealed by Christ, is an everlasting “covenant of salt.” We are called to have the same fellowship with God that Christ had. To experience the joy of this fellowship with God and His people, we must walk in the light of His love and truth. We cannot cling to sin and expect to enjoy His presence. 1 John 1:6 warns, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

Like our Lord, let us offer true worship, which costs us our best—our time, resources, and devotion. The grain offering reminds us to live lives that are transparent with Christ’s love, aiming only to please the Father, depending only on God, and anointed by the Spirit. Let us walk with an unwavering commitment to truth and love. As we walk in sincerity, bound together to Christ in the Spirit, we offer living sacrifices, a fragrance of Christ to the world, reflecting the unchanging faithfulness of our God. God bless.