Leviticus

Leviticus 2:1-16

The grain offering was less expensive and may have been an offering the poor would make in lieu of animal sacrifice for a burnt offering.  The offering could be cooked or uncooked.  There was a variety of cooked offering, but each must be unleavened and be mixed with oil. 

Grain offerings or meal offering

• The second freewill offering.
• An offering to God of my service or the work of my hands.
  • Often accompanied Burnt and Peace offerings.
  • Numbers 5:15 – a grain offering of Jealosy.
• This bloodless sacrifice was not for atonement for sin.
• First option: offering of uncooked fine flour with oil and frankincense on it. 
  • The priest will then take a handful to offer on the fire, it was a soothing aroma to the Lord. 
    • A memorial portion – a reminder the Lord brought the offering.
  • The remainder went to the priests for their provision.
• The offering was had oil poured on it, probably olive oil
• The offering was also to have Frankincense on it.  This was a fragrant resin, relatively expensive and comes from a shrub in SW Arabia.  It probably didn't take much to make the offering fragrant.  It was bitter and would make one nauseous to eat it, so it was only used on the portion offered on the fire.  Frankincense was also used in the blend of incense for the Altar of Incense. 
• Some believe that Psalms 38 and 70 were recited with the memorial offering.
• The second option: a Baked offering.  
  • You could bake it in an oven, on a griddle or in a pan. 
    • The covered pan is considered like a modern deep fat fryer.  Some say this offering looked like a modern-day donut.
  • It was to be broken in pieces, oil poured over it and given to the priest. 
  • If you baked your offering before going to the temple you had things to remember:
    • Never mix Levin or honey: both could induce fermentation, a kind of corruption. 
      • Levin is always symbolic of sin.
        • Could make the offering artificially sour.
      • Honey was also thought to be a favorite sacrifice used for pagan gods.  The Lord did not want to be associated with these gods. 
        • Could make the offering artificially sweet.
• Every offering was to be seasoned with salt. 
  • Salt was flavor, but also preserved or kept pure.  It also was of value.
    • Every sacrifice was to be pure, enduring and cost us something.
    • Salt spoke of friendship.  Ancient custom said a bond of friendship was formed when eating salt together.  Once you have eat a man's salt, you are friends for like. 
    • Covenant salt – see also Numbers 18:9 and 2 Chronicles 13:5.
• The first of the harvest was offered to the Lord as representative of the entire harvest belonging to the Lord.  He promised to bless the harvest when the firstfruits were offered.
  • The firstfruits could be any harvest – they were not to be burned.
  • The firstfruits could be a large amount.
  • If the firstfruit was grain, it was to be green heads of grain, roasted on the fire and beaten from full heads. 
  • This would also get oil and frankincense like a grain offering. 

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