Grace in the Meat Offering - Aug. 8th, 2021

Introduction:

Leviticus 2:1–3 KJV 1900

And when any will offer a meat offering unto the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon: And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord: And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire.

Leviticus 6:14–23 KJV 1900

And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord, before the altar. And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the Lord. And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it. It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering. All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the Lord made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the Lord in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night. In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baken, thou shalt bring it in: and the baken pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savour unto the Lord. And the priest of his sons that is anointed in his stead shall offer it: it is a statute for ever unto the Lord; it shall be wholly burnt. For every meat offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten.

In the translation of the Scriptures authorized by King James in A.D. 1611 the offering described in the second chapter of Leviticus is called “a meat offering” (v. 1 a). We commonly associate meat with flesh but no flesh was used in this offering. It was the only one of the five offerings that required no blood. The word meat means food but it is not the same as flesh. God makes this clear in Genesis 1:29 as He said to Adam and Eve, “… Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be meat.” The menu of Adam and Eve had meat on it but no meat in it. The flesh of animals only became a part of sinful man’s diet after the judgment of God that put everything on earth under water. God’s definition of fruit as meat is the meat mentioned Leviticus 2:1a. In some translations it is called a Meal Offering. In other translations it is designated as a grain or cereal offering. This offering placed the emphasis on the grain that was brought to the altar and those things which were made of part of the cereal that was offered.

The offerings set before us in the first five chapters of Leviticus are five pictures of the one offering which Jesus made in the end of the age. In each offering we find something compelling and crucial about the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. As four gospels are needed to complete the story of Jesus as the Son of God and the Son of man, five offerings are compulsory in considering His atoning sacrifice for undeserving sinners. As we begin the study of the Meal Offering take a few minutes to look at

I. The Preparation of the Offering

Leviticus 2:1 KJV 1900

And when any will offer a meat offering unto the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:

The Meal Offering did not consist of anything the worshipper wanted to bring. It was the best grain of a choice harvest. It was the product of close attention and careful cultivation. The instructions insisted that the cereal be processed before presentation. In order to become the food for God and man the meal had to be prepared. The grain had to be ground into small particles, sifted and cooked with various utensils. This took a lot of time and effort. To become bread on the altar Jesus spent thirty-three years in preparation. There are three things to consider in the preparation of Christ and they are brought to our attention in the fine flour, the oil and the frankincense. The fine flour speaks of

A. The Advent of Christ: Manifest in the Flesh

“… of fine flour …” (2:1b).

Flour is a product of the soil. Its growth is associated with the ground. It is nourished by the earth in which it has been planted. Because of its identity with the world flour is symbolic of the humanity of Christ. The doctrine of the humanity of Christ is fundamental to the faith “which was once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3c). The testimony of John is that “… the Word was made flesh …” (John 1:14a). It was Paul who declared that Jesus is God “… manifest in the flesh …” (1 Timothy 3:16b). The Son of God became the Son of man for the sons of men. He did not appear to be a man. He was fully man and fully God. His manhood is pictured in the flour.

The Meal Offering consisted of flour as the main ingredient but the flour had to be fine. To become flour the grain has to go through a process of preparation. Its coarse texture is broken into tiny pieces as it is ground to powder between the millstones. Fine flour is produced by subjection to extreme pressure. Jesus is the Meal Offering who was crushed to fine flour as His flesh passed between the millstones of great trial. The fine flour speaks of His suffering in life before His suffering in death. In Hebrews 2:18 we are told that Jesus “suffered being tempted.” In Hebrews 2:10 we are told that Jesus was made “perfect through sufferings.” What this tells us is that the suffering in His flesh brought Jesus to the place that His life was ready as the Meal Offering.

Jesus is the fine flour of the Meal Offering. There is no inconsistency in fine flour. It is evenly balanced and no coarseness can be found in any part of it. The life of Jesus Christ was in perfect balance. Nothing in the life of our Lord was out of proportion. Everything He did and said was consistent throughout His life in the world.

The portion that was brought was one tenth of an ephah. An ephah is a dry measurement which has the capacity of about one bushel. It had to be the best grain from their best fields. God requires no less than the best that can be offered. We bring the best that can be offered when we present to God the fine flour of His Son. What we offer is not the fruit of our labor but the work of Jesus Christ in us and through us. The fine flour on the altar is not what we generate but what He produces in us as we share “the fellowship of His sufferings” (Philippians 3:10c). What we offer on the altar is the fine flour produced by His life in us as we pass through and are broken by the weights used to conform us to His image.

The first part of the preparation of Christ as the Meal Offering was the suffering in His flesh and it is typified by the fine flour. The second part of the preparation places emphasis on the oil. The oil speaks of

B. The Anointing of the Spirit: Justified in the Spirit

Notice, Christ Was Conceived by the Holy Ghost for Service.

“… of fine flour mingled with oil …” (v. 4b).

The oil was poured on the uncooked fine flour but it was mingled with the unleavened cakes and wafers. The Hebrew word for mingled carries the idea that every granule in the cakes of fine flour is saturated with oil. This points to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in every fiber of our Lord’s holy humanity. No area of His manhood or His ministry was untouched by the Holy Spirit. Every particle of His person was permeated by the Holy Spirit. The mingling of oil with the unleavened cakes of fine flour speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit in the incarnation of Christ.

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:18).

Paul tells us that Jesus Christ was “… made of a woman …” (Galatians 4:5a). In Romans 1:3b Paul informs us that Jesus Christ “was made the seed of David according to the flesh.” John declares that “… the Word became flesh and dwelt among us …” (John 1:14a–b). The Son of God became the Son of man by means of His birth to the virgin Mary. He was the seed of woman promised in Genesis 3:15. The seed of woman refers to humanity. In order to be the seed of woman it was necessary for Jesus to become a human being. This was accomplished when the Holy Spirit created the body of Jesus in the womb of Mary. In answer to Mary’s question and the questions of many since her, Gabriel said, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35b–d).

The oil mingled with the unleavened cakes of fine flour speaks of the Holy Spirit’s creation of the nature of Jesus Christ as God and man. His human nature and His divine nature were perfectly blended. They were fully and flawlessly balanced. One nature did not overshadow the other but each was in complete harmony with the other. Some suggest that this was accomplished as Mary contributed the human nature of Christ while the Holy Spirit contributed His divine nature. Jesus is eternally God and there could not have been given to Him the divinity which He already possessed. What the Holy Spirit created was the body of Christ in which was found a human nature and a divine nature. Jesus is both God and man. He did not stop being God to start being man. He is eternally God and He is eternally man. As God and man Jesus is the representative to God to man and of man to God.

The body of Christ as an offering for sin was a prophetic necessity. He was the fulfillment of the Old Testament type. In Hebrews 10:4–5 we read these words: “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not but a body hast thou prepared me.” These words are a quotation from Psalm 40:6–8. In these words David spoke of the Messiah whose body would become an offering for sin. David wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and said, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears host thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” The idea in these words is “You did not want the slaughter of animals so you have prepared a body for me as a sacrifice to fulfill those things which are symbolized. As the prophecy which speaks of me, I have come to surrender my body as a sacrifice for sin.” The blood of animals could not take away sins. Only the body of Christ as a sacrifice for sin can remove it.

The reason for the Holy Spirit’s creation of the body of Christ was as a ransom for sin. Only God can redeem the sinful soul. This is confirmed in Psalm 49:7–9 where we read these words: “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth forever:) That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.” No man can give to God what it takes to save his soul because it is more than he can pay. The redemption of the soul is too costly and man must abandon the idea completely. The soul is far too precious to be redeemed by mere earthly wealth and it is futile to even try. Man should leave it alone because only God can do it. In order to redeem the soul of man the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The Word became flesh by His mysterious and miraculous birth to the woman by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The oil was mingled with the unleavened cakes of fine flour. The unleavened wafers, or pancakes, were then smeared with oil. Both speak of the influence of the Holy Spirit in the humanity of Christ. The first reference is to the power of the Spirit who accomplished His birth to the woman.

Notice, Christ Was Set Apart (Sanctified) by the Spirit for Service.

“… and he shall pour oil upon it …” (v. 1c). Oil is one of the many words chosen by the Holy Spirit to speak of Himself. One purpose of the oil was to set people apart for service. Every priest and king was anointed with oil to separate them to their functions. Oil poured over fine flour points to the person of our Lord Jesus Christ at the time of His baptism. His baptism by John was a public declaration of the function Jesus came to fulfill. As Jesus came up out of the water the Spirit of God descended from heaven and rested on Him (compare Matthew 3:16). The oil of the Spirit was poured on the fine flour of His holy humanity, separating Jesus to His function as the redeeming Messiah.

The fine flour was set apart by the Spirit. No preparation is complete which leaves out the oil that separates the offering for the altar.

Jesus is the fine flour we offer at God’s altar. What we present at the altar must be His labor in and through us, but our offering must be set apart by the Spirit. Without the presence of the Holy Spirit in what we offer, our gifts are incomplete and unacceptable to God. Our giving must be Spirit-filled giving.

Notice, Christ Was Empowered (Anointed) with the Spirit for Service.

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power …” (Acts 10:38a).

The body of Jesus Christ was created by the Holy Spirit. In addition, His business was clothed with the Spirit. All He did was draped with the garment of the Spirit. The oil on the unleavened wafers speaks of the Holy Spirit’s anointing on Christ for His work in the world. The effectiveness of Jesus’ business on the earth depended on the anointing of the Spirit. This is what Jesus made clear in His sermon at the synagogue in Nazareth. He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he bath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” These words of Jesus declared that His accomplishments in service would be by the anointing of the Spirit.

The ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ was anointed with the Spirit from its beginning to its end. His works were enabled by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. It was through the enabling of the Spirit that Christ gave Himself as an offering to God. In Hebrews 9:14 we are told that Christ “… through the eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot to God …”

The offering of Christ was His labor through His birth by the Spirit and His blessing by the Spirit on what was done. Our offering is His labor in us and through us based on our birth by the Spirit and the Spirit’s blessings on what we bring to the altar. No offering is acceptable from anyone who has not been born again and who is not under the anointing presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

Transition: The first part of the preparation of Christ as the Meal Offering was the suffering in His flesh, typified by the fine flour. The second part of His preparation was the separation to His function, typified by the oil. The third part of His preparation concentrates on the frankincense. The frankincense speaks of

C. The Ascension to the Father: Received Up into Glory

“… and put frankincense thereon” (v. 1d).

Frankincense was a sweet gum which came from incisions made in the tree that produced it. It gave off a wonderful fragrance that was pleasing but only when it was burned. Its perfume could only be enjoyed when frankincense was subjected to the heat of the altar.

Notice, The Father’s Approval.

It speaks of the pleasure that Jesus brings to God and man. His baptism was the first step of Jesus toward the fire of the altar. This was the announcement of Christ’s determination to accomplish what He had been sent into the world to do. As the fiery zeal of our Lord began to burn the frankincense of His complete commitment to the cross rose as a pleasing perfume before God. The response of His Father to this sweet aroma was pleasure. He said, “… This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17c–d). The pleasure expressed by His Father at the baptism of His Son is the frankincense on the fine flour.

Notice, The Son’s Acceptance.

In verse 2 the sons of Aaron were told to include all the frankincense with the offering. In the Meal Offering most of it was kept by the priests but they kept nothing of the frankincense. The presentation of all the frankincense is symbolic of total commitment. Frankincense on the fine flour speaks of complete submission to the will of God. In the heat of the withering dread of death the sweet fragrance of absolute surrender to the will of God rose before the Father as Jesus said, “… Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

Notice, an Attitude of Prayer.

Incense is a symbol of prayer. Frankincense on the fine flour refers to the prayerful attitude that must accompany the offering. In the red-hot trials of daily living the frankincense of prayer rose to the Father as s sweet smelling savor. In the scorching heat of Calvary the frankincense of prayer rose to the Father as an agreeable aroma. There, Jesus prayed, “… Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do …” (Luke 23:34b–d).

II. The Picture of Worship

“… an offering made by fire …” (v. 2f).

The offering to God rose to Him by the heat of the fire. Obviously, this is symbolic language to describe the experience of worship between man and God. Spiritual things are not easy to comprehend and illustrations are an aid to our understanding. Pictures allow us to view spiritual realities that our earth bound sight might otherwise miss. The Meal Offering is an earthly picture of a heavenly reality. Everything that was done pointed to something that would be done and someone who would do it. In order to see the beauty of what is pictured it is necessary to consider

A. Understanding the Terminology

“… offering … oblation …” (v. 1 a, 4a)

In the first two chapters of Leviticus there are three words used to describe the work of the altar. The first is the word “offering” (2:1a). This word is used in reference to something which is given to God and it speaks of what God asked Israel to bring to His altar. This word is used interchangeably with the Levitical requirements and it designates all or any one of them.

The second word is “sacrifice” (1:9). This word is used in reference to the shedding of blood. The significance of sacrifice is death. In sacrifice the life of the victim is surrendered on the altar. The instructions concerning the Meal Offering make no reference to sacrifice because it was a bloodless offering.

The third word is “oblation” (2:4a). This is the word used to describe the Meal Offering. The idea in oblation is a present given for a present received. It is a gift to one who is much greater in grateful recognition for his undeserved favor.

In the various terms which are used to speak of the Burnt Offering and the Meal Offering take a few minutes to consider

B. Uncovering the Truths

“… a sweet savor unto the Lord” (v. 2g).

The Burnt Offering, the Meal Offering and the Peace Offering were sweet savor offerings. God was pleased with their fragrance that rose to Him from the altar. The truth they told brought Him sweet satisfaction. As the vital truths are uncovered about the relationship between the Burnt Offering and the Meal Offering we too will find in them a sweet savor that will be most pleasurable.

Notice, Its Secondary Position.

The Meal Offering in chapter two follows on the heels of the Burnt Offering in chapter one. The Meal Offering was linked with the Burnt Offering and located after it. According to Numbers 28 this was the normal order of observance. These two offerings were bound together with cords that could not be broken, but the Burnt Offering always came first. The reason for its secondary position is its primary purpose. In the Burnt Offering there was the sacrifice of blood. in the Meal Offering there was the service of bread. The blood represents life and the bread represents labor. Life must be first given to God before He accepts any labor. The blood must come before the bread.

Notice, Its Picture of Christ.

The Meal Offering shows Christ offered to God as the food of man. Jesus is the bread offered to God on behalf of sinful man. As the bread on the altar Jesus is the food of God and man. Both find satisfaction by feeding on Him. The bread presented followed the blood provided. Only as the blood was shed could the priests be fed. Before Jesus could become the bread on the altar His blood had to be shed on the altar, and this is clearly set before us in the Meal offering after the Burnt Offering,

The Burnt Offering pictures Christ in His sacrifice. The Meal Offering pictures Christ in His service. Together they point to His Person and work. The two are inseparably linked because the Person of Christ cannot be divorced from His work. The picture that indicates Jesus also includes those who have been made one with Him by faith. However, what we offer at the altar is Him on our behalf. In the Burnt Offering the blood we offer is His life for us. In the Meal Offering the bread we offer is His labor through us. The response to the offering of grace in the blood is the offering of gratitude in the bread. Devotion follows deliverance as the worshipper brings his minchah, or his meal offering. We bring the fruit of His labor through us in thankful acknowledgment of the fullness of His love toward us. The reason for Him as our offering is simply that the person of Jesus Christ might be glorified. Man’s part in the offering is to magnify Christ and minimize self.

Notice, “For Us” vs. “Through Us.”

The Burnt Offering sets forth the work of Christ for us. The Meal Offering sets forth the work of Christ through us. The Meal Offering teaches us that sacrifice must precede service. There can be no offering of the fruit of service until there is forgiveness of sin. No devotion of service can be expressed until the death of the substitute is experienced. This was Cain’s mistake. He brought a Cereal Offering, but he did not first bring a Burnt Offering. Until the blood is presented the bread is polluted. In the Burnt Offering is the doctrine of justification. In the Meal Offering is the doctrine of sanctification. The priority of justification must be guarded. It must come first. Cain tried to offer a sanctified life before he had experienced a justified life. He tried to substitute service for salvation. No service is acceptable to God unless it comes from those who are claimed by the blood of the substitutionary sacrifice.

Transition: As the Meal Offering Jesus was prepared by the suffering in His flesh, the separation to His function and the sanction by His Father. As Jesus was prepared to be the offering we must prepare ourselves to make Him our offering. Our offering to God must be the labor of Christ in and through us, but this offering must be prepared by the brokenness of self, the fullness of the Spirit, the totality of submission, and the presence of supplication. As an expansion to the significance of the oil think for a few minutes about how unlike the Burnt Offering, the Meal Offering left something to be used in another way.

III. Passing the Baton of Service

“… and he shall take there out his handful of the flour thereof.” (v. 2b).

These words reveal how the Meal Offering was used. In the Burnt Offering all was consumed on the altar. In the Meal Offering not everything was burned but all of it was used. In the measure that was possessed we are told how the offering was divided between God and the priests. The Lord selected certain people to serve at the altar and

A. The Priesthood Involved

“And he shall bring it to Aaron’s son the priests …” (v. 2a).

The Meal Offering had to be prepared by the one who brought it. There was no pressure on the worshipper to bring this offering. It was his decision to give it and it had to come from a willing heart. After it had been prepared according to divine instructions it was carried to the brazen altar and handed over to the priests for presentation to God. The Old Testament believer was not able to stand before God by himself. He needed a representative to stand before God for him. God chose and appointed the sons of Aaron for this specific task.

The priesthood of the sons of Aaron points to New Testament believers who are constituted a kingdom of priests under the High Priest of our profession, the Lord Jesus Christ (compare Hebrews 3:4 The sons of Aaron were instructed to take whatever was offered as long as it met the divine requirements for the gift. It was not their duty to distinguish between the quality of the offerings and receive only what they thought was worthy of acceptance. The gifts of the rich and the poor are equally acceptable to God and He alone is the judge of their worth. The disciples of Jesus made a serious mistake when they thought children were unworthy of Jesus’ time and tried to send them away. It was not their business to place value on the offering and Jesus rebuked them for doing it. As believer priests we must take the most as well as the least and treat all the same.

The sons of Aaron point primarily to the priesthood of Jesus Christ. They were the many mediators between God and man, Jesus is the one mediator between God and man. The Old Testament offering was acceptable only as it was presented by the hands of the priests. The sons of Aaron were earthly priests and the Old Testament offerings had to come through their hands. Jesus is the heavenly priest and New Testament offerings have to come through His hands. No offering is acceptable to God that fails to come through Him.

When the Offering was placed in the hands of the priest he presented only a portion of what was offered and

B. A “Partitive” Offering

“… and he shall take there out his handful of the flour thereof, and the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof …” (v. 2b–d).

When the Meal Offering was brought to the sons of Aaron they scooped out a handful and burned it on the altar. The priests took out a little for God and a lot for themselves. They were right in doing this because it was exactly what God told them to do. Nothing of the offering went back to the giver. It was given to God and divided between the Lord and those who served at His altar.

Although the amount counted was small,

“… and the priest shall burn a memorial of it upon the altar …” (v. 2e).

The handful of grain, cakes or wafers applied to the fire had significance. It was not a meaningless gesture but was burned as a “memorial.” Only a small amount was offered but it was a token of the whole. It was just a handful but it was symbolic of the whole thing and it was acceptable to the Lord as if all of it was given. Some question how a part can represent the whole. It can when the part is a memorial. The money we give to God is only a handful but it signifies that all of it belongs to God. The time we give to God is only a handful but it signifies that all of it belongs to God. When the handful was put in the fire a cloud of smoke rose toward heaven and

D. A Pleasant Aroma & Sweet Savor

“… to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord” (v. 2f–g).

There is nothing so sweet to God as the offering of obedience. Doing what God has told us to do in the way He has told us to do it brings God pleasure. He delights in our obedience. This is what Samuel told king Saul when Saul wanted to justify his disobedience to God’s command by making an offering. In 1 Samuel 15:22 Samuel said, “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

After the handful was burned as an offering to God the rest of the meal offering allowed for the support of the priesthood and

E. Provision for Partakers in the Service of the LORD

“And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons …” (v. 3a).

After the priest had scooped out a handful of the Meal Offering to burn on the altar the remaining portion belonged to him. The sons of Aaron fed on the Meal Offering and the place where they ate it was the court of the tabernacle. The Meal Offering was the food of God and man. Both God and His priests feasted on it. This is a picture of God and His people enjoying together the work of His Son as an offering for sin. His sacrifice brings satisfaction. Isaiah said, “He shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied …” (Isaiah 53:11a–b).

The largest part of the Meal Offering became the property of the priests because all their time was devoted to the service of the tabernacle. The priests did not have secular jobs to provide income for themselves. God did not appoint those men to service and then tell them to find the best jobs the world could offer to supply their needs. God did not want His priests occupied by the world but by spiritual matters. It was God’s ordained plan that those who serve at the altar be supported by the altar. The sons of Aaron were not to look to the world for their livelihood. They were to depend on the free will offerings of God’s people. This is what is pictured in the portion of the various offerings which were allotted to the priests. In this picture we find that the divine plan is that the priests be supported by the bread of God’s altar. Paul refers to this plan in support of ministers in the Christian church. In 1 Corinthians 9:13–14 He said, “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” If priests are where they should be and are doing what they should be doing they will always find the support necessary to sustain them.

The sons of Aaron took the biggest share but the offering was not made to them. It was an offering to God. Although the priests were supplied out of what they people gave, what they received came from God. God supplied their needs through the gifts of His people. It is important to note that the priests took most of the meal but none of the frankincense. All the frankincense belonged to God and was burned on the altar. One of the symbols of frankincense is prayer and praise. In the worship of God’s people all the praise belongs to God and the priest is allowed to take nothing for himself. For some all this might seem meaningless but

F. Sacred Service

“… it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire” (v. 3b).

The words describing this act were a solemn warning about their offering to the Lord. It was more than something holy. It was most holy. Although the Meal Offering included the material it involved the spiritual. In fact, the whole purpose of the material was to be a type of the spiritual. What God requires of His people in their worship of Him is not a matter that can be lightly regarded. Our offerings have a secular basis but they are serious business. Worship will never be what it ought to be and what God planned for it to be until God’s people get the right idea about His offerings. We must have God’s mind about them and think the way He does. Too many people have no concept of the offering as the holiest portion of the fire offerings to the Lord. The act conducted is sacred. It is most holy.

Since the Meal Offering was most holy it is certain that God accepted it. God considers our gifts to Him as a holy thing and He receives them as something special. The Meal Offering is a picture of the labor of our Lord and God considers what His Son did most holy. The works of Christ cannot be treated superficially or with suspicion. Any attempt to escape from the witness to the miraculous works of Christ by natural reasoning or blatant denial calls unholy what God calls most holy.

Our offerings today are material but they testify of Christ’s works in us and through us. These offerings which speak of Christ in us, in all we have and all we are, must be considered a most holy act.

Transition: In verses 1–3 the Meal Offering was uncooked fine flour. In verses 4–10 there is a description of the different ways it could be cooked. Although the instructions are not found in Leviticus 2 nor in the law of the Meal Offering in Leviticus 6:14–23, the drink offering accompanied this and other offerings. Think for a few minutes about

IV. Poured Unto the Lord

“… poured unto the LORD for a drink offering” (Numbers 28:7b).

The drink offering was not a separate offering. It was poured out as the concluding part of another offering. The purpose of the offering was to show the joy of wholehearted agreement with what was accomplished at the altar. There are three considerations in connection with the services that ended with the drink offering: when, where and why. The consideration of when sets before us

A. The Life of Steady Worship

Leviticus 6:20 KJV 1900

This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the Lord in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night.

There were two appointed times for the Burnt Offering—in the morning and in the evening. The Meal offering always followed the burnt offering (compare Numbers 28:1–6), therefore the times of observance were the same. The regularity of these offerings taught God’s people that He expected from them a life of steady worship.

The amount offered was a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour. This was the portion that was needed as food for one person for one day. They were to bring half of it in the morning and half in the evening. In these directions for the offering we find that God expects His people to worship twice a day. Their worship in the morning was only one half of what God expected from His people. Those who come to worship in the morning but fail to return in the evening are giving to God only one half of what they ought to give. God did not give His people permission to skip the evening service if they attended the morning service. A half day attendance usually results in a halfhearted service and it robs God of the praises He is due from His people. It also makes them disobedient to the laws of worship and disobedience leads to all kinds of trouble.

We must give to God a life of steady worship. This is further emphasized by the word “perpetual.” They were to bring the gift of themselves in the morning and in the evening perpetually. There was never a time when they could stop this regularity of worship. We must say and show with the Psalmist the perpetual praise of God. He said, “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1).

The question of where considers the priests and the place they were assigned to feed on the Meal Offering. This pinpoints

B. The Place Where We Partake

Leviticus 6:16 KJV 1900

And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.

The largest portion of the unleavened fine flour and the cakes which were made from it became food for the priests. The place where they ate it was the court of the tabernacle. God fed on it in heaven and the priests fed on it on earth. The priests took their part and enjoyed it in the presence of the Lord.

As we offer the work of Christ in us and through us we are nourished by the food we offer. The appetite of the priests was satisfied as they ate what they offered in the sanctuary. As they ate they became a witness of their satisfaction and the location of their witness was in the court of God.

The priests took their portion of what was offered by the people but they could take nothing out of what they themselves offered. The person who offered could have no part of the offering. Self is denied any share of what is offered to God. The Lord must have it all and self must have none. This was true for all offerings except for the peace offering.

The question of why in connection with the service that ended with the drink offering is explained in

C. There Is Joy in Serving Jesus

“… in the holy place thou shalt cause the strong wine to be poured unto the LORD for a drink offering” (Numbers 28:7b).

In the Scriptures wine is a symbol of joy. The wine poured out after the offering had been made expressed the joy a person felt in accepting the accomplishment of the altar on his behalf. The wine poured out after the Burnt Offering expressed the joy in accepting the blood of sacrifice as a covering for sin. The wine poured out after the Meal Offering expressed the joy in accepting the bread of the altar as necessary food. The wine referenced here is what Bible Students call “Good Wine” in the Bible, as opposed to “Bad Wine” in the Bible. A diligent student of Sacred Scripture like you will understand the contrast between the two.

Note - Wordstudy on sakar

This verb is used nineteen times in the OT, twelve of which are in the prophetic books. In the Qal stem (ten times) the verb is intransitive, “be drunk.” In the Piel and Hiphil stems (four times each) it is transitive, “make drunk.”

With very few exceptions šākar and its derivatives are used in a highly unfavorable and negative context. But the few passages where the root is used in an acceptable sense should be observed. Genesis 43:34, Joseph’s brothers with Joseph in Egypt, says literally “they drank and ‘became drunk’ with him” (KJV “were merry with him”). The emphasis is on conviviality, not drinking to the point of drunkenness. Second, “strong drink” was to be used in the drink offering (Num 28:7) which of course was not drunk, but poured out as a libation. Third, the annual tithe to be paid to the Lord, the owner of the soil, might involve strong drink (Deut 14:26). Fourth, šēkār could be used as a stimulant; Prov 31:6, “Give strong drink unto him that is about to perish” (and cf. Mt 27:34; Mk 15:23 at the cross: however the av of Mt 27:34 say Jesus refused the vinegar, but the better texts call it wine. He accepted the (dilute) vinegar later, Mt 27:48). Fifth, Song 5:1. Thus of almost sixty uses of the root šalar, only five refer to something good and acceptable. [TWOT]

In all the passages where good wine is named, there is no lisp of warning, no intimations of danger, no hint of disapprobation, but always of decided approval.

How bold and strongly marked is the contrast:

The one the cause of intoxication, of violence, and of woes.

The other the occasion of comfort and of peace.

The one the cause of irreligion and of self-destruction.

The other the devout offering of piety on the altar of God.

The one the symbol of the divine wrath.

The other the symbol of spiritual blessings.

The one the emblem of eternal damnation.

The other the emblem of eternal salvation.

“The distinction in quality between the good and the bad wine is as clear as that between good and bad men, or good and bad wives, or good and bad spirits; for one is the constant subject of warning, designated poison literally, analogically, and figuratively, while the other is commended as refreshing and innocent, which no alcoholic wine is.” - Lees’ Appendix, p. 232. [from “Bible Wines” by William Patton]

Wine is symbolic of the cheer that comes to God and man (compare Judges 9:13).

Judges 9:13 KJV 1900

And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

This is not the wine of man’s table but the wine of God’s table. It is the joy that comes to God and man as a result of the finished work of the altar. It expresses heavenly joy over the redemption of the soul. It also expresses human joy in being redeemed. The joy bells ring in the streets of heaven in the salvation of one lost sinner. The joy bells also ring in the heart of the one who is saved by grace.

There were three things which were a part of Israel’s regular worship and they were found in the possession of the travelers going up to Bethel to make their offering to the Lord. In 1 Samuel 10:3 we are told that one carried three kids, one carried three loaves, and one carried a bottle of wine. The goats were for the Burnt Offering. The loaves were for the Meal Offering. The bottle of wine was for the Drink Offering. These three represent Christ as our sacrificial substitute, Christ as our food and Christ as our joy. In accepting and feeding on Him as our Savior there is joy unspeakable and full of glory (compare 1 Peter 1:8).

1 Peter 1:8 KJV 1900

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

The largest portion of the unleavened fine flour and the cakes which were made from it became food for the priests. The place where they ate it was the court of the tabernacle. God fed on it in heaven and the priests fed on it on earth. The priests took their part and enjoyed it in the presence of the Lord.

[Adapted from: Dean Weaver, Five Glimpses of Grace: The Levitical Offerings, Dean M. Weaver Sermon Outlines (Wordsearch, 2016), 24–41.]