Christ in all the scriptures The Peace offering

 Christ in all the scriptures

The Peace offering (part 2)  Leviticus 3 and 7v11-34

The third of five aspects of the one offering of Christ.  This makes it central to the work of Calvary.  The reason Christ came was to reconcile man to God, and this He did by His death on the cross.   It is what Paul called the "ministry of reconciliation", which is detailed in 2nd Corinthians 5v18-21.  Throughout the details of the ritual of the peace offering we have the thought of fellowship, harmony, reconciliation-God and man in blest relationship.  In the peace offering there was something for God, something for the priests, for the priestly family, and for the offeror and his family.  In the burnt offering, all the flesh was for God; in the grain offering, all the frankincense was for God; in the peace offering all the fat and the best of the animal was for God; in the sin offerings all the blood was for God.  There is ever an aspect of Christ in His offering that God alone can appreciate. The peace offering was the only sacrifice eaten in its entirety (except for the fat and the blood), and the only one of which all parties were partakers.-the offering priest, the whole priestly family, and the offeror.  God, Himself, feasted on the fat and the best of the animal.

It is important we understand the distinctives of each offering if we are to enjoy the features of the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf.

First, the animal sacrificed in the Peace Offering could be from the herd or from the flock (but not a bird), whether male or female.  Since the whole of the animal was to be eaten, a turtledove or young pigeon would not be appropriate.  The male speaks of active strength, while the female suggests passive submission.  Both were true of Christ in His sacrifice.

Second, the offering was shared by God, by the priests, and by the offeror. All of the Burnt Offering was the Lord’s (except for the skin). Most of the Grain Offering was for the priests. But the Peace Offering was shared by all, each receiving their appointed portions. The beneficiaries of the sacrifice of Christ are many.  Indeed it was Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, who listed over 30 benefits accomplished by the death of Christ in which all share.

Third, three of the occasions on which the Peace Offering was appropriate were for thanksgiving, for fulfilling a vow, and for a freewill offering (Leviticus 7).  All are appropriate reasons for seeking communion with God.

Fourth, the Peace Offering was unique in that there was a meal associated with this offering.

Fifth, the thanksgiving Peace Offering included unleavened bread (Lev. 7:13)

All in all, the Peace offering was a meal shared by all, including God, and represents communion, which is an important subject in the New Testament-1st Cor. 1v9;10v16-17; 2nd Cor 13v14; 1st John 1v3.  Those who sit down to a meal with each other share the minds and hearts as well as enjoying the creature benefits.  In the law of the peace offering in chapter 7v11-34, we find it comes last of the offerings, so we could say it is the centre and circumference of the cross work of Christ.  It has ever been the desire of God to commune with His people, as at Sinai in Exodus 24; as in the tabernacle with the table of shewbread; as in Psalm 23, the prepared table in the midst of enemies; as in the institution of the Lord's Supper; as in the marriage supper of the Lamb.  This is characterised as "the Lord's Table", which all in Christ can enjoy, where Christ is the object and the subject of our communion. The gospel of Luke abounds in features of the peace offering-reconciliation, communion, fellowship, harmony; all blessings that emanate from the work of Christ.  

Luke's Gospel was written to Gentiles, yet it begins and ends with temple scenes involving Jewish ritual.  Very much to the fore is the harmonisation of Jew and Gentile, former long time enemies.  In the introduction to Luke's gospel by Zondervan, there is an interesting observation, "Luke adjusted his account of Jesus' ministry to persons without a Jewish background showing the universal appeal of the gospel, and that the gospel was equally for the Gentiles as for the Jews".   This fact is summarised in chapter 24v47, "...and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem".  Luke gives a prominent place to women, against a culture where women were marginalised.  He records 13 named women, more than any other of the gospels; in this way he underlines the importance of women in the work of God, thus bridging any gulf between men and women.  In His Gospel he focuses on the poor and the downtrodden, and presents Christ as meeting every social need, and visiting every geographical location.  In that classic chapter(15) of "lost things", we learn that a lost sheep is restored to the fold; the lost silver is restored to the woman; and the lost son is restored to the father, all features of the reconciliation aspect of the peace offering.  These and many more examples of the peace introduced in conflict, the restoration made for loss, the harmony enjoyed by all, are illustrative of the peace offering.  Note the prominence of the word throughout the gospel:
1v79 "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow0f death, to guide our feet into the way of peace". 

2v14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men".

7v50 and 8v48 To women He healed, "Go in peace"-better "Go into peace", stating a permanent condition, a new life of peace.

10v5/6 "And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say Peace be to this house...".

19v38 "Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest".  

19v42 "If thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes".

24v36 "And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you".

Christ in all the scriptures The Peace offering

 Christ in all the scriptures

The Peace offering   Leviticus 3

PEACE (Heb. shelem)

The clue is in the word.  The Hebrew Shelem is the plural of Shalam from which comes the beautiful Jewish greeting SHALOM!  This courteous gesture does not only proclaims peace in the present, but also into the future, and on and on into eternity!  The root of the word is restitution and recovery from a position of conflict to a state of universal harmony.  So that when the Jew greets another with this word, he is pointing to the day when there will be peace on earth, and good will to all men.  This is the meaning of this word for us today.  This is what Christ did in the peace offering on the cross, He has brought universal peace conditions that will be enjoyed by all who believe.  "And having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him I say whether they be things on earth, or things in heaven.  And you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable, and irreprovable in His sight"-Colossians 1v20-22.  He is the Prince of peace, who will bring all conflicts to an end-Isaiah 9v6.  In the colloquial language of scripture, when Christ rules this world, all conflicts will cease, and the weapons of war will be turned into tools of production ("...they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall the learn war any more..."-Isaiah 2v4).  This is the meaning of biblical peace, accomplished by Christ at Calvary, the blissful results that are yet to be fully revealed.  This is enhanced by the use of the plural form in the peace offering, meaning that EVERY ASPECT OF PEACE, NO MATTER FROM WHAT STANDPOINT WE VIEW IT, IS ACCOMPLISHED, WAITING THE DAY WHEN HE COMES!  This is the peace offering, this is what Christ has done, this is the third aspect of the one offering of Christ.  He is the One who gave His all to God in sacrifice (Leviticus 1); who lived a perfect life (Leviticus 2); and gave Himself to reconcile us to God (Leviticus 3).  Scripture proclaims the extent of this:

Peace enjoyed with God  Romans 5v1 "Therefore, being (having been) justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ".  The book which opened with "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men..." now declares there is eternal peace between God and the believer.  No more wrath, no fear of death, no rescinding of the promise of God, no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.  Romans 5v10-11 "For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement (R.V. reconciliation).  

Peace extended to all believers in Christ   Ephesians 2v14-18, "He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition; having abolished in His flesh the enmity, the law of commandments in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and came and preached peace to you which were afar off (Gentiles), and to them that were nigh (Jews-ceremonially).  For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father".   Not only has He reconciled us to Himself, He has reconciled us to one another in the body of Christ.  It may not seem so now but it will be in the future.  The work of the cross, the aspect of the peace offering, unites us to every believer in in dissoluble union. 

The Peace of God experienced in the challenges of life  Philippians 4v6-7, "Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep (guard as with a military garrison) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  No circumstance in life need disturb our inner peace, for God is with us in every situation; note the language-in nothing be anxious...in everything pray!  It is one thing to have peace with God in the matter of our standing; it is another to know the peace of God  amid the troubled waters of life.  The calm in which He dwells can be ours at all times!  Before Him is a sea of glass; around Him are the angels of glory; beside Him is the Son of His love who has dealt with sin and its consequences.  The new testament states it-"If God be for us, who can be against us"-Romans 8, and the extent of this is unfolded in the rest of that chapter.  The eternal God dwells in everlasting peace, and this can be our portion here.  Jesus declared, in the upper room, just hours before the trauma of Calvary, "Peace I leave with you, my peace give I unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid"-John 14v27.  This is the inner peace of Christ in harmony with God, His Father, even in the extremity of bitter sorrow.  The hymn by W. D. Cornell (U.S.A 1858-1936) sums it up well

Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial strains it unceasingly falls
O'er my soul like an infinite calm.

Refrain

Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love!

What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace,
Buried deep in the heart of my soul,
So secure that no power can mine it away,
While the years of eternity roll!

Refrain

I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace,
Resting sweetly in Jesus' control;
For I'm kept from all danger by night and by day,
And His glory is flooding my soul!

Refrain

And I think when I rise to that city of peace,
Where the Anchor of peace I shall see,
That one strain of the song which the ransomed will sing
In that heavenly kingdom will be:

Refrain

Ah, soul! are you here without comfort and rest,
Marching down the rough pathway of time?
Make Jesus your Friend ere the shadows grow dark;
O accept of this peace so sublime!

Refrain

At His birth it was announced from above, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men"-Luke 2v14.  This is what separates the believer from the rest of the world for "There is no peace saith my God to the wicked"-Isaiah 48v22; 57v21.  We have that inner peace that no trouble on earth can disturb; it is the peace of God in the soul, that nothing in this world can take away.  Treasure it, live it, share it, wonderful, wonderful peace.

Christ in all the scriptures Do's and dont's of the grain offering

 Christ in all the scriptures

No leaven, no honey, not without salt,  Leviticus 2

God uses symbolism to communicate the details concerning His Son, and it is imperative we understand them.  The case of Philip the evangelist speeding alongside the chariot of the Ethiopian Treasurer is relevant here-Acts 8.  He said "Do you understand what you are reading"? referring to Isaiah 53.  How often we read scripture, glossing over the wording, with no attempt to understand what it means?  In the grain offering, God forbad the use of leaven, and of honey; He also demanded that the offering must be salted.  It is our duty to investigate the meaning of these symbols if we are to understand the person of Christ.

No leaven     "No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the Lord, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven...in any offering of the Lord made by fire"-2v10.  Indeed at the Passover on leaving Egypt, they were to hold a feast of unleavened bread lasting seven days-Exodus 12v14-17, and this was to be a feast "throughout their generations" to be observed, failure to do so would result in excommunication from the congregation of Israel.  Therefore this is no small detail, and demands our comprehension-refer Ex. 12v19/20.  There was to be no leaven in their homes during this feast, and never at the altar where they came to worship the Lord.  No leaven must be in the grain offering.  Leaven (or modern yeast, a common ingredient to puff up bread for easy consumption) must not be used, so what does it mean.  Unless a clear definition is given of any biblical symbol, we can only interpret by reference to scripture usage.  It seems that the overwhelming usage of leaven in scripture is to represent evil that is present in every human being, and manifests itself in corrupt and varied ways.  The Blue Letter Bible defines it as a "metaphor of inveterate mental and moral corruption, viewed in its contagious social effect"; this last aspect is emphasised, in that "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (1st Cor. 5v6)   Just as the yeast will puff up bread to almost twice its size, so a little evil introduced into any society or group, permeates the whole.  This is the nature of sin, and there was nothing of it in Christ.  No corruption, no puffing up of self (indeed He was selfless), no evil influence on others (in fact the opposite).  

Jesus spoke of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy-Luke 12v1, Matthew 16v6v11.  This is presenting outward appearance amid inward corruption.  It is saying but not doing; preaching but not practising.  Not only does this corrupt a person who is living a lie, but it affects everyone associated with them.  Sadly this evil is prevalent today, especially in churches professing the name of Christ.

He also spoke of the leaven of the Sadducees, an elite group of individuals who presided over the ruling Sanhedrim in Jerusalem.  Their particular evil is not stated, but it is known their leaven was false doctrine.  They only accepted the Torah (first 5 books of the bible) as being Divine-they rejected all other writings.  They denied the existence of angels, or the future resurrection of the body-in fact all that is supernatural, declaring that this life is all there is-refer Matthew 22v23; Mark 12v18-27; Luke 20v27; Acts 23v8.  It is obvious that false doctrine in any form, deviating from the revealed word of God is contagious, spreading through groups and institutions until error is enthroned.  Paul described false teaching as a cancer permeating the whole body (2nd Timothy 2v16-18.  He describes their words as profane and vain babblings which are to be shunned.  Even ungodly speculations and purely human opinions are to be avoided.  There was nothing of that in Jesus who spoke only the words of God (John 12v49-50).

The leaven of Herod-Mark 8v15-21; 6v52.  This is worldliness manifested in violent opposition to God.  Three Herods are highlighted in the Gospels and Acts, and all were of the same nature.  Subservient to Rome, from whom they enjoyed their status, they opposed God and His people to protect their own position in the eyes of Rome.  Herod the great, known for his love of ornate buildings, slaughtered the infants of Bethlehem to protect his rule which he perceived to be under threat.  Herod Antipas, his son, at the whim of a young woman, beheaded John the Baptist for condemning his adulterous relationship with his brother's wife.  He also set at naught Jesus Christ to please the Roman governor.  Herod Agrippa 1 persecuted the church in Acts 12 to suppress the new movement and to please the Jews.  Their particular evil was love of place in this world.  Jesus had no such desires, no leaven in Him.  His kingdom was not of this world. 

Paul describes the sins at the church at Corinth as leaven-1st Corinthians 5.  He cites fornication, covetousness, extortion, idolatry, railing (false accusation), drunkenness as leaven.  Puffing of oneself up in pride is leaven, turning a blind eye to open sin is leaven, the old leaven that belongs to unconverted days.  They are to also avoid the new leaven of malice and wickedness, the tendency in the close knit community of a church to gossip, to defame others, to plot for their downfall.  All of this is leaven that MUST BE PUT AWAY, just as in old times leaven was forbidden.  Indeed the works of the flesh, enumerated in Galatians 5v19-21 (all 17 of them) are all manifestations of a corrupt nature, the practise of which excludes us from the kingdom of God.  By contrast Jesus was ever under the control and influence of the Spirit of God, and demonstrated love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.  We need to put leaven away, He had none in Him in His holy character.  There was nothing of leaven in Him, no sham hypocrisy, no dubious teaching, no opposition to God, nothing of this world, or of self interest.  Only sincerity and transparency, and truth.  The contagious nature of leaven is prominent, as only a little can contaminate the whole.  The process of leaven, as a corrupting element in human life, spreads to every one with whom it is in contact.  In a close knit community like a church this becomes a solemn reality, and evil in me contaminates the whole.

No honey   "For ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the Lord made by fire".  We have no explanation of this anywhere in scripture, so we should not seek one.  We know that honey is the sweetest food on earth-Judges 14v18; Psalm 19v10; Psalm 119v113; Proverbs 24v13; Ezekiel 3v3.  So honey we can say is natural sweetness of the highest form, there is nothing sweeter than honey.  However, Proverbs 25v16 and 25v27 warns against eating overmuch, which can cause nausea and vomiting.  We know that by experience, for eating too much sweetness can make us sick.  Perhaps this is what is meant, that the burning of honey on the altar would produce overmuch sickly sweetness.  Jesus Christ was the sweetest man ever to walk this earth, but He was not so sweet as to make people sick! He was kind, He was forgiving, He was compassionate, He was harmless, but He was also holy, undefiled, and separate from sinners.  In the home at Nazareth He was subject to His parents; however He also asserted His right at the age of 12 to attend to His Father's business-Luke 2.  He commended Nathaniel as a true Israelite, but revealed he still had much to learn-John 1.  He promised the Samaritan woman living water to change her life forever, but pointed out her marital deviations-John 4.  He removed condemnation from the woman taken in adultery, but told her to "go and sin no more"-John 8.  He commended Simon Peter for his understanding of Christ as Messiah, but condemned his lack of understanding of what Messiah would suffer-Matthew 16.  These and many more examples illustrate that Jesus was not sickly sweet.  His compassion for man was balanced with His commitment to God.

Not without salt     "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 instructions are very precise, and we need to understand the importance of this.  Salt is the opposite of leaven in that it prevents decay, whereas leaven spreads it.  Reference to all scriptures relating to the usage of salt (Lev. 2v13; Numbers 18v19; 2nd Kings 2v21; 2nd Chron. 13v5; Job 6v6; Matthew 5v13; Mark 9v49-50; Luke 14v34; Colossians 4v6), suggests at least three aspects: palatable to the taste; prevention of decay; permanence of relationship.  Salt is one of life's indispensable seasoning agents.  We well know that if there was no salt in the seven seas the whole earth would decay to putrefaction.  We know it is useful for daily cuisine.  God decreed it was an indispensable ingredient in all the offerings.  The main thought in salt in the bible is that of purity, the effect of slowing or stopping natural corruption or degradation.  There is plenty of scope for salt in us, and we are encouraged to have salt in ourselves (Mark 9v50), but this cannot apply to Christ in whom there was no corruption.  There is another aspect of salt, and it is the one highlighted here; it is the aspect of loyalty, "the salt of the covenant of thy God".  It appears that salt was the currency exchanged in settling the terms of a covenant; it was an expensive commodity back then, indeed legend has it that Roman soldiers were paid in salt, and this must have been a practise handed down for centuries.  Numbers 18v19 refers to God's covenant with the priestly tribe of Levi as a covenant of salt.  Also the Divine covenant with the house of David in connection with the eternal kingdom is described as a covenant of salt in 2nd Chronicles 13v5.  These were solemn indestructible covenants made between God and His people, the symbolic element was salt.  Christ came to seal the new covenant (Jeremiah 31v31-34; 32v40; 33v14; Hebrews 8v10-13;10v16-18, which will never be rescinded, and so the salt points to Him, the guarantor of all the covenants.  Therefore as we approach God it must be without doubt or wavering, but in full assurance of faith.  It must also be with full loyalty and commitment to Him in sincerity and truth, and devoid of any sense of mere ritual.

Christ in all the scriptures The grain offering part 2

 Christ in all the scriptures

"Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift"

The Newberry margin and many of the translations characterise this second major offering as "the gift offering".  It is the picture of the worshippers giving to God of what He has given to them.  We have already seen that this grain (or gift) offering was always offered with the burnt offering, indeed in practice both were offered each morning and each evening, and never one without the other.  Leviticus chapters 1 and 2 present to us the two primary aspects of the one offering of Jesus Christ.  The burnt offering is the perfect consecration of Christ in death; the grain offering is the personal character of Christ in life, and both can never be separated.  In our public worship, we, rightly, focus on His death (1st Cor.11v26); however in the gospel records there is much more revealed about His life, and God wants a memorial of that.  In the  burnt offering the Son of God satisfies the demands of God; in the grain offering the Son of man displays the character of God.

His holy and unique manhood (fine flour); His responsiveness to the promptings of the Holy Spirit (oil); His constant pleasing of the Father in all that He did (frankincense), blend together in the perfect man (the Son of man), the only man who could become the perfect sacrifice.  The wonder of that perfect life, lived out in adverse surroundings, is presented in the chapter in five different ways, as seen in the five ways of offering.  

1)   The handful of uncooked meal (v1-3)    "And he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof...".   This brought the offering within the scope of everyone.  Each took their handful, which would vary in capacity, and gave it to the priests, who put it upon the altar with all the frankincense.  This was a "sweet savour" to the Lord, literally "a savour of rest".  In His life Christ satisfied the righteousness of God; in His death He satisfied the demands of God, and so God is at rest in Christ.  The priests received the remnant of the offering, and so they can feed on that which is a delight to God  The portion for God is called a "memorial", and He would have us feed on the beauties of that life, and commune with Him.  We can all take our handful, however small, and render it in thanksgiving to the Lord.  For the entire duration of His life on earth, He brought a savour of rest to God.  

2) Baked in the oven (v4)  "And if thou bring an oblation of a grain offering baked in the oven...".  Mostly hidden from view, this is His perfection in the secret 30 years in the home at Nazareth!  We only have a few glimpses of this period in His life.  We know He went down to Egypt with His parents, as a young child to escape the wrath of Herod-Matthew 2v14.   Also, at the age of 12, He went to the temple to engage with the revered teachers, in His first public appearance-Luke 2v46-47.  We also know that in Nazareth He was subject to His parents-Luke 2v51 and that He grew bodily and mentally and socially-Luke 2v52.  We know that He was a carpenter by trade, and that He had brothers and sisters-Matthew 13v55-56.  We know that the family lived in poverty since they were only able to afford the smallest offering in their dedication to the temple-Luke 2v24.  We know that He was marginalised in the home, and that His brothers had attitude toward Him-John 7v3-9.  There is nothing else recorded of these years, the details are secret; perhaps this is the meaning of the hidden manna in Revelation 2v17.  What did it mean for the holy Son of God to dwell in a poor home, in a sinful environment, in a sinful town, but display humble demeanour and goodness, and yet not appear to be "holier than thou"?  Ultimately, the answer is given, when, at the age of 30, the heavens were opened, and Divine approval of His years at Nazareth was emphatically declared "And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like unto a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased"-Luke 3v22.  This is the fine flour mingled with oil, and frankincense ascending!  In the oven were unleavened cakes (thick cakes) mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers (thin wafers) anointed with oil.  The cakes are "pierced cakes", the surface perforated no doubt to allow uniform cooking of the mixture.  We know He was pierced in His body-John 19v34 and v37, but what of His soul piercing, a concept found in connection with His mother-Luke 2v35?  Many a time He must have been pierced in soul in the toxic environment of Nazareth.  The thin wafers coated (anointed) with oil, refers to the end of this period when He was anointed for public service by the Holy Spirit.  Thirty years in preparation for three and a half years of service, as He moved from the home to the public arena for God.  There was no leaven in the cakes or wafers, nothing of corruption or degradation.  He was a perfect boy, a perfect teenager, a perfect adult, and He was ready for highest service.

3) Baked on a pan (flat plate, or griddle) v5-6  "And if thy oblation be a grain offering baked in a pan...".  Unlike the oven which was mostly hidden, the flat plate was very public and seen by all.  This relates to the public ministry of Christ for three and a half years, during which He was under the gaze and scrutiny of the nation, particularly toward the end of His ministry.  During these difficult and trying years He displayed the same consistency of character, and was totally infused by the Spirit.  "Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon".   This public ministry called for extreme self control as He was confronted by criticism and abuse from all sections of society, yet without sin of thought or deed.  During this time He received the Spirit without measure (John 3v34), and displayed godliness in the face of evil. 

4) In the frying pan (the cauldron)  v7-10  "And if thy oblation be a grain offering in the frying pan...".  Partly seen, partly hidden, but extreme heat.  Surely this relates to the last days leading up to His death.  It is well known among scholars that in this period, from the time He entered Jerusalem on the colt of an ass, and the people hailed Him as Messiah-Matthew 21v1-11; Mark 11v1-11; Luke 19v28-40, that public scrutiny of Him intensified.  It ended in the most cruel and callous death, causing Him (humanly speaking) intolerable suffering, physically, mentally and spiritually.  It is worth reading from these references on to the crucifixion to sense the increasing intensity from the public at large, particularly from the rulers.  It was for this reason, He, largely, avoided Jerusalem for "the hour was not yet come".  The public were not privy to the agony of Gethsemane, nor to the hours of darkness in which He suffered at the hands of God, but His outward sufferings were visible. Yet it was in the midst this extreme suffering, He displayed the perfection of the fine flour, the submissive obedience to the Holy Spirit, and the fragrant odour of sweet savour to God. 

5)  "Green ears of corn dried by the fire, corn beaten out of full ears"  v14-16.  There was one more period of His life, after His resurrection (symbolised by the firstfruits-1st Cor. 15v23), that is the 40 days in which He appeared to His disciples.  Normally corn would not be taken from stalk ears until they were ripe.  This is a reference to Him being killed prematurely, as Isaiah the prophet said, "He was cut off out of the land of the living" (53v8); and Daniel 9v26, "Messiah shall be cut off".  He was only 33 when they crucified Him! During this time He could have avenged Himself for the wrong done, He could have asserted Himself in resurrection power.  Instead, He went about humbly, displaying the same perfection, submission to the Spirit, and pleasing the Father.  

Whether the 30 years in the home at Nazareth; the three and a half years of service; in the intensity of scrutiny in the last week; or the 40 days prior to His ascension, He displayed perfection as a man bringing great delight to God, and, ultimately, salvation to man.  This is the grain offering, the perfection of a life offered to God on our behalf.  We wonder, we worship, we wait patiently to be told the whole story some day.  He displayed the character of God as a man in this fallen world, before He was enthroned in heavenly glory.

   

Christ in all the scriptures The grain offering

 Christ in all the scriptures

The grain offering    Leviticus 2 part 1

The KJV translates the Hebrew word minchah as the meat offering, but this is in the ancient sense of the word, when meat was used to describe food.  There is no meat content to this second major offering, but it is considered by many as the "food of the burnt offering".  This is because it was only ever offered on top of the burnt offering to enhance the flame and emit a pleasant aroma to offset some of the unpleasant smells from burning flesh.  This is the second major aspect of the one offering of Christ, and it compels our attention.  From this point on we shall refer to it as the grain offering.  The burnt offering of chapter 1 prefigures Christ in the devotion of His sacrificial death.  The grain offering of chapter 2 prefigures the perfection of His life lived out to the glory of God, before death and through death, and beyond death.  Both are absolutely complimentary-a perfect life could only condemn me (it took a blood sacrifice to save me); yet even a devoted sacrifice would have been futile without the perfection of the life.  Thus the portrayal of Christ in Leviticus 2 is the sinless perfection of His life which qualified Him to become a perfect sacrifice.  Note the importance of this offering, v3 "...it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire", the same is repeated in v10.  Holiness is the main theme of Leviticus, and when God calls something holy, He means it is is acceptable to His holy character.  When He calls something "most holy", He means it compels our special attention.  The sinless perfection of the life of Christ is a thing most holy unto the Lord and calls for our close scrutiny.  God considers the details of the life of His Son with the highest regard, and He wants us to do the same.  The scriptures abound with the beauty of His perfect life, particularly the Gospels and the letter to the Hebrews.  We can find here some lovely pictures of a life lived out to the glory of God.  The words of the immortal hymn by the late Wylie McLeod captures the thoughts of this more than anything else: 

"A perfect path of purest grace, unblemished and complete; was thine thou spotless Nazarite, pure even to the feet.  Thy stainless life, thy lovely walk; in every aspect true.  From the defilement all around no taint of evil drew.  No broken service Lord was thine, no change was in thy way; unsullied in thy holiness, thy strength knew no decay.  The vow was on thee thou didst come, to yield thyself to death; and consecration marked thy path and spoke in every breath.  Morning by morning thou didst wake, amidst this poisoned air; yet no contagion touched thy soul, no sin disturbed thy prayer.  Thus Lord we love to trace thy course, to mark where thou hast trod; and follow thee with loving eye, up to the throne of God".   

This is the subject matter of Leviticus 2.  Three times this offering is presented as a memorial-v2, v9, v16.  We will never be allowed to forget the perfection of a life wholly untainted by the corruption of the world in which He lived.  

FINEST FLOUR  "His offering shall be fine flour..."This points to the perfect humanity of Christ.  Fine flour is the basic constituent for making bread, cakes, biscuits, and all kinds of staple food.  It is fundamental to life; Christ is declared to be the "bread of life", necessary for the sustenance and well-being of humanity.  Fine flour is refined by multiple siftings yielding consistent evenness of texture, removing all impurities, all foreign objects, and all lumps.  We know from Exodus 29v2 that the flour was of the wheaten crop, the best of the grain crops.  Nothing but the best to symbolise Christ!  His humanity was perfect, no impurities, no inconsistency, perfect balance of all His attributes.  Some men are noted for their strength, others for their meekness, again some for their compassion.  He held all qualities equally--as with mercy, so with justice; as with love of righteousness, so with hatred of lawlessness; as with devotion to God, so with compassion to mankind.  He was God and He was man in perfect harmony; not sometimes God and other times man, but God and man at all times.  He was the finest of the fine flour, displaying the perfect blend of true human qualities, and Divine attributes-- full of grace, and yet full of truth, all in perfect balance.  His perfect, sinless humanity, is under attack today in many different guises and God would have us acknowledge the immaculate, impeccable, irreproachable, indispensable, and inscrutable Christ.  It is a vast scripture wide subject, too big to unfold here.  All of us are somewhat biased, even prejudiced, and unbalanced in our thinking and attitude.  We have strong points and weak points; He had no strong points for He had no weak points.  He was the finest of the fine flour, perfectly balanced in all attributes, absolutely consistent at all times.  Note there are no quantities mentioned, so unlimited in scope, except the offeror was only to take a handful.  The depth of the knowledge of Christ is unfathomable and we can only take our portion.  God enable us to grow and increase the size of our hand!

FRESH OIL  "And he shall pour oil upon it...".   We have established before, that the oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, and points to the life of Christ being, at all times, under His control.  Scripture is clear that the Spirit of God was His inseparable, if invisible, companion throughout His life.  The chapter re-iterates this time and again, and we can find scripture reference for each occurrence:

v1 "...he shall pour oil upon it"; this points to the incarnation, His unique birth.  The Spirit was the originator of His conception and development in the womb...Matthew 1v18-20, "...that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost".  Again, Luke 1v35, "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".  This was His initiation into this world.

v4, "...unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil..." (see also v5); Exodus 29v2 says "tempered with oil"-same Hebrew word which is from a root "to overflow", it just means thoroughly mixed throughout.  This points to His whole demeanour in life which was totally in harmony with the Divine Spirit.  Matthew 4v1, "Then was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil"; Mark 1v12, "And immediately the Spirit driveth Him into the wilderness"; Luke 4v1, "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness"; Luke 4v14, "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee...". He preached in the inspiration of the Spirit, Luke 4v18, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...".  His activity in the Spirit was unlimited-John 3v34, "For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him".  He interpreted the future work of the Spirit-John 7v39, "But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given for that Jesus was not yet glorified".  On the cross of Calvary, it was through the eternal Spirit (cognisant of the eternal Divine plan, and in respect to the Divine will) He offered Himself without spot to God), Hebrews 9v14.  On resurrection ground, He taught His disciples the ways of God-Acts1v1-2, "...of all that Jesus began to do and to teach, until the day He was taken up, after that He, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen.  From conception to birth, from birth to death, and through death to resurrection and ascension He was subject to the sweet influences of the Divine Spirit whom He served with gladness.

v4, "...unleavened wafers anointed with oil...".  His title is Christ, literally "the anointed one", His title as Messiah.  There were three offices in Israel that required anointing; the office of prophet, priest, and king.  All three were anointed in public recognition into highest service.  Christ, and only Christ, fulfils all three, and untold blessings are yet to be revealed as Christ is presented as the Anointed One to the wondering world.  The anointing of Christ  is recorded in all four gospels, making it an important event-refer Matthew 3v16, Mark 1v10, Luke 3v22, and John 1v32-33.  According to the Blue Letter Bible the anointing was "the consecration of Jesus to the Messianic office, and furnishing Him with all the powers necessary for its administration".  The purposes of God and the eternal kingdom are in His hands.  Luke 4v18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord".  Acts 4v27, "For of a truth against thy holy child (servant) Jesus, whom thou hast anointed...".  Acts 10v38, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him".   Hebrews 1v9, "...thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows".

FRAGRANT FRANKINCENSE   The oil was to be mixed with the flour, but the frankincense was poured on the mixture only when the offering was on the altar.  Uniquely, the frankincense was all for God, while the residue of the offering was shared with the priests.  We have come to understand the frankincense to symbolise a fragrance that arose from the burning of the offering.  This was to be a memorial unto the Lord of a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the Lord.  Only the Lord can appreciate the fragrance of a life that was lived at all times to please Him.  In contrast to the putrid stench that arose to God from even the most religious of men (Isaiah 1v5-6; 1v13-14; 65v5; Proverbs 21v27; Amos 5v21-23; Micah 6v6-8), the pleasing aroma of frankincense from the beautiful life of Christ brings pleasure to God (Isaiah 53v10; Matthew 3v17; Mark 1v11; Luke 3v22; John 8v29; Ephesians 5v2.)  As a boy, as a man, as a servant, as a sacrifice, on the throne now, Christ brings pleasure to God that will outlast time.  The stench of sin will be forever gone, the fragrance of Christ will permeate eternity.

 

Christ in all the scriptures An offering made by fire

 Christ in all the scriptures

An offering made by fire...a sweet savour unto the Lord!  Leviticus 1

Intensity in worship  v7-9   "And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head and the fat in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: but his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water, and the priest shall burn all on the altar to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord."

The burnt offering is always associated with fire.  The early chapters of Leviticus detail the procedure for the offerings, and it is not until chapter 9v23-24 the first offering was ignited, amid a spectacular signal of God's approval-"And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people.  And there came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat, which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces!"  Thus the first burnt offering was ignited by the Lord from heaven, not from any incendiary on earth.   Furthermore, the flame was never to be extinguished, as is stated three times in chapter 6v9, 6v12, 6v13.  This was the issue in Leviticus 10, when the sons of Aaron kindled their own fire, and brought burning censers of strange fire to the golden altar of incense.  God takes a dim view of those who do things their own way, and not God's way, when handling sacred things in a way contrary to His will.  The severity of the judgment on them is a warning to all who handle holy things.  The burnt offering, and all the offerings with it must only burn with the flame kindled from above.  The golden censors for burning the pure incense at the golden altar must come from the Divinely kindled flame of the altar.  It is not enough to do God's work, it must be done in God's way.  Strange fire, new carts, this is the imagery of those who will do things differently, and not according to the Divine pattern.  I shuddered when I heard a so-called spiritual leader, while defending a clear breach of scripture, say, "We have our own way of doing things here".  How tragic.  God's work must be done in God's way, and this applies to the present day.  Paul said to the church at Corinth "The fire will try every man's work OF WHAT SORT IT IS!"-1st Cor.3v13.  It does matter how we do things for God.

There is no coldness or formality to the worship of God, it is symbolised by fire.  It is the fire that comes from above through the Spirit of God and kindles passionate thanksgiving.  Read through the scriptures and find that worship is passionate and heart-warming: e.g.

Psalm 45v1 "My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer".   The Hebrew word for inditing rachash  literally means to gush.  Other translations render this as an overflowing heart, or a heart bubbling over.  Note it is not the mind that is overflowing, we do not worship God with sermons-it is the heart that is oozing with praise to God through the Holy Spirit's flame.  The Lord said in Luke 6v45, "...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh"  The context of that is for good or bad.  We can only speak good of Christ, and what we speak is from a heart warmed by the Divine flame!  Paul wrote in Romans 5v5 that the ultimate experience of the Christian who has tasted the grace of God is that "the love of God is shed abroad (poured forth, flooded) in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us".  Is this the Divine flame within?  

A point of interest is that the word for "burnt" differs from the burnt offering (qatar-slow burning) to the sin offering (saraph-burnt to ashes).   In the sin offering, God consumed the whole animal in a deluge of fire outside the camp-(Leviticus 16).  The burnt offering was of a slow burning flame emitting clouds of sweet savour perpetually to the Lord.  Most other offerings were burned upon the burnt offering, including the grain offering, the peace offering, the fat from the sin and trespass offering, and the drink offering.  None of these were offered without the burnt offering.  The only exception was the offering of the red heifer of Numbers 19, which is a separate study in itself.     

The other sacrifices for the burnt offering, namely of the flock or of the fowls, all follow the same principle, that the entire offering was on the altar before the Lord-refer Lev. 1v13v15- but there are a few different procedures.  In summary, the burnt offering was presented before the Lord, it was killed at the altar, and placed on the wood in order.  The fire from above kindled the flame and emitted a sweet savour to God.  The link to Christ is obvious-in the words of Ephesians 5v1-2, "Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour".  Again the hymnwriter catches the mood of these fabulous scriptures, "The vow was on thee, thou didst come; to yield thyself to death.  And consecration marked thy path; and spoke in every breath"-Wylie Macleod, Christian barrister from Calcutta (1812-1872).  Christ presented Himself to God, He laid down His life on the cross, His blood cleanses from all sin, and in death the pleasure of the Lord prospered in His hand.  What the flame meant for Him we can never know; what it means to God will forever be extolled.  We are challenged to follow the One who so devoted Himself to God...Romans 12v1, "I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (worship)".  This is our best response to such sacrifice made on our behalf.