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.