LEVITICUS 5
We have been studying about the meat offering just inside the
tabernacle door. We have mentioned this several times before, but it
is of no use at all to study the Old Testament, unless you can see
Jesus. As we look at all the sacrifices and offerings, we will be able
to see Jesus in them all. The meat offering actually contains the
elements of Bread. We mentioned that, probably, the reason it is
called the meat offering is that the Bread actually symbolizes the
body of Jesus. Matthew 26:26 "And as they were eating, Jesus took
bread, and blessed [it], and brake [it], and gave [it] to the
disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body." Mark 14:22 "And as
they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake [it], and gave
to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body." We can easily see
that the Bread and Jesus' body are one and the same.
Let us continue with the study now by reading Leviticus 2:11 "No
meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with
leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of
the LORD made by fire."
We see, in the verse above, that leaven is not to be used in the
meat offering. As we said before, leaven symbolizes sin. Jesus' body
was free from sin. Jesus was the only person who ever lived upon the
earth free from sin. In fact, He was holy. Sin is an abomination to
God. To burn leaven on the altar would make a repulsive odor, not a
sweet smelling savour. Honey, as well as leaven, is something to
please the flesh, not the spirit of man. God will not accept worldly
offerings. The things we do for God must not be for worldly fame. The
offerings we make must be to please God alone.
Leviticus 2:12 "As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall
offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for
a sweet savour."
There is a great deal of difference between the meat offering and
the firstfruits offering. The meat offering represents the sacrifice
of the body of Jesus Christ on the cross. The firstfruits celebrate
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. You can easily see that first
fruits is for man. It would be alright to use leaven and honey in
firstfruits, since it is pleasing to man. I Corinthians 15:20 "But now
is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them
that slept." I Corinthians 15:23 "But every man in his own order:
Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his
coming."
Leviticus 2:13 "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."
Salt is a preserver. Many times salt was used to confirm a
covenant with God. I will give just one example of that practice here,
when God made a covenant with David. II Chronicles 13:5 "Ought ye not
to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to
David for ever, [even] to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?"
When salt was added to this offering, it showed that it was for all of
eternity. The sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross was for
all generations to come. It was the ultimate sacrifice and there would
be no need for any more sacrifices. Jesus called the believers the
salt of the earth. Christians must be the preserver of all that is
true and good. Matthew 5:13 "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the
salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is
thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden
under foot of men." In this Scripture, above and in the 6th chapter
of Hebrews, you can see how terrible it is for a Christian to go back
into the world after confessing belief in Jesus. Salt keeps decay
away, so it is a true preservent. Salt symbolizes incorruption. I
could go on and on about the good references about salt, but we will
get into more on it later.
Leviticus 2:14 "And if thou offer a meat offering of thy
firstfruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of
thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, [even] corn
beaten out of full ears."
This meat offering has one thing the other did not. This offering
is from the first corn of the season. Even before providing for their
own family, the first corn was given to God. This is truly giving the
best and first to God. I have said so many times that God wants all of
you. He must have 100%, or none at all. That is what I see in the
first of the harvest being given to the Lord. Christians should
practice firstfruits in their offerings to God. We give to God in
anticipation of earnings. Others wait until they know what their
earnings are and then give one tenth of that. Firstfruits is one thing
that separates Christians from others. We Christians even worship on
the first day of the week, instead of the last day of the week.
Leviticus 2:15 "And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay
frankincense thereon: it [is] a meat offering."
Jesus was not only born with the Holy Ghost as His Father, but
was filled with the Spirit of God. The oil in these offerings shows
the continuos presence of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of Jesus
here on the earth. The frankincense, here and in all of the offerings,
shows that God the Father is pleased with everything that Jesus did.
All the actions of Jesus on the earth glorified the Father and were a
sweet smell to God. This is the sweet smelling savour.
Leviticus 2:16 "And the priest shall burn the memorial of it,
[part] of the beaten corn thereof, and [part] of the oil thereof, with
all the frankincense thereof: [it is] an offering made by fire unto
the LORD."
This portion of the offering that was burned on the fire was
offered to God by the priest. It was completely burned up, not eaten
by anyone. This beaten corn is symbolic of the beaten body of the Lord
Jesus Christ. The oil is not just any oil, but the holy oil, symbolic
of the Holy Spirit of God. The frankincense sends a sweet fragrance to
God and it symbolizes that all glory goes to God. We see, in all of
this, that we must totally commit ourselves to God. It is very
important to do as Jesus did, and say with Jesus, not my will but
thine Oh! LORD.
We have been looking at two offerings that go hand in hand. The
meat offering and the firstfruits offering go together. We can see in
this that the crucifixion would not be complete without the
resurrection from the grave.
We must see in all of this that total commitment to God is the
only thing pleasing to God. God must be first. We must dedicate all
work that we might do to the glory of God.
The bread {Word of God} is the staff of life. Bread is not a
pleasant food, but a food of necessity. The Bread {Jesus Christ} takes
care of all our needs. It is by grace we are saved, not of our good
works. The blood of Jesus Christ reconciles us to the Father. To sum
this lesson up, we would say that we must serve a Holy God with clean
hands and a pure heart, bringing gifts acceptable unto Him.
Questions 5
1. Where was the meat offering given?
2. If the Old Testament is to be useful to us, who must we see in it?
3. The meat offering actually contains the elements of what?
4. Why is it called the meat offering,
if it contains no meat?
5. The Bread and Jesus' ____ are one and the same.
6. What 2 things were never to be part of the meat offering?
7. What does leaven symbolize?
8. What do honey and leaven have in common?
9. Why were honey and leaven acceptable in the firstfruits offering?
10. What did firstfruits symbolize?
11. What did the meat offering symbolize?
12. The firstfruits was for ___.
13. When does 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 23 tell us the Christians
shall be resurrected?
14. Every oblation of the meat offering shall be seasoned with what?
15. What was used many times to confirm a covenant of God with man?
16. What Old Testament character did we give an example of sealing an
agreement with salt?
17. How long was this agreement for?
18. How long was the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross good for?
19. In Matthew chapter 5 verse 13, what did Jesus call the believers?
20. What chapter in Hebrews tells of the terrible fate of those who
turn away from salvation in Jesus and go back into the world?
21. Incorruption is symbolized by what?
22. What should Christians practice in their gifts to God?
23. Worshipping on the first day of the week practices what?
24. What shows the continous presence of the Holy Spirit in these
offerings?
25. What does the frankincense show about the Father in these
offerings?
26. The memorial offering was eaten by whom?
27. Which 2 offerings go hand in hand?
28. The crucifixion of the Lord would not be complete without what?
29. All work that we might do must be dedicated to whom?
30. How could you sum up this lesson?
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