"The Savior in the Sacrifice"
Leviticus 2:1 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:
2 And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take there out 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 savor unto the LORD:
INTRODUCTION: One of the most things in the study of Scripture is that you can look for portraits of Jesus in type and shadow in the OT. Although at first glance you might not think so, there are many of these portraits in the Book of Leviticus which a friend of mine, Don Pegram, once referred to as a "...book of entrails!" One issue that I need to explain before we start our study is the meaning of the word "...meat..." found throughout this passage. It is from a Hebrew word used to describe any kind of food offerings. In this case it (the food) involves flour, oil, frankincense and if you read the entire passage salt.
Let's look at how the grain (food) offering is discussed. Verses one through three is about the grain offering uncooked. Verses four through 10 are about the grain offering cooked and the three ways you could have brought it. Verses 11, 12 and 13 talk about ingredients for the grain offering and 14 through 16 discuss a variation of the grain offering called the first fruits.
Now let me clarify one other thing about this particular offering. This offering is not about atonement like some of the others. The whole burnt offering that occurred before the meat (food) offering was about atonement; this offering point to something else. I believe the word "...memorial..." is key. When we observe a memorial we remember something. This is certainly true of the Lord's Supper where Jesus says; "...this do in remembrance of me..." In the Lord's Supper we remember the Lord body and blood which he gave for us. So when the offerer placed the flour, oil, frankincense and salt on the fire upon the altar he was looking back at the whole burnt offering which was an atoning sacrifice. It was therefore about remembrance, thanksgiving and gratitude. That brings me to my point; the Savior not only died for us, He also lived His life for us and the elements of this offering point to that! His entire life and ministry was a beautiful sacrifice and we can learn much from this meat (food) offering. Now there were some other aspects to this meat offering found in Leviticus 6:14-23 but we'll save that for another time.
I. The Elements of the Sacrifice
a. The Flour
This was to be of the finest of the wheat; for all offerings, whether private or public, were to be of the best, and to be brought from those places which were noted for having the best; and the best places for fine flour were Mechmas and Mezonicha, and the next to them were Caphariim, in the valley; and though it might be taken out of any part of the land of Israel and used, yet it chiefly came from hence (t); and according to the Jewish writers (u); the least quantity of fine flour used in a meat offering was the tenth part of an ephah, which was about three pints and a half, and a fifth part of half a pint. John Gill
The key word here is the word fine. It was finely ground wheat. The husk is removed in the threshing of the grain; the grain is ground by a millstone (we all have heard the expression, stone ground grain, usually corn) and the stone went round and round until the grain was pulverized into a fine flour. Any baker or chef will tell you that there are different grades of flour and the finer the flour the more luxurious the cake or pastry.
b. The Oil
This is the fruit of the olive-tree. This tree yielded oil which was highly valued. The best oil was from olives that were plucked before being fully ripe, and then beaten or squeezed Deu_24:20; Isa_17:6; Isa_24:13). It was called "beaten," or "fresh oil" (Exo_27:20). There were also oil-presses, in which the oil was trodden out by the feet (Mic_6:15). James (Jam_3:12) calls the fruit "olive berries." The phrase "vineyards and olives" (Jdg_15:5, A.V.) should be simply "olive-yard," or "olive-garden," as in the Revised Version. It was the best oil that was used; and though it might be brought from any part of the land of Israel, which was a land of oil olive, yet the chief place for oil was Tekoah, and the next to it was Ragab beyond Jordan, and from hence it was usually brought (w); and the common quantity was a log, or half a pint, to a tenth deal of fine flour. John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
c. The Frankincense
(Heb. lebonah; Gr. libanos, i.e., "white"), an odorous resin imported from Arabia (Isa_60:6; Jer_6:20). It was one of the ingredients in the perfume of the sanctuary (Exo_30:34), and was used as an accompaniment of the meat-offering (Lev_2:1, Lev_2:16; Lev_6:15; Lev_24:7). When burnt it emitted a fragrant odor, and hence the incense became a symbol of the Divine name (Mal_1:11; Son_1:3) John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.
The man that brought the meat offering left an handful of frankincense upon it on one side; and the reason of this was, because it was not to be mixed with it as the oil was, and it was not to be taken in the handful with it (z); and the quantity of the frankincense, as Gersom says, was one handful:
d. The Salt
All meat-offerings were seasoned with salt Lev 2:13. Salt reminds me of a story I read.
FINDING DETROIT
Mary Brumbaugh's husband, an airline pilot, often has difficulty locating items around the house. One day he asked Mary where the salt was. Annoyed, she responded, "How on earth can you find Detroit at night in a blizzard, but you can't find the salt in your own kitchen?"
"Well, darling," he replied, "they don't move Detroit!"
SOURCE: Paul Decker in "A Passion for You" on www.sermoncentral.com. Citation: Mary W. Brumbaugh, St. Augustine, Fla
Lev 2:13 "...every ... meat offering shalt thou season with salt..." The same reasons which led to the prohibition of leaven, recommended the use of salt - if the one soon putrefies, the other possesses a strongly preservative property. Jamieson, Fausett & Brown
II. The Explanation of the Sacrifice
a. Flour is emblematic of the Person of Jesus
Christ was prefigured by the meat offering; his sacrifice came in the room of it, and put an end to it, Psalms 40:7 whose flesh is meat indeed, the true meat or bread, in distinction from this typical meat offering, John 6:55 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
Christ was born in Bethlehem. The literal meaning for the name Bethlehem is "The House of Bread." Jesus was not born in the house of royalty, or the house of riches, or the house of celebrity. Jesus was not born in Jerusalem, or in Rome, or in Athens or Alexandria. Jesus was not born in any political, commercial, cultural, educational, or socially significant city of the day. When Micah, the Old Testament prophet, foretold the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, he emphasized its lack of significance to the world.
Micah 5:2 "But thou, Bethlehem, Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel: whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting."
The bread metaphor was used by the Lord throughout His ministry.
John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
b. Oil is emblematic of the Paraclete
The oil denotes the grace of the Spirit poured out upon Christ without measure, the oil of gladness, with which he was anointed above his fellows, and from whence he has the name of Messiah or Christ, or Anointed; and with which he was anointed to be prophet, priest, and King, and which renders him very desirable and delightful to his people, his name being as ointment poured forth, Psa. 45:7. John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
c. Frankincense is emblematic of the perfume, the fragrance of a life lived for God's glory.
The word frankincense appears 17 times in the King James Bible. Though incense is mentioned 113 times and it is often assumed to imply frankincense along with myrrh and other spices. Below you will find these 17 references listed in context. It is obvious from these scriptures that frankincense played a vital role in the history and rituals of the chosen people.
d. Salt is emblematic of purity.
How valuable is salt? 40 million tons are required each year to fill our needs. Homer called it divine. Plato called it a "substance dear to the gods." Shakespeare mentioned salt 17 times in his plays. Perhaps Leonard da Vinci wanted to send a subtle message about purity lost when he painted "The last Supper." In that painting an overturned salt cellar is conspicuously placed before Judas. In ancient Greece a far-flung trade involving the exchange of salt for slaves gave rise to the expression, "...not worth his salt." Special salt rations were given to Roman soldiers and known as "Solarium Argentums" the forerunner of the English word "salary." Thousands of Napoleon?s troops died during his retreat from Moscow because their wounds would not heal--their bodies lacked salt. The human body contains about 4oz. of salt. Without enough of it, muscles won?t contract, blood won?t circulate, food won?t digest and the heart won?t beat a beat. Without a doubt, salt is the essence of life. And Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the earth."
There is a great difference in the salt that is in the shaker on your table and the salt of Bible days. It was not always easy to procure salt that had that was pure. Often times in the areas where salt was available rain would dissolve the salt and leave behind a mixture of salt and minerals. In this case it was said that the "...salt had lost its savor..."
III. The Effects of the Sacrifice
a. It was valuable
There was value in what Christ did. He gave his best and that was true of the meat offering. It was to be "fine" flour and the best olive oil and frankincense (which was expensive and imported from Arabia) and salt that had not "...lost its savor..."
b. It was vicarious
Jesus lived his life for others. His was a life dedicated to the benefit and blessing of others.
ILL - This is a true story, about a German artist named Albrecht Durer and one of his famous drawings, "The Praying Hands."
Durer's Father was a goldsmith and apprenticed him in his early years to learn the family trade, but Durer loved painting and really wanted to be a painter. So his father finally gave in and agreed that he could go to Nuremberg to study art. Unfortunately though, his father wasn't wealthy enough to support him, so he had to work as a labourer to support himself. The trouble was, this left him little time to work on his art. Now he had a friend, Franz Knigstein who was also a gifted artist and in the same boat, so they decided that they'd draw lots and one would support the other while he finished his studies and then he'd support the other out of his earnings as an artist. Well, they drew lots and Albrecht won. So Albrecht was able to devote himself to his art studies, but he agreed to support Franz after achieving success so his friend could finish his studies. Some years later Albrecht returned to find Franz so he could keep his end of the bargain. But when he got there he discovered what a sacrifice his friend had made for him. You see as Franz had worked at his labour, his fingers had become twisted and stiff. His long, slender fingers and sensitive hands had been ruined for life. He could no longer manage the delicate brush strokes so necessary for executing fine paintings. But in spite of the price he had paid, Franz wasn't bitter. He was happy that his friend Albrecht had attained success. Well, one day Albrecht saw his friend kneeling, his rough hands entwined in silent prayer. Albrecht quickly sketched the hands, later using the sketch to create this drawing "The Praying Hands". He saw his friend's hands as a symbol of the sort of love that Jesus had shown us. A self giving love that preferred the good of the loved one to its own rights. A self emptying love that chose servanthood over equality with God and the glory of heaven.
c. It was victorious
By using this last point I am saying that the life of Jesus was a sacrifice that was pleasing to God the Father. The Father was "...well pleased..." with His Son. This sacrifice was characterized as a "...of a sweet savor unto the LORD..." The life of Christ was a sacrifice as well as His death. If the latter was about the atonement then the former was about adornment. The life of Jesus was adored with self-giving, selfless-living and self-emptying! His life is the pattern for all Christian service. Paul wrote:
Rom 12:1 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.
Conclusion: The elements of the meat offering (fine flour, oil, frankincense and salt are all emblematic of how we should live and serve. I want to close with this article.
CHRIST IS THE WIND, CHRISTIANITY IS THE SAIL
ILL - Does the practice of our religion reflect the God we serve? In Shane Hipps' book, "Selling Water by the River: A Book about the Life Jesus Promised and the Religion that Gets in the Way," he uses an analogy from sailing to express what has happened in the church over the past generations. He says (I quote loosely), One thing that might ease our anxiety is to remember that Christ and Christianity are not the same thing; If Christ is the wind, then Christianity is the sail. Some sails are better than others at catching the wind, some sailors are better at using the sail, but there is always and only one wind. A sail without the wind is a limp flag; wind without a sail is still the wind. The relationship is only one way. The wind (Christ) is the pre-existent creative power of the universe with no birthday or death date. The sail (Christianity) on the other hand is an institution built with the intention of harnessing that power. If the institution goes away, the power remains. Put simply, Christ is much, much bigger than our religion. Listen to me, just because my religion bears his name doesn't always mean it bears His likeness. Such misconception is a dangerous, even an arrogant illusion. If we buy into this assumption, we become like the sail who believes it controls the wind.
