The Grain Offering (Leviticus 2)

Is the grain or meal offering somehow related to communion? Could unleavened bread symbolize our sinless Savior? What could the oil and frankincense picture? Let's look at Leviticus 2.

Could the grain-offering be burnt? Because the Levites had no inheritance in the land, and did not grow their own food, did they rely on offerings?

Now when anyone brings near a grain offering as an offering to Yahweh, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it. He shall then bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests; and he shall take from it his handful of its fine flour and of its oil with all of its frankincense. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke as its memorial portion on the altar, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to Yahweh. And the remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons: a thing most holy of the offerings to Yahweh by fire. (Leviticus 2:1-3 LSB)

Don’t be confused by the old English in the King James Bible calling the meal offering a meat offering. It’s the same thing. Could the grain offering be oven baked?

And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil. Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering. (Leviticus 2:4-6 KJV)

Could the grain offering be baked in a pan? Who ate the remainder?

Now if your offering is a grain offering made in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. When you bring in the grain offering which is made of these things to the Lord, it shall be presented to the priest, and he shall bring it to the altar. The priest then shall take up from the grain offering its memorial portion, and shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord. The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons: a most holy part of the offerings to the Lord by fire. (Leviticus 2:7-10 NASB)

Was any leavening agent allowed to be included with the grain offering? What is meant by adding salt? Could it have something to do symbolically with preserving the covenant?

Every grain offering you bring to the Lord must be made without yeast, for you are not to burn any yeast or honey in a food offering presented to the Lord. You may bring them to the Lord as an offering of the firstfruits, but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma. Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings. (Leviticus 2:11-13 NIV)

If the grain offering was of firstfruits, how was that handled?

If you offer a grain offering of your firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits green heads of grain roasted on the fire, grain beaten from full heads. And you shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain offering. Then the priest shall burn the memorial portion: part of its beaten grain and part of its oil, with all the frankincense, as an offering made by fire to the Lord. (Leviticus 2:14-16 NKJV)

Is the grain or meal offering somehow related to communion? Could unleavened bread symbolize our sinless Savior? What could the oil and frankincense picture? You decide!