January 19, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Leviticus? Here’s today’s reading:
Leviticus 2 (NIV)
The Grain Offering
1“ ‘When anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord, their offering is to be of the finest flour. They are to pour olive oil on it, put incense on it 2 and take it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.……Continue Reading
Grain offerings were typically given in thanksgiving to God rather than atonement for sin from what I understand. God reminds them of several things that are important during a grain offering that i think relate to our life and service to God. First they were to be a work of your hand and it was important that it had a pleasing aroma. To me that speaks to our hearts today. When we serve we should do it from a place of appreciation to bring glory to God and not to be noticed or acknowledged that what we do is a reflection of us but rather a gift to God. God also was specific to say no yeast should be in it. The yeast was a small piece of the last batch that they would add to the new to get it to rise and there should be none of our sinful old life in anything we give to God. He has made us new and we need to walk as a new creature in Christ. The last thing I noticed was the need for salt that we know was so important. Salt preserved and brought flavor and for us it should stand as a rememberance of our relationship with God that we He has given our lives and as ambassadors we should share that with the world.
Loved your insights, Kelly. 😊
Leviticus 2
Reflecting on the emphasis God places on our “firstfruits” when it comes to our offerings. How often do I just give God what is left? Do I consistently plan and run my day from the perspective that God gets my firstfruits, my priority for thoughts, actions, and resources? Does my life reflect my desire that God receive my firstfruits? Or, do I hedge my bets? Do I make deals with God? Is there a heart in me that says, “Well God, if you do this in my life, then I will most definitely praise you!! My firstfruits will be yours!” Wretched man that I am…who shall deliver me from this body of death! (Romans 7:24).
All too often, this is the tendency of my heart…to require that God make things well in my life before I fully devote myself and my life to Him. And yet, God, in His gentle mercy whispers…”My grace is sufficient for you.” And I know He is right.
I also love the emphasis on salt in this passage…lots of reasons why God included salt in His covenant with His people…but it brings to mind Jesus’s command that we be both salt and light in Matthew 5:13-14. God is the same…yesterday, today, and forever, and there is great confidence and comfort in that fact. Seeing connections between Old and New Testaments is always wonderful.
Heavenly Father, I pray that you would make me and the people of Living Hope Christian Church more and more like your Son, Jesus…that we would consistently begin our days aware of your love and grace in our lives, to a point where it overwhelms us and motivates us to be both salt and light in a world that desperately needs you…and may we offer our firstfruits to you, knowing that all that we have is already yours, and in teaching us to give our firstfruits to you, you are teaching us to depend more fully upon you. I pray this in the beautiful name of Jesus, Amen.
Amen, Sean!
Amen
Leviticus 2. This chapter is a reminder that all we have belongs to God, and all that he provides for us. The grain offering was a gift of thanks to God, and they had to use the finest flour and oil and the absence of yeast signified the absence of sin. They used salt in all of their offerings as a reminder of their covenant to God, salt symbolizes durability, purity, wisdom. It preserves us from the evil one.
Leviticus 2
God is a God of details.. Every detail of my life matters to Him..
Grain offerings were another compensation for those who couldn’t afford other offerings. Although not exclusively for the “poor” and not meant for atonement, it allowed all to bring something to God that was pleasing to Him. It would also be a provision for the priests too. It is interesting that God calls that portion given to the priests a most holy potion of the sacrifice. And yet even in this context God makes a point about purity. Yeast represented the permeating nature of sin that needed to be cleansed and salt was a purifier. All that was to be given to Him would be the best, to show the regard and value that He is to have to us. But not for His benefit. He doesn’t need it. He does it for our benefit, to incline our proud and selfish hearts to Him.
Leviticus 2
Leviticus 2–7
Leviticus 2
My Leviticus 2 comment is in Leviticus 1. 😑I must have been at the wrong section.
I like the points everyone is making about bringing first fruits, and it being a sweet aroma.
From making bread, one thing I know is you don’t want the salt too close to the yeast because it will kill it.