Commentary - Leviticus 2:1-3

Bird's-eye view

Leviticus chapter two introduces us to the grain offering, or the minchah, which is a tribute offering. Coming right after the burnt offering (the ascension offering) in chapter one, which dealt with the fundamental problem of sin through substitutionary atonement, this grain offering represents the consecrated life and work of the worshiper who has been accepted by God. This is not an offering for sin; blood had to be shed for that. Rather, this is an act of grateful worship, a recognition that all our labor, all our substance, and all our daily bread comes from the hand of a gracious God. It is the positive side of our devotion. First, we are made right with God through the blood (Lev. 1), and then we present our lives and our work to Him as an act of tribute (Lev. 2).

The specific elements of the offering, fine flour, oil, and frankincense, all point forward to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the fine flour, the perfect man, without any of the lumps or grit of sin. He is anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit without measure. His life was a fragrant offering of frankincense, a sweet and soothing aroma to the Father. The portion given to the priests to eat signifies our fellowship with God and our dependence on the provision He makes for His ministers. This chapter, then, is a detailed picture of what a life dedicated to God looks like, a life that is only possible because of the atoning work of Christ, and a life that is perfectly fulfilled in Christ Himself.

Outline

Context In Leviticus

The book of Leviticus is the divine instruction manual for how a sinful people can live in the presence of a holy God. After God has delivered Israel from Egypt and brought them to Sinai, He descends to dwell in their midst in the Tabernacle. The central question of Leviticus is, "How do we not get consumed?" The first section of the book (chapters 1-7) lays out the sacrificial system, which is God's gracious provision for answering that question. The offerings are the grammar of worship. The burnt offering (chapter 1) comes first because atonement is foundational. A sinner cannot approach a holy God without a substitute to bear his guilt. Only after the worshiper has "ascended" to God through the smoke of the burnt offering can he then bring his tribute, this grain offering. It is part of a larger liturgical sequence that models what is called Covenant Renewal Worship: God calls, we confess, He consecrates us, we have communion with Him, and He commissions us. The grain offering fits within the consecration and communion phase of this worship. It is the worshiper, having been atoned for, now dedicating his life and work to the God who has saved him.

Key Issues

The Grammar of Grateful Work

We must not think of these offerings as isolated and arbitrary hoops God made Israel jump through. They are a divinely-authored catechism, teaching the people the syntax of a right relationship with God. The burnt offering taught them about substitutionary atonement, the absolute necessity of a life for a life. But what comes after atonement? A life of grateful service. That is what the grain offering is all about. It is an offering of fine flour, the product of human labor applied to God's created resources. The Israelite took the wheat God grew, and through the work of his hands, he ground, sifted, and prepared it. This offering is therefore a sanctification of our daily work.

This is not about earning God's favor. The favor has already been secured by the burnt offering. This is about responding to that favor. It is bringing the fruit of our lives, our vocations, our cultural endeavors, and presenting it to God as a tribute. It is acknowledging that the strength to work, the materials we work with, and the skills we possess are all gifts from Him. This offering teaches us that our work matters to God. Whether you are a farmer, a priest, a craftsman, or a king, your labor is to be done before the face of God and offered up to Him as an act of worship. Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of this, as His entire life's work was a perfect offering to the Father. And through Him, our flawed and imperfect work is accepted as well.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 ‘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.

The offering begins with the worshiper. When "anyone" or, more literally, a "soul" (nephesh) brings this offering, he is bringing himself, represented by the work of his hands. This is a personal act of devotion. The offering itself is specified. It must be "fine flour." Not just any coarse meal, but flour that has been carefully ground and sifted. This speaks of the excellence we are to offer God. It is a type of the Lord Jesus, who was without any moral roughness or impurity. He is the perfect man, tested and found flawless. On this flour, the worshiper is to "pour oil." Oil in Scripture is a consistent symbol of the Holy Spirit, of anointing, joy, and consecration. This points to Christ's anointing by the Spirit at His baptism, and it teaches us that our work must be empowered and sanctified by the Spirit to be acceptable. Finally, he is to "put frankincense on it." Frankincense was a costly, fragrant resin that produced a beautiful aroma when burned. This represents the pleasing and worshipful nature of the offering, a life that is a sweet perfume to God. This is Christ, whose life of perfect obedience was utterly pleasing to the Father.

2 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.

The worshiper does not ascend the altar himself. He brings his gift to the mediator, the priest. This is a crucial part of the grammar. We do not approach God on our own terms, but through the mediator He has appointed. The priest then takes a "handful" of the flour and oil, along with "all" of the frankincense. This handful is the "memorial portion." It is the representative part that is offered directly to God on the altar. By burning this portion, the worshiper is acknowledging that the whole of his life and work belongs to God. The frankincense is entirely burned up because praise and adoration belong to God alone. This memorial portion ascends "in smoke" to God. This is described as "an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to Yahweh." This phrase does not mean God enjoys the smell of barbecue. It is anthropomorphic language describing God's covenantal pleasure and satisfaction. He is pleased, not by the smell itself, but by the faith, gratitude, and obedience that the offering represents. It is a tranquilizing aroma because the obedient life of the worshiper, grounded in the atonement, satisfies the terms of the covenant. It brings peace.

3 And the remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons: a thing most holy of the offerings to Yahweh by fire.

After the memorial portion, God's portion, is offered on the altar, the rest of the grain offering does not go back to the worshiper. It "belongs to Aaron and his sons." It becomes the food for the priests. This is a beautiful picture of God's provision for His ministers, but it is more than that. It is a picture of communion. The worshiper brings his gift, God receives His portion, and the priests, God's representatives, eat the remainder in a holy place. This is a shared meal, a sign of fellowship. Our dedicated work not only glorifies God, but it also sustains the life and ministry of the church. This remainder is designated "a thing most holy." This is the highest level of sanctity. It is set apart exclusively for God's use, which in this case is the sustenance of His consecrated priests. It could not be treated as common food. This teaches us the profound sanctity of our service to God and its role in the economy of His kingdom. What we offer to God in faith becomes a holy provision that builds up His house.

Application

The grain offering is a direct challenge to the modern sacred/secular divide that so many Christians have unthinkingly adopted. We tend to think of our "spiritual" life as the things we do at church on Sunday, and our "real" life as the work we do from Monday to Friday. Leviticus will not allow this. This offering of fine flour, the product of a man's daily labor, teaches us that our work is an act of worship. The first application, then, is to consecrate our work to God. Whatever your vocation, you are to do it with all your might, as unto the Lord. The fine flour reminds us to pursue excellence. The oil reminds us to depend on the Holy Spirit. The frankincense reminds us that the ultimate goal is to produce a life that is a pleasing aroma to God.

Secondly, we see the pattern of head, heart, and hands. The worshiper understands the truth of God's provision (head). He brings the offering out of a grateful desire to honor God (heart). He then physically prepares and brings the offering (hands). Our worship must be holistic. It must engage our minds in truth, our affections in love, and our bodies in obedient action. Finally, this passage points us relentlessly to Christ. He is the perfect grain offering. His life was the finest flour, anointed with the Spirit's oil, a fragrant offering to the Father. And because we are in Him, our imperfect offerings, our fumbling attempts to serve Him in our daily work, are accepted. God takes the memorial portion of our lives, the part dedicated to Him by faith, and He is pleased. The rest, He uses to feed His people and build His kingdom. So go to your work this week, not as a drudgery to be endured, but as an altar where you present a tribute offering to the King.