2 Eternal One: Any time one of you brings a grain offering to Me, it should be the finest flour mixed with olive oil and frankincense. 2 Give it to Aaron’s sons, the priests. One of the priests will take a handful of the fine flour mixed with olive oil and frankincense and offer up a memorial portion on the altar, and the smoke of the offering will rise and be a pleasant aroma to Me. 3 The rest of the grain offering is for Aaron and his sons. It is a most holy part of the fire-offerings dedicated to Me. No one other than the priests may eat it.
The sacrifices and offerings not only please God but they provide for the physical and spiritual needs of the people. All the priests are from the tribe of Levi and participate in the spiritual heritage of Aaron, Moses’ brother. With some of the offerings, God prescribes that the priests must share in the food brought by the people. By eating from their sacrifices, the priests participate in the lives of those who wish to approach God. Some sacrifices are described as “memorial” offerings to God. These are offerings that ask God to remember His people and keep them in His good favor.
Eternal One: 4 Any time one of you brings a grain offering that was prepared in an oven, it should be bread made without yeast from the finest flour mixed with oil or a wafer made without yeast spread with oil. 5 Any time one of you brings a grain offering that was prepared on a griddle, it should be made without yeast from the finest flour mixed with oil. 6 Separate it into pieces, pour oil on it, and present it as a grain offering. 7 Any time one of you brings a grain offering that was prepared in a pan, it should be made from the finest flour and mixed with oil. 8 Whenever you bring any of these grain offerings to Me, it should be given to the priest who will then take it to the altar. 9 The priest will offer up the memorial portion on the altar, and the smoke of the offering will rise and be a pleasant aroma to Me. 10 The rest of the grain offering is for Aaron and his sons. It is a most holy part of the fire-offerings dedicated to Me. No one other than the priests may eat it.
11 Every grain offering that is presented before Me must be made without yeast because it is forbidden to offer up any yeast or honey to Me by means of the fire-offering. 12 When you bring an offering of the first and finest part of the harvest to Me, you may bring yeast and honey but they must not be offered up in smoke as a pleasant aroma. 13 You must salt every grain offering you bring so that the salt of your covenant with God will not be missing. You will season all of the offerings you present with salt.
In the ancient world, salt was a valuable substance. It was used for a variety of purposes: to preserve meats, promote healing, and seal friendships. When covenants were made, people celebrated with fine meals seasoned with salt and other spices. The permanence of salt symbolized the permanence of God’s covenant with His people (Numbers 18:19). Jesus echoes this covenant practice when He instructs His followers to be salt in the world (Matthew 5:13).
Eternal One: 14 If you present a grain offering from the first ripe grain of your harvest to Me, bring fresh new grain, crushed and roasted in the fire. 15 Also mix it with oil and frankincense because it is presented as a grain offering. 16 The priests will then offer up a memorial portion of the grain mixed with oil and all of the frankincense as a fire-offering to Me.
Footnotes
- 2:13
