Tuesday, February 25, 2020

The OFFERINGS Series: Meat (Meal) Offering

"DANIEL prophesied that Christ would "cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease." (Dan. 9:27) Here reference is made to the two great divisions of offerings:
sacrifices with,
and sacrifices without blood.

The meat-offerings belonged to the last class.
There was neither flesh nor blood in the meat-offering.
The original meaning of the word "meat" as first used in the Bible is "food"; (Gen. 1:29) and in this sense the term is used in connection with this offering.

The meat-offering consisted of flour, oil, and frankincense, (Lev.
2:1)
Every meat-offering was seasoned with salt.
This offering was spoken of as "a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire." (Lev. 2:4-13; 6:17)

No leaven or honey was allowed in any of the meat-offerings; for leaven indicated "malice and wickedness," (1 Cor. 5:8) and honey turns sour and leads to fermentation.
--The qualities of salt are directly opposite.
Salt removes and prevents corruption; it is also an emblem of friendship.
The salt of the covenant was never to be omitted from the meat-offering, thus reminding God's people of His protecting care and promise to save, and that only the righteousness of Christ could make the service acceptable to God.--

*A portion of the meat-offering was burned on the brazen altar, whether it was flour or unleavened cakes; also a portion of the oil, and all the frankincense; (Lev. 6:15) and the remainder was eaten by the priest in the court. (Lev. 6:16,17)

*The offering for the sinner too poor to bring even a wild turtle-dove was a meat-offering or trespass-offering.
There was no oil or frankincense in this offering. (Lev. 5:11) In the offering for jealousy, the oil and frankincense were also left out. No frankincense was ever added to the meat-offerings that brought "iniquity to remembrance." (Num. 5:15)

The meat-offering of first-fruits was "green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears. " (Lev. 2:14-16) We quote from Andrew A. Bonar in regard to the significance of the green ears, "A peculiar typical circumstance attends these. These are ears of corn, a figure of Christ; (John 12:24) and ears of the best kind, for so the Hebrew intimates. They are dried by the fire, to represent Jesus feeling the wrath of His Father, as when He said, My strength is dried up, i.e., the whole force of my being is dried up; (Ps. 22:15) 'I am withered like grass.' (Ps. 102:4)."

In the meat-offering, like the sin-offering, provision was made for the poor. The wealthy class baked their meat-offerings in an oven; the individual in moderate circumstances, on the "fire plate"; while the cakes baked by the poor in the "frying pan," were equally acceptable. (Lev. 2:4-8)

Lev. 2:1-3. It was "a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire."
Rom. 12:1. "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God."
Lev. 2:9. The meat-offering was "a sweet savor unto the Lord."
Phil. 4:18. When God's people make sacrifices for Him, it is "an odor of a sweet smell, . . . well pleasing to God." Lev. 2:13. "Every oblation of thy meat-offering shalt thou season with salt; . . . with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt."
Mark 9:50. "Have salt in yourselves."
Stephen Haskell