Leviticus 2:1-3 (ESV)
Laws for Grain Offerings
“When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it and bring it to Aaron's sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the LORD'S food offerings.
Leviticus is a book about the way the nation of Israel was to approach God in worship. God is to be approached by mankind. But, mankind cannot be presumptuous about that worship. Mankind is full of sin and needs to be purified to worship God. That is the point of Leviticus. It should be noted that although the book starts immediately with the types of sacrifices that should be and can be used to approach God, it is the heart that God wants. Note these couple of verses, first, to understand that God is not pleased with sacrifice and worship that does not first flow from the heart:
1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV)
And Samuel said,
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
Jeremiah 44:23 (ESV)
It is because you made offerings and because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey the voice of the LORD or walk in his law and in his statutes and in his testimonies that this disaster has happened to you, as at this day.”
With that truth understood, the second offering mentioned at the beginning of Leviticus is the “grain offering.” Note what one source stated about this offering:
“The second type of offering in the Old Testament is the minchah, or Grain Offering. The purpose of the Grain Offering was a voluntary expression of devotion to God, recognizing His goodness and providence. The instructions for the grain offerings are given in Leviticus 2. Generally it was cooked bread—baked (2:4), grilled (2:5), fried (2:7), roasted, or made into cereal (2:14)—though always seasoned (2:13), unsweetened, and unleavened (2:11). Unlike the whole Burnt Offering, only a portion of the offering was to be burnt (2:9). The remainder went to the priests for their meal (2:10). Although the minchah was instructed to be a freewill offering of grains, it appears that earlier freewill offerings expressing devotion to God and gratitude for His goodness and providence may have been the “first fruits” of livestock (Gen 4:4).”
The worshipper was to come to God in devotion and thankfulness for God’s outpouring of blessings. The same is true today. We may not bring flour and bread and offering them this way, but we are to bring the praise of our hearts on our lips before God. We are not to worship Him and hope for blessings. We are to worship Him for the blessings He has abundantly provided through His Son. God has blessed in His Son with all spiritual blessings ... we are to praise Him for that, in the OT times and in the NT times:
Ephesians 1:3 (ESV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
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