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Gospel in Leviticus? Chapter 2
The Meat-Offering
The meat offering in Its relation to the Burnt-offering . . . means the sinner's offering of himself to the LORD . . . the best is demanded . . . the oil of Unction . . . frankincense . . . leaven and honey excluded . . . salt commanded . . . was (the Last Supper) in its nature . . . the Mercies of God.
There are differences between the offerings here and those spoken of in the preceding chapter. Those were animal; these are vegetable. Those were bloody sacrifices; these are unbloody oblation (offerings). The meat offerings were totally consumed on the altar; these were only to be burned in part, and the remainder was made the property of the priests. The meat offerings were completely propitiatory (meaning to win or regain God’s favor), and intended to expiate (atone, pay) for sin; the vegetable offerings were essentially eucharistic (Lord’s Supper) . . . expressing gratitude and thanksgiving to God.
These also differ from the preceding in their nature, and also in their application and meaning. Both refer to Christ, and to the sinner as represented in Christ; but in different ways. The meat offering presented the Saviour in His Character as "a propitiation for our sins;" in these, Christ Jesus is displayed as our Model and Sanctifier, through Whom we ourselves are offered to the LORD. The meat offering relates to Justification, or the mere forgiveness or atonement of sin; these relate to sanctification, or our being conformed to Christ's Holiness. In the one we have shame laying its hand on the head of the Innocent Sufferer, and praying to be spared for that Sufferer's sake, while in these, we see great gratitude for the Unspeakable Gift (2 Cor.9:15), received through the meat offering. Dear one, the one is not and cannot be separated from the other. The whole burnt-offering of the first chapter, and the meat, or rather bread offering, are just two parts of one great matter. According to Exodus Chapter 29, it was not allowed to present a holocaust (totally burnt offering) without accompanying it with a meat-offering.
The holocaust goes first because it is the basis of the whole process. No one can be sanctified, or made holy, without first having his past sins covered and forgiven. Forgiveness, without something more to follow it, is NOT salvation. There must be reformation and a moral change, in addition to the atonement, or we shall soon find ourselves again just where we were before we started. So, the meat-offering followed, being a kind of important, needed resultant and filling out of the holocaust, which indicated the grateful surrender of the sinner to a life of obedience. The burnt offering is the first, and one of the most significant offerings, but the relation between the two is very close and crucial. Trying to separate them, would be to put asunder what God hath joined together (Mark 10:9), a change of God’s Divine arrangement, reducing the value or quality and impair or spoil it all.
If we have honestly laid hold of Christ Jesus as the Sacrifice for our sins, we must continue to glorify Him in our bodies and our spirits, which belong to Him! No attempt to be holy will ever work with God the Father, unless it is founded on atonement by Blood. From the very beginning, in the days of Adam, bloody sacrifices and meat-offerings went together; and until the day of doom (Great and Last Judgment), justification through the precious Blood of Christ (1 Pet.1:19), and sanctification, must remain connected and inseparable. Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock, and so looked for acceptance through blood; "and the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering” (Gen.4:4). Cain refused to offer the sacrifice of blood; and even though he brought the fruit of the ground . . . the meat-offering . . . God had no respect to him, or to his offering. Able embraced the doctrine of atonement by blood, and was pleasing to God. Cain expected to be sanctified without atonement by blood, and with all his meat-offerings, he was under the curse, and became a persecutor and a murderer. Sanctification by the Spirit is built ONLY on justification by Jesus’ Blood of atonement. Only when we BELIEVE God (1 John 5:10-13), and have received Christ as a Sacrifice for our sins, that we are in a place to render ourselves a living sacrifice (Rom.12:1), so as to be acceptable to God (Rom.12:2; 2 Pet.2:5).
The meat-offering illustrates the second great step in the process of salvation. Let us consider it in detail.
(I). The Jew, for the substance of his meat-offering, was directed to bring fine flour, or cakes or wafers of fine flour, or fine flour baked on a plate, or fine flour fried in oil, or the first fruits in advance of the harvest beaten out of full ears dried by the fire. Either wheat or barley was accepted; but it had to be the very best grain, either whole, as in the case of the first fruits, or in its very best preparations. What does this tell us today? We are to offer our very best to the LORD . . . our bodies and souls, our abilities and attainments . . . in the highest perfection in which we can bring them. Christ is the very finest of the wheat and flour, as well as the Chief of the flock (Heb.13:20; 1 Pet.5:4) and both as the one, and as the other, He was completely given to the LORD. From the silence of far eternity, His Voice was heard, saying, Lo, I come, to do thy will, O God! (Heb.10:7,9). When Our LORD Jesus was on Earth, it was His constant announcement: John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (KJV) And up to His last hours, when the clouds of His great agony began to settle so heavy on Him, He held out for us: "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done." Because He was GOD, and a Man, He humbled Himself, for us! Phil. 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (KJV)
There was never any selfish reservation in Him. He freely surrendered everything, including to His laying down of His life on that horrendous cross! Dear one, He did this not only as our burnt-offering, but also as our meat-offering, "leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps.” (1 Pet.2:21). IF we are to be identified with Christ for the forgiveness of our sins through His precious Blood, we must also be identified with Him as a living illustration of His Spirit by walking "even as he walked” (1 John 2:6). "I have given you an example," says Jesus, "that ye should do as I have done." Because of our faith in Him, for paying OUR penalty for sin, we must add a heartfelt imitation of Him as our Model. We must submit ourselves to God, as Jesus submitted Himself; and give ourselves entirely up to do the whole will of the Father, just as Jesus gave Himself.
Rom. 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (KJV)
(2). Holiness is not just saying a few prayers; or the paying a few weekly visits to church; it is the delivery of fresh grain and fine flour to the LORD, our God and Provider. We must present ourselves a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service (Rom.12:1).
(3). Holiness is also to be seen, that oil was to be poured upon, or mingled with, the flour of the meat offering. This was not common oil, but the oil of unction, or holy oil (of the Holy Spirit). It was an unusual formula, made according to God’s directions. It was made of pure myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, cassia, and olive oil, mixed after the art of the apothecary (Ex.25:25,35; 2 Chron.16:14). It was an oil used in sanctifying, or setting apart. It refers to the Holy Spirit, and the operations of that Spirit in setting apart whom He so pleases. It typifies that "unction of the Holy One," of which John speaks so often. No offering of ourselves to God, no true sanctification can ever occur, without the oil of divine grace, the principle of holiness and God’s Holy power which is poured upon the believer by the Holy Ghost (John 14:16-17). Even Jesus had to be anointed this way, or baptized (Mat.13:13-17), before He was fully set apart to do His Work, or could become our Acceptable Offering. And in this also, He is our Example. No sanctification is complete without this Holy Unction and anointing of the Spirit. It is not just the surrender of ourselves to the LORD that makes us holy, but the Holy Spirit, working in and through us, mellowing and softening everything to God’s will, and making our whole being sweet-smelling to God, with love, gratitude, reverence and every gracious disposition of our LORD Jesus Christ. Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (KJV) These are the graces in which the Spirit manifests its Presence. These are the myrrh, cinnamon, sweet calamus, cassia and olive oil, which perfume and lubricate the fine flour which we bring to the altar of God. Without these and the sincere effort to have them accompany our gifts, we fail in our sacrifice to Him, and are not accepted by the LORD.
(4). You will notice here another uniqueness in the meat-offering. There was frankincense to be put on it. Frankincense was a resinous gum, obtained from a tree of the turpentine bearing kind, which, when put on the fire, or a hot plate, gave up a very fragrant aroma. In the case of the meat-offering, it was to be totally burnt on the altar. This circumstance identifies it at once with the burnt-offering. That burnt-offering represents Christ as the Once for all (Heb.10:10) Sacrifice for our sins. The frankincense represents the mediation and intercession of the Saviour, the fragrance of gratefulness which comes up before God from the altar of burnt sacrifice. Our dedication to God, even with the gracious operations of the Spirit, would never be accepted, except through Christ Jesus (John 14:6; Acts 4:12), and the sweet intercessory perfume which arises from HIS Offering on our behalf. It is amazing how precise the Scriptures are, in making everything connected with our salvation depend completely on Christ Jesus and His suffering in OUR place. Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (KJV)
Eph. 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (KJV) With all our forgiveness, and all our consecration, and all our spiritual graces, we would still fail to be approved by God, except for the incense that rises from the burned lamb. It is completely through the mediation and merit of Christ, that our services for His honor and glory, come up as an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God (Phil.4:18; Heb.13:16; 1 Pet.2:5). It is comforting to know that our weak services and prayers, “If” sincere, are acceptable to the LORD . . . that our tears for the miseries of Zion are all treasured in His bottle (Ps.56:8). Our efforts to do good are things in which He delights . . . but it all boils down to the sweet frankincense of the Saviour's righteousness and atoning Sacrifice. We are greatly indebted to Jesus for it all.
(4). Another odd regulation about the meat-offering is, that it was to be away from leaven and honey. Lev. 2:11 No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire. (KJV) Leaven always indicates corruption. It tends to spoil and decay. We can be at no loss to determine the moral meaning of its prohibition in this case. Leaven is a symbol of pride and hypocrisy, because these things puff up the heart with self-importance and self-deceit. This was especially the leaven of the Pharisees (Mat.23), who made their prayers, and gave their alms, doing everything to be seen of men.
Leaven is also used as a symbol of malice and wickedness, as we learn from the words of the apostle. 1 Cor. 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (KJV)
By forbidding the use of leaven, God means to set forth the truth, that our offering to Him must be pure, accompanied with a generous heart. NO dishonesty, hypocrisy, selfishness, malice or wickedness must be cherished in the soul, because it will corrupt, spoil, and destroy our piety or consecration on God, no matter how hard we try to hide these things. We must be completely honest and serious in these things, never dealing deceitfully with others or ourselves. If there is anything to be hated, it is someone who seeks to promote his own selfish ends by pretending to be devout and good. If we want to be God’s children, we must purge out the old leaven of hypocrisy (1 Cor.5:7, above), and never let it touch our sacred offerings. Leaven is a foul and putrefying thing and is the leaven of malice (1 Cor.5:8). It must be put away far from us, for it is a dreadful corruption that accepts enmity and hatred. We must purge out the old leaven of malice. It will taint any offering, however perfect and pure otherwise.
Why no honey? Because it is a fermenter, a corrupter and carries in it the idea of decay. Just as leaven represents the bad, offensive, sour elements of depravity, honey represents things that are sweet and attractive to the taste . . . the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Sensual indulgences and worldly pleasures, the same as hypocrisy and malice, will corrupt and destroy our best offerings. Col 3:5-6 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: (KJV) Most people love and serve the creature more than the Creator. They know no God but pleasure. Their king is SELF! They live only to pleasure the flesh. They are not only sinners, but take pleasure in their sins. The above Scripture is that putrefying honey is forbidden by the LORD.
(5). Notice something very important . . . salt was to be used in the service. Lev. 2:13 And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. (KJV) Salt is the opposite of leaven. Leaven corrupts, salt preserves. As salt was added to foods, not only for spice but also to preserve them from decay, it became a symbol of incorruptibility and permanence. A "covenant of salt" means an everlasting covenant. In the Bible, salt also came to symbolize purity, perfection, wisdom, hospitality, durability, and fidelity. The phrase "covenant of salt" (Num.18:19; 2 Chron.13:5) and a variation is found in Lev.2:13. It is found only three times in the Bible. A covenant is an agreement between two or more parties. An agreement that involves salt symbolizes one that is meant to be perpetual, incorruptible and indissoluble. "The salt of the covenant," is the symbol of the honesty and incorruptible character of the covenant.
So the salt of the meat-offering tells of agreement; of a real, shared, happy agreement. If we are true in presenting ourselves to God, we come into harmony with God. We become his friends, and He our friend. As we move to Him, He moves to us. When we come to terms with Him, we agree to be His obedient and loving children, and He agrees to be our protecting and loving Father. We give ourselves up to be His people, and He brings Himself down to our level to be our God. We have complete harmony and union, welded together in a holy covenant never to be broken. Without this salt, the offering is defective and of no effect. We must cast off all our rebellion and selfishness, and joyfully submit ourselves to God. We must join ourselves to him in "a covenant of salt;" meaning an everlasting covenant of love and faithfulness. How clearly and beautifully all this sets forth our sanctification in Christ Jesus! The GOSPEL of Jesus Christ is most certainly found in the awesome Book of Leviticus!
The Gospel in Leviticus
Mat. 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. (KJV) Christ Jesus has indeed fulfilled ALL of the Laws concerning sacrifice, holiness and through the power of the Holy Spirit has shown us how to live lives pleasing to God and encouraging each other. NONE of the Laws were abolished. ALL the laws were fulfilled. Some people speak of three categories of Biblical Law: (1). Theocratic Laws that govern Israel when the new nation was a theocracy (Almighty God ruling directly); (2). Ceremonial Laws governing the priesthood; and (3), moral laws, the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments. But we must allow Scripture to speak without the nuisance of categories. When we interpret Scripture we should ask ourselves: In God’s plan of salvation, did God ever repeal His commandments? The one answer is NO!
Leviticus Is Really One of the More Exciting Books in the Bible
Leviticus is God’s Holy Word that teaches us to seek holiness unto the LORD, separating ourselves and our communities apart from all the humanity-diminishing practices around us . . . all the things that come from denying God’s rightful rule (Rom.1). Leviticus is God’s Word that lays down the foundations of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: (1). We are saved by God’s grace, NOT by our works. (2). We all are sinners and fall short of the glory of God. (3). God has only One Plan of salvation, that being what Jesus’ did on the cross for us (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). (4). That Plan is based on God the Father sacrificing His Only Begotten Son. God, Himself accepts the Sacrifice for our sins because of the shed Blood of His Son. When we believe that Jesus paid OUR penalty for sin, God forgives us. And too, we need a Mediator (Gal.5:19-20; 1 Tim.2:15; Heb.8:6; 9:15; 12:24), an order of priests (Ps.110:4; Luke 2:5; Heb.5:6,10, 6:20, 7:11,17,21), so we can be consecrated to God so that we alone can approach Almighty God on our behalf. 1 John 2:1-3 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. (KJV)
Christ Jesus is that high priest typified in the Old Testament Priesthood. He is our righteousness. ALL that God’s Law requires, Christ Jesus possesses. When we repent and receive Jesus . . . is to receive the forgiveness of sins through the substitutionary atonement of the Lamb of God, our Saviour Jesus Christ; and to be safely covered by HIS righteousness . . . an unblemished Holiness because He is the Son of God, and God Himself. Last, but not least . . . we learn that Leviticus teaches us how to live so that we can enjoy the blessings of God. Holiness is therefore made possible by position . . . being in Christ . . . and by day by day becoming more like Him. Holiness is a changing response to a grace unknown without the LORD God’s provisions in Christ. Eph. 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; (KJV) Eph. 4:22-24 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (KJV)
Moses clearly brings the GOSPEL in the Book of Leviticus! He brings us a crystal clear picture of Jesus!
Is the Gospel in the Book of Leviticus? YES, it is!!!
Leviticus
Leviticus, intro . . Leviticus, Ch.1 . . Leviticus Ch.2 . . Leviticus, Ch.3 . . Leviticus, Ch.4 . . Leviticus Ch.5 . . Leviticus Ch.6 . . Leviticus Ch.7 . . . Leviticus Ch.8 . . Leviticus Ch.9 . . Leviticus Ch.10 . . . Leviticus Ch.11 . . Leviticus Ch.12 . . Leviticus Ch.13 . . . Home Page
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