The Meat Offering – Commitment (Lev. 2.1-16)
We’re examining the offerings in the Book of Leviticus. The offerings are listed in order. The burnt offering represents dedication to the general will of God. The meat offering, the second type of offering, symbolizes commitment to the specific will of God. The meat offering represented the works of the hand, what is produced in service to God by the worshiper. Not only was the worshiper to dedicate himself fully to Jehovah’s service, but he was also to offer all that he possessed to God’s work. All personal property, including purchases and productions, was to be committed to God. The focus was on Divine ownership. Isn’t this the meaning of Christ’s Lordship? The meat offering is actually a meal offering, with the meat being an old term for bread. Bread, of course, is made from grain or meal, hence the name meal or meat offering. As we study the meat offering, we find six ingredients for commitment.
- FINE FLOUR
The first ingredient in the meat offering is fine flour, which is the main component. It’s similar to making a cake, pie, pastry, or bread because flour is the key element. The offering symbolizes the worshiper. Once again, Jesus Christ fulfills all of these offerings, having given Himself in sacrifice. Just as He gave Himself, we are called to give ourselves.
The flour symbolizes the Word of God. Note that the flour is fine flour, not coarse. The way to achieve fine flour is to pass it through a sifter. Similarly, we receive the Word of God as raw material that must be studied or refined to become practical for individual lives. We cannot improve upon the Word of God, but we can shape it to fit the “nitty gritty” of human life. Likewise, if we are to be offered to the Lord as a meat offering, we must go through God’s sifter. Romans 12:1-2 reminds us that presenting our bodies in Christian service should be holy and acceptable. We become holy and acceptable by going through the crucible of fire, the grinder of faith, and the sieve of trials. Let’s allow God to refine us for His glory.
The fine flour (the Word of God) will then be mixed with other ingredients to make it an acceptable, pleasing sacrifice. Each ingredient is essential for true worship. The worshiper brings his offering to the priest; a part of it is given to the priest. This part is a handful. Several times in the Scriptures, God asks for a handful. To Moses, God asked, “What is that in your hand?” It was a rod that God could use for His glory. To the widow woman, He asked, “What do you have in the house?” It was a pot of oil that God wanted to use for His glory (2Kgs 4). To the Shunamite woman, He asked, “What can you do to honor the man of God?” She had a place where she and her husband made a small chamber for the man of God to use when he passed by. To the little boy, He asked, “What do you have in your lunch?” It was five loaves and two small fishes that God was going to multiply. You see, God can bless whatever we have in our hands if we simply put it into His hands. God wants whatever we have. This shows commitment.
2. OIL
The second ingredient in the meal offering is oil. In the Bible, oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit, which is a positive symbol. Oil has many functions. Here, it is used in cooking and as a lubricant to reduce friction. When we let the Holy Spirit have His way, He will lessen the friction caused by our interactions. Allowing the Holy Spirit to lead ensures that God’s work proceeds smoothly. Oil is also used to provide light. When we study God’s Word through the Holy Spirit, our teacher, His illumination helps us understand what God wants us to learn. Only when we quench the Spirit do His light fade, and we fail to see God’s eternal truths. The Holy Spirit’s oil blends with the fine flour of God’s Word to create a pleasing sacrifice. To discover God’s specific will for our lives, we must submit to both His Word and His Spirit. They are inseparable; together, they work to accomplish God’s will in the believer’s life.
3. FRANKINCENSE
The third ingredient in the meat offering is frankincense. Frankincense is an aromatic gum that produces a sweet fragrance when burned. It is likely that all of the frankincense is used in the burnt offering aspect of the meat offering. In the Bible, incense represents the prayer life of the believer. Therefore, we have three essential ingredients: the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and prayer. Never make a sacrifice without covering it with prayer. I believe that the reason we aren’t as blessed as we could be is simply because we do not pray enough. We offer sacrificial service, but we are not joyful, and God is not pleased because we serve without prayer. We know what the Word of God says and obey it. The Spirit of God has convinced us that this is the way we should go, and we are following. But we have overlooked prayer. We are trying to serve God without seeking His help. We must invite God’s blessing upon every ministry if we want to fulfill the purpose of the meat offering.
Let us remember that the meat offering, symbolizing commitment to the specific will of God, is built upon the burnt offering, which represents consecration to the general will of God. The meat offering includes a burnt offering as part of it. We cannot be committed to the specific will of God without first being consecrated to the general will of God. We must declare in our hearts, “I will do whatever you want me to do,” before asking, “What wilt thou have me to do?” Submission to God’s general will must come before commitment to the specific will of God. All of this determination of God’s will must be made through prayer.
4. NO LEAVEN
A fourth ingredient intentionally omitted from the meat offering is leaven. I have never seen in the Word of God that leaven symbolizes good; it always represents evil. A baker uses leaven to make bread rise, known as yeast. Jesus illustrated that a small amount of leaven can leaven the entire loaf. Similarly, in our lives, a little sin can corrupt the whole body. We are instructed to remove the old leaven. When Paul tells believers in the New Testament to present their bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord, it is to be holy—free of all sin’s leaven. God has difficulty using vessels that are unclean. When we submit to God’s will, we must ensure there is no leaven in our sacrifice.
5. NO HONEY
A fifth ingredient that is intentionally absent from the meat offering is honey. Honey is good, so why is it missing from the offering? Honey is naturally sweet. I believe the lesson is that our sacrifice should contain nothing that is naturally sweet. The cup of sacrifice is a bitter cup. The Word of God is a bitter pill to swallow, but when we swallow it, even though it often tastes bitter, it is sweet to the soul. Honey represents that which is sweet and pleasant from the natural world. In our sacrificial service, we do not need the pleasures of this world. Sacrificial service often requires us to give up those pleasant things, just as the Lord Jesus voluntarily gave up some of His divine privileges when He became a man. He did not cease to be God, but He chose not to use His divine powers at times. He gave up the splendors of heaven to live on earth without them. There was no honey in His sacrifice.
We are also told that honey is an agent in fermentation. We do not need anything in our offering that will cause it to ferment, spoil, or rot. I believe that much of the “rotten” service done in the name of Christ today appears to be sweet service, but it actually has a rotten core, and it smells of the devil. Let us be careful not to bring the world, the flesh, and the devil into our worship and our pursuit of God’s will. It may be pleasing and acceptable by the world’s standards—sweet as honey—but it is completely unacceptable and abominable in God’s eyes. Leave behind the honey of the world in your worship and as you seek the will of God.
6. SALT
A sixth and final element found in the meat offering is salt. Salt acts as a preservative, a flavor enhancer, and a thirst inducer. We need salt in our sacrifice to preserve it. Just as a living sacrifice tends to slip off the altar, there is a tendency for dedication to lose its commitment. Dedication must be renewed, and commitment must be reestablished. Add some salt to your sacrifice to preserve it. Salt will help make the sacrifice more flavorful and will cause the one receiving service to desire more.
Salt is a symbol of soul-winning. Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth.” As the salt of the earth, we are to make the gospel appealing; as the salt of the earth, we are to help make sinners thirsty for the living water. Sacrificial service and our commitment to God’s will will last a little longer if we mix our service with soul-winning. From my own experience, I find that the joy of serving Jesus is renewed when I go soul-winning. When my sacrifice is seasoned with salt, it endures a bit longer.
I also notice that many Christians have lost the joy of their salvation. Have you ever observed how excited we become around a little baby? The same is true when it comes to spiritual matters. If we embraced a spiritual life, that is, involved ourselves in sharing spiritual seeds, the joy of the Christian life would be rekindled. My grandfather was a tough and hardy farmer. Although he was a devoted Christian, I believe he carried some bitterness inside him. In his later years, he lived in a rest home where he was allowed to visit the children in the daycare center. He softened and grew to love the little children. The same transformation can happen to us. The bitter experiences of life will fade away when we dedicate ourselves to sacrificial service in winning souls for the Saviour. (LEH)