Leviticus 2:1 “When anyone offers a grain offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour. And he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it”.
“A lack of generosity refuses to acknowledge that your assets are not really yours, but God’s” – Tim Keller”.
Grain Offering was another voluntary offering that acknowledged the Lord God was the provider of their day to day provisions. It was an offering from the labour of their hands. It was normally finely ground wheat or barley flour with oil and salt but it could not have yeast or honey. Each of these requirements symbolized the heart of the worshiper. Grain offering symbolizes our surrender of all material possession to the Lord.
Finely ground handpicked grains which were ready for use signified their readiness to be used by God. Freshly ground olive oil was the anointing on the person and salt was the preservative and flavour on the gift. They had to put frankincense which represents worship but it could not have yeast or honey. Yeast represents sin “Don’t you know that a little yeast permeates the whole batch of dough” (1 Corinthians 5:6). Honey would stick on the altar which indicated that giving must be in secret and not showy.
The grain offering does not exist in theory but any voluntary offering from the abundance of God’s provision will come under the category of “Grain Offering”. A handful of flour, oil and incense were burnt on the altar and it is most holy of the offerings to the LORD made by fire (Leviticus 2:3b). The sweet aroma rises up like a sweet smelling aroma to heaven. Modern day grain offering would be helping someone in financial need however, such offering will be sweet smelling offering holy to the Lord only if it is fine flour (from a humble heart), anointed with oil (unassuming generosity), salted and fragranced (seasoned with love and joy).
Grain Offerings:
1. Heart: God looks at the heart and not the hand. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (1 Corinthians 9:7). It is not how much we give but how cheerfully we give that makes our grain offering holy.
2. Honour: We do not give to get; no one can outgive God. “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). We give to honour God for what He has bestowed on us. “Grain Offering” is voluntary and honorary giving.
3. Honey: Honey that sticks like glue on the altar was strictly prohibited in grain offering. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing (Matthew 6:3). Our giving must become a memorial offering recorded in heaven and not a monument on earth. Give in obscurity.
Grain offering pleases our Father in Heaven when it is from a cheerful, generous and grateful heart.
1 Chronicles 29:14b Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!
Prayer: Generous Father, May I never forget that all my material possessions are from your bountiful generosity and may my giving and generosity always be a sweet-smelling aromatic-offering. Amen.
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