02.2 THE MEAT OFFERING

2 THE MEAT OFFERING

Lev 2:1-16. In the burnt offering we saw some of the typical features of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, which had primarily in view the establishment of the will of God. We come now to the consideration of the meat, or meal offering. It is strictly an oblation, or a food offering, where it is not so much the death of our Lord Jesus Christ which is in view, but the perfection of His Manhood, from the moment He was born right on until He went out of this world. The meat offering sets forth that perfect pathway and Manhood of Christ, he who ever gave delight to the heart of God. Whilst emphasizing the fact of His life here, we do not suggest that He has changed as now in the glory; but the meat offering is connected more with that which came out in testimony down here in the sphere of responsibility.

It is recorded in Num 15:1-41 that no burnt offering was to be offered without a meat offering. It is striking that this is recorded in Numbers, where the wilderness with all its testings is in view, and it would seem to carry the suggestion that with the Son of God as the true Burnt Offering, the underlying features of the true Meat Offering were also seen. Had he not been perfect in every step of His subject dependent Manhood, He could not have been the perfect Burnt Offering which has brought eternal delight and glory to the heart of God. Whilst we know that it is only through His death that God has been glorified, and the basis laid for the carrying out of His pleasure in relation to man, we must ever remember that in the life of Christ there was the setting forth of all that man should be for the praise and glory of God. Historically we might have thought that the meat offering would have come first, His life before His death; but we see in the burnt offering that man’s approach to God can be only through the death of Christ. It is not until we stand in conscious acceptance with God on the ground of the burnt offering that we can understand in any way the perfection of the life of Christ. Unfortunately men have sought to get some gain from His life without seeing the necessity of His death, but that can never be. As "accepted in the Beloved," as the fruit of His death, we can appreciate the record in the gospels of that perfect life in His perfect Manhood, a life that led on to His all-sufficient death upon the cross. This oblation or food offering comes before us then as setting forth the perfect Manhood of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are many precious details, but those specially before us are seen in the four ingredients of which this offering is composed. We have fine flour, oil, frankincense, and in Lev 2:13, 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." We are told in a footnote in Mr. Darby’s translation that this fine flour is strictly the finest of wheaten flour. We have often heard that there is a distinction to be noted between barley and wheat as used in these types. In John 6:1-71, we read that the five loaves were made of barley but in John 12:1-50 the Lord speaks of "a corn of wheat"; these expressions are found only in John’s gospel. In the Old Testament the barley is seen as a type of the resurrection of Christ; but the wheat refers to Him as the Second Man out of heaven, and as the One who, having come out of heaven, has gone back to heaven, and has secured a company who are associated with Him. Anathema maranatha There are references to the barley where it obviously has in mind the recovery of Israel, but the wheat has in view the establishment of the assembly; thus we read that the barley harvest comes seven weeks before the wheat harvest — speaking of the resurrection of Christ as preceding His ascension. Thus this finest of wheaten flour would present our Lord Jesus Christ as the Second Man out of heaven. There came into this world a Man of another order entirely, as characteristically heavenly as Adam was characteristically earthly. "The first man is of the earth, earthy: the Second Man is the Lord from heaven," (1Co 15:47). The finest of wheaten flour would typify that new order of Manhood in all its sinless perfection as seen in the Second man out of heaven. The oil, as we all are happily aware, is a type of the Holy Spirit of God in power. In the Old Testament we have the Spirit in the figure of running water; seen there as indicative of refreshment; again we have the Spirit as fire in maintaining judicially the rights of God. There are many other figurative references to the Spirit, but the typical bearing of "oil" is the Spirit in divine power operating in this world for God. As coming upon persons, it is in order to give them spiritual power to carry out the will of God; a feature seen in perfection in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then we have a third ingredient, frankincense. Mr. Darby, in his writings, says that the frankincense, which always went up to God, carries the thought that everything Christ did in this world He did first of all for the pleasure of God. We are perhaps prone to make ourselves presentable to our brethren, and the more we do so the better; but if that is our only motive, with the flattery that sometimes attends it, it is not worth very much. Every movement of the Lord Jesus Christ as Man was made consciously under the eye of God; all that He did was primarily for the delight of the heart of God. That is the frankincense, every bit of which ascended to God, and was entirely for His pleasure. The fourth ingredient in Lev 2:13 is salt, the outstanding feature of which is the preservative element of righteousness. For instance, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt," (Col 4:6). We should be always gracious, but as moving rightly we should never surrender the claims of God in divine righteousness. Again, "Ye are the salt of the earth," (Mat 5:13), a suggestion of the antidote to corruption. As Christians we should ever be found speaking right things and doing right things, a most powerful antidote to the corruption around us on every hand in this world. There are other passages which would also demonstrate the truth that the salt is the preservative element of that which is right in the sight of God. It is wonderful the way it is put in our chapter, "The salt of the covenant of thy God." We may regard those ten commandments as setting forth all that is right Godward and all that is right manward; and we observe in the Lord Jesus a Man who could say, "Yea, Thy law is within My heart." In all that He said and in all that He did, whether Godward or manward, the salt of the covenant of His God was never lacking. Perfectly did He give to God what was right in His sight; and perfectly did He minister to His neighbour that which was also right in the sight of God. Hence we read that in every meat offering the salt of the covenant of God must be included, as setting forth the Lord Jesus Christ in responsible Manhood, perfect in His love to God and in His love to man. Just one reference in relation to that. In John 14:31, we hear the Lord saying, "That the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence." We know where He was going, He was going to the cross. In Joh 15:13, we read, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." In John 14:1-31 we have His love to the Father; in John 15:1-27 His love to His friends. The salt of the covenant of His God was present in all His movements right on to the cross.

Thus in the fine flour we have His perfect Manhood; heavenly and so distinctive in character. In the oil we have the power of the Spirit of God energizing Him in all that He did here. "Justified in the Spirit," (1Ti 3:16). The frankincense sets forth that all He did was done first of all for the delight of the heart of God; and the salt speaks of a pathway in every step of which He rendered what was right to God and to man. In Lev 2:2 we read that when the meat offering was presented, it was to be brought to Aaron’s sons, the priests. The priest was to "Take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD." This memorial burned upon the altar speaks of the recognition of the claims of God, a matter which was fully met in the movements of Christ in Manhood. Then in Lev 2:3 we read, "The remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons." The offering had first to be presented to God, and the memorial with all the frankincense had to ascend to God, before there could be anything left as food for the priest who offered. So it has been historically; not until the work which was for God had been completed, not until that pathway of holy worth had reached its end in complete subjection to the will of God, could there be any possibility of our finding food for our souls in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. For this the descent of the Spirit was necessary, but all was there first for the delight of God Himself. It is only as I am led to appreciate what Christ is to the delight of the heart God that I am able to realize in some measure what that same blessed Man can be to me as food to sustain me in wilderness conditions. The memorial goes to God first of all, with all the frankincense, and then the remnant is left for Aaron and his sons to sustain them. The very food that satisfies the heart of God is now given to sustain the priesthood in the priestly service of God. In Lev 2:4-7 we have the various ways in which the oblation could be made and presented. It says in Lev 2:4, "If thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil." The oven would doubtless typify the unseen testings to which the Lord Jesus was subjected. It may perhaps refer especially to those thirty years of His Manhood in this world of which we know so little. What was happening as He grew up from a Babe to a Youth? from a Youth to Manhood? The testings in those years were under the eye of God alone, and they were all answered to for His pleasure. We are given but one view of those years, after the events of His birth and His return from Egypt are recorded for us. At about twelve years of age we hear His voice in the temple saying, "Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business"? Early in His life He was moving in this world for the accomplishment of the will of the Father.

"Mingled with oil" would speak of His holy conception; "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God," (Luk 1:35). Then in Luk 3:1-38 we have the record of the "anointing with oil"; this time a public matter. The Spirit descended upon Him and the Father’s voice was heard saying, "Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased." The word "pour" (Luk 3:6) refers to the pouring of molten metal into a given shape. It may have reference to the fact of the Spirit coming down like a dove upon this particular Man, the Lord Jesus Christ in all His unique perfection. The pouring of the oil upon the meat offering suggests to us One who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, was also anointed by the Holy Ghost, and we have God’s own approbation of those thirty years of secret history, in the utterance "My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased." In Lev 2:5 we read "If thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened." Again we have the word added, "mingled with oil." This section may refer to the short span of three years or so, which followed the thirty years of secret history. The whole of the Lord’s public testimony seems to be typified in this second way in which the meat offering was to be made and presented. It must of necessity be "mingled with oil," for the One who moved publicly in this world for God, is the One who came in uniquely. But now we have an additional instruction, "Thou shalt part it in pieces." This is not said of the offering in Lev 2:4. Of those thirty years we know but little; but Lev 2:5 seems to cover His public ministry as recorded in the gospels, and we are able to take account of these years in all their wonderful, unmeasured detail. Every separate feature of those years of public ministry; every minute detail would but reveal absolute perfection; fine flour anointed with oil, frankincense and salt. It has been said that the only man that could stand the test of the microscope was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Does it not seem as though the Spirit of God has shown to us the meat offering parted in its "pieces" in the four Gospels? We may further part the sections into chapters, and the chapters into verses, but as we thus divide the "pieces" it only brings into greater relief the wonderful perfection of this blessed Man, whose every movement in this world was for the pleasure of God. How precious is this thought of parting in pieces and the oil poured thereon! Wherever we see Him, in every verse, in every word, we see that same absolute perfection of the Man Christ Jesus. In Lev 2:7 we have "If thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the frying pan (or as the word rightly is, a cauldron, an open pan) it shall be made of fine flour with oil." It is striking that in this verse neither the mingling nor the anointing with oil is mentioned. It would appear that the flour and the oil were presented together, not intermingled. The offering as seen in Lev 2:7 may be suggestive of the last hours of our Lord’s pathway in this world, perhaps from the moment of His arrest until He uttered that last word "It is finished"; a period of about fifteen hours. In that awful conflict in the garden we see One who had the feelings and sensibilities of a man. The cross with all its dreadful horror pressed upon His soul, and as we see Him there in that agony, as He prayed to God, we see a Man who knew perfectly what sin was, and the awfulness, too, of what it was to Him to be "made sin" upon the cross. Anticipation of it pressed upon His holy soul, causing Him that agony of which we read, "His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luk 23:44). Here surely we see the "fine flour with oil." The culmination of His holy movements in the accomplishment of the will of God was His obedience "unto death, even the death of the cross."

Whether we contemplate the Lord as growing up before God; or in His public testimony in this world; or again in the garden of Gethsemane; and ultimately upon the cross, we see the absolute perfection of His Manhood, and His perfect obedience to the will of God. All has brought eternal praise to God, and He Himself is marked out as the one blessed Man who in His unique perfection has glorified Him.

"Thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the LORD; and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar," Lev 2:8.

There are three things linked together in this verse, Jehovah, the priest and the altar. The altar was the place of offering; the priest was the sanctified one who offered; and God was the One to whom the offering was made. His holy claims were sustained in the one who was sanctified to draw near, and in that which ascended there was delight to the heart of God. In Lev 2:11 we read, "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."

Honey is that which speaks of human sweetness, and has its rightful place in natural circles. "Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee" (Pro 25:16). We must ever remember that whilst our Lord Jesus Christ moved here in the perfection of His Manhood, manifesting love and compassion and kindness, it was divine love, divine compassion, divine grace, divine kindness which flowed out from Him. When we read "Jesus beholding him loved him" (Mar 10:21), that was the love of God coming out from this wonderful Person, though in Manhood, to that rich young ruler. When we read in Luk 7:13, "He had compassion on her," it was the compassion of God which was shown. It was not sentimentality, it was the love of God, shining out and ministered by Christ in His pathway.

Leaven, too, was to be excluded from the offering. In Scripture leaven is always indicative of evil. It is mentioned six times in the New Testament, four times in the Gospels and twice in the Epistles. In Mat 13:1-58 the leaven which the woman took and hid in three measures of meal is idolatry — Babylonish idolatry — corrupting the meal. "Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees," (Luk 12:1) — that is Hypocrisy; "Beware ye of the leaven of the Sadducees, (Mat 16:6) — that is Infidelity; "Beware of the leaven of . . . Herod", (Mar 8:15) — that is Worldliness. Herod represents the political element. "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (1Co 5:6) would speak of Evil Practice. Again "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (Gal 5:9) would refer to Evil Doctrine.

If we look at these Scriptures again, we shall see the absolute contrast in the Lord, the perfect Meal Offering, in which there is no trace of leaven. In Mat 13:1-58 the leaven which the woman took speaks of idolatry. You will remember what the Lord said to Satan, "Thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve"; the leaven of idolatry could never have marked the Son of God, for God was ever the Object of His service in this world. Secondly, the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy. when our Lord was asked "Who art Thou?" He replied "Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning" (Joh 8:25). The Lord was always just what He said He was; the leaven of hypocrisy never marked the Son of God. The leaven of the Sadducees — infidelity. Once again we hear the Lord saying "The Scriptures cannot be broken" (Joh 10:35). There was no trace of materialist infidelity in Him. Again, the leaven of Herod which was worldliness. The Lord said, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (Joh 16:33). The world never overcame Him; He overcame it. Then the leaven in Corinth speaking of evil practice. Did He not say to His enemies, "Which of you convinceth Me of sin?" (Joh 8:46). His practice was perfect in the sight of God. Then in contrast to the leaven of evil doctrine in Galatia, He could say, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me" (Joh 7:16). Not one trace of leaven was ever found in the Son of God as He moved in holy, sinless Manhood in this world. In Lev 2:12 we have two references to firstfruits. "As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD; but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour." We apprehend that this refers to the new meat offering which is mentioned in Lev 23:1-44. The oblation of the firstfruits which speaks of the Christian company, was not offered on the altar. We do get in verse 14, "If thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD," where again we have a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears." In "the meat offering of thy firstfruits" we have an indication of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ out from among the dead. "Christ the firstfruits" (1Co 15:23). If in His perfect obedience He went right on to the cross, he has been raised again by the glory of the Father; and that is the blessed Man who is now in the glory, at God’s right hand. He has come out from among the dead, raised again, and has become the pattern for every one who belongs to Him, for "As we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (1Co 15:49). Soon we shall be with Him and like Him in glory for evermore. That perfect life could never be completely ended. It came to an end in responsibility, as in the accomplishment of the will of God He died upon the cross, but He has been raised, and His life is continued for ever, "Length of days for ever and ever." The first thing said of this firstfruit is "Green ears of corn," that is life in its full vigour. "Dried by the fire" would indicate that that life came to an end in this world under the judgment of God; it was "dried by the fire," but it was "corn beaten out of full ears," — Manhood in all its maturity, yet cut off under the judgment of God. "I said, O my God, take Me not away in the midst of my days," Psa 102:24. As a man in the full vigour of Manhood, He gave His life in subjection to the will of God, and it is that blessed Man who has come out from among the dead. In resurrection, we are told in the beginning of the Acts, He has received again the Holy Ghost. "Put oil upon it . . frankincense thereon" (Lev 2:15). He lives to the glory of God, and is still serving Him for His pleasure in glorified Manhood at His own right hand. "The priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD." If the major portion of this chapter gives us a view of the perfect Manhood of our Lord Jesus Christ as He moved through this world, it does not close without reference to His resurrection as out from among the dead. There He lives a Man before the face of God and is still serving God. He is "anointed with the oil of gladness" above His fellows. In John 17:1 we have the Lord’s words, "Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son may also glorify Thee." Where? In the glory. As He glorified the Father when on earth, so He continues to glorify Him as in the glory; the oil and the frankincense are still in evidence in His present service for the pleasure of the Father as raised again from among the dead.

These are some of the features of the perfect Manhood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the One Who delights the heart of God and who now becomes the food and delight of our hearts as we are occupied with Himself.