The Food That Delights Both God And Man – Part 4 (A Look At The Grain Offering)

4th Service, 3 August 2008

preached by Pastor Joseph Prince

noted by Yeo  Choon Meng Terence

Experience the land

God gave the entire land of Israel to the Israelites but they had to experience it for themselves by setting their feet on the land given to them.

Jos 1:2    Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, [even] to the children of Israel.

Jos 1:3    Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

Boldness in the day of judgement

1 Jn 4:17    Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Because of the words “so are we in this world”, 1 Jn 4:17 applies now and today, and not to the future to the ‘great white throne’ judgement in Rev 20:11-15. Rather the “day of judgment” in 1 Jn 4:17 is akin to the “evil day” in Ephesians 6.13

Eph 6:13    Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Notice that both “day of judgement” and “evil day” are in the singular. Note also that 1 Pet 3:10 that we enjoy “good days”.

1 Pet 3:10    For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

How do we “withstand” and have “boldness” in the evil day/ day of judgement? By realising and confessing: As He is, so are we in this world!

We know that Jesus paid effectively for our sins because He rose from the dead.

What God thinks of Christ

What God (the Father) thinks of Christ is what He thinks of us. Therefore it is in our vested interest to know more about Jesus Christ.

Gifts must typify Jesus

Everything we give to God must typify Jesus.

One of the reasons why we tithe is that Jesus is to the Father the “first fruits”.

The lamb typifies Jesus. That is why the lamb and not the lion is chosen as the animal sacrificed in the various OT offerings.

We are what we eat

We are made of the food that we eat. Therefore the spiritual food that we eat will keep us fit for service to Him.

Look up, Give Thanks!

In the miracle of the multiplication of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes, Jesus looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He honoured the gift of the loaves and fishes from the boy and they multiplied! The problem with the world today is that they are not looking to Jesus but looking at the market!  We should look up — where the supply is.

Jesus is fine flour. There is nothing uneven about Him. There is no quality of His which overshadows other attributes. For example, in this miracle, Jesus is generous and kind to the multitude. Yet He is not wasteful. He exhorts the disciples in Jn 6:12 to “gather up”  the “fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.”

Look at Jesus and be at rest!

Don’t look at each other as you can find fault in them. Don’t look around and get depressed. Look at Jesus and be at rest!

Lev 2:11-16

Lev 2:11    No grain offering which you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the Lord.

Lev 2:12    As for the offering of the firstfruits, you shall offer them to the Lord, but they shall not be burned on the altar for a sweet aroma.

Lev 2:13    And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

Lev 2:14    If you offer a grain offering of your firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits green heads of grain roasted on the fire, grain beaten from full heads.

Lev 2:15    And you shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain offering.

Lev 2:16    Then the priest shall burn the memorial portion: part of its beaten grain and part of its oil, with all the frankincense, as an offering made by fire to the Lord.

No Leaven

There shall be no leaven (Lev 2:11) in the grain offering.

Oil (Lev 2:15) is a picture of the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught, He spoke and he executed all in the power of the Holy Spirit (Oil).

Frankincense is the effect of doing things in the power of the Holy Spirit.  It goes up to God as the sweet aroma of frankincense.

Lev 2:11 tells us that there is ”no leaven nor any honey” in the grain offering.

Leaven is in the Bible is symbolic of evil.

Examples: (1)    Leaven in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8  speaks of evil practice.  (2) Leaven in Galatians 5:9 speaks of evil doctrine.

What is leaven or yeast? It is a micro-organism that puffs up bread. Therefore it is symbolic of pride which puffs up.

The leaven in in Galatians 5:9 refers to the doctrine of justification by works.

The world is suffering from Inflation which is monetary yeast!

Because we a proud, we are restless, always wanting to do or perform to achieve success.

Jesus in contrast, took all His power to serve. Only those who are secure in Christ, can serve.

Actually we don’t deserve anyting at all – only hell – but Jesus redeemed us!

There is no leaven (pride) in Jesus as typified in the grain offering!

No Honey

Honey in Lev 2:11 speaks of HUMAN kindness, sentimentalism, goodness.

There was no “honey” in Jesus.

Some of the biggest problems in the world are caused by “honey”.

Examples:

(1)    Some people cannot say NO because they must be nice. They take up responsibilities which they cannot shoulder effectively (at the expense of family, health, etc).

(2)    People cannot say no to their relatives because they must be nice to their relatives.

(3)    Folks cannot be truthful because it is not nice to say something which they fear may hurt or offend the feelings of another.

Jesus’ actions of goodness and loving-kindness etc were all motivated by Holy Spirit and not “honey”.

Frankincense

The sweetness of frankincense is produced when it is subject to heat. That is why it typifies Jesus. When Jesus is subject to the heat of pressure, his actions are a sweet incense to the Father. This is in contrast to us when we are under pressure.

When honey is subject to fire, it boils, breaks down and becomes sour. This is a picture of human kindness.

Be Effective, Not Nice

We are called to be effective NOT nice.

Jesus was compassionate, tender-hearted and loving BUT not nice. We must be like Jesus in this respect.

Jesus observed common courtesy AND was not rude. Example: in Luke 2 when as a boy he had remained in the temple and was listening to the teachers and asking them questions, he gently spoke to his mother as is recorded in Luke 2:49 (see below) when she came to look for him.

Best way to destroy a relationship is to lend money. You must be prepared to part with money if you lend.

Don’t go around doing good things. Do GOD-things.

Do not waste time if God did not tell you to do it. Don’t be like Abraham who brought Lot along in his journey because it appeared to him to be a good thing. Instead it brought Abraham, a lot of trouble.

First and last recorded words of Jesus

The first recorded words of Jesus were in Luke 2:49: ‘And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”‘

The last recorded words of Jesus were in John 19:30 when He declared “It is finished!”

What was finished? The father’s business has been finished by Jesus! Hallelujah!

Jesus “was subject” to his parents (Luke 2:51). There is no glory if you are submissive to someone who is stronger or more talented than you. Jesus in contrast was glorious when he submitted to his parents. The next verse in Luke 2:52 says that Jesus “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man”.

Seasoned with salt

Lev 2:13    And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

The expression “salt of the covenant” speaks of the perpetual / enduring quality of the covenant.

When as a Christian we talk in such a way that is enduring, people will quote or remember what you said. This is the salt in action. This is how Jesus spoke. His words carry weight and are remembered.

Col 4:6    Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

4 Gospels

The Bible also resonates with the “fine flour” quality of Jesus.

Example, there were 4 gospels for the 1 life of Jesus.

If the Bible were written by mere men and the Bible is not God-breathed, men would have written just 1 book to depict the life of Jesus.

To the divine mind, we see that there are 4 gospels to depict the 4 facets of Jesus’ beauty.

3 synoptic gospels – Matthew, Mark, and Luke

The gospel of John stands alone as it depicts Jesus as God.

Prophet Ezekiel and Apostle John both saw God’s throne and the cherubim which had 4 faces. The 4 faces as depicted in Revelation were in this order (1) Lion (Matthew – Jesus as King); (2) Ox (Mark – Jesus as servant): (3) Man (Luke – Jesus as perfect man) (John saw this in God’s throne; and (4) Eagle (John – Jesus as  God. Eagle flies high in the heavens).

To the Jewish mind, you and your representative are one. When representative is sent to meet Jesus, it is as good as the principle meeting Jesus himself. The representative is not mentioned at all.  That is why Jesus can represent us!

Matthew was written primarily to the Jews.

Matt 8:5    And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

Matt 8:6    And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

Matt 8:7    And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

Matt 8:8    The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

Matt 8:9    For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this [man], Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth [it].

Matt 8:10    When Jesus heard [it], he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Matt 8:11    And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Matt 8:12    But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matt 8:13    And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

In the story of the centurion with great faith in Matt 8, we note that there is no mention of the centurion’s servants.

However in Luke, it is recorded that the centurion did not come to Jesus in person but was represented by his servants.

Luke 7:2    And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.

Luke 7:3    And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.

Luke 7:4    And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:

Luke 7:5    For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

Luke 7:6    Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

Luke 7:7    Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

Luke 7:8    For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth [it].

Luke 7:9    When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Luke 7:10    And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

Is there a contradiction? No! To the Jewish mind, the servants being the representatives of the centurion are seen as one and the same as the centurion himself.

There is mention of the “elders of the Jews” as representing centurion in Luke to keep pride from the gentiles as Luke was primarily written to the gentiles.

In contrast, there is only mention of centurion and no mention of the Jewish leaders in Matthew which is primarily written to Jews so as to keep pride from Jews.

Every page of Bible scintillates with radiance and beauty just like Jesus – full of brilliance!

Genealogy in Matthew

The gospel of Matthew is primarily written to the Jews. We see the mainly Jewish phrase “the son of David” in Matt 1:1

Matt 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham

But straightaway we see the next phrase “son of Abraham” placed next to it by the Holy Spirit. This was so as to keep pride from the Jewish reader. As we know that the promise that all the gentiles in this world would be blessed was made by God to Abraham.

Next, in the genealogy of Jesus recorded in Matthew, there are only 4 women mentioned. All 4 women mentioned were of dubious background and were gentiles, this is to keep pride from the Jewish reader so that they would know that there was gentile blood in the line of the Messiah.

More importantly, it shows that notwithstanding your past, Jesus can redeem it and make it a glorious future. In this case, the 4 women became ancestors of Jesus.

CHRIST is in the market, not crisis in the market

Copyright © 13 August 2008  Yeo Choon Meng Terence. All Rights Reserved.