THE REASONS AND MEANINGS OF THE SACRIFICES IN THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS

This short study will examine the meaning of the five sacrifices in the Book of Leviticus. They all pointed to Yeshua and have deep spiritual meaning. It is good for each of us to understand these sacrifices and how they apply to our walk with Yeshua in this day.

 

 

THE GRAIN AND WINE OFFERINGS: MINHA AND NAY-SECH

This sacrifice has nothing to do with sin. The person must already be clean in order to bring this sacrifice. The concept of Shilamim is one of union, fellowship, friendship, peace, security, wholeness, health, and safety. It is fullness of life, with God Himself guaranteeing the blessings noted above. Literally it means, “to cause to bring near” as into the presence of God.

 

 

In Leviticus 2.1-3, 11 and 13 it reads:Lev. 2:1 Now when anyone presents a Grain Offering as an offering to Yahveh, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it.

Lev. 2:2 He shall then bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests, and shall take from it his handful of its fine flour and of its oil with all of its frankincense. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke as its memorial portion on the Altar, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to Yahveh.

Lev. 2:3 The remainder of the Grain Offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; a thing most holy, of the offerings to Yahveh by fire.

Lev. 2:11 No Grain Offering, which you bring to Yahveh shall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke any leaven or any honey as an offering by fire to Yahveh.

Lev. 2:13 Every Grain Offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the Covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your Grain Offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

Verses 1 and 2: The grain is crushed into very fine flour. The oil comes from the olive, very pure. The frankincense would be placed upon it in a bowl, not mixed in with the whole amount, but only with the amount wave offered to the Lord, and then thrown upon the Altar. The rest of the fine grain mixed with oil the priest would keep as food, unleavened bread, for himself.

The wave offering pictures that all the grain harvested is Yahweh’s and that the priest, who represents Israel, is receiving it from Yahweh. He offers it to God and receives some back for his sustenance (Israel’s needs).

Verse 11: God tells Israel not to burn leaven or honey with the flour. Leaven is a picture of sin that puffs up the dough when mixed in. A man full of pride is considered to be “puffed up.” Honey would corrupt the dough and attract yeast in the air.

Verse 13: Yahweh tells Israel that salt must be offered with the sin offering. Salt is a preservative and speaks of eternity. In the New Covenant we are to be the “salt of the earth.” Salt is mentioned in Numbers 18.19 where the priests receive a portion of the sacrifices. It is also mentioned in 2 Chronicles 13.5 when King David was promised and eternal or everlasting kingship in Israel.

This offering is a gift to God. Minha means, “to give, to give to a superior person, a gift of grain.”

The Prophet Isaiah spoke in 53:10 that Yahweh was pleased to crush Yeshua at the crucifixion. This was not an after thought or accident:

But Yahweh was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief. If He would render Himself as a Guilt Offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure (desire) of Yahweh will prosper in His Hand.

The Crushing of the grain was His Death.

The Oil that was placed upon the fine flour was the Holy Spirit within Yeshua.

The Frankincense was His Life of Oneness and Prayer with His Father.

The Memorial Waving was pictured in His being hung upon the tree, totally dedicated to His Father, being used now to create Israel and sustain Israel, with His Body, the Bread of Life.

The Wine Offering Like the grain, the grapes would have to be crushed in order for it to be of sacrificial use at the Altar of Burnt Offering, which pictured the Altar in Heaven (Rev. 6:9). The grapes would be red, picturing the blood or the life of the animal.

The Hebrew word for Wine Offering or Libation is nay-sech which literally means, that which is 'poured out.' This is what the Apostle Paul speaks of, relating to his impending death in 2nd Timothy 4:6:

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

In Moses' day, the wine would be poured out upon the ground next to the Altar. In King Solomon's Temple, the wine would be poured out into silver pipes that led down into the Kidron Valley to the east, the Temple being on a mountain.

Wine is seen as both a picture of death, and joy. Death in that the animal dies, and joy for what the sacrifice brings to Israel. Never was new wine (grape juice), offered up to Yahveh as a libation. Shayhar is a fermented wine, an intoxicating drink, and is also found in Deuteronomy 14:26 where Yahveh says that when Israel comes to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, they can drink that also, if they desire:

You may spend the money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep or wine (yai-in), or strong drink (shayhar), or whatever your heart desires. And there you shall eat in the Presence of Yahveh your God and rejoice, you and your household.

The verb for 'strong drink' means 'to drink to the full, to hilarity, to be drunk.' It occurs 65 times in the Bible as it is in Deuteronomy 14:26. ('Strong drink' was not whiskey, because distilled liquor was not known in ancient times.)

Yeshua represents this Fifth Sacrifice of Moses, in the Passover, with His Pure Body, crushed for us, being pictured in the Unleavened Bread. His Blood, given for forgiveness of sin, the New Covenant, is pictured in the Wine. In Luke 22:19, Yeshua says of the Matza (Unleavened Bread of the Passover, made from flour, olive oil and salt):

'Do this as a memorial for Me.'

We proclaim His Death by dying to ourselves. That is the meaning of 'proclaim' and 'judging' ourselves. It is all the meanings of the five Mosaic Sacrifices. The sacrifice or offering of the flour and the wine, representative of the food that fed and sustained Israel, is now seen in Yeshua, the Bread and Wine that fills our soul with the Bread and Wine of Eternal Life (John 6:53-58).

The Mosaic Sacrifices, seen in their meaning for ancient Israel, offer us who love the Messiah, a picture of the Work of the Holy Spirit in our lives today. To God be the Glory for the Great Things that He has done!