Meat (Meal) Offerings

[Lev. 2:1] And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:
1-3 the uncooked grain offering. Wheat was a symbol for man.
Meat offering was good in general and here it is applied to the flour of wheat. The meat offerings were intended as worship, thankful acknowledgment for the bounty of Providence. Grain offering was a vegetable offering usually of wheat or barley. Grain was common in the ancient near east, but it was not a common commodity in the camp of the Israelites. The Israelites could not raise wheat in the desert. It would not grow such a crop without rain. The grain they had was for seed (2 Cor. 9:10) to sacrifice their seed to G-d was indeed an act of faith that He would supply more when needed. Finely grounded flour was ground on a primitive grindstone which usually produce coarse flour, so took extra work. It could be cooked or uncooked, if cooked could be in an oven, on a girdle, or in a pan. Could be that of flour, mixed with oil, of bread, of pancakes, of sweet rolls or of donates. The oil was used as butter is with us; symbolically it meant the influences of the Spirit, of which oil was the emblem.
There are 3 meal offerings which were brought in behalf of the entire community: the showbread each Sabbath; the Omer each Passover; and the two loaves of bread on Pentecost. There were 9 meal offerings brought by individuals, the procedure of the offering included the individual bringing fine flour from his house to the procedure of the offering included the individual bringing fine flour from his house to the priest in a vessel. The priest would then gather a portion of the flour with his three middle fingers brushing off any extra flour with his thumb and little finger. This special amount was known as Kometz and was the part that was burnt on the altar. The priest ate the remainder. The meal offering was known as the poor man’s offering because some were unable to afford even a bird as a sacrifice.
Most of the grain offering was eaten by the priests. What is offered to Him must be the finest we have, and it must be mixed with oil, a symbol of His Spirit. The portion burned on the altar was also combined with frankincense, making a sweet aroma to the L-rd.
Burn the memorial for a memorial, a part of it. Only the burnt, grain and peace offering produce a soothing aroma to the L-rd.
Baken in the oven generally a circular hole excavated in the floor from 1 to 5 feet deep, the sides of which are covered with hardened plaster, on which cakes are baked of the form and thickness of pancakes, eaten by the priest as the greater portion served as their livelihood, a means of their support. 2-10 the various cooked grain offerings.
The grain offering must be without leaven and honey, which are both fermentable. Leaven is a well-known symbol of corruption, grief and sadness of spirit (Ps. 73:21). Mark 8:15; 1 Cor. 5:6-8 ‘The use of leaven was forbidden in all offerings made by fire to the L-rd. But when the offering was to be consumed by man, leaven might be used (Lev. 7:13; 23:17). The principal reason for the prohibitions was that fermentation is just beginning corruption, and was symbolic of corruption.
Baken in a pan, a thin plate, generally of copper or iron, place on a slow fire. The meat offerings were previously prepared by the offered, and when brought, the priest was to take it from his hands and burn a portion on the altar. It was a common practice to take broken bread and dip it in oil, butter, and milk.
No leaven, or honey, nothing sweet or sour was to be offered. In the warm climates the leaven bread spoils soon, so therefore it was regarded as the emblem of hypocrisy or corruption. 11-13 ingredients refused (leaven) and required (salt).
Honey may represent worldly delight, sensual pleasure and mirth, and it is reported to have been a common element in pagan sacrifice. Because it acts like a leaven, producing fermentation, honey might not be used in offerings made by fire to the L-rd.
Both leaven and honey must be avoided in sacrifices by fire for the sorrow of the world worked death, and a love to the delights of sense is a great enemy to holy love.
Oblations of the first fruits were voluntary offerings made by individuals out of their increase, and leaven and honey might be used with these (Lev. 23:17 and Num. 15:20). Though presented at the altar, they were not consumed, but assigned by G-d for the use of the priests.
Season with salt is a strong preservative property, and scarce and precious and becomes an emblem of reconciliation and purity, as well as of perpetual covenant - a perfect reconciliation and lasting friendship, as you eat a meal together that was seasoned with salt. (Mark 90:49-50). The requests of the sacrifice being consumed, is liken on to us offering up ourselves as living sacrifices, dying to self and living to do G-d’s well.
Mk. 9:49-50 ‘everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.’ Matt. 5:13 ‘You are the salt of the earth…’
The penalty for omitting this was lashes. The Covenant of Salt was mixing a pinch of your salt with mine, in a bag. Since this was impossible, the Covenant of Salt was considered a covenant enduring as long as the individuals lived. See Num. 18:19. In the New Testament the reference to salt that had lost its preserving power being no use except to be cast under the feet is referring to the custom of using the old salt to put under the priests feet in the bloody areas of the Temple or on the roadways.
Everything that was brought to the altar contained salt except wood, blood, and libations of wine. Since the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. the table of Jewish homes has served as the altar and the husband as the priest. Because of this concept it has become customary to place salt on the table.
Meat offerings of firstfruits were green ears, this was a voluntary offering before the harvest the ears being prepared by parching them at the fire, and then beating them out for use. It was designed to be an early tribute of pious thankfulness for the earth’s increase, and it was offered according to the usual directions.
Though a grain offering could be made from first fruits, apparently it must be in the form of whole grain, not flour. When the priest burned part of it on the altar there is no mention of a sweet aroma to the L-rd. Why should one offering give a sweet aroma and not another? The Hebrew words for sweet aroma may be translated more literally as ‘soothing, tranquillizing odor or aroma of rest.’
All three burnt offerings in chapter one produced the sweet aroma. Noticing a discrepancy among the peace offerings in chapter thee made me look around a little. The bull or cow (3:5) and the goat (3:16) made a sweet aroma, but the lamb (3:11) did not. The Hebrew concordance said thirty-nine passages in the Pentateuch had the sweet aroma. All the burnt offerings which are described in detail, with one exception in 9:12-14, produce the sweet aroma to the L-rd. All the sin and trespass offerings, with one exception in 4:27-31, do not product it. The grain and peace offerings nearly always cause a sweet smell the L-rd. Why would all burnt offerings but one have this effect, and only one sin or trespass offering product it? I think the tendency is much too clear to be explained away as accidental, and the exceptions seem sufficient only to prove the rule.
The NT explains the Greek words for sweet aroma appear in the context of self-sacrifice and total giving. (Eph. 5:2, 2 Cor. 2:14-16 and Phil. 4:18), voluntary devotion and self-sacrifice are the qualities that smell good to the Father. Jn. 12:3 is an echo of this in Miriam’s pouring out her costly oil upon Y’Shua, then the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.