The Grain Offering (Leviticus 2)

God must be worshipped by his people. Yet because he is a great God, far beyond the mind of humans to grasp, it was necessary that distinct offerings be made to him, with each offering indicating a different response by the worshipper. In Leviticus 1 the burnt offering is described, and it was a means by which the worshipper stated that he was dedicating himself to God. Four other offerings are mentioned in this section of Leviticus, with the next being the grain offering.

Two types of grain offering were allowed: first, there was an uncooked offering (vv. 1-4) and, second, there was a cooked or baked offering, with three types of such offering described. All grain offerings had to be made with fine flour mixed with oil; the uncooked offering also had frankincense on it and the other offering had small differences between its various kinds.

Both the uncooked and the cooked offerings were given to a priest. He would offer part of each offering to the Lord on the altar as a memorial offering (vv. 2, 9, 16), with the remainder of each offering given to the priests to use. The worshipper did not partake of any of the grain offering. The portion of the grain offering that was given to the priests was regarded as most holy (v. 3). This was probably a reminder to them to eat it in a devotional manner – failure to do so would be like Christians taking the Lord’s Supper in a disrespectful way.

Leaven and honey could not be used in the preparation of the voluntary grain offering. Each grain offering had to be seasoned with salt (salt was a symbol of the covenant between Israel and God).

Instructions are also given about the annual grain offering connected to the Feast of Firstfruits (vv. 11-16). Leaven and honey could be offered at this event, but not on the altar. Instead, only ears of corn, which had been roasted and crushed and covered with oil and frankincense, were allowed. A small portion was used by the priest as a memorial offering.

Other passages indicate that the grain offering often accompanied other offerings such as the burnt offering and the peace offering (and its position in Leviticus 2, which is between the burning offering in the previous chapter and the peace offering in the following chapter, may point to this aspect).

There was no blood in the grain offering and by itself it was not an atoning sacrifice, but its connection to other offerings, as well as the fact that it was offered on the blood-stained altar of burnt offering, would allow it to be part of an occasion when atonement was made. This may give the reason why Cain’s offering was rejected (Gen. 4).

There was nothing wrong with offering the fruit of the ground as long as it was accompanied by a blood sacrifice, and Cain omitted the latter. Cain may have possessed a natural form of gratitude to his Creator, but he had no awareness that he needed his Creator to also function as his Saviour.