Thy Strong Word - Leviticus 2 — Be holy as the LORD is holy: What are grain offerings?

Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz, Assistant Professor of Exegetical Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study Leviticus 2.

God’s depth of care for his people is evident with the grain offering. He provides the simple gifts of grain, oil, frankincense, and salt so that His people would, in faith, offer a sacrifice to serve the priests and give thanks to Him. He asks the Israelites to give their firstfruits of their grain and in the same way the LORD asks us to give firstfruits for the sake of the ministry of the Word (2 Corinthians 8 & 9). Everything that we have is a gift from the LORD and we give back to Him boldly confessing that the Lord will provide. “Lord God, help us to be living sacrifices and offer to You our offerings in thanksgiving. As the Israelites gave their hard earned grain, oil, frankincense, and salt back to You, grant us a generous heart, looking to Jesus and His sacrifice to us. In Him we pray, Amen”

Thy Strong Word reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.

Thy Strong Word is hosted by Rev. Brady Finnern, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell, MN, and graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation.

Leviticus 2

Laws for Grain Offerings

2 “When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it ²and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. ³But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord‘s food offerings.

⁴“When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil. ⁵And if your offering is a grain offering baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil. ⁶You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. ⁷And if your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. ⁸And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar. ⁹And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. ¹⁰But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord‘s food offerings.

¹¹“No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the Lord. ¹²As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. ¹³You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.

¹⁴“If you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh ears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain. ¹⁵And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. ¹⁶And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the Lord.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. esv.org

Rev. Brady Finnern

Rev. Brady Finnern, host of Thy Strong Word. is an expert in all things Minnesota, including hiking the great mountains of the 5th flattest state in the Union and making his own maple syrup. Although chow mein, fried ice cream, and Peanut Persian donuts with maple frosting are at the top of his foodie list, his prized possessions include his gas station refillable fountain soda cup (which, he says, the savings will pay for college for his 4 kids). Pastor Finnern's Divine Call is as President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and in addition he also enjoys traveling, coaching track, and movie nights with his wife and kids that may or may not include Shawshank Redemption or any of the Thriller movies. When he's not singing his favorite hymns or listening to his favorite metal music, you might find him working out or taking naps. (Probably naps.)