What does the grain offering symbolize in Numbers 15:6? The Passage (Numbers 15:6) “ With a ram you are to prepare a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil, ” Key Facts about the Grain Offering • Ingredient: finest wheat flour—ground smooth, free from chaff • Mixed with oil—symbol of the Spirit’s empowering presence • Offered without leaven (Leviticus 2:11)—sign of purity, no corruption • Seasoned with salt (Leviticus 2:13)—covenant faithfulness, permanence • A “soothing aroma” (Leviticus 2:2)—God’s pleasure in wholehearted worship • Consumed by fire but shared with the priests (Leviticus 2:3)—fellowship with God and provision for His servants What It Symbolizes in Numbers 15:6 • Daily dependence on the Lord’s provision—bread represents life’s necessities (Deuteronomy 8:3) • Grateful acknowledgment that the coming harvest belongs to Him—Israel was on the verge of the land but still in the wilderness; this offering said, “We trust You to feed us.” • Consecration of work and resources—two-tenths of an ephah is double the amount for a lamb (Numbers 15:4), mirroring the greater value of the ram; God deserves proportionate honor. • Fellowship alongside atonement—the animal sacrifice dealt with sin, the grain offering celebrated restored communion. • Foreshadowing of Messiah— – Unleavened fine flour pictures the sinless humanity of Christ (1 Peter 2:22). – Oil prefigures the Spirit resting upon Him (Isaiah 61:1). – The pleasing aroma points to the Father’s delight in His Son’s obedience (Ephesians 5:2). – As “the bread of life” He supplies all we need (John 6:35). Christ-Centered Fulfillment • Hebrews 10:5–10 ties every Old-Testament offering to the one body God prepared: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me.” • Jesus’ self-giving fulfills the grain offering’s purity and surrender; in Him the covenant salt is everlasting, the leaven is absent, and the fragrance is perfect. Application for Believers Today • Present your “bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1)—a modern-day grain offering. • Offer your labor and resources first to God, acknowledging Him as provider. • Keep your devotion free from “leaven” of sin and hypocrisy (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). • Rely on the Holy Spirit’s oil to make every act of service acceptable. • Celebrate fellowship—share God-given blessings with those who minister the Word just as priests ate part of the offering (Galatians 6:6). |
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