Topical Encyclopedia In biblical times, bread was a staple food, and its preparation and consumption are frequently mentioned throughout the Scriptures. Among the various forms of bread, cakes hold a particular significance, often associated with offerings, hospitality, and sustenance.Cakes in Offerings and Worship Cakes were commonly used in religious offerings and rituals. In the book of Leviticus, the Israelites were instructed to present cakes as part of their grain offerings. Leviticus 2:4 states, "Now if you bring a grain offering baked in an oven, it must consist of fine flour—unleavened cakes mixed with oil or unleavened wafers anointed with oil." These cakes, made from fine flour and oil, were a symbol of dedication and worship to God, reflecting the purity and devotion expected in offerings. The use of cakes in offerings is further illustrated in the account of Gideon. In Judges 6:19 , Gideon prepares a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour as an offering to the Angel of the LORD. This act of offering cakes signifies reverence and submission to divine authority. Cakes as a Sign of Hospitality Cakes also played a role in the cultural practice of hospitality. In Genesis 18:6 , when Abraham receives three visitors, he hastens to prepare a meal for them, instructing Sarah, "Quick, prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some cakes." This gesture of providing cakes underscores the importance of hospitality and generosity in ancient Near Eastern culture. Similarly, in 1 Samuel 25:18 , Abigail demonstrates hospitality and wisdom by preparing a generous gift for David, which includes "two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs." The inclusion of cakes in this offering highlights their role as a valuable and esteemed food item. Cakes as Sustenance Cakes were also a source of sustenance, providing nourishment during times of need. In 1 Kings 17:12-16 , the widow of Zarephath, during a time of famine, tells Elijah, "As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug." Despite her dire situation, she bakes a small cake for Elijah, and through divine intervention, her flour and oil do not run out, sustaining her household. In another instance, 1 Kings 19:6 describes how an angel provides Elijah with sustenance in the form of a cake: "He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again." This miraculous provision of a cake emphasizes God's care and provision for His servants. Symbolism and Spiritual Significance Cakes in the Bible often carry symbolic meanings, representing God's provision, human hospitality, and the act of worship. They serve as a reminder of the sustenance God provides both physically and spiritually. The preparation and offering of cakes reflect the heart's posture towards God and others, embodying themes of sacrifice, generosity, and divine care. Throughout the biblical narrative, cakes are more than mere food; they are integral to the cultural, religious, and social fabric of the times, illustrating the deep connection between daily sustenance and spiritual devotion. Torrey's Topical Textbook 2 Samuel 6:19And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house. Torrey's Topical Textbook 1 Kings 17:13 Library Give us Today Our Needful Bread The Nile and Egypt Letter Lxvi. To Pammachius. The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty Ancient Chaldaea Disclosure of the Monstrous Tenets of the Manich??ans. On Eating. A Dark Picture and a Bright Hope Chaldaean Civilization The Argument for the Immaculate Conception. Resources What is the meaning of “Cast your bread upon the waters” in Ecclesiastes 11:1? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of unleavened bread? | GotQuestions.org What does it mean to pray for our daily bread? | GotQuestions.org Bread: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Subtopics Bread in Times of Scarcity, Sold by Weight Bread was Baked: On Coals of Fire Bread with Water, the Food of Prisons Bread: (Eating Without Scarceness) of Plenty Bread: (Fulness of) of Abundance Bread: (Of Adversity) Heavy Affliction Bread: (Of Deceit) Unlawful Gain Bread: (Of Wickedness) Oppression Bread: (Partaking of) Communion of Saints Bread: (Seeking of Begging) Extreme Poverty Bread: (Want of) Extreme Poverty Bread: (When Broken) the Death of Christ Bread: Called the Staff of Life Bread: Crumb of, Used to Wipe the Fingers, Thrown Under the Table Bread: First Fruit of, offered to God Bread: How Prepared: Baked in Ovens Bread: How Prepared: Cracknels Bread: How Prepared: Made Into Loaves Bread: How Prepared: Mixed With Oil Bread: How Prepared: On Coals of Dung Bread: How Prepared: On Hearths Bread: Kinds of Bread of Affliction Bread: Kinds of Leavened (Made With Yeast) Bread: Kinds of Unleavened (Made Without Yeast) Bread: Made of Manna (In the Wilderness) Bread: Multitudes Miraculously Fed by Christ With Bread: Nutritious and Strengthening Bread: Offered With Sacrifices Bread: Often Given As a Present Bread: Often Put for the Whole Substance of Man Bread: Ordinary, Called Common Bread Bread: Placed on Table of Shew Bread Bread: Plenty of, Promised to the Obedient Bread: Sacred, Called Hallowed Bread Bread: Scarceness of, Sent As a Punishment Bread: Served Round After Funerals Bread: Symbolical of the Body of Christ Bread: The Principal Food Used by the Ancients Bread: Troughs Used for Kneading Bread: when Old, Dry and Mouldy Related Terms |
    |