Rudy Ross has forgotten more than I know about the Hebrew sacrificial system. Please take a few minutes to watch our YouTube video today, where Rudy answers questions I asked him about the grain offering.
- Why should there be no leaven incorporated with the offering?
- Why did God prevent honey from being part of the sacrifice?
- Why was salt included in the offering?
The requirements for the grain offering are enumerated below:
“No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you must not turn any leaven or honey into smoke as an offering by fire to the Lord.
You may bring them to the Lord as an offering of choice products, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing odor.
All your grain offerings you shall season with salt; you shall not omit from your grain offerings the salt of the covenant with your God; with all your offerings you shall offer salt (Leviticus 2:11-13).
Rudy believes that it is human wisdom, which is signified by leaven, should not be present in worship. Instead, we should surrender our own thoughts and allow God’s thoughts to fill our minds.
I read an interesting article today where a man compared his mind to a social media post, saying he’s constantly “posting” thoughts and ideas to it. I realized I do the same thing.
In the context of worship, it seems God is asking us to stop “posting” our own thoughts and ideas about Him, to set them aside, and instead, to receive what He has to tell us.
Richard Hess says this about honey and salt: Honey is most commonly found in the Old Testament in connection with the description of the Promised Land.
Hess writes that both honey and yeast symbolize the natural generation of life, like in bread production. However, on the altar, only divine life is to be present.
Rudy teaches in our video that salt was used to preserve the oil and flour. It is interesting that in the Old Testament salt is also associated with judgment and also represents purification and the initiation of new life.
Reflections
As I read about the sacrifices made by the Hebrews, a thought occurred to me: every sacrifice involved giving up something precious to God.
Rudy points out that even the grain offerings from the poor had to be purchased by someone with flour to give.
This makes me wonder: what does my worship cost me?
I belong to a consumer culture that constantly seeks maximum gain for minimal cost or exertion. Unfortunately, this consumerism often spills over into our relationship with God.
I’ve often heard people say about their church, “I’m just not being fed.” I wonder if this mindset is at all similar to what the ancient Hebrews experienced when they brought their most precious animal or costly flour to worship God.
Were they asking, “How can I give my best to God?” instead of, “How can I get the most out of God for my own benefit?”
Somewhere, I encountered the idea that the only things I hold that God doesn’t are my heart, that is, my intellect and my will. This suggests that costly worship is indeed the surrender of my thoughts and my choices to Him.
So, what worship practices could I adopt to best position myself to offer God both my thoughts, desires, and actions?
What about you?
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 