Daily Devotion | Leviticus 2 | 2026 January 15

Title: Daily Devotion

Dear brothers and sisters, peace to you. By God’s grace, we have come to a new day to study the Daily Devotion. Today’s passage is Leviticus chapter 2.

Let us pray. Lord, we thank you and praise you for your grace. Thank you for leading us to see that in every sacrifice you require, you have your own intention that you wish to communicate to us. Lord, we ask that you would show us favor, lead us through these sacrifices to know you more deeply, and to truly know your love and blessing toward us. Be with us, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Alright, let us turn to Leviticus chapter 2, which speaks about the grain offering.

When it comes to the grain offering, many brothers and sisters—if they do not read Scripture carefully—may have the impression that sacrifices and offerings must always involve animals and bloodshed. We may not realize that grain offerings—fine flour, produce from the land, and firstfruits—may also be brought as offerings. Sacrifices are not limited to animals alone; grain offerings may also be presented to the Lord.

I want to remind everyone of this, because through the institution of the grain offering, God reminds us that all things under heaven are created by Him, and He is pleased to receive these things as offerings. This serves as an important reminder for us.

At the same time, this also helps us gain a clearer understanding of the offerings brought by Cain and Abel in Genesis. We know that one offered produce from the ground, while the other offered the firstborn of his flock. Some explanations claim that God delighted in animal sacrifices but rejected offerings of produce. That interpretation is not correct. Once you read Leviticus chapter 2, you will see that this is not the case.

Among the sacrifices God Himself commanded, the grain offering is included. Therefore, we must read Scripture carefully so that we may understand it more fully and comprehensively.

Let us look at the regulations for the grain offering. When a person brings a grain offering, it is to be of fine flour. Oil is to be poured on it, and frankincense placed upon it, and it is brought to the priest. The priest then takes a handful as a memorial portion and burns it on the altar. Remember, this is an offering by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

From the later verses, we see that the grain offering is usually offered together with other sacrifices, and it also expresses thanksgiving toward God. As we have said, every sacrifice contains elements of atonement, thanksgiving, and dedication, though each sacrifice has its own distinct emphasis. Yesterday, when we discussed the burnt offering, we emphasized its meaning of total dedication—offering one’s entire life to God.

The grain offering, however, is somewhat similar to the peace offering, which we will discuss tomorrow. In the grain offering, a handful is burned on the altar, and the remainder belongs to Aaron and his sons. It is most holy among the LORD’s offerings by fire.

Once the memorial portion—with oil and frankincense—is burned on the altar, the remainder is given to Aaron and his sons, so that the priests may eat it.

From one perspective, this also shows God’s mercy toward the priests. The priests serve at the altar and do not have time to cultivate fields. In the peace offering, they may eat portions of the meat, and in the grain offering, they may eat what remains. When someone brings a quantity of flour, after a portion is burned, the rest is given to the priestly household for food. This arrangement demonstrates God’s care and provision for those who serve Him.

If the offering is baked—such as unleavened cakes or wafers—it must still be mixed with oil. It must be unleavened. Remember this carefully: there must be oil, there must be no leaven, and earlier we also saw the inclusion of frankincense. We will explain the significance shortly.

If the grain offering is prepared on a griddle, it is likewise made of fine flour mixed with oil. It is brought before the LORD, and the priest removes the memorial portion and burns it on the altar. This memorial portion represents the worshiper’s offering, which is accepted by God. Again, the remainder belongs to Aaron and his sons. Whether the offering is baked bread or raw flour, the regulation is the same.

Now we need to pay close attention to verses 11 and 12, because the wording—especially in some translations—can easily lead to misunderstanding. The grain offering must not contain leaven or honey. At first glance, this may seem confusing, because verse 12 says that these things may be brought as an offering of firstfruits, though they may not be burned on the altar as a pleasing aroma.

In other words, if a grain offering contains leaven or honey, it cannot be offered as a pleasing aroma by fire on the altar, but it may still be offered to the LORD as firstfruits. This means that not all offerings are forbidden to contain leaven. When something is brought as firstfruits, leaven and honey are permitted. However, when the grain offering is presented as a pleasing aroma expressing dedication, it must be without leaven, but it must contain oil and frankincense. This distinction is very important.

At this point, let us pause and consider how this points to Christ.

We know that when the wise men from the East came to the Lord Jesus, they offered Him three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold signifies royalty and worth, while frankincense and myrrh are fragrant substances. These offerings signify that Christ’s life emits a pleasing aroma.

Likewise, when Jesus died, His body was prepared with spices. Once again, fragrance appears. In the grain offering, the presence of frankincense points to Christ’s life as one that gives off a pleasing aroma before God.

The oil represents the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ’s entire life was guided and filled by the Spirit. Scripture tells us that the Father gave the Spirit to the Son without measure. Thus, the grain offering once again typifies Christ.

After Christ died on the cross for us, He became the bread of life for His people. The manna in the wilderness, the institution of the Lord’s Supper, and Jesus’ own words—“This is my body”—all point to this reality.

The grain offering signifies that Christ is offered to God, a portion burned as the memorial, and then Christ becomes the sustenance of life for His people. Just as the priests ate the remainder of the grain offering, so God’s people receive nourishment from Christ for their journey.

This corresponds directly to Jesus’ words at the Last Supper: “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” The “memorial” spoken of in Leviticus aligns with the remembrance Christ instituted. Through the grain offering, we see Christ offered to God, and through Him, God’s people are sustained.

Now let us consider verse 13. Every grain offering must be seasoned with salt: “You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering.” This is a striking phrase. Why does salt have anything to do with covenant?

Salt here does not mean simply making the offering taste salty. Salt signifies preservation and permanence. The “salt of the covenant” indicates that God’s covenant is enduring and cannot be corrupted or nullified. It signifies permanence and faithfulness.

This covenantal salt has two implications.

First, from God’s side, it reminds the people that God’s covenant love does not change. No matter how stubborn or rebellious the people may be, God’s covenant faithfulness remains. His blessings and His discipline both flow from His steadfast love.

Second, from the human side, the salt of the covenant reminds the worshiper that he is a covenant member with ongoing responsibility. To belong to the covenant means that one must respond wholeheartedly to God’s grace. Covenant love is not passive. It requires commitment.

Some may say, “God loves me. Jesus loves me. The covenant is secure. I come to worship, receive God’s love, feel joyful, and then go home.” That understanding is only half correct.

The other half is this: being a covenant people means bearing covenant responsibility. We must respond to God’s grace with obedience. Although we repeatedly affirm that we cannot fulfill the law perfectly—and that Christ has fulfilled it for us—we are still called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Thus, the salt of the covenant reminds us both that God’s love is unchanging and that our calling to obedience is also unchanging. Having been set apart from the world, we now live as covenant people, bound to a covenant that cannot be destroyed.

Next, if the offering is of firstfruits—roasted heads of grain from the new crop—it must also be presented with oil and frankincense as a memorial, and burned as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

Once again, the grain offering as a whole points us back to Christ. Just as the first handful is burned, representing Christ’s self-offering to God, the remainder benefits God’s people. Because Christ offered Himself fully, those united to Him are accepted and sustained.

Every time we partake of the Lord’s Supper, every time we eat His body and drink His blood, we receive spiritual nourishment for our journey. From this perspective, it is entirely fitting that among the five offerings there is a grain offering. Not everything involves bloodshed; Christ’s body was broken and given as bread for us.

After the meal, Jesus took the cup and spoke of the blood of the covenant. Thus, both body and blood—grain offering and blood sacrifice—are fulfilled in Christ. Through this, Christ’s life dwells in us.

Now let us consider the offering of firstfruits more broadly. Offering firstfruits expresses trust in God. When you offer the first and best portion, there is always the risk—however small—that there may not be more afterward. Yet offering firstfruits declares faith that God will continue to provide.

This principle also appears in 1 Corinthians 15. Christ is called the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Because Christ has been raised from the dead, those who belong to Him will also be raised. The firstfruits guarantee the harvest that follows.

Christ is our elder brother. Since He has risen, we too will rise. Therefore, our hope is the same as His—resurrection and the new heavens and new earth. We will endure suffering, but we will also share in glory, as Hebrews teaches us to go outside the camp and bear His reproach.

From the worshiper’s perspective, offering firstfruits demonstrates faith. This is why we practice tithing and Sabbath-keeping. We offer the first and best portion of our time, resources, and lives to God, trusting Him to provide and bless what follows.

This is a complex system with many interconnected meanings. We can only touch on some of them. But all of these themes remind us how to live holy lives under the covenant.

May God grant us reverent hearts as we consider the grain offering. Alright, we will conclude today’s sharing here. Thank you, everyone.

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