Leviticus 2 Summary: A Short Breakdown in 5 Minutes

Leviticus 2 Summary - A Quick Overview

WHEN:

• Leviticus picks up where Exodus left off. The children of Israel are on their way through the wilderness to the Canaan land.

• According to Leviticus 8, the Tabernacle had already been erected, which would place the year at approximately 1490 B.C. (one year after the Israelites left Egypt).

DEFINITIONS:

• Frankincense – An aromatic resin that is harvested from Boswellia trees. It has been used for generations to make incense and perfume.

• Firstfruits – In the Bible, the firstfruits refers to the first crops of an annual harvest.

TABERNACLE DIAGRAM

OUTLINE:

• THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GRAIN OFFERINGS (2:1-7):

  • In addition to sacrifices of animals (Leviticus 1), the Israelites could bring grain offerings to the Tabernacle as sacrifices to the Lord.

  • God specified the way these grain offerings were to be prepared depending on the way the grain was cooked.

  • If the grain was uncooked, it was to be ground into fine flour and brought to the priests with oil and frankincense poured on it (2:1-3).

  • If the grain was cooked in the oven, it was to be unleavened loaves mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil (2:4).

  • If the grain was baked on a griddle, it was to be cooked with oil. When cooked, it was to be broken in pieces and oil poured on top (2:5-6):

  • If the grain was cooked on a pan, it was to be made of fine flour and oil (2:7).

• INSTRUCTIONS FOR SACRIFICING GRAIN OFFERINGS AT THE TABERNACLE (2:8-13):

  • When the person offering the sacrifice had prepared the grain, they were to bring it to the tabernacle and give it to the priests.

  • The priests offered a portion of it to the Lord by burning it on the altar as a “food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.”

  • The remaining part was kept by the priests.

  • The grain offerings were prohibited from containing leaven or honey. Leaven and honey were not to be burned on the altar as food offerings.

  • All grain offerings were to be seasoned with salt before being sacrificed.

• GRAIN OFFERINGS MADE AS AN OFFERING OF FIRSTFRUITS (2:14-16):

  • If a grain offering was offered as an offering of firstfruits (a special kind of food offering), it was to consist of fresh grain that was crushed and roasted with fire.

  • Oil and frankincense were to be put on it before handing it over to the priest to be offered.

APPLICATION:

• The priests were partially provided for through the offerings the people brought to the Tabernacle.

• Part of things dedicated to the Lord were allotted to those who served the Lord.

• The Apostle Paul drew on this concept to explain that ministers of the gospel were worthy of the support of those they served (1 Corinthians 9:13-14).

• It isn’t wrong for a modern Christian to accept payment from a church if they are dedicating their time to serving those within it.

• “Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:13-14).