The Daily Bread 

In the Scriptures, offerings are an act of gratitude to the Lord.

One of which is the Grain Offering (also called the meal offering or cereal offering), one of the main offerings presented by the Jews in worship to the Lord.

It is called “matzoth" in Hebrew, which means unleavened. With stripes and piercings, and then broken during the feast as part of the meal. Walk With The Word shares that the Talmud decrees that the unleavened bread used at Passover has to be so, and the rabbis tell us that this corresponds to the flesh of the Passover lamb. 

It is symbolic of removing sins from our lives, and without leaven, bread does not rise, representing humility.

It is such an important aspect of the grain offering that it had to be pure. No leaven (yeast) or honey could be added to the grain, as both would cause the grain to decompose faster. Oil and frankincense were also to be added, ingredients often associated with joy or celebration. Frankincense was a sensory symbol of pleasure, a reminder that a costly sacrifice is worth the price, for pleasing the Lord.

Salt was also included, likely for its preserving powers and a symbol for purification. While leaven corrupts, salt preserves and purifies. It is identified as “the salt of the covenant of your God” where salt spoke not only of purity but even more importantly, of longevity. The salt which was added to the Grain Offering reminded Israel of the covenant God had made with Israel, which was an enduring covenant.

Like the burnt offering, an article from Meeting God in the Margin tells us that the grain offering is a fire offering/altar offering, which means that it is a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Unlike the burnt offering, this is not a whole offering to the Lord, but a “most holy” sacrificial meal, shared with the priests and with God. The Lord is given a memorial portion, and the priests are given the rest.

Bible.org expresses that the purpose of the grain offering is not atonement, but worship. It acknowledges God’s divine provision of the needs of the Israelites for life itself. The Grain Offering was a symbol of worship and praise for an abundant supply of their “daily bread”.

Our Daily Bread

"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

- John 6:35

According to the Compelling Truth, John 6:35 reveals how Jesus used the idea of bread or grain in reference to Himself. This grain offering reminds us of the Bread of Life found in Jesus who serves as a fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

An article from Abide in Christ has a similar take on it, expressing that the grain offering prefigured the perfect life of Christ lived in obedience to the Father.

"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit".

- John 12:23-24

Jesus shares the illustration of the grain of wheat falling into the ground and dying to bring forth fruit. He looked beyond His death to His glory that would follow. The grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, but it comes alive again as a sprout and bears much fruit. 

Ligonier reminds us that this offering emphasizes the need to dedicate ourselves to the Lord and provide for the work of the clergy. It also encourages us to recognize that all we have comes from the hand of God and is to be returned to Him. Today, our gift of time and service to the church is a tangible way in which we can enact the eternally binding principles seen in the grain offerings.

The grain offering was to be given out of a person’s free will, just as our worship is our free will offering to God today according to GotQuestions.

It’s interesting to note that during the Israelites’ forty years of wilderness, wandering grain would have been quite scarce. This made grain offerings more costly and precious for the people to offer to God. Giving a grain offering in those circumstances represented the Israelites’ complete dependence on God to provide for their needs each day. 

Looking into our own lives, do we find time every single day to pause and thank God for the abundance of blessings He has provided? Do we offer up thanksgiving to Him for His daily provisions in our lives? God is our sole provider, who caters not only to our physical needs but our spiritual needs as well.

Unlike the Israelites, we no longer have to do such sacrifices as they did in the Old Testament. But, if the grain offering is similar to our offering of worship, it’s interesting to consider: how much does our worship cost us today? 

When we consider what worship may cost, we must remember that the reward is always greater than whatever we sacrifice. To worship God in spirit and truth is true worship, which resembles the essence of the grain offering.