Articles
“The Grain Offering”
You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.
Leviticus 2:13
In last week’s article, we looked at the first offering described in the opening chapters of Leviticus—the burnt offering (Lev. 1). This was the most costly sacrifice an Israelite could present to God. Because the entire animal was burned on the altar, unlike some other offerings, it left nothing for the priest or worshiper to eat. The burnt offering symbolized the complete giving of oneself—heart and soul—to God. We see glimmers of the gospel in this text, especially in light of Jesus’ conversation with a certain scribe in Mark 12:28-34.
Now, Leviticus 2 turns to the grain offering. What is this offering all about? The chapter divides into four parts: uncooked grain offerings (1-3); cooked grain offerings (4-10); regulations about ingredients (11-13); and grain offerings presented as firstfruits (14-16).
Burnt offerings and grain offerings. Grain offerings were often presented alongside burnt offerings (14:20; 31:23-12-13), which likely explains why they are listed back to back in Leviticus. These sacrifices were thought of as “food offerings” to the Lord (1:9; 2:2)—not because the Israelites believed that God needed food or grew hungry (Psa. 50:12), but because offering food was an important gesture of honor and respect toward a guest. According to Israelite customs of hospitality, both meat and bread were served to honored guests (Gen. 18:6-7; Jdg. 6:19; 13:15-19)—hence the pairing of the burnt offering (meat) and grain offering (bread) symbolized a complete tribute to the Lord.
How was the grain offering made? Grain offerings could be prepared in one of three ways: uncooked flour (1-3), baked bread (4-10) or roasted grain (14-16). They were always to contain salt (13) and oil (1, 4-7, 15), and sometimes also frankincense (1, 15). The worshiper would bring these elements to the priest (1-2a), who would take them to the altar (6:14). The priest would burn a handful of the elements on the altar of burnt offering—not the incense altar (2, 9, 16)—and the remainder was given to the priests for food (3).
What was the grain offering for? Grain offerings served several purposes. While the burnt (1:4), sin (4:20), and guilt offerings (5:16) were intended to make “atonement” for the worshiper, the grain offering functioned as a “memorial” (אַזְכָּרָה, ʾazkarah) to the Lord (2:2)—a way for the Israelites to ask that God would “remember” them. This did not suggest that God had forgotten them, but rather that he would be mindful of them and extend his favor toward them. As David prayed: “What is man that you are mindful him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psa. 8:4; see also Eccl. 12:1 regarding our remembrance of God). The grain offering, then, was a means of seeking God’s grace—whether in praise or in petition (Psa. 20:2-3; Lk. 23:42).
In addition, grain offerings provided a tangible way for Israelites to express their faith and gratitude to God. The offering required fine flour—carefully prepared and of high value—and olive oil. For uncooked grain offerings or those brought as firstfruits, frankincense was also required (1, 15). Frankincense, a fragrant resin from the Boswellia tree of southern Arabia, was expensive—truly a gift fit for royalty (Isa. 60:6; Mt. 2:11). The precise quantities of flour and oil are debated, but conservative estimates suggest roughly 8 cups of flour (Ex. 29:40; Lev. 5:11) and a quarter of a gallon of oil (Ex. 29:40; Num. 15:4). In other words, this was no token gesture—a mere pinch of flour, a teaspoon of oil, and a sprinkle of incense. It was a costly and deliberate sacrifice, one that visibly expressed the worshiper’s devotion, trust, and thankfulness to God.
Like the burnt offering, the grain offering also has several meaningful connections to New Testament themes.
Giving God our best every day. The grain offering required fine flour, olive oil, and costly frankincense—not leftovers, but choice ingredients. Yet, apart from the frankincense, these were common household staples, used in daily life. The offering, then, symbolized whole-person devotion expressed through everyday means. In the same way, our daily lives are to be presented to God as an act of worship (Rom. 12:1). Whether we offer our material resources (2 Cor. 9:7) or ourselves (Mk. 12:30), we are called to give God our very best.
Taking care of each other. We noted that the portion of the grain offering not burned on the altar was given to Aaron and his sons as food (Lev. 7:9-10). The Lord had assigned specific portions of various offerings to the priests as their rightful share (6:17-18; 7:34; Num. 18:8). This provision enabled them to devote themselves fully to their duties in the tabernacle. When this system of support broke down, the worship of God suffered—as seen in Nehemiah’s time (Neh. 13:10–11).
This principle carries over into the New Testament, where the church is called to care for those who labor in preaching and teaching. Paul explicitly applies this pattern to gospel ministers (1 Cor. 9:13–14; Gal. 6:6). In this way, God built into Israel’s worship system a means of sustaining and honoring a vulnerable group—a principle that continues in the life of the church today.
God’s enduring faithfulness. The instructions for the grain offering specify that it must not include yeast or honey (11)—both of which can promote fermentation and, in this context, symbolized corruption and decay. In contrast, every grain offering was to be seasoned with salt, referred to as the “salt of the covenant” (13). Salt, a natural preservative, came to symbolize the enduring and incorruptible nature of God’s covenant faithfulness—his promises would not spoil, fade or be broken. This is echoed elsewhere in Scripture, where God’s promises are described as lasting and unbreakable (Num. 18:19; 2 Chron. 13:5). By adding salt to their offerings, the Israelites were reminded that God’s devotion to them would never fail.
Under the new covenant, this symbolism continues, except the image of salt is applied to us. Jesus tells his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth” (Mt. 5:13), calling us to be his agents of preservation, purity and blessing in a decaying world. Paul likewise urges believers to let their speech be “seasoned with salt” (Col. 4:6), reflecting the grace and truth that characterize those who belong to the eternal covenant in Christ. Just as the salt of the grain offering pointed to God’s enduring faithfulness, so our lives today should reflect the unchanging nature of God’s grace—preserving what is good, proclaiming what is true and living in covenant loyalty to the One who is forever faithful.
