What does it take for Moses (or any other priest) to get close to God, to enter the Tent of Meeting in the ancient nation of Israel? Precise and careful sacrifiece
"`When someone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering is to be of fine flour. He is to pour oil on it, put incense on it and take it to Aaron's sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the fine flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the LORD by fire.
The grain ("tribute", minchah) offering, not an offering of blood, was to be mixed with oil and incense, to be burned as an incense of worship. What is not burned is given to the priests, for their food.
Harris says that "memorial" could also be interpreted as "petition" -- this may have been an offering made for a particular request or need.
Leviticus 2:4-10, Without yeast
"`If you bring a grain offering baked in an oven, it is to consist of fine flour: cakes made without yeast and mixed with oil, or wafers made without yeast and spread with oil.
If your grain offering is prepared on a griddle, it is to be made of fine flour mixed with oil, and without yeast. Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.
If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, it is to be made of fine flour and oil.
Bring the grain offering made of these things to the LORD; present it to the priest, who shall take it to the altar. He shall take out the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the LORD by fire.
Grain offering, baked in an oven, is be given in a way similar to the previous description: it is mixed with oil and incense and a portion burned as an offering of pleasant incense while the rest is given to the priests. Here, since baking is involved, we have a restriction prohibiting yeast. It is not clear why yeast is prohibited, but food without yeast points back to the hurried flight from Egypt (Exodus 12:8, 15-20.)
Leviticus 2:11-13, No yeast or honey
"`Every grain offering you bring to the LORD must be made without yeast, for you are not to burn any yeast or honey in an offering made to the LORD by fire. You may bring them to the LORD as an offering of the firstfruits, but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma.
Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.
The prohibition of yeast continues. Here, added to the "no yeast" command is a statement that there should be no honey and that the offering should be seasoned with salt. The prohibition of honey may just be for the portion that is burned.
Leviticus 2:14-16, New grain
"`If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. Put oil and incense on it; it is a grain offering. The priest shall burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all the incense, as an offering made to the LORD by fire.
A grain offering of "firstfruits", the first part of the harvest, is also to be offered, roasted with oil, burned as incense. Hzrris says that the incense would have been "bitter and nauseous to the taste and thus not fit for food."
First published August 1, 2025; updated August 1, 2025
A grain offering of "firstfruits", the first part of the harvest, is also to be offered, roasted with oil, burned as incense. Hzrris says that the incense would have been "bitter and nauseous to the taste and thus not fit for food."
First published August 1, 2025; updated August 1, 2025
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