The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 78

So is he destined to nourish the joys of the glorified in the heaven of heavens (Luke xxii. 30). (3) This was a Eucharistic offering, and equivalent to the bread of the Christian Eucharist (Matt. xxvi. 26; 1 Cor. x. 16). II. THIS DREAD HAD THE QUALITY OF EXCELLENCE. 1. .As bread it was the staple of f.ood. (1) We can dispense with luxuries, but bread is necessary. It is" the staff of life." So is Christ. (2) Ilread is, by a figure of speech, put for everything needful for the body (Matt. vi. 12). Christ is, by no figure of speech, everything needful to the soul. 2. This bread was of "fine flour." (1) It may have been of barley as well as of wheat (see Numb. v. 15). Every variety of spiritual nourishment may be found in Christ. (2) But the flour must be "fine." 'l'he nourishment we find in Christ is of the finest order. Christ is God'~ best Gift to us. So is Christ our best Gift to God. All secondary gifts are valuable as they arc offered in his Name (2 Cor. ix. 15). III. IT HAD NOTICEABLE ADJUNCTS. 1. Oil was poured upon it. (1) The oil was from the olive, a tree full of fatness (Judg. ix. 9). It is a symbol of the Holy Spirit's grace (Matt. xxv. 4). (2) The fine flour was anointed with it. Messiah is so named because anointed with the Holy Ghost without measure. The Greek synonym of the Hebrew Messiah is Christ (Isa. lxi. 1; Acts iv. 27; L 38; Heb. i. 9). (3) We are called Christians because anointed by the Spirit of Christ (see 2 Cor. i. 21; 1 John ii. 20, 27), 2. It was offered with frankincense. (1) This was a favourite spice, which appears not to have been yielded by one tree alone, but probably was compounded from several. We read of " spikenard and saffron ; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense" (Cant. iv. 14). (2) It is associated with the Bridegroom in the Song of Songs, to express the perfections of his holy character, by which he is infinitely attractive to his Spouse, the Church. He is there described as coming up out of the wilderness "like pillars of smoke," probably alluding to the Shechinab, and "perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the powders of the merchant" (Cant. iii. 6). (3) In these per- fections he is no less grateful to God when offered up to him (Matt. iii. 17; xvii. 5; 2 Pet. i. 17). As we become Christ-like, we are also well pleasing in his sight. The faithful minister of the Word is" unto God a sweet savour of Christ" (2 Cor. ii. 15).- J. A. M. Vers. 1-10.-The feast upon the minchah. In our remarks upon the two first of these verses, we viewed the mincbah, or meat offering, as a type of Christ. Upon this point additional light may be incidentally thrown as we now proceed to consider the feast upon the minchah. For this we hold to be designed to represent our fellowship with God in Christ. I. FEASTS EAVE EVER DEI!IN REGARDED AS TOKENS OP FBIBNDSHIP. 1. Secular history abounds in examples. (1) These date back to very ancient times. The ancient Egyptians, Thracians, and Libyans mado contracts of friendship by presenting a cup of wine to each other. Covenants were made by the ancient Persians and Germans nt feasts. The Pythagoreans had a symbol, " Break no bread," which Erasmus interprets to mean "Break no friendship." (2) Similar usages still obtain, It would be con- sidered amongst us a most incongruous thing for persons at enmity deliberately to sit down at the same table. So according to our laws, if a person diinks to another against whom he has an accusation of slander, he loses his suit, because this supposes that they are reconciled. 2. Sacred history also furnishes examples. (1) Isaac and Abimelech made a covenant with a feast (Gen. xxvi. 30, 31); so did Jacob and Laban (Gen. xx.xi. 64); so did David and Abner (2 Sam. iii. 20). (2) The verb (ni::i, bera) to eat, in the Hebrew, H not the root of the word (n•,::i, berith), covenant, is at least n. kindred word. (3) Hence in apostolic times, Christians were forbidden to cat with wicked persons (1 Cor. v. 11; see also Gal. ii. 12). It must nover be forgotten that the "friendship of the world is enmity against God." II. 'l'IIE FEAST OF THE MEAT OFFERING WAS A SYMDO!, OF FELLOWSHIP WITII Goo. l. The" memorial" of the minchah was God's meat. (l) The offerer separated a portion of the mass, which was called the memorial, or representation of the whole. 'l'hus he took from the bulk of the fine flour a handful. 'l'o this ho added a suitable proportion of oil. The whole of the frankincense was devoted. (2) The priest then burnt the complete memorial upon the altar of burnt offerings. (3) God signified his acceptance of it by consuming it in fire, which was not of human kindling, but bad issued from LEVITICUS. D  34 'THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. [ea n. l--11;.