Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Leviticus 6:16-18

16 And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.

17 It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.

18 All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the Lord made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy.

We have heard a few times already of the priests eating a portion of the offering. I have described this as God sharing His bounty with His servants, them being able to partake in the fruit of His kingdom. I do believe that is a main meaning of this symbol, but perhaps there are other representations we can find in it as well.

One thing that stands out this time is the specification that the meat offering had to be eaten in the holy place, meaning within the tabernacle courtyard. The priests had their own homes and families and lives outside of their ritual duties, but this offering was not meant for them to take home and eat there. It was not just provisions. The priests eating it was actually a part of the ritual itself. It was as much an obligation of the priests as it was a privilege. That which the offeror gave had to be consumed, whether by flame or by mouth, and the priest was responsible to ensure that that occurred.

Given that perspective, another representation in the priests eating of the meat offering emerges. Remember that this offering was a celebratory one, given as a show of gratitude and thanks for God’s blessings. That show of thanks had two destinations, one was purely to give glory and memorial to God, the other was to nourish and sustain God’s servants. We see in this dual consumption the proper channels for our abundance. If I am greatly increased by God in my life, I should return some of that back to Him, and some of it I should pay forward to my fellow man.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Genesis 45:9-11

9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:

10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:

11 And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

What greater evidence is there of Joseph’s forgiveness than his pure desire to take care of his brethren? I know the words I am reading are translated, but I am still struck by the tender compassion in phrases like “thou shalt be near unto me,” and “there will I nourish thee.” There is a sort of maternal concern conveyed in words like these.

But not only maternal concern, Joseph also says that he will be providing them with food and shelter, the chief responsibilities of a father. The once outcast brother will now be the foundation of life for the whole family!

And the family absolutely need Joseph to care for them like this. As Joseph reveals, there are another five years of famine remaining, enough to destroy his father’s household several times over. Yes, the brothers have repented of their prior hatred towards Joseph, but even if they hadn’t, they really wouldn’t have any choice but to put themselves under his protection! The must submit to his care or die!