| The
grain offering (minchah) represented a gift to God which expressed
submission and dependence. Originally signifying a gift to any superior,
“at the time of Sinai minchah became the official designation for
a gift to God, a gift of homage, an acknowledgment of the superiority of
the One to whom the gift was given.” Thus, man showed himself to be a
steward of the things entrusted him.78
The grain offerings could be
either private, voluntary offerings of individuals (see Lev. 2) or the
continual grain offering, a public offering made before Jehovah (Lev.
6:14-23) in the same way that the burnt offering could be private or
public (Lev. 6:8-13; Num. 28:3-8). For the public grain offering (Lev.
6:14-23), the priest lifted up a handful of fine flour from the grain
offering with its oil and frankincense which was burned on the altar as a
sweet aroma to Jehovah. The private, individual grain offering was offered
by the priest in a similar manner and for the same purpose (Lev. 2:2, 9).
The law of the grain offering (minchah)
in Lev. 6:14-23 consisted of a tenth of a ephah of flour as a continual (tamid)
grain offering, half in the morning and half at night for a sweet aroma to
Jehovah. Again it may be observed that the flour as a daily (tamid)
grain offering is connected with the sweet aroma to Jehovah (6:20-21).
Finally the burnt offering was
combined most frequently with the grain offering as a sweet aroma to
Jehovah.79 The two male
lambs as a tamid (daily) burnt offering were always combined with
the flour as a daily grain offering for a sweet aroma to Jehovah (Num.
28:4-8; 29:6). Again the connection of the tamid (daily) is
observed.
7.1.3
Hattamid / Sweet Aroma Connection |