We have been dwelling on the contrast between the oblation of the first-fruits, which could not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savor, and the meat-offering of the first-fruits, which must be burnt without leaven, a sweet savor by fire unto the Lord.
Leviticus 23 will explain this more fully. Only we must again bear in mind that all this follows the passover. It is instruction for those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. It is, “When ye be come into the land which I give unto you.” Now, dear reader, how as (are you) to this? Have you redemption through His blood? As Israel passed with Moses through the Red Sea out of Egypt, have you passed with Jesus out of Egypt through death? And, still more, have you passed with our true Joshua through the Jordan of death into the land; through death into resurrection, the antitype of Canaan? “When ye be come into the land which I give unto you.”
We must be “dead with Christ” and “risen with Christ” to understand these things, and in the heavenlies in Christ. (Col. 2:20, 3:1; Eph. 1:3, 2:6). Oh! have we come into this land which He hath given unto us? “Here we rest in wonder viewing” (as a hymn says).
And first as to Himself. Is He not the firstfruit wave-sheaf, the first sheaf of the harvest? How blind the Jews were not to understand this. The very day of the passover was the day when He was offered up, the Lamb of God. And the very day they waved the first ripe sheaf, He arose from the dead on that first day of the week, the morrow after the sabbath. “And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it” (Lev. 23:1111And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. (Leviticus 23:11)). Thus our Jesus having been delivered for our iniquities on the cross, the true atoning Lamb of God, was on that very morrow after the Sabbath, accepted for us. Accepted for our eternal redemption accepted for our righteousness, our justification — accepted to be evermore our subsisting righteousness. Yes, God in righteousness raised Him from the dead for our justification, on the very day that the wave sheaf was waved before the Lord, in type for the acceptance of Israel. “And ye shall offer that day, when ye wave the sheaf, an he lamb without blemish of the first year, for a burnt-offering unto the Lord.” Note, there is no sin-offering on that day. He “knew no sin.” He needed no sin-offering for Himself. The burnt-offering was what He was to God in all the sweet savor of His Person and work. All went up a sweet savor to God.
Oh! the joy that God had in receiving Him from the dead, accepted for us. Thus the true meat-offering is offered on that day. “And the meat-offering thereof shall be two-tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the Lord for a sweet savor: and the drink-offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.” In this, or with this offering made by fire there must be no leaven or honey. This is Jesus, the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. No change in Him. The same sinless purity after He had made atonement for our sins, as before. Wholly acceptable to God, and accepted for us. All is absolute purity. Still, we receive from His fullness, and grace upon grace, as we share the thoughts of God. It is blessed to dwell on these things — feeding on Christ as the meat-offering.
Yes, the reader says, all that is truly blessed, and most true of Christ, the first-born from among the dead -Christ risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept. To have offered leaven, the type of evil, with that meat-offering would indeed have been utterly out of place. But you have not explained my difficulties as to the church, or even as to myself. Evil soon showed itself in the church. And after my conversion there was evil in me that I little expected, and it soon showed itself. And the question is this, How can the church be sustained in acceptance with God? or, how can I, as a Christian, be in His unchanging favor, seeing the honest truth is, that there is still evil in both the church and in me?
Very true; we will now look at that part of the subject. Now you will have to count fifty days, from the day that Christ arose from the dead unto Pentecost, that is the fiftieth day. That is the meaning of “Pentecost.” Fifty days separate these two meat-offerings.
Verse 15. “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave-offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath, shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat-offering unto the Lord. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves, of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven, they are the first-fruits unto the Lord.” Is not this very remarkable? this new meat-offering is not burnt for a sweet savor unto the Lord: it could not be, for it was baken with leaven. Whatever this may typify, there is the distinct recognition that there is evil in it. Yet it is composed of fine flour. And they are the first-fruits unto the Lord.
Now what took place on this very fiftieth day — the Jews’ Pentecost — fifty days, the morrow after the seventh Sabbath since Jesus died, and arose from the dead? Acts 2 gives a full account of what took place on this very day. “When the day of Pentecost was fully come.” This chapter records how the Holy Spirit came down from heaven, and by the preached word, gathered together the children of God; and on that day the kingdom of God began, the church was formed. Then appeared on this earth the new meat-offering — the two loaves were made — both the kingdom and the assembly were new, entirely new. Redemption was accomplished, the Holy Spirit could now come to dwell in the assembly on earth.
At first it would seem strange that the new meat-offering should be baked with leaven. That which was so strictly forbidden in the meat-offering that so clearly pointed to Christ, should now be taken, recognized in the new meat-offering; that which evidently (we now see) points to the kingdom of God and the church. Need we say how exactly the Antitype answers to the type? How soon it was manifested that, though the assembly was separated from this world, sanctified to God, yet there was evil, leaven in it. And so of every believer, though born of God. Fine flour — a new and holy nature that delights to do the will of God. Yet that which is born of the flesh is still flesh. The believer soon finds that the leaven of his old nature is still there; ah! that nature could not be offered to God, it would not bear the fire of holy divine judgment, and ascend up a sweet savor to God. A sweet savor to God! nay, it is loathsome to ourselves, and we abhor the leaven that is still in us.
And if we look at the assembly in all its history or in all its present state — true it is about to be presented glorious, without spot, to God — but, oh, can the present jarrings and discord, worldliness, pleasure seeking, evil speakings and divisions — can these go up bearing the fire of divine judgment for a sweet savor unto God? It is no use denying that these things are found in the assembly, or church of God — in those who are Christians, and thus form the church of God. We know that all this, and much more, is leaven, and cannot go up acceptable to our God. And, oh, how much honey, and how often the mere courtesies of life take the place of the salt of the covenant of our God.
If all this be true, how then can the church be the first-fruits unto the Lord? Let us be clear as to the fact, that is, that the fiftieth day after Jesus arose from the dead, the church was formed by the Holy Spirit come down from heaven. There can be no question then that this type of the new meat-offering refers to it.
Let us then proceed to examine the wondrous provision for its acceptance.
Verse 18. “And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish, of the first year and one young bullock and two rams: they shall be for a burnt-offering unto the Lord, WITH THEIR MEAT-OFFERING, and their drink-offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord.” Then follow the sin-offerings and peace-offerings — here all is Christ. God is glorified in the burnt-offering of Christ, so amply set forth here. Then Christ, the offering for sin; and Christ offered for communion, the peace-offering. And note, “with their meat-offering” is Christ without leaven, a sweet savor unto God. Oh, wondrous truth! God has been perfectly glorified even about all the leaven in the church and in each individual believer. And note vs. 20. “And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits, for a wave-offering before the Lord.” Thus the whole perfect infinite value of the Person and offering of Christ, is presented with the church, before the Lord. Oh, the rich, the infinite provision of our God! thus, while distinctly recognizing the condition of the church, its evil or leaven which He cannot accept, yet all has been judged in the one offering of Christ, and the church is thus accepted in Him. Do we believe this, that every bit of evil in us, all the leaven in the church we know, and do not know, has been judged to the glory of God? Could we desire a more complete provision for us? Jesus has glorified God about every bit of evil we ever detect in the assembly, the new meat-offering. And while the leaven cannot surely go up to God for a sweet savor, yet we are offered to Him with all the sweet savor of His blessed Son. “Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of His creatures” (James 1:1818Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:18)). Very precious is the teaching in these two meat-offerings so very distinct in character, yet waved together. What pains, if we may use such a word, has God taken to tell out the provisions of the riches of His grace.