Leviticus 2:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The suffering of Christ brings salvation. The Lord God, who created humanity, did not will death, nor does He delight in the demise of the living. He intended all creation to thrive, and His design is for life, free from the venomous influence of sin; there exists no realm of hell on earth, as stated in Scripture: “By the envy of the devil death entered into the world." These truths are profoundly evident because such a remarkable being as man could not be destined for easy destruction by the Creator. Instead, death came through wrath, as Adam, the first man, disobeyed God's command and chose disobedience instead. Yet now through Christ, due to one man's obedience, the transgressions of Adam have been erased. In Him, we find justification, as the Apostle Paul affirms: “For as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one man many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). In this way, through Adam, we faced condemnation, but through Christ, we are forgiven and given new life, as He was obedient to the Father even unto death, and by His wounds, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). Thus we, burdened with sin through Adam, have been transformed in Christ into a spiritual and pleasing offering to God the Father, a gift that surpasses the symbols outlined in the law.

Christ is our origin, renewing our pathway. As David expresses in the Psalms to his heavenly Father, “Sacrifice and offering Thou hast not desired; Thou hast opened my ears; burnt offering and sin offering Thou hast not required. Then I said, Behold, I come;...I desire to do Thy will, O my God” (Psalm 39:7-9). This is complemented by the direction found in Leviticus: “If you bring a grain offering of first fruits to the Lord, offer as a gift from your first harvest, from the ears dried by fire, along with threshed grains, pouring oil upon them and adding frankincense” (Leviticus 2:14-16). The meaning of this is quite clear; I believe it doesn’t require great effort to comprehend. I would simply note that the fruit of the ears represents flour made from grains, symbolizing the sacrament of Christ. He is our offering, the spiritual firstborn, the beginning of humanity, the first to rise from the dead, and the prototype of the resurrected, akin to a grain of wheat that dies to yield abundant fruit.

Christ Himself taught us this when He said, “If a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it bears much fruit; if it does not die, it remains alone” (John 12:24). His death was not for Himself but for us. This testament is beautifully illustrated in the law, which states: “If any man will offer to the Lord an offering of bread of the first fruits, offer a gift of your first fruits from the ears” (Leviticus 2:14). Notice how Moses emphasizes the importance of bringing a fresh offering. Christ is the source of new creation, in which we participate as a new being (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The sacrifices mentioned are not limited to wheat alone but also include crushed grains; as the law required burnt offerings to be made from fine flour, not whole grains. Here too, offerings must be processed to be suitable for consumption, as we prepare food from ground grains rather than whole. Hence, Christ is the firstborn and offering pleasing and fragrant to God (Philippians 4:18), nourishing to our spirits. He is the bread that descended from heaven, sustaining the world (John 6:41, 33), and He provides Himself as spiritual sustenance.

The law commands that oil should be poured over the offering and that frankincense should accompany it, as oil symbolizes abundance and joy, while frankincense signifies sacredness and fragrance. Christ was offered as a sacrifice on our behalf, exemplifying the origin of spiritual fruits. His death, far from being filled with sorrow, was meant to eradicate grief and ignite joyful hope. He was not confined by the gates of hell nor did He remain in death. Though death seemed to prevail momentarily, the Lord removed every tear from our faces and lifted the disgrace from the earth, for He has risen, conquering death, to set us free from corruption. In this victory, we proclaim, “Thou hast turned my sorrow into joy; Thou hast taken away my mourning and clothed me with gladness” (Psalm 29:12).

The reality of sacrifice is indeed one of joy and hope. If one contemplates further, they might see that in Christ we are absolved of sin, as the Psalmist states, “He has anointed my head with oil” (Psalm 22:5). The death of Christ was not due to any fault or personal sins of His but was a pure and blemish-free offering for us—an expiation for our sins and the death that follows them. This is reflected in the symbolism of the incense laid upon the sacrifice. Adam, our forefather, was rightly punished for his initial transgressions and fell prey to the stench of sin. Yet, our Savior, the Lord, was sinless and became a pleasing offering for us and the origin of new spiritual benefits, manifesting fully in every aspect, as both wheat and vegetables. He died for all—Jew and Gentile alike—and through Him, we present ourselves as a memorial to God the Father.

Thus, the law declares: “And the priest shall burn for a memorial a portion of the grain and oil with all the frankincense; it is an offering to the Lord” (Leviticus 2:16). In our sins, we angered the Father to the point of nearly losing His sight. But because of Christ's sacrificial love, He remembers us and blesses us: “He blesses those who fear the Lord, both small and great” (Psalm 113:21). Consequently, we are taught to declare, “Blessed are you by the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 113:23).