THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Behold, from each tribal leader came a silver dish and a bowl, both containing wheat flour mixed with oil. The dish is meant for eating boiled food, as the Saviour Himself indicated to John, His beloved disciple, when questioned about the identity of His betrayer: "He who put his hand into the dish with Me" (Matthew 26:23; cf. John 13:23-26). Moreover, how can we discuss the significance of the cup when the essence of the matter speaks for itself? The wheat flour represents bread since it indeed becomes bread; and Jesus, the Bread of Life, is signified in this.
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Thus, through the dish, the cup, and the bread contained in them, which consisted entirely of wheat flour, we see Christ portrayed in the sustenance and nourishment He provides, as He states, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you" (John 6:53). The flour was moistened with oil, which is metaphorically expressed in the Psalms: "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore hast Thou anointed Thee, O God, Thy God, with the oil of gladness more than Thy fellows" (Ps. 44:8).
Let us delve deeper into the offerings presented by the leaders as representatives of all, and we shall uncover the profound beauty of spiritual reflection. The silver vessels— the dish and bowl—contained wheat flour moistened with oil. Silver symbolizes purity, while the flour signifies life, as it produces bread that sustains us. Oil represents joy. Let us then lift our joy to God, the sovereign of all, as an expression of our lightness in life, rooted in hope in Christ; as it is written, "He who rejoices in hope" (Rom. 12:12). How could those who guard the commandments of our Saviour, having achieved glory through their virtuous lives and actions, not be filled with immense joy? Such individuals are destined to share in His glory, "For ye are dead," it is stated, "and your life is hid with Christ in God. But when Christ, your life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:3-4). Thus, the wheat flour, moistened with oil, signifies that in the lives of the saints, there is a joy rooted in the hope of glory, intertwined with lordship, manifest in holiness and righteousness.