THE GRAIN (Meal) OFFERING. Leviticus 2 By viewing through the scriptures in my mind's eye, I see a person demonstrating his appreciation for God's blessings at the Tabernacle. He prepared the ground and planted the seeds. For every seed he sowed, hundreds more sprouted, and he understood that the life God had released for his benefit was hidden in the dark soil. If he had been lazy or careless, the ground he walked on would have withheld its life from him. But wisely, he labored, and now "in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not." With a basket of freshly ground flour, well-sifted to remove impurities and unground particles, the man who planted in faith and reaped with joy now acknowledges his gratitude to God in a way that was defined by God and made acceptable to Him.
He did not design his own private ceremony, nor did a group plan their way to express their appreciation to God. They were given the choice to make a gift of the meat offering to God in His way. It is an insult to God to design a "worship service" to appeal to man's emotions and to gain public approval. God has His way, and we are to worship Him. It is our privilege and responsibility to worship and remember Him in a manner suitable to Him.
The meat offering, also called the meal and grain offerings, was a sweet-savor offering placed on the altar and burned there. It was given when the burnt and peace offerings were made and accompanied them both. Yet it was a distinct sacrifice with a specific purpose. There was no thought of sin in these sweet-savor offerings. These were to give to God and the offeror, evidence of appreciation by a specific act of devotion and worship. They would be reminded that every good thing and every perfect thing comes from God Himself. By making this offering, they would confess that they remember God’s faithfulness and goodness to them.
The response to God for what He has given is best recognized in the Father's giving His only begotten Son, when "the Son of God who loved me gave Himself for me," and when the Holy Spirit takes all of God's blessings and makes them real to us. The meat offering shows an appreciation for God and for what He has done, and an apprehension of the blessings He has brought to us. So, part of the offering was for God, and part was for man.