Flour
Just like we today make bread and cakes out of flour, flour was also used in Biblical times for a variety of reasons. Beside flour being used for making bread there were other uses for flour. Flour was used as a meat offering to the LORD. Choice flour was presented to special guest. Flour was used symbolically. Fine flour was a luxury item.
Fine Flour as a Meat Offering to the LORD:
Fine flour was used as a meat offering unto the LORD. The priest shall take out his handful of the flour and shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD. He that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour. Meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon. The oblation of a meat offering bake in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. If the oblation be a meat offering baked in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil. If the oblation be a meat offering baked in the frying pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. (Leviticus 2:1-7). When someone is not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering. (Leviticus 5:11). This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night. (Leviticus 6:20). A thanksgiving offering shall be offered with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried. (Leviticus 7:12).
A basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings. (Numbers 6:15). An offered for his offering one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: (Numbers 7:19).
Hannah, the mother of Samuel, when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young. (1Samuel 1:24).
Choice Flour Presented to Guest
And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. The angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. (Judges 6:19-21).
There had been not rain in the land and the LORD told Elijah to go to Zarephath, which belonged to Zidon, and dwell there. The LORD had commanded a widow woman there to sustain Elijah. Elijah had asked for a morsel of bread. And she said, As the LORD your God lives, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. The LORD God of Israel said that the barrel of meal of flour shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth. (1 Kings 17:17-2).
When three men stood by Abraham ran to meet them from the tent door. Abraham offered to fetch water to wash their feet and rest under the tree. Abraham would fetch a morsel of bread. Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. (Genesis 18:1-6).
Flour Used to Make Bread:
And this is the thing that shall be done to consecrated those who shall minister to the LORD in the priest’s office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish, and unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them. (Exodus 29:1-2). When Saul heard the LORD God was going to deliver Israel into the hand of the Philistines: he had not eaten all day or all night and was weaken. Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him. A woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof. (1 Samuel 28:20-24). Tamar, the daughter of King David went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was laid down pretending to be sick. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes. (2 Samuel 13:8).
Fine Flour was a Luxury Item:
The word of the LORD came unto Ezekiel saying, for Ezekiel to cause Jerusalem to know her abominations. The LORD God had given everything to Jerusalem including washing them with water and anointed them with oil. He clothed them with broidered work, and shod them with badgers’ skin, and girded them about with fine linen, and I covered them with silk. They were decked with ornaments, with bracelets upon their hands, a chain one their neck. The LORD put jewels on their forehead, and earrings in their ears, and a beautiful crown upon their head. They were decked with gold and silver; and their raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; they did eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and they were exceeding beautiful, and they did prosper into a kingdom. (Ezekiel 16:1-13).
And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal. (1Kings 4:22).
That great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buy their merchandise any more. The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. (Revelation 18:10-13)
Flour Used Symbolically:
Jesus spoke in a parable of the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. (Matthew 13:33).
The Kingdom of God it is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. (Luke 13:21).
The merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over Jerusalem; for no man buys their merchandise any more. The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that your soul lusted after are departed from you, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from you, and you shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! (Revelation 18:11-16).
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Flour Grain:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Feb 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2352,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, February) “Flour Grain:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2352,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Flour Grain:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (February), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2352, (accessed).
