goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering" (Num. xxix. 12–16).

Meat offerings were required at the consecration of priests (Exod. xxix. 1-3; Lev. vi. 19-23); at the consecration of Levites (Num. viii. 5-12); at the cleansing of a leper (Lev. xiv. 10, 30, 31); at the termination of the Nazarite vow (Num. vi. 13-21).

The meat offering was nearly always accompanied with a drink offering. Although this is not stated in Leviticus ii., the drink offering is elsewhere spoken of as being associated with the meat offering (Exod. xxix. 40; Lev. xxiii. 13 : Num. xv. 5, 10).

Seeing that the meat offering occupied such a prominent position in the Levitical economy, we may conclude that it was typical of something closely connected with God's glory and man's well-being.

The word Mincha, which is used in the original to designate the meat offering, does not appear to have had such a definite meaning as some other words. It is translated "gifts gifts" in seven different places, "oblations" in six, " offering" in thirty-three," present" in twenty-eight, "sacrifice" in five, and "meat offering" very frequently. For illustration see the following: "And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift" (Ps. xlv. 5); "And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD" (Gen. iv. 3–5) ; Jacob "took of that which came to his hand a present

for Esau his brother" (Gen. xxxii. 13); "Let my prayer be set before thee as incense," says the Psalmist, "and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice" (Ps. cxli. 2).

Keeping all these passages before the mind, it will be seen that the meat offering must be regarded as a gift offered to the Lord. We may even go further in supposing it to have been offered in grateful acknowledgment to God, and as an expression of desire to secure His favour and blessing. It must not be

inferred from this that we are to regard the meat offering as having reference to expiation. Although the meat offering was not designed for the purpose of making atonement, it should ever be remembered that it was offered in conjunction with those offerings which were of an expiatory character: "Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. ix. 22). The blessed truth brought before us in these words will require consideration when we come to the sin offering.

It must be granted that there is a striking resemblance between the ritual of the meat offering and that of the burnt offering. Both are called most holy, both are subject to the same regulations, and in case of extreme poverty the offerer is permitted to bring, instead of a proper sin offering, one that in all points agrees with the meat offering, except in the absence

of oil and frankincense.

One great distinction between the burnt offering and the meat offering, consisted in the first being life,

and the second fruits. The life belonged to God. The fruits of the earth were given to man (Gen. i. 29). If the burnt offering had been presented without the meat offering, man would have lacked his portion, and remained unsatisfied. Again, if the meat offering had been presented without the burnt offering, God would not have been satisfied, for the offerer would have been imperfect, and nothing short of perfection would do for Him who was perfectly holy and righteous, and who remains the same.

As many people, and some writers of eminence, suppose that the idea of expiation was involved in the meat offering, it may enable us to arrive at a proper conclusion on this subject if we refer to three or four different portions of God's word which are considered to support it. The first to which reference is made is 1 Samuel iii. 14 66 : I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever." Admitting as we readily do, that the words here used are minchameat offering, and olah-burnt offering, we maintain that it does not necessarily follow that the meat offering was of an expiatory character, although accompanied with the burnt offering, which was accepted by Jehovah as His offering. In 1 Samuel xxvi. 19, we read, "If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let Him accept an offering: " a mincha or meat offering. Although David uttered these words at the very time that he was complaining of the bitter persecution

of Saul, it surely is not necessary for us to understand that David thought of propitiating Saul, or expiating his sin. It must be borne in mind that David had not sinned against Saul; there could therefore be no necessity for him to offer an offering, which might be looked upon as acknowledgment of sin.

Against what has just been said it may be argued that Christ is said to have given Himself "an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling savour" (Eph. v. 2). In reply to this, we must not forget that as prosphoran-offering, is distinct from thusiana sacrifice killed, it is highly probable that it has a wider meaning and a more general application, having reference not only to the death of Jesus, but more especially to His life unto death: "He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. ii. 8). The meaning of which is, not that His obedience commenced with His death, but rather that obedience characterized Him from the period when He emptied Himself, and took upon Him our nature, until the completion of His work on the cross. Romans v. 19, on examination will be seen to be in perfect harmony with this: "By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

The meat offering consisted-First, of fine flour, oil, and frankincense. Second, of unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled, or made, with oil. Third, unleavened wafers anointed, or smeared, with oil. If baked in the frying pan, it consisted of fine flour.

"And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon: and he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD and the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons'; it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.

"And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

"And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil. Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon it is a meat offering.

"And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the LORD: and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar. And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. And that which is left of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.