In this message we will cover further aspects of the meal offering.
There is no leaven in the meal offering (vv. 4-5). “No meal offering which you shall bring to Jehovah shall be made with leaven” (v. 11a). No leaven signifies that there is no sin or any negative thing in Christ (1 Cor. 5:6-8).
In the meal offering there is no honey, which will ferment (Lev. 2:11). This signifies that there is no natural affection or natural good in Christ.
Two things in the Lord’s recovery bother me. One is ambition, which I regard as leaven. The other is natural affection, which I regard as honey. Certain saints may claim that their love for one another is according to the Lord’s commandment (John 13:34). Actually, their love is a matter of natural affection and has nothing to do with the Lord’s commandment.
Nothing damages the church life, the Lord’s ministry, and the Lord’s work more than ambition and natural affection. Ambition for leadership is leaven, and leaven brings in corruption. Natural affection is honey, and honey brings in rottenness.
Ambition and affection are closely related. Suppose a brother has a particular ambition. If his ambition is fulfilled, he will be happy. If it is not fulfilled, he will be unhappy. He will love anyone who helps him to gain what he desires. But anyone who hinders him in fulfilling his ambition will be regarded as an enemy.
If we want to serve the Lord for a long period of time, we must look to the Lord to purify us from ambition and natural affection. No matter how well certain saints may treat us, and no matter how close we are or how long we have been together, we should not make friends in the church life. Rather, we should regard all the saints in the same way-as brothers and sisters in the Lord. We should not be ambitious, and we should not have natural affection, for such affection will bring in rottenness.
The meal offering must have neither leaven nor honey. We should take Christ as fine flour without adding leaven or honey. We need to ask the Lord to purify us so that in our living there will be no leaven and no honey.
Home | First | Prev | Next