The Literal Commandment

Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places." (Leviticus 23:14)

 

The literal commandment is that we are not to eat new growth (ripened grain) from the new grain until "the offering" (first-fruits offering) has been brought in.

 

Messiah Says

Messiah implicitly affirmed this commandment when He spoke about the Law:

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)

 

 

Pictures of Messiah

This commandment teaches us that we are prohibited from using or eating grain products until the Levitical priests offered up the first of the new grain to G-d. We are not permitted to physically benefit from physical bread until the first portion is given to G-d.

In a similar fashion, this commandment pictures Messiah in that, we are unable to spiritually benefit from the spiritual Bread of Life (i.e. Messiah- John 6:35) until the first portion (Messiah again- Colossians 1:18) has gone up or ascended to G-d.

 

How Messiah Fulfilled

We know that Messiah did not sin (Hebrews 4:15) and so we know Messiah fulfilled this commandment by not eating from the new grain harvest before the Omer.

 

Traditional Observance

The traditional observance of this commandment is found in its literal meaning: not eating ripened grain from the recently harvested crops before the Omer offering is brought into the Temple.

 

Other Notes

We are not able to fulfill this commandment today absent a Temple and functioning Levitical priesthood where the Omer offering could be brought.

 

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