Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical context, bread holds significant symbolic and ritualistic importance, particularly in relation to sacrifices and offerings. The concept of "bread sacrificed" can be explored through various scriptural references and practices that highlight its role in worship and covenantal relationships between God and His people.
Old Testament ContextIn the Old Testament, bread is often associated with sacrificial offerings. The grain offering, or "minchah," was a common form of sacrifice that included bread or cakes made from fine flour, oil, and frankincense.
Leviticus 2:4-5 describes the preparation of these offerings: "When you present an offering of grain baked in the oven, it must consist of fine flour—either unleavened cakes mixed with oil or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. If your offering is a grain offering prepared on a griddle, it must be of fine flour, unleavened, and mixed with oil."
These offerings were a means of expressing devotion, thanksgiving, and atonement. The bread, as part of the grain offering, symbolized the fruits of human labor and the sustenance provided by God. It was a reminder of the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where the people acknowledged God's provision and sovereignty.
The Bread of the PresenceAnother significant aspect of bread in sacrificial contexts is the Bread of the Presence, also known as the Showbread. This bread was placed on a table in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple, as described in
Exodus 25:30 : "And place the Bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times." The Bread of the Presence consisted of twelve loaves, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, and was a perpetual offering before the Lord.
The Bread of the Presence symbolized God's continual provision and His presence among His people. It was a sacred offering, and only the priests were permitted to eat it, as outlined in
Leviticus 24:9 : "It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, for it is most holy to him from the offerings made by fire to the LORD. This is a permanent statute."
New Testament FulfillmentIn the New Testament, the sacrificial symbolism of bread finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. During the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, using bread as a symbol of His body, which would be sacrificed for the sins of humanity. In
Matthew 26:26 , it is recorded: "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is My body.'"
This act established a new covenant, where the bread became a representation of Christ's sacrificial offering. The Lord's Supper, or Communion, is a continual reminder of Jesus' sacrifice and the believer's participation in His death and resurrection.
Spiritual SignificanceThe sacrificial aspect of bread in the Bible underscores themes of provision, covenant, and redemption. It serves as a tangible reminder of God's faithfulness and the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The use of bread in sacrificial contexts invites believers to reflect on their dependence on God for spiritual sustenance and the grace provided through Christ's atoning work.
Nave's Topical Index
Leviticus 21:6,8,17,21,22They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
Nave's Topical IndexLeviticus 22:25
Neither from a stranger's hand shall you offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.
Nave's Topical Index
1 Samuel 2:36
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in your house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray you, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.
Nave's Topical Index
2 Kings 23:9
Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brothers.
Nave's Topical Index
Library
It is Likewise Decreed that Deacons who haveSacrificed and...
...sacrificed and afterwards resumed the conflict, shall enjoy their other honours,
but shall abstain from every sacred ministry, neither bringing forth thebread...
Bread and Wine
... of thebread and wine, need not resist the palpable evidence that Christ appointed
these to represent Himself. And how? Not only assacrificed for His people...
Whether Christ Suffered at a Suitable Time?
... then celebrating the Pasch with His disciples, according to Mark's account (14:12):
"On the first day of the unleavenedbread, when theysacrificed the Pasch...
Preparation for Passover. Disciples Contend for Precedence.
... be very fittingly called "the first day of unleavenedbread."] ^b 12 And ^a 17 Now
^b on the first day of unleavenedbread, when theysacrificed the passover...
Whether this Sacrament Ought to be Made of UnleavenedBread?
... in the use of this sacrament, according to 1:Cor.5:7: "Christ our Pasch issacrificed:
therefore let us feast . . . with the unleavenedbread of sincerity and...
Spiritual Meaning of the Passover.
... But our Passover issacrificed for us, namely, Christ. Another feature of the Jewish
festival is unleavenedbread; all leaven is made to disappear out of their...
The Three Essentials of Prayer
... he was asking, seeking and knocking when he made his request forbread in the... If
we believe that Christ wassacrificed to save us to the uttermost, we must...
Easter Sunday
... and paschal cakes. Where the Paschal Lamb is, there must be the unleavened
bread. The former is Christsacrificed for us. To this...
Country Presbyters May not Make the Oblation in the Church of the...
... (Gratian ut supra.). "Nor to give thesacrificed bread and to hand the chalice;"
otherwise it is read "sanctified" [sanctificatum for sacrificatum]....
Whether the Paschal Lamb was the Chief Figure of this Sacrament?
... On the contrary, The Apostle says (1:Cor.5:7,8): "Christ our Pasch issacrificed;
therefore let us feast . . . with the unleavenedbread of sincerity and truth...
Resources
What did Jesus mean when He said, “This is my body, broken for you”? | GotQuestions.orgWhat did Jesus mean when He said we must eat His flesh and drink His blood? | GotQuestions.orgWhy is the real presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper such a controversial issue? | GotQuestions.orgBread: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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