“Do
not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to
help me, O Lord, my salvation. -Psalm 38:21-22. [Read Psalm 38]
Psalm
38 is a prayer of petition with David as author. The title given to
the Psalm is “For the Memorial Offering.” This is a reference to
instructions to bring gifts from the firstfruits of the grain as a
memorial offering: “When
anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the Lord, his
offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put
frankincense on it and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. And
he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all
of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial
portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the
Lord. But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his
sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord’s food offerings.”
-Leviticus2:1-4 (ESV). Why
was this called a ‘memorial’ offering? It was a way of the
Israelite worshipers offering a “reminder” (or memorial) to the
Lord Himself asking Him to remember them with favor as they made
their requests known to Him.
Much
of Psalm 38, although termed a ‘memorial’ prayer brought at the
time of harvest, had four major elements of sacrifice to pour out
before the Lord. First came fine flour, and next salt. Then
expensive frankincense was poured upon the flour before it was
ritually set afire upon the altar. Oil was poured on a portion that
was to be set afire, and frankincense was used to produce a
sweet-smelling savor to the Lord. This went up as a burnt offering
with a peasant flavor to the Lord. The remainder of the firstfruits
offering was given to the priest, Aaron and other priests, for a food
offering.
It
may seem a bit strange that in this Memorial” or Petition prayer,
David asks the Lord earnestly to deliver him out of the hands of his
enemies. They have beset him on every side, and their treatment of
him has been severe. He speaks of being in tumult of heart in verses
1-8 and fears that the Lord is angry with him. Even his friends and
companions stand aloof (v. 11), and some seek his life (vv. 12-14).
Yet he waits for the Lord and prays that his enemies not “rejoice
over him when his ‘foot slips.’ (vv.15-16). We are reminded to
be right with enemies as offerings are brought to the Lord. God
alone is our hope and it is at the time of memorial offering that the
worshiper remembers the goodness of the Lord and pleads for His
mercy.
We
no longer bring flour, oil, frankincense and salt offerings to the
Lord. But we are urged in Scripture to
“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food
in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts,
if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for
you a blessing until there is no more need” (Malachi 3:10). Tithes
and offerings are a blessing to the giver, but they are also a means
whereby the work of the Lord is proclaimed to people who gather to
worship and those whom Christians seek to win to the Lord and bring
into the fold. Our tithes and offerings are still a “memorial
gift” to the Lord’s goodness and graciousness to us, His people.
I remember with great joy the “March for Missions” my preacher
husband promoted near Christmas each year for foreign missions. It
was a time when church members gave gladly and with generosity to
help spread the gospel to places in foreign lands where people still
walked without the light of Christ. Memorial offering time should
bring self-examination as well as generous and joyful giving.
-Ethelene Dyer Jones 02.07.2016
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