First Fruit Offerings On The Altar.
‘And if you (sing.) offer a grain-offering of first-fruits to Yahweh, you shall offer for the grain-offering of your first-fruits grain in the ear parched with fire, bruised grain of the fresh ear (or ‘of the fruitful field'). And you shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain-offering.'
Having forbidden the offering of leaven and honey on the altar, even though they can be offered as first-fruits, he now indicates what first-fruit can be offered on the altar. The early ears of grain, which being green and moist were parched with fire to make them more edible, and bruised by threshing/grinding to remove the chaff and prepare them for eating, were offerable, with oil put on them and frankincense laid on top. The emphasis is on the fact that these are the very earliest ears and they are roasted with fire and de-chaffed, and then offered with oil in an unfinalised but edible state together with the frankincense as an offerable first fruit.
‘And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of its bruised grain, and part of its oil, with all its frankincense. It is an offering made by fire to Yahweh.'
This too, so offered, is a fire-offering acceptable to Yahweh. The first-fruit here is offered along with man's labour indicating full gratitude for God's provision in response to man's efforts. It is very similar to Cain's offering, and as with him, the attitude of heart is all-important. To it is added the frankincense as an expression of appreciation and worship.
Again some see the milled grain as indicating Him Who, as the bread of life (John 6:35) was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:4), and Who went through the fires of testing and trial on our behalf. Who as the grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die that life might result (John 12:24). It might also be seen as an offering of ourselves as firstfruits, as willing to be His and to serve Him with our whole beings, enduring, if necessary, fiery trial, and committing ourselves to de-chaffing from sin. This in contrast to the unbelievers who are often described as chaff (Psalms 1:4), empty and fruitless.