An ephah is how much? And what is a hin? Understanding food quantities in the Bible, and implications of those amounts.
Abraham and the three visitors.
Genesis 18:1-8 The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby…He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord,…Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way…So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread.”
(Note: three seahs is one ephah, which is 40 boxes of pancake mix, with which you can make 13 loaves of Wonderbread.)
Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf… He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.
So, how much do they eat now, and how much “for the road?” Abraham, his family and his servants are not eating this food, just the three visitors. There is bread sufficient for each man to eat a whole loaf and take three for the road, plus meat.
So, how long does this meal take to eat? Why did God tell us these specific amounts served?
Introduction to “fellowship with God”
Exodus 24:9-11 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.
God provided a meal for them, and they ate it. That takes time. Here the amount is not mentioned.
Law and Sacrifice
Numbers 15:1-12 The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘After you enter the land I am giving you as a home and present to the LORD offerings made by fire, from the herd or the flock, as an aroma pleasing to the LORD – whether burnt offerings or sacrifices, for special vows or freewill offerings or festival offerings – then the one who brings his offering shall present to the LORD a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour (4 boxes of pancake mix) mixed with a fourth of a hin of oil. (Oh, yeah. A hin is a gallon of liquid, so one quart of oil.)
With each lamb for the burnt offering or sacrifice, prepare a fourth of a hin (one quart) of wine as a drink offering…With a ram …two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour (8 boxes of pancake mix) a third of a hin (43 ounces) of oil…a third of a hin (43 ounces) of wine…bring with the bull bring three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour (12 boxes of pancake mix) with half a hin (a half gallon) of oil. Also bring half a hin (a half gallon) of wine.”
The import of this is that when they brought an offering to God he asked that they, together with their families, sit down and have a meal with him. Quantity matters. He’s specific about that.
Just a note before we get to Jesus. Deuteronomy 4:28 is part of Moses’ closing addresses to the people before they go into the land, and here he is warning the people against turning to idols in the land, and he takes a swipe at those idols. “There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.” What is the point of bringing an offering to a god that cannot enjoy the offering? How much time does this type of god ask of the worshippers? Oh, yeah. They can’t ask because they cannot speak.
Love and Time Spent Together
The amount of food is representative of the desire to spend time with His people, and more food equals more time spent preparing and eating it. God wants his people to spend time with Him, the more the better. At the Last Supper Jesus observed the Passover with his disciples. After a lengthy dinner mixing food with teaching about God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt Jesus started the final teaching session before he would die for our sins. He promises them a continued presence of the Holy Spirit with them. John 14:16-17 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth… But you will know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” He goes on to promise his own presence with them. 14:20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
Gone is the idea of spending some time with Him, Jesus now reveals that he and his Father desire to spend all the time with us. In this His love is truly revealed, that He wants to dwell in us and us to dwell in Him.
When you pray before a meal, remember that He wants to spend time with you, not just throughout the meal, but throughout your life.