A few thoughts on "finely ground flour"

On our journey through the Bible this year, many of the "Vanguard Journey Girls" are keeping each other accountable and sharing our thoughts and ideas each week on the same selection of readings.  We are finishing up Numbers and moving into Deuteronomy this week.  I've had many thoughts while reading through Numbers this time; but, one of the ones I posted about was how so many of the sacrifices called for "finely ground flour."


Here is a selection of what I posted in our group earlier this week...


I also was thinking about all the sacrifices...the "finely ground flour" comment gave me cause for pause as it never has before.  In the States, I had a Nutrimill that ground my grain for making bread...nice and fine like what we get in the store (again, machine ground.)  Here in Tanzania we have a different circuit rate in our electricity, so even though I can change between 110/200 with a voltage regulator, I can't change the number of circuits it makes in a minute.  It's not good for the motor on my Nutrimill so I rarely use it.  We thankfully brought a steel burr hand grinder because I was concerned about the power outages during which time my electric grinder would be useless.  The final product flour is much rougher and chunkier and we work hard to grind it and take turns because our arms get tired; but, it's still a machine that the Israelites didn't have.  To grind flour by hand and make it "finely ground" for an offering, and to bring quarts of it (most of the offerings call for 4-6 quarts of flour)...wow!!!  That is a lot of work, quite a commitment and sweat to provide that  offering!  Do we work that hard to provide our talents and gifts to the Lord?  I know we aren't "sacrificing" in the same way anymore (thank you Lord for your son!); but, we still give of ourselves through time, giftings, and talents, and it's all related!


As we ground our grain tonight for tomorrow morning's pancakes and weekly banana bread, I thought about it even more.  Here are a few pictures of us grinding, and also what the final product looks like.  You'll see how it's chunky and definitely gives you some "roughage" in your flour.  I wonder if I grind it twice, would it get finer?  How would I do this by hand if I lived back then?  I wonder, if I was a farmer or shepherd would I be having second thoughts this year about how specific the Lord was about the types of animals you could use for sacrifices.  I have a feeling I would.  I bet it's hard to find that many "unspotted" or "unblemished" sheep, hmmm?!

Sissi taking her turn with the grinding

Some of the flour in the bowl...see how it's different colors and different textures, and I have it on the finest setting.