man had not even bread he might offer flour or ears of corn.

The figurative cause is that the bread signifies Christ Who is the
"living bread" (John 6:41, 51). He was indeed an ear of corn, as it
were, during the state of the law of nature, in the faith of the
patriarchs; He was like flour in the doctrine of the Law of the
prophets; and He was like perfect bread after He had taken human
nature; baked in the fire, i.e. formed by the Holy Ghost in the oven
of the virginal womb; baked again in a pan by the toils which He
suffered in the world; and consumed by fire on the cross as on a
gridiron.

Reply Obj. 13: The products of the soil are useful to man, either as
food, and of these bread was offered; or as drink, and of these wine
was offered; or as seasoning, and of these oil and salt were offered;
or as healing, and of these they offered incense, which both smells
sweetly and binds easily together.

Now the bread foreshadowed the flesh of Christ; and the wine, His
blood, whereby we were redeemed; oil betokens the grace of Christ;
salt, His knowledge; incense, His prayer.

Reply Obj. 14: Honey was not offered in the sacrifices to God, both
because it was wont to be offered in the sacrifices to idols; and in
order to denote the absence of all carnal sweetness and pleasure from
those who intend to sacrifice to God. Leaven was not offered, to
denote the exclusion of corruption. Perhaps too, it was wont to be
offered in the sacrifices to idols.

Salt, however, was offered, because it wards off the corruption of
putrefaction: for sacrifices offered to God should be incorrupt.
Moreover, salt signifies the discretion of wisdom, or again,
mortification of the flesh.

Incense was offered to denote devotion of the heart, which is
necessary in the offerer; and again, to signify the odor of a good
name: for incense is composed of matter, both rich and fragrant. And
since the sacrifice "of jealousy" did not proceed from devotion, but
rather from suspicion, therefore incense was not offered therein
(Num. 5:15).
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FOURTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 102, Art. 4]

Whether Sufficient Reason Can Be Assigned for the Ceremonies
Pertaining to Holy Things?

Objection 1: It would seem that no sufficient reason can be assigned
for the ceremonies of the Old Law that pertain to holy things. For
Paul said (Acts 17:24): "God Who made the world and all things
therein; He being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in templ