From Numbers 28-30
Todays reading starts off with another section of laws describing sacrifices, offerings and worship. I’ve limited a rather long list of descriptions to the offerings the levite priests were required to offer every day, week and month. They would have been fairly busy with all the offerings they devoted to the LORD.
This post is part of my bible in a year series.
Passage and Comments
28 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel and say to them, ‘My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.’ 3 And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the LORD:
two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering.
4 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and
the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;
5 also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil.
6 It is a regular burnt offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.
7 Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD. 8 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight. Like the grain offering of the morning, and like its drink offering, you shall offer it as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (Nu 28:1–8)
Everyday they were to make several offerings during the day.
- Morning: Food offering (lamb)
- Grain offering / Burnt offering
- Drink offering
- Twilight: Food offering (lamb)
The LORD describes these offerings as pleasing.
They pleased the LORD by making these offerings.
9 “On the Sabbath day, two male lambs a year old without blemish, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering: 10 this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. (Nu 28:9-10)
These are the Sabbath Offerings. There seems to be additional offerings to the normal daily offerings.
- Food offering (lamb)
- Sabbath Grain offering / Burnt offering
- Sabbath Drink offering
- Daily Grain offering
- Daily Drink offering
- Food offering (lamb)
11 “At the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; 12 also three tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull, and two tenths of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram; 13 and a tenth of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for every lamb; for a burnt offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. 14 Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, a third of a hin for a ram, and a quarter of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year. 15 Also one male goat for a sin offering to the LORD; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. (Nu 28:11–15)
These are the Monthly Offerings.
- Burnt offering (2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 lambs),
- Grain offering (depending on the burnt offering),
- Drink offering (depending on the burnt offering),
- Sin offering
Its interesting to note they only made sin offerings on a regular basis every month. Not on a daily basis or a weekly basis. Otherwise they made gave more monthly offerings than the previous day or weekly offerings. Once again the LORD says it pleases him.
Story of Israel
We should remember however they took this seriously and practiced it for many years afterward. This is how they worshipped and obeyed the LORD and the LORD was pleased with what they did.
Provided their heart was in the right place and they did it with humble sincerity.
Unfortunately this wasn’t always the case. Over time the offerings being made by the people were despised by the LORD. This is what we see in the prophets, including Isaiah.
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the LORD;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause. (Is 1:11–17)
Story of Jesus
Jesus initiated change. He lowered the value of sacrifices in relation to other things the LORD is pleased with.
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Mk 12:28–34)
In his death, Jesus would replace the sacrificial system. No more burnt, food, grain, drink or sin offerings. His death replaced them all. However the concept of making sacrificial offerings remains.
The language of sacrifice and offering is applied to how God’s people serve the LORD.
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Rom 12:1–2)
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. (Php 2:12–18)
Give yourself to the LORD today. Serve and please him.
Copyright © Joshua Washington and thescripturesays, 2015. All Rights Reserved.
