Gifts of Gratitude to God

1 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.

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.

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. – Numbers 28:1-15 ESV

In preparing the second generation of Israelites to begin their conquest of the land of Canaan, God had ordered a census to determine the size of Israel’s fighting force and to help establish each tribe’s land apportionment. He also reminded the people that the tribe of Levi would inherit no land in Canaan. For their role as priests and caretakers of the Tabernacle, they would receive cities in which to live and a portion of the tithes and offerings presented by the people. God would be their portion, providing for all their needs in exchange for their service to Him. Finally, God made preparations for new leadership by handpicking Joshua as the replacement for Moses.

All was ready. The time had come for the people to obey the commands of God and begin the conquest of the land He had promised to Abraham centuries earlier.

“I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession.” – Genesis 13:15 NLT

God had also told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. He had given this bit of good news while Abraham and his wife were still childless. Sarah remained barren and unable to conceive, but God had told Abraham, “you will have a son of your own who will be your heir” (Genesis 15:4 NLT). But this revelation was followed by a shocking admission from God.

“You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) After four generations your descendants will return here to this land…” – Genesis 15:13-16 NLT

All the promises God had made to Abraham had been fulfilled. Sarah had given birth to Isaac, and from Isaac had come Jacob. The family of Jacob eventually fled to Egypt because there was a famine in the land of Canaan. While in Egypt, the number of Israelites grew so significantly that the Pharaoh feared an uprising and ordered their enslavement. He even instituted a pogrom designed to eliminate all the male babies born to the Israelites. But true to His promise, God delivered the Israelites from their captivity and led them to the border of Canaan.

Now, He called on them to keep the commands He had given them at Mount Sinai. He had been faithful to do all that He had promised to Abraham, and He fully expected them to show their gratitude by maintaining their relationship with Him.

“Give these instructions to the people of Israel: The offerings you present as special gifts are a pleasing aroma to me; they are my food. See to it that they are brought at the appointed times and offered according to my instructions.” – Numbers 28:2 NLT

The offerings outlined in this chapter were to be mandatory and non-optional. They were annual sacrifices to be offered by the Levites on behalf of the people. As the people entered the land, they would find themselves consumed with warfare and trying to establish lives for themselves in the new land. God knew they would face a strong temptation to forget about Him.

“The real key to successful conquest of Canaan and happy living within its borders was continual fellowship with God. Hence it was that God at this time presented to the new generation by way of Moses a finalized and complete set of regulations for offerings, most of which had already been given at Sinai. Their observance would encourage an intimate worship of God by the people in the land (cf. Exod. 23:14-17; 29:38-42; 31:12-17; Lev. 23; Num. 25:1-12).” – Irving L. Jensen, Numbers: Everyman’s Bible Commentary

God was going to give them victory over their enemies, so their conquest of the land would be successful. But God knew that their success would go to their heads and tempt them to think that they had done it all on their own. That is why Moses provided them with an advance warning about the temptations they would face in the new land.

For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks and fountains and springs that flow through the valleys and hills; a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and whose hills are ready to be mined for copper. When you eat and are satisfied, you are to bless the LORD your God for the good land that He has given you.

Be careful not to forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments and ordinances and statutes, which I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. – Deuteronomy 8:7-14 BSB

God outlined the various offerings the people were required to make and He began with the daily offerings.

“This is the special gift you must present to the Lord as your daily burnt offering. You must offer two one-year-old male lambs with no defects.” – Numbers 28:3 NLT

Then He added the less-frequent but no less mandatory weekly offerings.

“On the Sabbath day, sacrifice two one-year-old male lambs with no defects. They must be accompanied by a grain offering of four quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil, and a liquid offering. This is the burnt offering to be presented each Sabbath day, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering.” – Numbers 28:9-10 NLT

Finally, God reiterated the monthly offerings.

“On the first day of each month, present an extra burnt offering to the Lord of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.” – Numbers 28:11 NLT

“On the first day of each month, you must also offer one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord.” – Numbers 28:15 NLT

The list is long and includes a large number of different sacrifices, including grain and drink offerings. There were also burnt and sin offerings. Bulls, goats, lambs, and rams were to be slaughtered and their blood spilled so that sins could be atoned for and fellowship with God maintained. Burnt offerings were considered a pleasing aroma to God because they brought Him pleasure.

The Israelites were expected to bookmark each day with the sacrifice of a lamb. These two animals were to be presented as food offerings to the Lord, accompanied by the appropriate grain and drink offerings. These two unblemished lambs were to be sacrificed, and then their bodies were to be consumed with fire on the bronze altar, making them a “burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:9 ESV).

It wasn’t the scent of the burning flesh that pleased the Lord, but it was the act of worship it represented. The people’s obedience brought pleasure to God. Their twice-daily act of worship demonstrated their willingness to honor Him with the best of their flocks, grain, and wine. To offer these sacrifices two times a day for as long as they existed as a nation would prove to be costly, but it would reveal their reliance upon Yahweh and their willingness to obey His commands.

Ultimately, all of these mandatory sacrifices and offerings were about maintaining a right relationship with God. He would be the key to their victories over their enemies. He would be the source of their strength and their rock and provider. Without Him, they would be just another nation vying for control of the land of Canaan. But as long as they maintained their fellowship with Him through obedience to His commands, they would enjoy His presence, power, and provision. He would go before them, assuring their victory over their enemies and providing them with all the resources they would need to thrive, not just survive. All He asked in return was their allegiance and worship, demonstrated by their daily, weekly, and monthly gifts of gratitude.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The High Cost of Atonement

16 “On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Lord's Passover, 17 and on the fifteenth day of this month is a feast. Seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. 18 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, 19 but offer a food offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; see that they are without blemish; 20 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths of an ephah shall you offer for a bull, and two tenths for a ram; 21 a tenth shall you offer for each of the seven lambs; 22 also one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you. 23 You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering. 24 In the same way you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. 25 And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work.

26 “On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, 27 but offer a burnt offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; 28 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths for one ram, 29 a tenth for each of the seven lambs; 30 with one male goat, to make atonement for you. 31 Besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall offer them and their drink offering. See that they are without blemish. – Numbers 28:16-31 ESV

The next major event God reminded the Israelites to keep was the annual feast of unleavened bread. It took place in the first month of the year, the month of Nisan (March/April), in conjunction with the celebration of Passover. This week-long feast was the first of seven Jewish feasts or festivals each year, and as part of the celebration, the Israelites were prohibited from eating bread baked with yeast. This was to commemorate their hasty departure from Egypt during the Exodus.

“For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. On the first day of the festival, remove every trace of yeast from your homes. Anyone who eats bread made with yeast during the seven days of the festival will be cut off from the community of Israel. On the first day of the festival and again on the seventh day, all the people must observe an official day for holy assembly. No work of any kind may be done on these days except in the preparation of food.” – Exodus 12:15-16 NLT

God declared that this feast would be celebrated for perpetuity, throughout all generations.

“Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation.” – Exodus 12:17 NLT

Now, four decades later, the descendants of those original Israelites who had lived through the first Passover and escaped the judgment of the death angel, were standing on the banks of the Jordan River waiting to enter Canaan. And God wanted them to remember His miraculous deliverance of their forefathers.

Along with the unleavened bread, the Israelites were to present a special offering on the seventh and final day of the festival.

“As a special gift you must present a burnt offering to the Lord—two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.” – Numbers 28:19 NLT

These unblemished animals were first sacrificed, their blood poured out, and then their bodies were burned so that they might be a pleasing aroma to God. They became symbolic of the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for the sins of mankind. Paul would later write to the believers in Ephesus and encourage them to follow the example of Christ.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. – Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT

The author of Hebrews uses the imagery of the sacrificed animals to point out the superior nature of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice on the cross for the sins of man.

The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,

“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
But you have given me a body to offer.
You were not pleased with burnt offerings
or other offerings for sin.
Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
as is written about me in the Scriptures.’” – Hebrews 10:1-7 NLT

But while the sacrifices associated with the feast of unleavened bread could not fully alleviate mankind’s sin debt, God still wanted the Israelites to follow His commands to the letter. As the author of Hebrews points out, the sacrifices were meant to remind the Israelites of their sin and their constant need for cleansing.

There was one offering that was to stand out among them all.

“You must also offer a male goat as a sin offering to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the Lord.” – Numbers 28:22 NLT

The sacrifice of this animal was intended to provide justification. Its death would not only cleanse the Israelites from sin but reestablish their relationship with God. It would restore fellowship between sinful humanity and a holy God. And that restored relationship would be essential for the ongoing well-being of the people of God. Without it, they stood condemned and alienated from a holy and righteous God who is obligated to punish sin.

It was essential that the Israelites follow all the prescribed procedures associated with the seven days of the festival. Nothing could be left out or altered in any way. To do so would jeopardize their relationship with God and that would have devastating results.

The Festival of Harvest, also known as the Feast of Firstfruits, was next on the Jewish calendar. This feast occurred at the beginning of the harvest and was intended to celebrate God’s gracious provision for all their needs. They were commanded to bring the first fruits of their harvest to the tabernacle and present them as an offering to God, declaring their intention to return to God a portion of what He had given them.

“I have brought you the first portion of the harvest you have given me from the ground.” – Deuteronomy 26: 10 NLT

Then they were to place the produce before the Lord and bow to the ground in worship before Him. This offering was to be followed by a community-wide celebration.

“Afterward you may go and celebrate because of all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.” – Deuteronomy 26:11 NLT

The Feast of Harvest, like the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was also accompanied by the sacrifice of unblemished animals. These flawless creatures would have been of great value as breeding stock, yet the Israelites were to offer them up willingly and gladly as expressions of gratitude to God and as payment for their sins. That’s why God commanded, “Be sure that all the animals you sacrifice have no defects” (Numbers 28:31 NLT). God would not accept damaged goods or allow the Israelites to offer sacrifices that did not cost them something. Their desire for a restored relationship with Him was to be worth the cost and any sacrifice they might have to make. After all, the unblemished and undeserving animals became substitutes for the sins of the people. They died so the people could live. And eventually, Jesus would become the final sacrifice for all sin.

Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. – Hebrews 10:11-14 NLT 

Earlier in his letter, the author of Hebrews declared the reality of the Jewish sacrificial system: “For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NLT). And Jesus came to shed His blood for the sins of men so that they might receive forgiveness and have their severed relationship with God restored for all eternity.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Don’t Forget God

1 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.

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.

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. – Numbers 28:1-15 ESV

In preparing the second generation of Israelites to begin their conquest of the land of Canaan, God had ordered a census to determine the size of Israel’s fighting force and to establish each tribe’s land apportionment. He also reminded the people that the tribe of Levi would inherit no land in Canaan. For their role as priests and caretakers of the tabernacle, they would receive cities in which to live and a portion of the tithes and offerings presented by the people. God would be their portion, providing for all their needs in exchange for their service to Him. Finally, God made preparations for new leadership by handpicking Joshua as the replacement for Moses.

All was ready. The time had come for the people to obey the commands of God and begin the conquest of the land He had promised Abraham centuries earlier.

“I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession.” – Genesis 13:15 NLT

God had also told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. And God gave this bit of good news while Abraham and his wife were still childless. Sarah remained barren and unable to conceive. But God had told Abraham, “you will have a son of your own who will be your heir” (Genesis 15:4 NLT). But this revelation was followed by a shocking admission from God.

“You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) After four generations your descendants will return here to this land…” – Genesis 15:13-16 NLT

All the promises God had made to Abraham had been fulfilled. Sarah had given birth to Isaac, and from Isaac had come Jacob. The family of Jacob had eventually fled to Egypt because there was a famine in the land of Canaan. And while in Egypt, the number of Israelites grew so significantly that the Pharaoh feared an uprising and ordered their enslavement. He even instituted a pogrom designed to eliminate all the male babies born to the Israelites. But true to His promise, God had delivered the Israelites from their captivity and led them to the border of Canaan.

Now, He called on them to keep the commands He had given them at Mount Sinai. He had been faithful to do all that He had promised to Abraham, and He fully expected them to show their gratitude by maintaining their relationship with Him.

“Give these instructions to the people of Israel: The offerings you present as special gifts are a pleasing aroma to me; they are my food. See to it that they are brought at the appointed times and offered according to my instructions.” – Numbers 28:2 NLT

The offerings outlined in this chapter are mandatory and non-optional. They were annual sacrifices to be offered by the Levites on behalf of the people. As the people entered the land, they would find themselves consumed with warfare and trying to establish lives for themselves in the new land. God knew they would face a strong temptation to forget about Him.

“The real key to successful conquest of Canaan and happy living within its borders was continual fellowship with God. Hence it was that God at this time presented to the new generation by way of Moses a finalized and complete set of regulations for offerings, most of which had already been given at Sinai. Their observance would encourage an intimate worship of God by the people in the land (cf. Exod. 23:14-17; 29:38-42; 31:12-17; Lev. 23; Num. 25:1-12).” – Irving L. Jensen, Numbers: Everyman’s Bible Commentary

God was going to give them victory over their enemies. Their conquest of the land would be successful, and God knew that their success would go to their heads and tempt them to think that they had done it all on their own. That is why Moses provided them with an advance warning about the temptations they would face in the new land.

For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks and fountains and springs that flow through the valleys and hills; a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and whose hills are ready to be mined for copper. When you eat and are satisfied, you are to bless the LORD your God for the good land that He has given you.

Be careful not to forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments and ordinances and statutes, which I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. – Deuteronomy 8:7-14 BSB

God outlined the various offerings the people were required to make. He began with the daily offerings.

“This is the special gift you must present to the Lord as your daily burnt offering. You must offer two one-year-old male lambs with no defects.” – Numbers 28:3 NLT

Then He added the less-frequent but no less mandatory weekly offerings.

“On the Sabbath day, sacrifice two one-year-old male lambs with no defects. They must be accompanied by a grain offering of four quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil, and a liquid offering. This is the burnt offering to be presented each Sabbath day, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering.” – Numbers 28:9-10 NLT

Finally, God reiterated the monthly offerings.

“On the first day of each month, present an extra burnt offering to the Lord of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.” – Numbers 28:11 NLT

“On the first day of each month, you must also offer one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord.” – Numbers 28:15 NLT

The list is long and includes a large number of sacrifices, including burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings. There were burnt offerings and sin offerings. Bulls, goats, lambs, and rams were to be slaughtered and their blood spilled so that sins could be atoned for and fellowship with God maintained. Burnt offerings were to be seen as a pleasing aroma to God. They brought Him pleasure. All of this was about maintaining a right relationship with God. He would be the key to their victories over their enemies. He would be the source of their strength and their rock and provider. Without Him, they would be just another nation vying for control of the land of Canaan. But as long as they maintained their fellowship with Him through obedience to His commands, they would enjoy His presence, power, and provision.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.