Numbers

Numbers 29:1-40
The Day of Acclamation, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles Offerings

Due to the high number of verses, our intro will be short today.

Text Verse: “Hear the word of the Lord,
You rulers of Sodom;
Give ear to the law of our God,
You people of Gomorrah:
^11 ‘To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?’
Says the Lord.
‘I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.’” Isaiah 1:10, 11

The Lord mandated the sacrifices and offerings mentioned in our text verse, and yet it says he had enough of them, and that He had no delight in them. How can that be when they were mandated by Him?

It is because the people’s hearts were wicked and their conduct was abominable. And yet, they purposed to come before Him as if nothing was wrong. The sacrifices took care of their guilt, and so the guilt didn’t matter, did it?

This is the attitude of many of us… well, all of us to some extent. “I am saved by Christ, so this particular sin doesn’t matter. I’m already forgiven.” Some sects even take the doctrine of grace to mean that we can live however we want. But both the law and grace say exactly the opposite.

We should live in a more holy manner, not less so. Israel failed, and the Lord tired of them and their offerings. The church is failing, the Lord is removing lampstands from churches and He is tiring of the people in them. Just because the offerings are mandated and made, it doesn’t mean that everything is AOK.

And just because Calvary saw the death of Christ for us, it does not mean that we can take that sacrifice and then weary our God with how we use it. May it never be so. Such precious lessons as this are found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Offerings for the Day of Acclamation (verses 1-6)

So far, the required offerings have followed a logical and orderly pattern. The first mentioned were the daily offerings, then the weekly, or Sabbath, offerings, then the monthly, or New Moon offerings.

From there, the offerings at the annual observances have been named. First came Passover and Unleavened Bread, and then the Feast of Weeks. These have come in order on the annual redemptive calendar which starts in the springtime, around March/April.

Now, the annual observances continue with those which are observed in the fall, around Sep/Oct, beginning with…

‘And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month,

You may remember that the original calendar, that of creation, began in the seventh month. This continued until the time of the Exodus. In Exodus 12, the Lord said this to Israel. This was in the spring, when the Lord proclaimed the institution of the Passover –

“This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” Exodus 12:2

What was the seventh month of the creation calendar became the first month of the redemption calendar, and what was the first month of the creation calendar became the seventh month of the redemption calendar.

The original Hebrew name of this month is Ethanim. The name Ethanim is prefixed by an article, ha’ethanim, and it means, “the permanent flowings.” That name is found only in 1 Kings 8:2. After the Babylonian exile, the Aramaic name, Tishri, was brought into use, and that continues to this day.

The first day of this seventh month was already set aside as a special feast day in Leviticus 23:23-25. There, these instructions were given –

“‘“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁴ “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. ²⁵ You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.”’” Leviticus 23:23-25

As was seen there, and as is now repeated here in Numbers…

^{1 (con’t)} you shall have a holy convocation.

miqra qodesh yihyeh lakem – “convocation holy shall be for you.” The entire day was to be a festive occasion. As this is the first of the month, it would coincide with the New Moon celebration mentioned elsewhere, including in the previous chapter where the offerings for each New Moon were detailed. By proclaiming a holy convocation, it means that…

^{1 (con’t)} You shall do no customary work.

meleket avodah lo taasu – “work servile no shall you do.” This then is not a Sabbath. It is a day on which customary work, meaning the labor of one’s profession, was not to be engaged in. However, meals could be prepared on such a day, and it is therefore not a Sabbath. One can think of any of our special holidays. We don’t normally work our regular jobs, but we have barbecues, picnics, and the like. We rejoice in what the day signifies. The same is true here.

In Leviticus 23:24, which we just cited, it said, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets. The word translated as “sabbath-rest” there is shabathon. It is used 11 times in the Bible, all in Exodus and Leviticus, and all but 3 are conjoined with the word shabath, or “Sabbath.” That would then indicate a sabbath of complete rest. Because this is not conjoined with the word Sabbath, it is not a Sabbath per se, but rather simply a rest. It would better be translated as a “solemn rest.”

The people were to rejoice in the Lord, and have a special day off. As seen in the previous sermon on the monthly offerings, however, because this feast coincides with the New Moon, it was elevated to a special place, comparable to a Sabbath. And even more, in Amos, the New Moon can be seen to be not only a day of observation to the Lord, but a day of rest among the people –

“When will the New Moon be past,
That we may sell grain?
And the Sabbath,
That we may trade wheat?
Making the ephah small and the shekel large,
Falsifying the scales by deceit,
⁶ That we may buy the poor for silver,
And the needy for a pair of sandals—
Even sell the bad wheat?” Amos 8:5, 6

The New Moon was a day, like the Sabbath, when selling was not allowed. This is not mandated by the Lord directly, but eventually it was considered a day set apart in a unique way, just as the Sabbath was. Therefore, because this feast day coincides with the New Moon, it was to be considered a very special day – not a Sabbath, but like a Sabbath in some ways.

^{1 (con’t)} For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets.

yom teruah yihyeh lakem – “Day acclamation shall be for you.” This verse is where the term yom teruah comes from, and this day is often called that. The words “of blowing the trumpets” gives a false sense of the Hebrew.

The noun teruah is singular, and it signifies a shout, or a blast of war, alarm, or joy. It comes from the verb rua which means to raise a shout or give a blast. Certainly this would include trumpets, but the idea is celebrating with all kinds of noise. Thus, I call it “Day of Acclamation.” It is my term, but it fits the intent of the Hebrew.

Today in Israel, because they do not use the redemption calendar, people call this day, Rosh Hashana, or the head of the year. This is carried into Christian commentaries on the day, but it is an inappropriate term from a biblical perspective when speaking of this feast day.

This is not the head of the redemptive year, but rather the seventh month of it. When reading, studying, or watching a video about this day, remember – “no Rosh Hashana.” For this day, Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Acclamation, Israel is now given further instructions…

² You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish.

In Leviticus 23:25, which was cited a couple minutes ago, it said, “You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.” The Lord specified that an offering by fire was to be made to Him, but no details were provided. Now, that offering is detailed. One can see, as we have seen before, the people who are now about to enter the land of promise are given the necessary details that had not yet been provided. What may seem haphazard, or out of place, is actually logical, orderly, and perfectly placed in anticipation of the days ahead when the people will receive their inheritance.

In this offering, there is a slight change from the other offerings where a bull has been mandated. In the monthly offerings, as well as in the Unleavened Bread and Weeks offerings, two young bulls were required. Here, only one is.

The explanation of the significance of a bull offering, and why there were two, was given then. Here, only one is required, probably because of what this day anticipates, the day of the birth of the coming Messiah. He is the one who would come to defeat the devil. As everything in His work is future at His birth, the offering of one bull on this day, makes complete sense.

The symbolism of the two bulls is still seen on this day though. Because this day is also a New Moon celebration, there would first be the normal daily offerings. Then, the regular monthly offerings, and only then would these special Feast-day offerings be made.

The symbolism of the one ram and the seven lambs has already been explained a few times, and if you have forgotten, just head back to one of the sermons from Chapter 28 and brush up.

And again, as with all of such animal offerings, they are to be tamim, or without blemish. As always, the perfection of the animal looks ahead to the perfection of God in Christ, making a suitable offering of Himself for what these offerings pictured.

³ Their grain offering shall be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram,

These are the same amounts for the previous bull and ram offerings, and they carry the same meaning here as they have in those. Everything looks to the Person and work of Christ.

⁴ and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs;

This is the same amount as with other lamb offerings, and it carries the same pictures of Christ as in those.

⁵ also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, to make atonement for you;

This is the same type of sin offering as previously detailed in the monthly offering, and for that of the Passover and for the Feast of Weeks. It carries the same symbolism as at all other times. If you don’t remember, receive one demerit and go brush up.

Here is something which is not fully explained. As this is a festival which occurs on the same day as a New Moon celebration, and as there is already a goat sin offering made, then does this sin offering replace that of the New Moon celebration, or are there two sin offerings – one for the New Moon, and one for the annual feast?

The next verse, which speaks of the daily and monthly offerings, does not mention a sin offering. Because of this, one might assume that only one goat sin offering would be made, but the text does not answer the question either way.

If two were made, and this is speculation based on a lack of information, it would tell us that either sin offering is not merely for the general and overall atonement of the people, but that one is for atonement of the month’s sins, and the other is for atonement to be acceptable for the feast itself.

Without clarification, it is hard to be certain. Nothing else is stated concerning this. As noted, at least the New Moon and daily burnt offerings are explicitly detailed next…

⁶ besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

These words are given, as before, to ensure that the regular prescribed offerings are conducted in addition to the feast day offerings. One does not replace the other, but all are required. As I said though, nothing is said here concerning the mandatory New Moon sin goat sin offering. Was that required, or does the Feast day sin offering suffice? I wish I could give you an answer, but the word does not say explicitly either way.

Shout out to the Lord! Shout with acclamation
It is He who is our King, and He who rules over us
Shout out to the Lord you holy nation
Shout out to the King, our Lord Jesus

Let the sound be loud, shout out joyfully
Let the land be filled with noise to herald the King
Don’t sit and be silent, don’t act so coyfully
Get up people! Raise your voices and sing

It is He who has created, and He who has redeemed us
It is He who sits as King upon the throne of heaven
It is He who rules, even our King Jesus
So shout aloud at the beginning of month number seven

II. Offerings for the Day of Atonement (verses 7-11)

⁷ ‘On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation.

The second annual Feast of this sacred seventh month is what is considered to be the holiest day in the redemptive calendar year. The feast, like Passover, is given a specific calendar day to be observed, which is the tenth day of the seventh month.

And so, it was to commence at evening of the ninth day of the month, and continue until the evening of the tenth day. It being in the seventh month is not because it has a future fulfillment in Christ, as so many incorrectly claim, but because of what it signifies in Christ.

Having gone through the Day of Atonement passages in Leviticus 16 and 23, we know that this day was fulfilled in Christ’s crucifixion. That did not occur on the tenth day of the seventh month. Rather it occurred on the fourteenth day of the first month.

However, atonement logically follows redemption. A person is redeemed, and then the sins are atoned for, even if these things happen simultaneously in God’s mind.

No reason is given here, or anywhere else, as to why the tenth day of the month is selected for this special day. Jewish tradition, and it is only a tradition, is that this is the day that Moses received the second set of tablets containing the Ten Commandments.

The Day of Atonement comes logically prior to the Feast of Tabernacles, which commences on the fifteenth day of this same month. Tabernacles pictures Christ dwelling in a tabernacle of flesh, and His people dwelling with Him. This could not be realized, in its fullest sense, until after the sins of the people are atoned for. Thus, this feast precedes that of Sukkoth.

These things are important to remember because, as was explained when we went through the Feasts of the Lord, it is a common claim that the three fall feasts are not yet fulfilled in Christ, and they will only be fulfilled in His second advent.

This is false, and it is heresy. To say that Christ has not fulfilled these feasts is to say that Christ did not fulfill the law, because the feasts are a part of the law. If this is true, then the law would still be binding on us. But in Christ the law is annulled. There is no future fulfillment of these feasts, even if there are continuing applications of them. Christ died once for all sinners, but each sinner’s Day of Atonement comes on whatever day he comes to Christ. It is great error to say that these feasts are yet to be fulfilled.

^7 (con’t) You shall afflict your souls;

v’initem eth naphshotekhem – “And you shall afflict your souls. These words are exactly repeated four times in Leviticus and here in Numbers. All refer to the Day of Atonement. It is generally accepted that “afflict your souls” means to fast.

The people were to deny themselves food. However, it certainly also included refraining from any other pleasures, and also an active affliction of remembering the sins of the past year and mourning over them.

In Acts 27:9, this day is referred to as tēn Nēsteian, or “the Fast,” thus signifying the manner in which this day was conducted. But the word has a greater meaning in Christ where it twice says in Isaiah 53 that He was anah, or afflicted, on our behalf.

As Christ was so afflicted, the people were to anticipate that august life and atoning sacrifice with the afflicting of their own souls. They were not to do any work of any kind as well, acknowledging that they were in a state of affliction. Nothing regular was to be done, but rather this was to be a special Sabbath. Because of this…

^7 (con’t) you shall not do any work.

This is also repeated in both Leviticus 16 and 23. In fact, there is a high stress on this in Leviticus 23, repeating it several times in just a few verses. The picture there is that the Lord did the work, and we are to rest in what He has accomplished.

In this day of remembrance, like the other annual feasts mentioned in this chapter, special offerings were to be made…

⁸ You shall present a burnt offering to the Lord as a sweet aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. Be sure they are without blemish.

These are the same offerings given as for the Day of Acclamation – one bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, and all without blemish. We can surmise that the one bull, instead of two, again points to Christ in a unique way. As He came to defeat the devil, the offering of Himself points to the absolute completion of that fact for each person who comes to Him. Although there is an on-going aspect to Christ’s work in our lives, His one-time offering sufficiently sums up everything else.

⁹ Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

This is word for word, and letter for letter, identical to verse 29:3. These are the same amounts for the previous bull and ram offerings, and they carry the same meaning.

¹⁰ and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs;

And, once again, this is the same amount as with the other lamb offerings, and it carries the same pictures of Christ as in those.

¹¹ also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the sin offering for atonement, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

Here, a goat for a sin-offering is required, along with the sin offering for the rites so specifically detailed in Leviticus 16. Both goat offerings were still required, which makes the lack of specificity from the previous section even more difficult. Were two required, as here? It’s hard to know for sure.

An offering for sin to restore the peace
I come to petition my God at the brazen altar
Until I do, the enmity will never cease
But knowing He will forgive, in this I will not falter

At the altar, and by the door of the tent
The animal is slain, its life ebbs away
In that exchange, God’s wrath is spent
Harmony is restored, and has come a new day

Innocent and pure, no fault of its own
The death truly touches my heart
But in this exchange, I am clearly shown
That only through death, can there be a new start

Thank God that Another can die in my place
In His death I can again look upon God’s face

III. Offerings for Tabernacles (verses 12-40)

¹² ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation.

This, like Unleavened Bread, commences at the time of the full moon. However, where Unleavened Bread follows the Passover, the main day connected to this feast is the final day, eighth day. Thus, the two great days form bookends on the redemptive calendar’s annual feasts.

^{12 (con’t)} You shall do no customary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days.

Again, this indicates a time of rest, but not Sabbath rest, except for the Sabbath, or Sabbaths, which would naturally occur during the days of the feast.

¹³ You shall present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a sweet aroma to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year. They shall be without blemish.

We will go through these offerings with minimal comment. It is enough to say that there are a greater number of offerings made here than at any other time during the year. All of the offerings probably point to gratitude to the Lord for the great harvests of the people in that year’s harvest cycle, which was now ending. The offerings begin with a large number of bulls, thirteen. It has two rams instead of the customary one, and fourteen lambs instead of the customary seven.

¹⁴ Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams,

These are the same amounts as for all of the other grain offerings. What is puzzling, is that on this first day of the feast, nothing is said about drink offerings with the bulls. Every other day, it is explicitly mentioned, but on this day, nothing is said of it.

¹⁵ and one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs;

It is the standard amount for the lamb offerings.

¹⁶ also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

Again, a sin offering is required, and also the regular daily offerings and Sabbath offerings, if applicable, were to be made.

¹⁷ ‘On the second day present twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish,

The number of bulls diminishes by one from thirteen to twelve.

¹⁸ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

The grain offerings were to be just as with all other bull, ram, and lamb offerings.

¹⁹ also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

Just as with day one of the feast, so with the next. What is curious about this verse, is that it mentions “their drink offerings” in the plural. All other times throughout the feast it is in the singular.

²⁰ ‘On the third day present eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish,

The number of bulls diminishes by one from twelve to eleven.

²¹ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

The standard offering for each type of animal is required here.

²² also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

A goat is required as a sin offering as on each day. Here is a curiosity. On day one, two, and four, it mentions the sayir izzim, translated as kid of the goats. On day three, five, six, seven, and eight, it mentions the sayir, translated as goat. It is the same animal, but no reason is stated for the change from sayir izzim to sayir.

²³ ‘On the fourth day present ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year, without blemish,

The number of bulls diminishes by one from to eleven to ten.

²⁴ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

The standard offering for each type of animal is required here.

²⁵ also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

A sin offering and the regular offerings are required as always.

²⁶ ‘On the fifth day present nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish,

The number of bulls diminishes by one from ten to nine.

²⁷ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

The standard offering for each type of animal is required here.

²⁸ also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

A sin offering and the regular offerings are required as always.

²⁹ ‘On the sixth day present eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish,

The number of bulls diminishes by one from nine to eight.

³⁰ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

The standard offering for each type of animal is required here.

³¹ also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

A sin offering and the regular offerings are required as always.

³² ‘On the seventh day present seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish,

The number of bulls diminishes by one from eight to seven.

³³ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

The standard offering for each type of animal is required here. Two oddities are found in this verse. The first is that the same words are used here as in verses 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, and 37. However, in this one verse, the word translated as “drink offerings” is spelled differently, leaving off the fifth letter, a yod. The second oddity is that in those same verses, the word “ordinance” is singular, except here, where it is plural.

³⁴ also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

A sin offering and the regular offerings are required as always. As you saw, the number of bulls decreased each day from thirteen to seven. Thus, in total, there were seventy bulls offered. And so the number seven plays a prominent role in the festival. As the Feast of Tabernacles looks to our time in Christ, one can see that.

The number thirteen in Scripture carries the sense of rebellion, corruption, apostasy, revolution, and so on. It is a negative number. By starting with that and then ending with seven, one can see a picture of our lives in Christ going from our point of rebellion, to one which brings us to spiritual perfection. The seventy bulls of this feast are given to show us of the intent of keeping us here in these temporary tents. It is so that we can grow and become spiritually mature in Christ… hopefully. Let us endeavor to do so.

³⁵ ‘On the eighth day you shall have a sacred assembly. You shall do no customary work.

In this is a word seen only twice, here and in Leviticus 23:36, atsereth, or sacred assembly. The word comes from atsar which signifies to shut, restrain, etc. Some scholars say that this eighth day doesn’t specifically belong to the feast, but it is rather the solemn close of the whole circle of yearly feasts, and so it is appended to the feast. This is not wholly correct. It is recorded as an ending portion of the feast in Nehemiah 8:18, 2 Chronicles 7:9, and John says the following about this eighth day of the feast –

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37, 38

It both belongs as an addendum to the feast, and it also closes out the festal year of Israel. From there, the people would have to wait for the Passover until this set cycle would begin again.

Later however, the Feast of Purim would be added at the time of the exile recorded in Esther. This would occur in the twelfth month. And then after that the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah, was instituted for the ninth month of the year. That occurred during the intertestamental period, but it is recorded in John 10.

³⁶ You shall present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a sweet aroma to the Lord: one bull, one ram, seven lambs in their first year without blemish,

This offering is the same as the feast offerings seen already on the Day of Acclamation and on the Day of Atonement. It thus carries a similar meaning.

³⁷ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

The standard offering for each type of animal is required here.

³⁸ also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

A sin offering and the regular offerings are required as always.

³⁹ ‘These you shall present to the Lord at your appointed feasts (besides your vowed offerings and your freewill offerings) as your burnt offerings and your grain offerings, as your drink offerings and your peace offerings.’”

These words sum up the entire set of offerings that were mandated since verse 28:1, and they also include any voluntary or vowed offerings of the people, and any other such offerings that the people would bring forward to the Lord.

*^{40 (fin)} So Moses told the children of Israel everything, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

This passage, consisting of two chapters, closes out with words which confirm the command given at the beginning. In 28:2 it said, ^“Command the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time.’”

After this, Moses recorded the details according to the word of the Lord, and from there it was presented, as directed, to the children of Israel.

Despite being a ton of information, quite a bit of it which has been seen already in other passages, the inclusion of this now is an important step in ensuring that the people would know what was expected of them upon entry into Canaan. Unfortunately, these offerings were supposed to establish a link between the Lord and His people, and to bring them together in fellowship as the people honored the Lord. But as we saw in our text verse today, and as we will see in our closing verse, the people lived unholy lives and yet expected these animal offerings to cover over their disobedience.

Eventually, the Lord tired of them to the point where these very laws He mandated wearied Him. There was nothing of value behind the offerings they made. The comparison to our own lives should not be overlooked. Are we bringing rote sacrifices, offerings, and prayers to the Lord? Or is our heart behind what we present to Him? Let us consider this. What the Lord desires goes beyond the words of command to the heart which is obedient to it.

For those who don’t know Christ, the first step in fixing that is to direct your heart to Him. Only then can God look upon you with favor. What these sacrifices and offerings picture are found fulfilled in Him. Come to the cross and yield yourself to God through Christ Jesus.

Closing Verse: “When you come to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
¹³ Bring no more futile sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
¹⁴ Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.’” Isaiah 1:12-14

Next Week: Numbers 30:1-16 For His Bride, Christ’s blood was spilt… (He Shall Bear Her Guilt) (58^th Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Day of Acclamation, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles Offerings

‘And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month
You shall have a holy convocation – maybe serve tea and crumpets
You shall do no customary work
For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets 

You shall offer a burnt offering
As a sweet aroma to the Lord:
One young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year
Without blemish, according to this word

Their grain offering shall be
Fine flour mixed with oil, as directed by Me
Three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram
And one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; so shall it be

Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering
To make atonement for you; such shall be the proffering

Besides the burnt offering with its grain offering
———-for the New Moon
The regular burnt offering with its grain offering; heed My word
And their drink offerings, according to their ordinance
As a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord

‘On the tenth day of this seventh month
You shall have a holy convocation
You shall afflict your souls
You shall not do any work, none throughout the nation

You shall present a burnt offering to the Lord
As a sweet aroma: one young bull, so shall it be
One ram, and seven lambs in their first year
Be sure they are without blemish when presented to Me

Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil
Three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, as I instruct you
Two-tenths for the one ram
And one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; so you shall do

Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering
Besides the sin offering for atonement, as to you I say
The regular burnt offering with its grain offering
And their drink offerings, so I do relay

‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month
You shall have a holy convocation
You shall do no customary work
And you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days
———-throughout the nation

You shall present a burnt offering
An offering made by fire as a sweet aroma to the Lord
Thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs
———-in their first year
They shall be without blemish, according to My word

Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil:
Three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls it shall be
Two-tenths for each of the two rams
And one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs, accordingly

Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering
This you shall offer as I instruct to you
Besides the regular burnt offering
Its grain offering, and its drink offering too

‘On the second day present twelve young bulls
Two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish too
And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls
For the rams, and for the lambs, by their number
———-according to the ordinance; so you shall do

Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering
This you shall offer as I instruct to you
Besides the regular burnt offering
With its grain offering, and their drink offerings too

‘On the third day present eleven bulls
Two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish too
And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls
For the rams, and for the lambs, by their number
———-according to the ordinance; so you shall do 

Also one goat as a sin offering
This you shall offer as I instruct to you
Besides the regular burnt offering
Its grain offering, and its drink offering too

‘On the fourth day present ten bulls
Two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year
———-without blemish too
And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls
For the rams, and for the lambs, by their number
———-according to the ordinance; so you shall do

Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering
This you shall offer as I instruct to you
Besides the regular burnt offering
Its grain offering, and its drink offering too

‘On the fifth day present nine bulls
Two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year
———-without blemish too
And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls
For the rams, and for the lambs, by their number
According to the ordinance; so you shall do

Also one goat as a sin offering
This you shall offer as I instruct to you
Besides the regular burnt offering
Its grain offering, and its drink offering too

‘On the sixth day present eight bulls
Two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year
———-without blemish too
And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls
For the rams, and for the lambs, by their number
According to the ordinance; so you shall do

Also one goat as a sin offering
This you shall offer as I instruct to you
Besides the regular burnt offering
Its grain offering, and its drink offering too

‘On the seventh day present seven bulls
Two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year
———-without blemish too
And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls
For the rams, and for the lambs, by their number
According to the ordinance; so you shall do

Also one goat as a sin offering
This you shall offer as I instruct to you
Besides the regular burnt offering
Its grain offering, and its drink offering; so you shall do

‘On the eighth day you shall have a sacred assembly
You shall do no customary work, according to this word
You shall present a burnt offering
An offering made by fire as a sweet aroma to the Lord

One bull, one ram, seven lambs in their first year without blemish
And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull also
For the ram, and for the lambs, by their number
According to the ordinance, as you now know

Also one goat as a sin offering, besides
This you shall offer as I instruct to you
The regular burnt offering, its grain offering
And its drink offering; so you shall do

‘These you shall present to the Lord at your appointed feasts
(Besides your vowed offerings and your freewill offerings)
———-thus you shall do
As your burnt offerings and your grain offerings
As your drink offerings and your peace offerings too

So Moses told the children of Israel everything
Just as the Lord commanded Moses, so he did this thing

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Numbers 28:16-31
Passover, and the Unleavened Bread and Weeks Offerings

Today, we continue on with the offerings of the timed redemptive events found in the annual Hebrew calendar. As we have seen some of these events numerous times before, it might seem dull or even tedious to revisit them.

Passover has been mentioned again and again since it was first introduced in Exodus. This is true with Unleavened Bread as well. Even Weeks has been seen several times, and it will be seen again before we leave the books of Moses.

You might say, “Why doesn’t the Lord just give us all of the information on these things once and move on?” Like the Sabbath, however, we find that the Lord is progressively revealing His intent through these repetitions.

This is because they are not merely rote repetitions, but they are concepts which are repeated, and yet they are also being built upon. In each step we take under one of these subjects, we see a beautiful order and harmony develop.

By the time we get through with them, we – if we are willing to study them as the are given – find that everything makes complete sense. To have compiled all of the information at one time would have been to rob us of the incredible tapestry which the Lord has woven together.

Text Verse: “The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Ecclesiastes 7:8

As soon as I finished the sermon work for these verses, this verse came to mind. The introduction is generally the last thing I type before being finished, and the verse seemed to fit very well.

As usual, there was a lot of study and mulling things over during the verses, but nothing that seemed overly complicated – just more mentally laborious than anything else. However, upon arriving at the last verse, things changed.

The matter went from mentally laborious to mentally challenging. If I had known in advance that the last verse would take as much time to consider as many of the other verses combined, I would have quoted the text verse to myself at the beginning of typing. Yes, the end of a thing is better than its beginning.

Translations vary into one of two major ways the verse is translated, and they both then will result in a different way of perceiving other things that are found in the rest of the verses. Would I have to go back and edit what I had typed? Were my initial thoughts correct?

When faced with a problem like this, what should I do? Do I lick my finger and hold it up to see which way the wind is blowing. Do I cast lots in hopes of resolving the matter? Should I just pick one and go with it?

Rather, I called Sergio. That’s always a good way of resolving things. Two minds work better than one. When he first looked at the verse, he tended towards the opposite conclusion that I had come up with. That’s when I showed him all the study I had already done in Chapter 28 and 29 in hopes of finding an answer.

After that, he agreed that my initial thoughts were probably correct. Whew. Now I don’t have to fudge anything, I don’t have to correct anything, and I have material for the sermon introduction. Yes! It’s good to have a friend to sort difficulties out with. I recommend you find one in whatever your life needs are, and learn to lean on one another. It sure makes things go more smoothly.

For now, let’s get into the sermon. Great things are to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Offerings for the Feast of Unleavened Bread (verses 16-25)

¹⁶ ‘On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the Lord.

The offerings of Chapter 28 have gone from the daily, to the weekly (meaning the Sabbath) to the monthly (meaning the beginning of the months, or the New Moon), and now they go to the annual offerings.

The progression has been logical and orderly. Of the annual offerings, the Passover is mentioned first because it is the first annual feast of the first month, and it is said to be pesakh l’Yehovah, or “Passover to Yehovah.”

It is a commemorative celebration which is not properly translated as “of the Lord,” but rather “to the Lord.” At the original Passover, the Lord struck all the firstborn of Egypt, but all who participated in the Passover lamb were spared. The lamb died so that its blood could be applied, saving those who participated in that act.

The killing of the Passover Lamb anticipated the death of Christ. Thus, it is the Passover “to the Lord.” This was first instituted in Exodus 12:1-21. Before that, the first month of the year was what later became the seventh month of the year in the redemptive calendar. That is spoken right at the beginning of Exodus 12 –

“Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,  ² ‘This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.’” Exodus 12:1, 2

In reality, Israel would use two different calendars throughout their years. The first is the creation or civil calendar, and the second is this one instituted by the Lord which would be the “redemptive calendar.” This is because it details the timing of the redemptive events associated with the work of the Lord, the first being Passover. This was to be on the fourteenth day of the first month.

The fourteenth day is the day just before the full moon which would occur on the fifteenth day. As the biblical day goes from evening to evening, as soon as the fourteenth day ended, and the fifteenth started, the full moon would be expected to arise. It was at this time that…

¹⁷ And on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast; unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days.

This now details what is considered a separate feast, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is one of the three pilgrim feasts, meaning a feast where all males were required to appear before the Lord at the place of His dwelling. This is stated in Exodus 23, 34 and also in Deuteronomy 16 –

“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.” Deuteronomy 16:16

Though a pilgrim feast, it is joined to the Passover. The two are separate appointments, but they unite because they follow one after the other. Unleavened Bread was first stated in Exodus 12 as well –

“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. ¹⁹ For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. ²⁰ You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.” Exodus 12:18-20

In that set of verses, it says, “on the fourteenth day of the month at evening.” This means “the beginning of the fifteenth day.” Hence, Unleavened Bread is a seven-day feast affixed to the Passover. It began on the 15^th day, and it continued through the 21^st day.

It should be noted that the first day of Unleavened Bread is not a Sabbath. Rather, it is a holy convocation. Meals could be prepared on it, but no regular work was to be done. On a Sabbath, not even meals could be prepared. Understanding this will help to avoid confusion concerning the actual crucifixion date of Christ Jesus.

Eventually, the two feasts, Passover and Unleavened Bread, became united in terminology. This is seen in Luke 22:1 –

“Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.”

Luke says that the Feast of Unleavened Bread is called the Passover. This is not saying that they are one feast according to the model laid out in the books of Moses. What it is saying is that it is one feast according to the common language of the people.

To understand this, we can think of what we might call the Christmas Holiday. Although there are two actual holidays during the school break, Christmas and New Years, we will call them both by the one name. This is common terminology, just as Luke was using. Thus, this cannot be considered an error in the Bible. It is a misunderstanding in Luke’s intention, which is to describe the Feast time which the Jews were gathering to celebrate.

In this verse, the word “feast” is not the same as that used elsewhere concerning the Passover. One word is moed, which signifies an appointed time, or meeting. The other is khag.

The word khag comes from khagag, which in turn, indicates “to move in a circle” or specifically “to march in a sacred procession.” From there you have the implication of being giddy; to celebrate, dance, and feast. It is to be a time of worship, celebration, and sacrifice. It is a pilgrim feast.

Unfortunately, translations normally use one word to describe the two thoughts. All eight feasts listed in Leviticus 23 are moed, or appointed times, but only three are khag, or actual feasts – Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles. That is why the verse we are looking at right now specifically calls it a feast. It is a feast in the truest sense. It is a time of celebration.

As I noted a minute ago, and which is now explicitly stated…

¹⁸ On the first day you shall have a holy convocation.

This is the fifteenth day of the month, and the mandate was first noted with these words in Exodus 12 –

“On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. ¹⁷ So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance.” Exodus 12:16, 17

The holy convocations are two. One as noted here and one will be noted in verse 25. Both are mentioned together in Exodus 12. As it says in Exodus, “No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you.” This is further defined as…

^{18 (con’t)} You shall do no customary work.

The scholar Keil, along with others, says “that on the first and seventh day there was to be a Sabbath rest and holy meeting.” This is incorrect, and it has led to faulty conclusions over the years concerning what day the Lord was crucified. Some say it was a Thursday, or even a Wednesday.

These are incorrect. As just noted, food could be prepared on these holy convocations. But, on the Sabbath, the instructions are clear –

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

This builds upon Exodus 16 where the preparing of meals was strictly forbidden on the Sabbath. Thus, these holy convocations cannot be equated to a Sabbath.

¹⁹ And you shall present an offering made by fire as a burnt offering to the Lord:

In Leviticus 23, in the instructions for this feast, it said, “On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. ⁸ But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.”

At that time, the “offering made by fire to the Lord” was not specified. Only now, just prior to entering Canaan, is that given. It is argued that the Passover was not observed during the time in the wilderness under punishment because only now are these required offerings mandated.

That is faulty logic. The Sabbath was certainly observed during the entire time they were in the wilderness, but the Sabbath offerings are also only mandated here in this chapter. Whether those who had been circumcised before the time of punishment continued to observe the Passover or not is unknown, but it is known that those born in the wilderness did not.

According to Exodus 12, one must be circumcised in order to observe the Passover. However, in Joshua it says –

“For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised.” Joshua 5:5

It seems hard to imagine that Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and etc. would fail to observe the Passover. However, the matter is left unstated. All that matters is that now the offerings for all of these appointed times are being given.

It is an indication that they will, in fact, enter Canaan, and that they will be a society with sufficient grain, wine, and animals to make the required offerings, something that could not be done while in the wilderness. From this point on, and for the daily offerings during this feast, they are to offer…

^{19 (con’t)} two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year.

This is the exact same animal offerings as were required for the New Moon celebration. First were parim bene baqar shenayim – “bulls sons of ox two.” As we have seen, the par, or bull, comes from the word parar which carries the meaning of defeat, or make void. In this is a type of Christ who defeated the devil, making void that which he had wrought.

Baqar comes from a word meaning to inquire or seek out. Being a son of such an ox looks to Christ who seeks out those He would redeem, just as the Lord is said to seek out His sheep in Ezekiel 34.

In offering two bulls, the first looks to the work of Christ accomplished for the people. The second anticipates help and deliverance in the year which lies ahead.

The one bull looks to Christ’s accomplished work, and the second looks to the work Christ continues to accomplish. In other words, He has defeated the devil and the one is a remembrance of that, but we still look to Him to deliver us from the devil, of which the second is given in anticipation of that.

The reason for offering one each day of the feast is what this seven-day period signifies. As a feast, it follows directly after Passover, and it signifies the life of the believer who is in Christ. The unleavened bread signifies a life without sin.

In the instructions for the people they were given a positive command to eat unleavened bread during the entire feast. This goes in picture to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:8, “let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Not only are we to not partake of sin, but we are to actively live our lives in “sincerity and truth.” It is not that we can abstain from the whole if we abstain from one; it is that we are to abstain from one while partaking in the other. Thus, the offering of the second bull anticipates our relying on Christ to keep free from sin even though we have been freed from sin.

Next, the offering included one ayil, or ram. That comes from a word denoting strength. The ram reflects the total commitment of Christ who offered all of His natural strength to His Father. He is fully sufficient to redeem all.

And thirdly, the people were to offer seven lambs of the first year. The lamb, or kebes, signifies “to dominate.” The type of animal looks to Christ who dominated over sin. Seven of them pictures Christ. It being the number of spiritual perfection, emblematic of His spiritually perfect work.

Being of the first year signifies innocence, just as Christ was innocent. Through His innocence He prevailed over the law, dominated over sin, and destroyed it. And in all of these animals, it then says…

^{19 (con’t)} Be sure they are without blemish.

temimim yihyu lakem – “perfect to be them.” It is a stern note expecting compliance. As with all animals presented as burnt offerings to the Lord, they were to be without spot, without blemish, and perfect.

The reason for the stress is that these animals were presented in anticipation of Christ who would have no sin before God. As seen already, Peter provides exactly this explanation –

“…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:18, 19

The typology was expected to be maintained because every offering to the Lord was in anticipation of the perfect Christ who was coming. To offer a defiled or blemished animal was to disgrace the notion of the glory which lay ahead in Him.

²⁰ Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah you shall offer for a bull, and two-tenths for a ram;

This is the same grain offerings as for the bulls and the ram of the monthly offering. The same symbolism is seen here as was seen there. If you forgot from last week, you can go brush up. The size of the grain offering corresponds to the size of the animal.

²¹ you shall offer one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs;

And again, it is the same grain offering, mixed in the same manner, and carrying the same symbolism, but this time, the amount is smaller in order to correspond with the size of the animal.

In the instructions here, there is no drink offering mentioned. This will be the same as for the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles. It is assumed by some that a drink offering was made along with each of these animals, but unless the text says so, it is better not to jump to such conclusions.

Why it fails to mention them in these places is rather curious. The instructions are so precise that not mentioning them seems intentional, but is otherwise unexplained. Despite that, along with these burnt offerings, there was…

²² also one goat as a sin offering,

A goat was also required for the New Moon offering. Like there, it is a sayir, or a hairy goat. As we have seen, hair signifies awareness. As it is a sin offering, it is awareness of sin. This sayir is a reminder of the sinful state of the people.

In picture for us, despite Unleavened Bread looking to our being in Christ and living as unleavened, or sinless, this tells us that we actually are not so. We still need Christ’s covering to free us from the sin which we do commit. Is it not that we do not sin in Christ. Rather, it is that we do sin, but sin is not imputed to us. That is recorded in 2 Corinthians 5 where Paul says, “that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them” (NIV).

Christ is our offering for sin, but he is also our continued offering for sin through the non-imputation of sin once in Him. This is what is now pictured in this sayir. As the verse continues to say, it is…

^{22 (con’t)} to make atonement for you.

l’kapper alekhem – “to make atonement for you.” The word kapher signifies “to cover over.” This is what Christ does for us when we are in Him. And so, before going on, let us think it through logically. If we are in Christ, then our past sins have been atoned for. They are covered over. Thus, they are no longer counted against us. This is salvation.

But in 2 Corinthians 5, it says that in Christ, God is not counting our sins against us – meaning the sins we commit after coming to Christ. Those sins are also covered over. Can someone please explain to me how a person can lose his salvation if it is sin that separates us from God, and yet our sins are covered over and continue to be covered over? Anyone?

The Old Covenant sacrifices point to New Covenant truths. If anything, our walk with Christ, and our confidence in what Christ has done – and is doing – for us should only be strengthened by studying these otherwise ignored, or at least overlooked, verses.

²³ You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering.

This refers to the morning offering mentioned in verses 3-8 of this chapter. There it spoke of both a morning and an evening offering which were to be offered each day.

What it is then implying is that these offerings of the Feast of Unleavened Bread were to be offered separately from the morning offering, and also after the morning offering. All offerings were cumulative. One did not replace another.

These different offerings were not to be mingled together, because each bears its own picture of the Person and work of Christ. The symbolism of Christ’s marvelous work was always to be maintained. Understanding this, we can take an example directly from the gospels to see what would have occurred on a particular day. In John 19:31, it says –

“Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.” John 19:31

On the day after the cross, meaning the day after Passover, or as John here calls it “Preparation Day,” it was a Sabbath that year. Thus, the day of the cross, being Passover, was a Friday on the 14^th of the first month. The next day, the 15^th (a Sabbath day), would have had the following sacrifices:

First, the regular morning offering. Next, the regular Sabbath-day offering. After those, it would have then had the offering for the first day of Unleavened Bread which we are looking at right now. Finally, the day would be complete with the evening offering which included the second Sabbath offering as well. Each and every offering was being conducted at the same time that Christ, who is the fulfillment of all of them, was lying in the grave. After His marvelous work, He rested, and in Him we now rest.

John calls that particular Sabbath a “high-day.” It is not because it was a special day which was set apart as a Sabbath. Rather, it was a regular Sabbath that coincided with the holy convocation which is the first day of Unleavened Bread. That special offering on the first day was to be continued throughout the feast. As it next says…

²⁴ In this manner you shall offer the food of the offering made by fire daily for seven days,

In other words, what has been detailed since verse 18 is to be conducted on each and every day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. From the 15^th day of the month, until the 21^st day of the month, these same offerings were to be made…

^{24 (con’t)} as a sweet aroma to the Lord;

As Unleavened Bread pictures our time in Christ, and as all of the offerings picture Christ, we can go to Ephesians 5 to see how we should conduct ourselves and why that is so –

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:1, 2

We are to imitate God, and we are to walk as Christ walked because He is our offering and sacrifice, fulfilling these pictures from the Old Covenant. Paul’s words are a great summary of what this feast pictures.

^{24 (con’t)} it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

These words tell us explicitly that the offerings of the feast are made in addition to the other daily offerings. One did not replace the other, but they were cumulatively added according to the day or particular feast. The mentioning of the drink offering here, but not at any point during the offerings for the Unleavened Bread offerings, is a clue that there were no drink offerings presented with those Unleavened Bread offerings. It seems to be an error to assume that the offerings included a drink offering. The words are too precise to make such an assumption.

²⁵ And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.

As with the first day of Unleavened Bread, so is the final day. Both are to be holy convocations. They are not Sabbaths, but days on which customary work was forbidden.

Israel was to not merely abstain from work, but they were to actively celebrate the work of the Lord. The entire week was to be a feast, but the seventh day was to be a feast unto itself as a festive termination to the entire feast.

The two holy convocations bracket the feast. They stand as representative of the entire period of it. And the feast itself is a picture of our time in Christ in this earthly life, from the day of our adoption as sons of God until the day we go home to glory. The offerings on each day of the feast were to be markers pointing to Christ and what He would accomplish for His people.

Holy and pure is how you are to conduct your life
Abstaining from all malice and from wicked ways
Keeping yourselves from backbiting and from strife
Instead, living out your lives properly all your days

Because you truly are unleavened in My eyes
Having called on Jesus, you are free from your sin debt
You reached out in your need and took hold of the Prize
Receiving Jesus as your Savior, all My conditions met

Therefore, walk holy just as you are already reckoned
Walk in a manner worthy of your heavenly call
For you responded when My Spirit beckoned
Because My Son Jesus has broken down the wall

II. Offerings for the Feast of Weeks (verses 26-31)

²⁶ ‘Also on the day of the firstfruits,

In the Feasts of the Lord, there are two times firstfruits are mentioned, the first is the appointed time of Firstfruits. That is seen in Leviticus 23:9-15. That pictured Christ’s resurrection. It is not what this is speaking of here.

Rather, this is what is mentioned in the Feast of Weeks which comes fifty days later. The first firstfruits was on Sunday, the day Christ arose. The next firstfruits was fifty days later, again on a Sunday. One firstfruits leads directly to the next and is seven weeks later. That is explicitly stated next…

^{26 (con’t)} when you bring a new grain offering to the Lord at your  Feast of Weeks,

The Hebrew reads, “in your weeks.” It is at this time, seven weeks later, on the fiftieth day, that this new grain offering is brought. That is recorded in Leviticus 23:16, 17 –

“Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. ¹⁷ You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord.”

This is one of only two times in the Bible that leaven was to be offered to the Lord. If you don’t remember, those two loaves signified the presentation of Jew and Gentile to the Lord, both with sin, but both accepted because of the work of the Lord.

This feast in the New Testament is known as Pentecost, and it pictures the giving of the Holy Spirit to those who come to Christ. The feast was, like Unleavened Bread, one of the three pilgrim feasts where all of the males were required to meet before the Lord. On this day, it says…

^{26 (con’t)} you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.

Again, as with the holy convocations which bracket Unleavened Bread, this particular day was a day to refrain from work and to actively celebrate with the Lord. However, it is not considered a Sabbath Day. On this special day of gathering and celebration…

²⁷ You shall present a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the Lord: 

This is the special offering for the day. It is another cumulative offering, not intended to replace other mandated offerings. That special offering is now stated as…

^{27 (con’t)} two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year,

Here again is the same type and number of animals as with the New Moon and Unleavened Bread offerings. They carry the same meaning and picture concerning Christ’s work as before. As you just heard the symbolism a few minutes ago, I won’t repeat it now. If you were napping when I gave it, shame on you. Go home and watch this sermon again.

²⁸ with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

It is the same grain offering mentioned in verse 20 which we just reviewed, and it carries exactly the same symbolism. Further…

²⁹ and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs;

And again, it is the same offering with the same symbolism for the grain offering for the lambs. Each grain offering is based on the size of the animal. This is what the Lord expects for this holy convocation offering. However, this then seems to contradict Leviticus 23. There, it says a different number of animals –

“And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be as a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the Lord.” Leviticus 23:18

First, there is only one bull mandated in Leviticus 23. Here it says two bulls. There, it says two rams, and here it says only one ram. And both say seven lambs. Further, in Leviticus 23 it mentions a drink offering is to be made with each. However, none is mentioned here in Numbers.

Because of this, some scholars see that error has crept into the text. That is not correct. The difference is plain and obvious to the reader, and it would be more so to those who conducted the rituals. Especially when this feast was celebrated year by year.

There is no contradiction. Rather, these offerings are distinct from those in Leviticus. The ones there belong to the loaves. The ones here in Numbers are for the day of the feast itself. In other words, as has already been seen, these are cumulative offerings.

There would first be made the daily offerings. Then would follow the offerings for the feast itself as outlined here. And only then would the offerings for the two loaves be made. This will be confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt when we arrive at the Day of Atonement offerings of Chapter 29 which are completely different from those of Leviticus 23.

The only reason to erringly assume a contradiction is because of the seeming similarity between the offerings peculiar to the festival and the additional offerings mandated here now. That is shown false by those Day of Atonement offerings coming up in the next chapter. Rather than having error, these passages are so meticulously arranged that they are shown to be incredibly intricate and which demonstrate marvelous order and harmony.

This is all the more evident because here in Numbers, no drink offering is mentioned along with the animal offerings, but those of Leviticus 23 do mention the drink offerings. One should not lightly assume that drink offerings are implied when not explicitly stated.

³⁰ also one kid of the goats, to make atonement for you.

In Leviticus 23, after the other festival offerings, it says this –

“Then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering, and two male lambs of the first year as a sacrifice of a peace offering.” Leviticus 23:19

Once again, this very clearly shows there is no contradiction. There is a separate goat offering for the festival, and then also two male lambs for it as well. Here in Numbers, there is an additional goat offered for atonement. Why would the Lord do this?

It is the same reason as before. Every offering and every occasion is to be kept separate in order to maintain the typology of what Christ would do. In one way He fulfills this, and in one way He fulfills that. Everything is to be kept separate and distinct so that the fullness of what Christ has done is revealed in individual passages.

This particular goat offering again looks to the same symbolism as was seen in the corresponding goat offering of Unleavened Bread. And then finally…

*^{31 (fin)} Be sure they are without blemish. You shall present them with their drink offerings, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering.

The verses and the chapter end on an extremely complicated set of words. The Hebrew is so difficult that I called Sergio in Israel and we talked about it for some period. The NKJV, along with some other versions, changes the entire structure of the Hebrew to show what the Hebrew would grammatically say under a best guess.

However, from a contextual reading of all of the other feasts mentioned in Chapter 28 and 29, it appears that their translation is completely wrong.

The NKJV makes the drink offering appear to apply to the festival offerings, not the daily burnt offerings. However, at the end of every other section in these two chapters, the drink offering is explicitly said to be offered to the daily burnt offerings. In the Hebrew, there are three individual clauses –

1) Besides the burnt offering, the regular, and with its grain offering, you shall present them.

2) You shall present without blemish to them.

3) And with their drink offerings.

The question is, does the third clause apply to the first, meaning the burnt offerings, or to the other offerings already named in earlier verses? Based on the context of all of the other major passages of these two chapters, it must be speaking of the daily burnt offering.

But then why add “You shall present them without blemish” in the middle? No matter how it is translated, it calls out for the emphasis to be on the thought of everything offered is to be without blemish.

When reading the Hebrew, anyone who was concerned about being accurate in their offerings would have to admit that the unusual structure of the verse is calling out for that to be perfectly understood. The reason for this takes us to the last book of the old Testament. In Malachi 1, the Lord severely rebukes the people for profaning His name by offering animals that were stolen, lame, and sick. He repeats it at the end of the chapter by saying –

“‘But cursed be the deceiver
Who has in his flock a male,
And takes a vow,
But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished—
For I am a great King,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
‘And My name is to be feared among the nations.’” Malachi 1:17

The Lord expected the very best of His people because He is the best of all beings. And in His asking for the best, it was because His incarnation in Christ, the greatest and best of all beings, was being pictured in these offerings.

Regardless of anything else, this is what Israel was expected to know. When Christ came, they were to recognize Him for who He is, and they were to submit to Him. But, just like the defiled offerings they brought to the Lord, they treated their Messiah with the same reviling contempt. And they have suffered because of it.

We dare not make the same mistake, and yet we do. A thousand times a day and in ten thousand different ways, we treat the honor of the Lord carelessly. We do it in our lives, we do it in our churches, and we do it in the deep recesses of our hearts.

But God is a great God, and the giving of His Son was the greatest of His acts. Let us reflect on this, take it to heart, and treat Him with the highest honor and the greatest respect. We will fail, and that is to be expected as symbolized by the goat offering of atonement.

But when we fail, let us be grateful for our continued salvation, despite what we have done. And then, let us brush ourselves off, and go forward in the grace which has already been given, which is the eternal salvation found in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Closing Verse: “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13, 14 (Saved, in Christ, and sealed – Passover, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost)

Next Week: Numbers 29:1-40 It is a big title for the sermon concerning these profferings… (The Day of Acclamation, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles Offerings) (57^th Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Passover, and the Unleavened Bread and Weeks Offerings

‘On the fourteenth day of the first month
———-is the Passover of the Lord
And on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast
Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days
On the first day you shall have a holy convocation
———-from the greatest to the least

You shall do no customary work
And you shall present an offering made by fire
As a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram
———-and seven lambs in their first year
Be sure they are without blemish as I require

Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil:
Three-tenths of an ephah you shall offer for a bull
———-and two-tenths for a ram, so you shall do
You shall offer one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs
Also one goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you 

You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning
So this you shall do
Which is for a regular burnt offering
As I am now instructing you

In this manner you shall offer the food of the offering
Made by fire daily for seven days, so shall be this proffering
As a sweet aroma to the Lord
It shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering
———-and its drink offering 

And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation
You shall do no customary work throughout the whole nation

‘Also on the day of the firstfruits
When you bring a new grain offering to the Lord
At your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation
You shall do no customary work, according to this word 

You shall present a burnt offering as an aroma to the Lord
———-so sweet
Be sure that the offering is complete

Two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year
With their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil
———-(so you shall do)
Three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram
———–and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs
Also one kid of the goats, to make atonement for you 

Be sure they are without blemish
You shall present them with their drink offerings as I say
Besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering
They shall be offered in this way

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Numbers 28:11-15
The New Moon Offerings

When speaking of a right relationship with God, idolatry is one of the biggest problems that man faces. Man has found every possible thing in heaven and on earth to worship. We worship mountains, we worship forests, we worship stars, and we worship women or men. Some people worship their pets. The list is long and sad.

Paul writes about this in Romans 1, there is the creation, and there is the Creator. Because we can’t see the Creator, we may steer away from worshiping lest we look silly at worshiping something we can’t see, even if the evidences for His existence are plain and obvious.

As a species, we don’t tend to think clearly. Much of the reason for that is because we are infected with sin. That clouds our understanding. But we also just don’t want to expend the energy to think about things. Thinking, contemplating, and studying can be hard work, and it can drain us.

It is a lot easier to just do other, less challenging things. But, ironically, some people actually spend more energy trying to challenge what is obvious than they ever would in coming to a full understanding of those obvious things.

For example, evolutionists spend all kinds of time and energy attempting to disprove the very evidences that God has left of His hand in creation. Bible scholars have been known to spend countless hours attempting to tear apart the Bible instead of studying it as it is intended. Oh my.

Text Verse: “Sing aloud to God our strength;
Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.
² Raise a song and strike the timbrel,
The pleasant harp with the lute.
³ Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
⁴ For this is a statute for Israel,
A law of the God of Jacob.” Psalm 81:1-4

Why is there a New Moon? Why is there a full moon? And how do we know exactly when they will be? Why is there an equinox or a solstice that can be easily determined, year by year, even hundreds or thousands of years into the future? Why is it that men who sleep with men cannot bear children?

Why is it that a person was able to identify the makeup and properties of elements which had not yet been discovered, so that when they were discovered, the properties and makeup of them matched what the person had already figured out?

The answer to these things, and to an almost infinite number of related questions, is that it is because there is order and harmony in the creation. If the universe started in chaos, the universe would still be in chaos. No matter how long the chaotic continues, it will never become organized.

Reading about the offerings to the Lord which were required of Israel is a study in order. There is harmony in them, there is wisdom in them, and there is structure in them.

When we read passages such as the one today, we should try to look beyond the simple words themselves and attempt to figure out why the Creator placed them here, and what He is attempting to show us through them. That is where real treasure can be found. We have come across so much in the past, and we will come across more today. This is certain, because great things are to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Monthly Offerings (verses 11-15)

¹¹ ‘At the beginnings of your months

u-b’rashe khadeshekem – “and in heads your months.” Here the word rosh, or head, signifies the first or beginning. The word now turns to the third mandated offering which is given for a specific time, that of the beginning of the month.

Thus, the required offerings have gone from the daily in verses 1-8, to the weekly, meaning that of the Sabbath, in verses 9 & 10, and now they go to monthly offerings. This monthly event is something which has only been mentioned in an incidental way so far. In Numbers 10:10, it said –

“Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”

Nothing else has been said of this to explain why the beginning of the month is singled out. The reason for it being later called the “New Moon” is because the Hebrew Calendar was based on the cycle of the moon. It is a 30-day calendar, commencing each month at the time of the New Moon.

As the beginning of the month is the time of the New Moon, that means that the 15^th of the month is the time of the full moon. Thus, the Passover occurring on the 14^th of the month – as stated in Exodus 12 – means that the Exodus of the people occurring on the 15^th of the month was the most propitious time for them to depart.

Moses and Aaron were called for by night, and they were ready when the moon was full. The departure would have allowed them the most light possible for their escape. The fifteenth also corresponds to the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread which is mandated in Leviticus 23 –

“And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. ⁷ On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. ⁸ But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.” Leviticus 23:6-8

The exact offerings which are mentioned there to be made by fire for that feast will be outlined later in this same chapter, in verses 17-25. This beginning of the month, also known as the time of the New Moon, is now noted as having a mandated offering which is to be associated with it. That begins with the words…

^{11 (con’t)} you shall present a burnt offering to the Lord:

Here, an offering is to be made l’Yehovah, or “to the Lord.” As nothing has yet been specified concerning the New Moon, such as was specified, for example, in the giving of the Sabbath, it begs the question, “What is the significance of this time of the month?”

There must be a reason why the beginning of the month, or the “New Moon,” requires a mandatory offering. Oddly, the Bible never explicitly says. Thus, an explanation can only be inferred. The fact that the day was to be announced by the blowing of the silver trumpets certainly elevated the respect the day received. Four basic reasons for blowing of the silver trumpets were given –

1) For the gathering of the people;
2) For the advancement of the people from their camps;
3) For remembrance in battle; and
4) As a memorial before God at various times.

The only one which applies here would be “as a memorial before God.” The silver of the trumpets pictured redemption. That there were two of them pictured the proclamation of God’s word, given in two testaments. Thus, blowing these trumpets at the time of the New Moon was to be as a memorial before God at a particular time of life which points to Christ.

As the blowing of the trumpets was to coincide with the offerings to be presented, then they are calling forth a remembrance of what the offerings represent in typology as they anticipated Christ.

But not all offerings were to be called out in order to be remembered. For example, the sin offerings, which pictured Christ’s life as a sin offering, did not have the trumpets blown over them. It would be as if calling sin to remembrance.

Rather, sin is expiated and gone. The trumpets, according to Numbers 10, show they were only to be blown over the burnt offering mentioned here. Those burnt offerings consisted of…

^{11 (con’t)} two young bulls,

parim bene baqar shenayim – “bulls sons of ox two.” The par, or bull, comes from the word parar which carries the meaning of defeat, or make void, although it can be variously translated. In this is a type of Christ who defeated the devil, making void that which the devil had wrought.

Baqar comes from a word meaning to inquire or seek out. Being a son of such an ox looks to Christ who seeks out those He would redeem, just as the Lord is said to seek out His sheep in Ezekiel 34.

This is the first time that two bulls, instead of just one, are offered. No explanation is given for it. And so we must think it through. The number two signifies that there is a difference. In one, there is no difference, but in two there is a difference; there is another.

Bullinger notes that in two things, the second may be included for help and deliverance. Such would make sense for the reason of having two bulls. The first looks to the work of Christ accomplished for the people. The second anticipates help and deliverance in the month ahead.

As the first day of the month stands as representative of the entire month, the one bull looks to Christ’s accomplished work, and the second looks to the work Christ continues to accomplish. In other words, he has defeated the devil and the one is a remembrance of that, but we still look to Him to deliver us from the devil, of which the second is given in anticipation of that.

^{11 (con’t)} one ram,

v’ayil ekhad – “and ram one.” The word ayil comes from a word denoting strength. The ram reflects the total commitment of Christ who offered all of His natural strength to His Father. He is fully sufficient to redeem all.

^{11 (con’t)} and seven lambs in their first year,

kebasim bene shanah shivah – “lambs son of year seven.” The lamb, or kebes, signifies “to dominate.” The type of animal looks to Christ who dominated over sin. Seven of them pictures Christ. Seven is the number of spiritual perfection, emblematic of His spiritually perfect work.

The first year signifies innocence, just as Christ was innocent. Through His innocence, He prevailed over the law, dominated over sin, and destroyed it. This is what we are to see in these seven lambs of the first year. And in them, as with the other animals, they were all to be…

^{11 (con’t)} without blemish;

temimim – “perfect.” As with all animals presented as burnt offerings to the Lord, they were to be without spot, without blemish, and perfect. Again, the quality looks to Christ who bore no sin before God. As seen last week, Peter provides exactly this explanation –

“…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:18, 19

¹² three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering,

As seen in the previous sermon, the number ten in Scripture signifies the perfection of divine order. It implies that nothing is wanting and that the number and order are perfect, and the whole cycle is complete.

The tenth part is given as representative of the whole. In this case, it is three-tenths of an ephah. The reason this specific amount will be mentioned is in this same verse. The grain offering is to be of solet, or fine flour.

As seen last week, solet is from an unused root meaning to strip; flour, as chipped off; and thus fine. It is generally considered, even when not specifically stated, that wheat was the flour used in such an offering. It would be the best of things offered to the greatest of Beings, meaning the Creator. In this, it is a picture of Christ.

First, is that it is a division of a tenth, it represents the whole, showing that nothing is wanting and that His offering is perfect, and through His work, the whole cycle is complete. He is the perfection of divine order.

That it is solet, or the finest flour of wheat, looks to His purity. It is a fitting emblem of Christ who is the Bread of Life, and the One who provides everlasting life to those who partake of Him. Thus the offering is an acknowledgment of this to God. It is to be…

^{12 (con’t)} mixed with oil,

The shemen, or oil, is said to be balal, or mixed, into the grain. The oil pictures the Spirit of God. Though Christ is a Man, He is fully endowed with the Holy Spirit. It looks to Christ, the God/Man.

^{12 (con’t)} for each bull;

The amount, three-tenths, is given based on the size of the animal. This was seen in Numbers 15, and the amounts mentioned here are consistent with what is presented there. As this is the largest animal offered, the grain offering is sized accordingly. For the next offering, it is less…

^{12 (con’t)} two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram;

A tenth division is again made, representing divine perfection, but this time it is smaller to correspond with a smaller animal. And then once again, the amount decreases with the third animal offering…

¹³ and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with oil, as a grain offering for each lamb,

The same grain offering, mixed in the same manner, and carrying the same symbolism, is again repeated, but this time, the amount is one-tenth in order to correspond with the size of the animal. All of these together are to be…

^{13 (con’t)} as a burnt offering of sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

Again as with the daily and weekly offerings, we look to these words and find the same symbolism of Christ. In the offering of His life – His works, His perfection, and His sacrifice in fulfillment of the law, He was considered as a sweet aroma, pleasing to God the Father. This is explicitly stated by Paul in Ephesians 5 –

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:1, 2

Everything points to Christ and what He would do for us. The people of Israel were required to give these monthly offerings as a sort of parable in anticipation of what was to come in Him.

These went on, month by month, as a memorial before God that His covenant stood firm until the time Christ would come, fulfill it, and initiate a New Covenant through His perfect work and life. It is His life alone which is truly the offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

As with the daily and weekly offerings, along with these monthly burnt offerings, with their grain offerings, there were also to be drink offerings presented…

¹⁴ Their drink offering shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, one-third of a hin for a ram, and one-fourth of a hin for a lamb;

The drink offering amounts are the same as were recorded for the same type of offerings in Numbers 15. However, unlike the daily drink offerings we looked at last week which were said to be shekar, or strong drink, here these are to be yayin, or wine.

First, the nesek, or drink offering, comes from a word meaning “cover.” The idea is that when the drink offering is poured out, it will cover that onto which it is poured.

The drink offering of yayin, or wine, looks to the merging together of cultural expressions into a result. The thing that ought to happen can happen, symbolized by wine. In the drink offering, it signifies rest and celebration. Such a drink offering is only offered after entry into the Land of Promise, which is a land of defeated enemies. It is a land of rest. Only when rest is seen, would the Lord accept the wine libations.

And more, a drink offering is poured out in its entirety to the Lord. No part of it was drunk by the priests or people. It signifies that they were partially excluded from the Lord’s full blessings while under the Law of Moses. Jesus referred to this in Matthew –

“Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17

He was speaking of the law and grace. The new wine is the new dispensation of grace to come. The old wine was the dispensation of the law. Introducing the new concept into the old would not work because they are incompatible.

Only when putting the new wine into the new wineskins is the mind changed. Only in Christ does man truly enter into God’s victory and rest. This is what is seen in the wine drink offering, and it is why Paul could say in Philippians 2 –

“Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.” Philippians 2:17, 18

Paul’s labors in the vineyard anticipated his victory and rest in Christ. It is confirmed in his words to Timothy –

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8

^{14 (con’t)} this is the burnt offering for each month throughout the months of the year.

The three types of animals, along with the grain and drink offerings that accompanied them, unite to form a unit which is the burnt offering for each month, on the first of each month, each year. As it says, b’khadesho l’khadeshe ha’shanah, or “in the month, for the months the year.”

Each burnt offering represented the month, and together they united to form the required monthly burnt offerings. Over these burnt offerings would be blown the silver trumpets, thus making them a memorial before God concerning the promise of the coming of Messiah and what He would do in fulfillment of these mere types and shadows. Along with the burnt offerings there is…

¹⁵ Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering to the Lord shall be offered,

It is notable that this sin offering is mentioned only after the burnt offering. As with the Day of Atonement, and at various other times, it is a sayir izzim, or a hairy goat. Hair in Scripture signifies awareness. In this case, it is awareness of sin. This is a monthly reminder of the sinful state of the people.

Despite having other sin offerings when sin is committed and recognized as such, or which were to cover the sins of the people for the year, meaning on the Day of Atonement, this sin offering is given as a reminder that the people were not free of sin, and that they needed continual atonement for it.

It was to be for their constant awareness of that fact, and that they were wholly dependent on the Lord for His mercy, not just annually, but from month to month. They were to be aware of their sin and seek its atonement.

This monthly hairy goat sin offering was given to represent the human life of Jesus, taking on our nature, but without sin, and yet then taking on our sin in His crucifixion. It is seen in Paul’s words to the Corinthians –

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

*^15 (fin) besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

What is probable, although unstated, is that the sin offering would be the first offering to the Lord. The precedent of following this order has been seen numerous times already. Sin must be first dealt with, and then – when the sin of life is atoned for – the offender is considered acceptable before God once again.

Though these offerings look to Christ and His work, they are offerings of the people in acknowledgment of their state before God. The regular daily and Sabbath offerings were sufficient to make the picture of a people living in a holy manner before the Lord.

However, the addition of this monthly sin offering reminded the people that they were never truly detached from sin, and that they required an offering for that state.

Unlike the daily and Sabbath day offerings which did not mandate any sin offering, the monthly offerings did. The idea seems to be that the people were to daily offer themselves to the Lord, and they were to do so in anticipation of the coming rest of the Lord each week. But beyond these very short intervals, more was needed.

Although most people realize that their life on any given day was not perfect, and for others, they could reflect on the Sabbath that they certainly had offended God in the week gone by, there are some who probably felt that they were acceptable to God even beyond their daily and weekly lives.

But the mandating of this sin offering was certainly intended to quash any such thoughts in their heads. The Lord is telling the people, month by month, of the impossibility of being right before God without atonement.

Though less formal than the annual Day of Atonement rituals, this monthly sin offering was to carry the same mental idea for the people to consider. It is certainly because of this sin offering being included as a part of the monthly requirements, that this first day of each month observance became so prominent in Israel.

Though it is not given any great detail in the Law of Moses, the beginning of months, or New Moon observance, is seen quite a few times in both the Old and even in the New Testament. We will look over some of those noted times after a short poetic break…

The New Moon has come at last
From waning to waxing goes the light
A new month has started, the old has passed
From here on out, things will be getting bright

But on this day, we will observe a rest
And we need to contemplate our state before God
In the past month, we have failed to be our very best
And our walk at times has been quite flawed

And so, a sin offering to the Lord we will make
To cover over the misdeeds that we have done
He shows mercy to us for His name’s sake
For the Lord our God is the great and merciful One

Yes, the silver trumpets blow forth their customary tune
They now blow forth for the burnt offering of the New Moon

II. The New Moon

The term, “the beginnings of your months,” is seen twice in the Bible, in Numbers 10:10 and in Numbers 28:11. After this, the simple term khodesh, or “month,” will be used to speak of this day.

As the word khodesh can mean a month, or a day during the month when singled out – such as “the tenth of the month” – many translations, will use the term New Moon when it is clearly referring to the first of the month. In the NKJV, there are 22 times in the Old Testament and 1 in the New where the term is used. Of this day, the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown commentary, says –

“The beginning of the month was known, not by astronomical calculations, but, according to Jewish writers, by the testimony of messengers appointed to watch the first visible appearance of the new moon; and then the fact was announced through the whole country by signal-fires kindled on the mountain tops.” Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

This is still taught today in rabbinic circles, and among Christians who follow that thinking, and it is completely unscriptural. This is a problem with reading and accepting Jewish commentaries at face value. They often dismiss what is clearly taught in Scripture. For example, a verse from 1 Samuel 20 shows that this is not the biblical way of determining it –

“And David said to Jonathan, ‘Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening.’” 1 Samuel 20:5

If the Jewish tradition were true, then David would have had to wait until the evening of the next day to see if the New Moon had arrived or not. This same thought is expressed in 2 Kings 4 as well.

Secondly, to rely on this type of calculation would mean that it was up to man to determine when the month began. If there was cloud cover or a heavy haze over the land due to a dust storm, one could not be obedient to Scripture concerning these offerings on the actual New Moon because the people had not sighted it.

These types of commentaries are both unreliable, and they lack the logic and order which the Bible both reveals and demands.

There are two types of moon cycles. The first is known as the sidereal month. That is measured by how long it takes for the moon to complete one full orbit around the earth. That takes 27 days, 7 hours, and 43 minutes. That is measured by the moon’s position relative to distant fixed stars. This is not what the Bible refers to.

The second period is that of the moon’s cycle phases, meaning from New Moon to New Moon. That takes about 29.5 days. Anybody who knows this, and it would be anyone who lived during those times – and who needed to comply with the Law of Moses – could simply count on their fingers, as David probably did, and come up with the date of the New Moon observance.

As far as the New Moon observances, other than what is given in Numbers 10 and here in Numbers 28, nothing else is mandated. And yet, other things are seen as being observed later in Scripture.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown does note this which appears likely –

“The new-moon festivals having been common among the heathen, it is probable that an important design of their institution in Israel was to give the minds of that people a better direction; and assuming this to have been one of the objects contemplated, it will account for one of the kids being offered unto the Lord (Nu 28:15), not unto the moon, as the Egyptians and Syrians did. The Sabbath and the new moon are frequently mentioned together.”

More directly, the Pulpit Commentary says –

“There can be no doubt that this (unlike the sabbath) was a nature-festival, observed more or less by all nations. As such it did not require to be instituted, but only to be regulated and sanctified in order that it might not lend itself to idolatry, as it did among the heathen.”

That is certainly the case. Just as the solstices and equinoxes were known to the ancients, which then became nature festivals, so the monthly moon cycles would too. This could become problematic if not properly dealt with. In Deuteronomy 4, in a warning against idolatry, it says –

“And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.” Deuteronomy 4:19

Having a New Moon observance mandated by the Lord would help the people from making the moon into an idol, simply because the observance was when the moon was at its least strength. Instead of worshiping a full moon, the people would be observing a New Moon to the Lord. It would be as a reminder that He had set the lights in the heavenlies, and that He was the one who regulated the timing of their appearances, and that He did so with precision.

Unfortunately, the people didn’t heed, and worshiping the heavenly bodies became a customary occurrence in Israel. Jeremiah speaks the word of the Lord concerning this –

“‘At that time,’ says the Lord, ‘they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of its princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves. ² They shall spread them before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served and after which they have walked, which they have sought and which they have worshiped. They shall not be gathered nor buried; they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth.’” Jeremiah 8:1, 2

That is just one of the many such instances noting the people’s idolatry in worshiping the heavenly bodies. However, as seen in 1 Samuel 20, the time of the New Moon was considered a day of particular social gathering. David was expected to sit at a meal with the king. That continues on in 1 Samuel 20:24-26 –

“And when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat the feast. ²⁵ Now the king sat on his seat, as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty. ²⁶ Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, ‘Something has happened to him; he is unclean, surely he is unclean.’”

In 1 Samuel 4, the New Moon is brought to a level commensurate with that of the Sabbath in regards to visiting a prophet of God. It implies that such a thing was most commonly done on one of those two special days. Later in Isaiah, it becomes evident that the New Moon wasn’t just something that was only observed at the sanctuary by the priests, or by the king. Rather, what Isaiah says, shows that it was something observed by all people –

“Bring no more futile sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
¹⁴ Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.” Isaiah 1:13, 14

The New Moons are elevated here to the same level as the Sabbaths, calling of assemblies, and appointed feasts. Each of these involved the common people as well as the leaders. And even more, in Amos, the New Moon can be seen to be not only a day of observation to the Lord, but a day of rest among the people –

“When will the New Moon be past,
That we may sell grain?
And the Sabbath,
That we may trade wheat?
Making the ephah small and the shekel large,
Falsifying the scales by deceit,
⁶ That we may buy the poor for silver,
And the needy for a pair of sandals—
Even sell the bad wheat?” Amos 8:5, 6

The implication here is that the New Moon was a day, like the Sabbath, when selling was not allowed. Despite not being mandated by the Lord directly, it was considered a day set apart in a unique way, just as the Sabbath was. But, because of the people’s attitude toward the Lord, and because of the abuse of their relationship with Him, including their defilement of these sacred days, the Lord told the people of Israel this through Hosea –

“I will also cause all her mirth to cease,
Her feast days,
Her New Moons,
Her Sabbaths—
All her appointed feasts.” Hosea 2:11

Paul then uses this same thought in the book of Colossians to show that all of these things are now obsolete in Christ –

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Colossians 2:16, 17

It is a part of Paul’s standard warning. Israel failed to properly observe their own Lord-directed observances. They failed to honor Him and to obey the precepts of the law. They fulfilled the imagery that Paul lays out in Galatians.

The law was not an end in and of itself, but a means of showing Israel how desperately they needed something else, something far better. It was merely a tutor to take them by the hand and to lead them directly to the foot of the cross. They could not fulfill the law, but Christ Jesus could. And in His fulfilling, he brought to an end the Law of Moses.

Paul’s words in Colossians are a warning against anyone attempting to bring you back under the same failed system that they themselves cannot live by. The New Moon, along with the dietary laws, the feast days, and the sabbaths were simply shadows of what would come in Christ. He is the Substance, and He is to be our constant reminder of God’s love for us.

By following the Bible through the various times the New Moon is mentioned, we can see that it was a day which was set apart to the Lord. There are twelve months in a Hebrew calendar, and thus there were twelve New Moon observances each year. Twelve, is the number of perfection of government.

It is the monthly sin offering which makes this picture come alive. Three signifies the divine, heavenly number. Four signifies that of creation. Multiplied, they speak of organization. The government of the Lord comes together for man through these monthly reminders of man’s sin, and of what Christ would do to atone for it.

Christ died for our sins only once, but the monthly reminders come together in an organized way to show what that one sacrifice would accomplish – a government not based on the effects of sin, as is the Law of Moses, but a government based on freedom from sin, as is the New Covenant of grace.

The heavenly unites with the earthly in a restored, eternal kingdom because of His perfect offering for sin. For those who have put their faith in Christ, we have received this in the church. Someday Israel will understand this as well. In the book of Ezekiel, we read this –

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened.’” Ezekiel 46:1

Someday Israel will observe these things not as a means of being right with God because of self, nor as anticipatory of Messiah. Rather, they will be observed as commemorative of what Christ has done, and of an imputed righteousness because of His work. Both the Sabbath and the New Moon, and indeed all of these now-fulfilled aspects of the Law of Moses will find their proper place in the realization that Christ has done it all, and it is all done in Him.

Closing Verse: “‘For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,’ says the Lord,
‘So shall your descendants and your name remain.
²³ And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,’ says the Lord.” Isaiah 66:23

Next Week: Numbers 28:16-31 Here come more profferings… (Passover, and the Unleavened Bread and Weeks Offerings) (56^th Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The New Moon Offerings

‘At the beginnings of your months you shall present
———-a burnt offering to the Lord:
Two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs without blemish
———-in their first year
Three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering
Mixed with oil, for each bull, please listen and hear

Two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering
Mixed with oil, for the one ram according to this word
And one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with oil
———-as a grain offering for each lamb
As a burnt offering of sweet aroma, an offering
———-made by fire to the Lord 

Their drink offering shall be half a hin of wine for a bull
One-third of a hin for a ram, and for a lamb one-fourth of a hin
This is the burnt offering for each month
Throughout the months of the year. As each month does begin 

Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering to the Lord
Shall be offered, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink
————offering according to this word

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Numbers 28:1-10
The Daily and Sabbath Day Offerings

I’m going to be honest Charlie and admit that coming to this chapter made me go kind of “huuuuuh.” We have gone through sacrifices and offerings in Exodus, in Leviticus (well, a few in Leviticus), and then more in Numbers.

I wasn’t so winded by the thought of more offerings, but by the thought that there would be nothing new – or at least refreshing – as a reminder, that would keep me plugging along at a steady pace as I researched and typed.

And it especially appeared that way for two reasons – both dealing with the scholars I read for each sermon. First, some of them give almost no comments at all on both Chapter 28 and Chapter 29. You could read everything they had to say in a couple minutes.

If they couldn’t drum up some notes, then they were obviously winded too. That made things look bleak for anything exciting to jump out at us today.

Secondly, the opening comments of two of the references I read – Cambridge and the Pulpit Commentary – were dismissive of the content here. We can expect that from Cambridge. Their Old Testament commentaries are rather pathetic, leaning towards demeaning of what the Lord has bestowed upon us.

But even the Pulpit Commentary went down this path a bit. First, Cambridge said concerning two of the nine types of offerings we will see in these chapters, “Nos. (7) and (9) shew that the list is post-exilic, for neither was observed before the time of Ezra.” In other words, and without any proof of their claim, they say that some content for the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles was added some time after the Israelites returned from captivity in Babylon. Never mind that it says in verse 1, “And the Lord spoke to Moses saying.” To them, this treasure given to us by God is a haphazard compilation of a bunch of Jews who needed to correct God on what He intends for us to guide our lives by. In a similar fashion, the Pulpit Commentary says –

“It is impossible to say with any assurance whether the law of offerings contained in these two chapters was really given to Moses shortly before his death, or whether it was ever given in this connected and completed form. It is obvious that the formula with which the section opens might be used with equal propriety to introduce a digest of the law on this subject compiled by Moses himself, or by some subsequent editor of his writings from a number of scattered regulations, written or oral, which had Divine authority.”

They then later say –

“It cannot, therefore, be said with any special force that the present section finds its natural place here. All we can affirm is that the system itself was of Divine origin, and dated in substance from the days of Moses. In any case, therefore, it is rightly introduced with the usual formula which attests that it came from God, and came through Moses.” Pulpit 28:1

So what we have here, according to them, is a compilation of stuff from here and there, later edited and reorganized, and yet they claim that it came from God and came through Moses. How can it be that God’s word needs to be compiled, edited, and reorganized in order to become God’s word? That makes as much sense as voting democrat and expecting lower taxes.

Text Verse: “The words of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.
⁷ You shall keep them, O Lord,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.” Psalm 12:6, 7

Fortunately, we can know that we have a sure word. This is because Jesus argued over its perfection. He spoke of the absolute sure nature of the word, and that it would remain that way. We don’t have to wonder if what we look at today was compiled later or not. It speaks for itself. You will see this. Everything we will look at today caught my attention. It took away the blues I had been feeling, and it made me wonder how so few scholars even bothered to comment in-depth on it. We have ten verses and a full sermon of detail to go through.

As I know what most of you think about the word of God, when we are done, I am positive you will go home blessed and built up in your faith, and once again amazed at the amount of Christological detail that we will see. Get ready! It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Daily Offerings (verses 1-8)

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

In Chapter 25, Israel’s harlotry with the women of Moab was seen. From there, a second census was recorded. That was followed by inheritance laws which needed to be resolved based on the census. And then Joshua was selected as the next leader of Israel. It is he who would lead Israel into Canaan, the land of inheritance.

Each step has followed a logical, orderly path to ensure that there would not be a breakdown of things after the death of Moses and entry into Canaan. Now, for the next two chapters, details concerning offerings are recorded.

These are given to ensure that the people, once in the land, will continue to acknowledge the authority of the Lord, and that their daily, monthly, and annual cycle of life is centered on Him.

Almost all of what is recorded here is a repeat of what has already been stated elsewhere. However, this is a new generation, and they have been raised without observing most of these rites, in part or in whole. Indeed, they could not. Many require offerings which were not available to a migratory people.

Therefore, to ensure the new generation is aware that they are expected in Canaan, and to ensure that they are not overlooked, the details are given again. And, the location of the passage is not at all arbitrary, but purposeful. Each step is preparing Israel for entry into Canaan, and how they will live once they arrive there. Understanding that, the Lord now says to Moses…

² “Command the children of Israel, and say to them,

Here Moses is told to command “the children of Israel.” The instructions, going directly to the people instead of the priests, show that the priest had no say in the offering, but rather he was to follow through with his part in the process, inspecting the offering for type, perfection, and conducting the associated work in transmitting the offering to the Lord.

What is mandated here is of the Lord. It was not to be changed by anyone. The priests could not arbitrarily set their own parameters for the offerings to be made. Among other things, this is what the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas did, and it cost them their lives.

^2 (con’t) ‘My offering, 

The word for “offering” here is qorban. It is used 82 times in the Old Testament, and almost all of them are in Leviticus and Numbers. It has already been used 36 times in Numbers and it will only be seen again here and in verse 31:50. It is mentioned one time in Nehemiah and twice in Ezekiel, and that is it.

It comes from the verb qarav which means “to come near,” or “approach.” The idea is that in order to approach near to the Lord, there must be an offering presented at that time. No person or people could draw near to a king or a royal without presenting an offering. How much more to the Lord who was Israel’s true King.

Understanding this, we can see how this points to Christ. We cannot draw near to God without an offering, and yet, we as believers are told that we can, in fact, draw near to God. This is through the work of Christ, which is our offering. This is spoken of by Jeremiah in the 30^th chapter of his book –

“Their nobles shall be from among them,
And their governor shall come from their midst;
Then I will cause him to draw near,
And he shall approach Me;
For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me?’ says the Lord.
²² ‘You shall be My people,
And I will be your God.’” Jeremiah 30:21, 22

Jeremiah states that One would come who would be allowed to draw near to the Lord God. In the next chapter, it is revealed how this will be accomplished, which is through a New Covenant.

When Jesus came, He established that New Covenant in His blood as is recorded in all three synoptic gospels, and which is confirmed by Paul in his writings, such as in 1 Corinthians 11 when speaking of the Lord’s Supper. This is followed up and explained in detail in the book of Hebrews.

In Christ, we make our offering to God which has been deemed as proper and perfect, and thus He is our qorban. He is our offering by which we draw near to God. This is a voluntary offering in the sense that we must choose to use it, and yet it is mandatory in that if we choose to draw near to God, it must be through Him and Him alone. This is explicitly stated by the author of Hebrews which explains the New Covenant in Christ’s blood –

“For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, ¹⁹ for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” Hebrews 7:18, 19

As long as we continue to think about how each detail points to Christ, these repetitious offerings here in Numbers will flow properly, it will be interesting, and it will reaffirm our own Christian walk which is far superior to these rites and rituals which only foreshadow His great work.

^2 (con’t) My food

lakhmi – “my bread.” The word lekhem used here signifies food in general because bread is representative of that which nourishes. It looks to Christ who said in John 6:48, “I am the bread of life.” The food here is the Lord’s food, and in Christ is found the fulfillment of that which is offered to Him.

^2 (con’t) for My offerings made by fire

The cycle of offerings, which include various sacrifices, all point to what Christ would do. The Lord here says that these offerings are made by fire. These then are offerings which are consumed in the fire. The symbolism is that of Christ. His life was wholly consumed as an offering to the Lord, symbolized by the burning.

^2 (con’t) as a sweet aroma to Me,

reakh nikhokhi – “aroma, sweet to me.” Again, we look to these words and find Christ. In the offering of His life – His works, His perfection, and His sacrifice in fulfillment of the law, He was considered as a sweet aroma, pleasing to God the Father. This is explicitly stated by Paul in Ephesians 5 –

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:1, 2

Everything that is to be instructed in these coming verses is the same. It points to Christ and what He would do for us. The people of Israel were living out a parable of what was to come in Him, so that when He came it would be understood that He was the fulfillment of it all. It is His life alone which is truly the offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

^2 (con’t) you shall be careful to offer to Me

The word translated as “to offer” is l’haqriv. It signifies “to bring near.” It is that which is pleasing to the Lord and which can be brought near and presented to Him. Again, it looks to Christ. The people could only draw near to God through offerings. Christ is the fulfillment of them, and the author of Hebrews showed us a moment ago of the fulfillment of the picture in Hebrews 7.

^2 (con’t) at their appointed time.’

All that we will see in the many verses of these two chapters hinges on, and is arranged according to, the number seven. There are daily offerings which lead to the seventh-day, or weekly, Sabbath offering. These lead into the monthly offerings which are then highlighted by the seventh-month offering. And those then lead into the annual offerings.

In all, the number seven is predominant in these feasts and in the other cycles of time noted elsewhere. It is the number of completeness and spiritual perfection. These moedim, or appointed times were to be meetings between the people and the Lord in anticipation of Christ’s fulfillment of each of them. In just this one verse, we have seen half a dozen, or more, pictures of what God would do in Christ. Though the words so far repeat thoughts already presented in earlier passages, it is no less astonishing how minutely God is detailing in picture what would come in Him.

³ “And you shall say to them, ‘This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the Lord:

Again, these words are spoken to all of the children of Israel. These things are a standard, given by the Lord, and the words are not to be amended by priest, prophet, or king. The first offerings to be detailed are the daily offerings. These were first instituted in Exodus 29. Now they are being re-explained and built upon here.

^3 (con’t) two male lambs

kebasim – “male lambs.” The word “two” is actually stated later in the verse as a qualifier of the offering. The word kebes, or lamb, is used more than 105 times, and all but less than 20 are used in connection with sacrifices.

The word comes from a root which means “to dominate.” It thus symbolizes Christ’s domination over sin, and so this offering is a twice-daily reminder of the sinless Christ who came to give His life in exchange for ours. In these lamb offerings, we hear the words of John the Baptist ringing out –

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

In Revelation 13:8, Jesus is called “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The daily lamb offerings were a reminder of that which had been ordained before man had ever stepped foot on the earth from which he was created. Sin would be the problem, and Christ would be the answer – known to God from the very foundation of the world.

^3 (con’t) in their first year

These lambs were to be of the first year to denote innocence. Anyone who has seen a young lamb knows that they reflect the epitome of this quality as they bounce about and bleat with joyous sounds. Likewise, Christ was innocent before the law, and He stood innocent before His accusers. The picture of the first year lambs is fulfilled in Him. In like fashion, they were to be…

^3 (con’t) without blemish,

These, like all other sacrifices presented to the Lord, were to be tamim, or without blemish. The word signifies sound, without spot, perfect, etc. It comes from tamam which signifies to be complete, or finished. It looks to Christ who, as Peter says in his first epistle –

“…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:18, 19

In His perfect life, He completed what the law demanded, fulfilling it, and opening the door for the full and final redemption of man. These lambs without blemish look to Christ our Lord, the perfect Lamb of God.

^3 (con’t) day by day,

sh’nayim la’yom – “two each day.” The reason for there being two will be seen in the next verse. But that they were daily was to show not just the perfection of Christ, but the unceasing perfection of Christ. He wasn’t just born perfect, but He also lived perfectly, day by day, in an unceasing manner – never deviating from the Father’s will. As He said –

“And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” John 8:29

^3 (con’t) as a regular burnt offering.

olah tamid – “burnt offering continually.” The olah, is a whole burnt offering. The word comes from alah, meaning “to ascend,” and so the idea of the offering ascending in smoke is what is conveyed. The olah in the Bible goes all the way back to Genesis 8:20. After the flood, Noah offered such an offering. There it said –

“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. ²¹ And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.

²² “While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.’” Genesis 8:29-22

The last time such an offering is mentioned in the Bible is actually in the New Testament. There in the Greek it is known as holokautoma. As you can hear, the word finds its origin in the Hebrew olah. However, if you listen carefully, you can also hear where our word holocaust comes from. Thus, one can see where the concept of our modern term is derived.

In the use of the modern term, the meaning is applied differently based on the user. For those who burnt the Jews, they act as if it was a sacrifice to God which would supposedly please Him because they had done away with His enemies. For the Jews, it was as if a sacrifice to God had been made of their lives in order to please Him. Either way, these are incorrect uses of this word. No such idea should rightly be connected to what occurred at the hands of the Nazis – from either viewpoint.

There is but one truly acceptable offering which this burnt offering pictures. That is detailed in the Bible’s final use of the burnt offering in Hebrews 10 –

Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:

“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
⁷ Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’”
⁸ Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), ⁹ then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. ¹⁰ By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:5-10

The second word here is tamid, or continually. It carries much the same thought as the offering being presented, day by day. However, it looks to the actual impact of that offering. It is explained by the author of Hebrews –

“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25

Thus, the olah tamid, or burnt offering continually, looks in type and picture to the coming Christ and all that He would do for His people. He always pleased His father in His earthly life, and the effects of that are that He always lives to make intercession for His people through His one-time and for-all-time sacrifice.

⁴ The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, the other lamb you shall offer in the evening,

eth ha’kebes ekhad taaseh ba’boqer v’eth ha’kebes ha’sheni taaseh ben ha’arbayim – “the lamb one you shall offer in the morning, and the lamb the second you shall offer between the evenings.” It is a marvelous picture of Christ’s final day in fulfillment of the law.

In this, the two lambs are combined as one day of offering. The first is at the time of the morning offering, which is noted in historical writings as nine o’clock in the morning. The second is said to be offered ben ha’arbayim, or “between the evenings.”

At first, it seems like a perplexing phrase, but it is one that is based on biblical time. In the Bible, a day is divided into “evening” and “morning.” Thus there are actually two evenings to be reckoned. The first began after twelve and runs through until sunset.

The second evening begins at sunset and continues till night, meaning the whole time of twilight. This would, therefore, be between twelve o’clock and the termination of twilight.

Between the evenings then is a phrase which speaks of the three o’clock sacrifices at the temple. They were considered as the evening sacrifice even though to us it would be deemed as an afternoon sacrifice. It is a phrase used only eleven times in the Bible and it always points to the timing of the death of Christ, which the gospels record as three o’clock in the afternoon.

To understand why the two lamb offerings are equated as a single day’s offering and thus symbolically one offering, we must go to the book of Mark. There it first says –

“Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.” Mark 15:25

It then next says –

“Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴ And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’
³⁵ Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, ‘Look, He is calling for Elijah!’ ³⁶ Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, ‘Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.’
³⁷ And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.”

Mark, who is in agreement with the other gospel writers, shows that Christ was crucified at the same time as when the morning offering was being made – 9am. He then says that Christ died at the same time that the evening offering was being made – 3pm.

Thus, the two lamb offerings encompass, and stand representative of, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, from beginning to end. The type of offering, the timing of the offering, and every detail associated with the offering looks ahead to the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Along with the lambs, the children of Israel are also instructed…

⁵ and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour

The number ten in Scripture signifies the perfection of divine order. It implies that nothing is wanting and that the number and order are perfect, and the whole cycle is complete. The tenth part is given as representative of the whole. In this case, it is one-tenth of an ephah of solet, or fine flour.

Solet is from an unused root meaning to strip; flour, as chipped off; and thus fine. It is generally considered, even when not specifically stated, that wheat was the flour used in such an offering. It would be the best of things offered to the greatest of Beings, meaning the Creator. In this, it is a picture of Christ.

The tenth part, representing the whole, shows that nothing is wanting and that His offering is perfect, and through His work, the whole cycle is complete. He is the perfection of divine order.

That it is solet, or the finest flour of wheat, looks to His purity. It is a fitting emblem of Christ who is the Bread of life, and the One who thus provides everlasting life to those who partake of Him. It is an acknowledgment of this to God. As it says, it is…

^5 (con’t) as a grain offering

l’minkhah – “for a grain offering.” The word minkhah signifies a gift or an offering. In this case, it is a grain offering. It represents Christ who offered His life as a pure offering – the Bread of Life – to God.

But, it should be noted that the grain which is offered came from God. And yet, it has been modified by man in the grinding process. Thus a type of work is involved in the picture. In this offering is then seen the work of Christ which remained pure and undefiled throughout His ministry. Along with that, the offering is…

^5 (con’t) mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil.

Here, shemen, or oil, is said to be balal, or mixed, into the grain. The oil pictures the Spirit of God. Though Christ is a Man, He is fully endowed with the Holy Spirit. The fourth of the hin stands representative of the whole. The number four speaks of creation and signifies material completeness. The fourth part of oil is mixed with the body which was prepared out of creation for Christ. That is referred to in Hebrews –

“Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
⁷ Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’” Hebrews 10:5-7

A body was prepared from the created order for Christ, and that body is fully endowed with the Spirit of God. That is referred to by Isaiah –

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
² The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:1, 2

Finally in this verse, the word used to describe the oil, and translated as “pressed,” is kathith. It is used just five times. This is the fourth and last in the books of Moses. It will be seen one more time in 1 Kings 5.

It indicates something beaten. It is only used in connection with the olives that have been made into oil. The process of beating the olives is what the adjective implies. The oil which is expected would usually come from unripe fruit. It would come out clear and without color.

After the gentle beating to break the skin, the full olives would be placed in a strainer of some sort, like a wicker basket, in order to allow their juice to drip through by gravity alone. The liquid would simply run through that and into a bowl. From there, the purest oil would float to the top and be skimmed off. Out of this, the anticipated result would be oil with no impurities at all, and thus the very finest possible.

Everything about this grain offering looks to Christ. It is He who has the full measure of the Spirit intermixed into His perfect humanity. There is nothing impure in Him, and therefore the Spirit mingles perfectly in Him and radiates perfectly through Him.

⁶ It is a regular burnt offering which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

The Hebrew doesn’t say this was ordained at Mount Sinai. Rather, it reads that the burnt offering was “made” at Mount Sinai. What appears to be the case, is that after leaving Sinai, the people were to travel rather quickly to Canaan and enter the land. Upon entry, the offerings could then be picked up and resumed.

However, due to their disobedience, they were stopped during the following thirty-eight years. Now, the people are being reinstructed in what is expected concerning these offerings because they are soon to enter Canaan. This appears to be the reason for the question asked in Amos 5 –

“Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings
In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?” Amos 5:25

The answer is, apparently, “No.” And thus, this fits the typology we have seen perfectly. The people of Israel rejected Christ, they did not offer to God what these offerings here look forward to, meaning Christ, and they went into extended exile, just as Amos prophesied to them.

Now they are about to enter Canaan where they would again be offered, picturing Israel’s coming acceptance of Christ, who is the fulfillment of these types and shadows.

The fact that it says these offerings were made to the Lord for a sweet aroma at Mount Sinai, which pictures the cross of Christ, is a nice touch in packaging all of the symbolism up into one beautiful picture of how redemptive history has unfolded since.

Every detail in these few verses has looked to Christ. Israel missed this, and they failed to offer that offering to God. But now, they are beginning to gravitate towards Christ more and more each day.

⁷ And its drink offering shall be one-fourth of a hin for each lamb;

Now we turn to the nesek, or drink offering. It is to be one-fourth of a hin. The fourth stands for the whole. A drink offering is one to be offered in the Land of Promise, a land of defeated enemies. Thus it is a land of rest. Only when rest is provided, would the Lord accept these libations. All during the time of the wilderness wanderings, they were not offered.

Further, a drink offering is poured out in its entirety to the Lord. No part of it was drank by the priests or people. This signifies that the people were partially excluded from the full blessings of the Lord while still under the Law of Moses. In picture, it looks to the complete pouring out of Christ’s life.

The fourth part carries the same meaning as in verse 5. It speaks of creation and signifies material completeness. The human aspect of Jesus (that which is of the created order) was poured out in its entirety as an offering to God. Paul speaks twice of his own life as a drink offering. In both instances, it is referring to the pouring out of his life in death.

^7 (con’t) in a holy place you shall pour out the drink to the Lord as an offering.

ba’qodesh hasek nesek shekar l’Yehovah – “in holy you shall pour out drink offering intoxicating drink to Yehovah.” The offering itself is holy and it is to be poured out on the offering at the brazen altar. Thus, it is considered a holy place.

The type of drink is shekar. It signifies intensely alcoholic liquor. Whereas wine is normally mentioned for a drink offering, this more intense drink is named. As this is an offering to go with the lambs which picture Christ’s crucifixion, the use of this word looks to the trial which Jesus faced. In Proverbs, it says this –

“Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to those who are bitter of heart.” Proverbs 31:6

And Isaiah says this –

“They shall not drink wine with a song;
Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.” Isaiah 24:9

There is an intensification of the imagery in this passage for the audience to contemplate. It was Christ who was perishing for their sins, and the bitterness He faced was for their redemption. The cross is God’s holy place of propitiation, and we are asked to stop and contemplate the enormity of what He accomplished for us.

⁸ The other lamb you shall offer in the evening; as the morning grain offering and its drink offering,

This is now the last of eleven times that the term ben ha’arbayim, or between the evenings, is seen in Scripture. Each and every instance looked forward to the time of Christ’s death on the cross. As both the morning and the evening sacrifice are to be offered in the exact same manner, they are united in thought as one event.

From the time that the nails entered Christ’s body, until the time He died, the imagery seen in these verses concerning these two lamb offerings, with their associated accompanying offerings. It is as one offering to God. The morning offering would be incomplete without the evening offering, and the evening offering would make no sense without the morning offering.

Only in the crucifixion and death of Christ do the two offerings –morning and evening – become united in meaning. And the significance of that is seen with the words…

^8 (con’t) you shall offer it as an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.

The words are substantially repeated from verse 2, and were also partially stated in verse 6. In verse 2, it said, “as a sweet aroma to Me.” Here it says, “a sweet aroma to the Lord.” The repetition is given to settle in the minds of the people how good and pleasing these daily offerings were to the Lord.

As they picture the death of Christ, the passage would be incomplete without showing how the Lord perceives His crucifixion –

“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
¹¹ He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
¹² Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:10-12

A Lamb, spotless and pure – without any defect
Will be sacrificed in my place
And looking at that Lamb, I can certainly detect
The greatest love and grace… this I see looking upon His face

Oh! That I could refrain and not see Him die
Oh! If there could be any other way
How could this Lamb go through with it for one such as I?
Oh God! This perfect Lamb alone my sin-debt can pay

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Behold the sinless One, there on Calvary’s tree
He has prevailed and the path to heaven has been unfurled
The Lamb of God who died for sinners like you and me

II. The Sabbath Day Offerings (verses 9 & 10)

⁹ ‘And on the Sabbath day two lambs

The words here are the second set of offerings for the people to consider. They are national offerings even if they are only offered by the priests. They are made on behalf of all of the children of Israel, and they are weekly offerings, occurring each week on the Sabbath.

This is the first mention of these Sabbath offerings, and they are made in addition to the daily offerings. In other words, the daily offerings are not replaced by the Sabbath offerings. Rather, the Sabbath offerings are made in addition to these daily offerings.

^{9 (con’t)} in their first year,

These are to reflect the innocence of Christ, just as before.

^{9 (con’t)} without blemish,

These are to reflect the sinless and unblemished nature of Christ, just as before.

^{9 (con’t)} and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering,

The two-tenths are for both lambs together, one-tenth for each lamb, not two tenths for each. The grain offering is to reflect the purity of Christ, just as before.

^{9 (con’t)} mixed with oil,

The oil is representative of the Spirit, just as stated above.

^{9 (con’t)} with its drink offering— 

It can only be assumed that this drink offering is the same as that mentioned above, shekar, or intensely strong drink, and not yayin, or wine, as with other drink offerings. This would continue the same typology as was seen above, if so.

It seems unlikely that it would be any different, because if it was, it would more probably state that the Sabbath offering was wine. As nothing is stated, the same type of drink offering as the daily offering appears to be what was offered.

¹⁰ this is the burnt offering for every Sabbath,

Nothing is stated concerning the time of these offerings. Were they offered at one time together? Were they offered separately? If they were offered separately, were the individual Sabbath offerings offered along with the two daily offerings – one in the morning and one in the evening. It does not explicitly say, but the last option seems likely based on our final words of the day…

*^10 (fin) besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering.

The verse says al olat ha’tamid v’niskah – “upon the burnt offering the continual and drink offering.” In other words, each Sabbath offering is laid upon the morning or evening offering. This would then provide a beautiful completion to what these offerings picture in Christ.

The two daily offerings form one continual reminder of Christ’s work by which we are brought near to God and accepted by Him. The two Sabbath offerings form one weekly reminder of what that means for the believer in Christ.

That is minutely explained in Hebrews as the author explains the meaning and purpose of the Sabbath in relation to God’s seventh day, which follows the creation account. In particular it says in Hebrews 4:3, “For we who have believed do enter that rest.”

The Sabbath of Israel was only a type and shadow of the rest which would be granted to those in Christ. We who believe now enter into God’s rest. This is why we no longer observe a Sabbath. Instead, we live our lives in the rest which Christ has provided.

The laying of the Sabbath lamb upon the daily lamb signifies that. In Christ, there is full redemption, in Christ there is rest, in Christ we are brought near to God, and in Christ all is accomplished. What was anticipated by Israel is realized in Christ – for any who will simply reach out, and by faith accept His offer. He has done the work, we need to do the believing. Have faith and rest in Christ.

Closing Verse: “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Colossians 2:16, 17

Next Week: Numbers 28:11-15 Another set of important profferings… (The New Moon Offerings) (55^th Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Daily and Sabbath Day Offerings

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These are the words to him He was relaying

“Command the children of Israel, and say to them
‘My offering, My food for My offerings, ever-so prime
Made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me
You shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time

“And you shall say to them,‘This is the offering made by fire
Which you shall offer to the Lord; such shall be the proffering
Two male lambs in their first year without blemish
Day by day, as a regular burnt offering 

The one lamb you shall offer in the morning
The other lamb you shall offer in the evening. It really is no toil
And one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering
Mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil 

It is a regular burnt offering
Which was ordained at Mount Sinai, according to this word
For a sweet aroma
An offering made by fire to the Lord 

And its drink offering shall be
One-fourth of a hin for each lamb; so shall it be
In a holy place you shall pour out the drink
To the Lord as an offering. Yes, an offering to Me 

The other lamb you shall offer in the evening
As the morning grain offering and its drink offering
You shall offer it as an offering made by fire
A sweet aroma to the Lord shall be this proffering

‘And on the Sabbath day two lambs in their first year
Without blemish, and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour
———-as a grain offering, mixed with oil, with its drink offering
This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath
Besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering
———-such shall be the Sabbath’s proffering

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Numbers 27:12-23
The Inauguration of Joshua

The passage today deals with two different subjects. The first is that of Moses being told that his life is coming to an end, and a reminder of the reason for that. The second is that of the inauguration of Joshua to succeed Moses.

Despite these being recorded now, there is still quite a bit more to go in Numbers, and there is another book, Deuteronomy, coming from Moses as well. It may seem like a lot, and that the inauguration of Joshua should be kept till later, but all of the events between now and the end of Deuteronomy form a very short period of time, months at best, possibly much less.

It would make no sense to wait until the last minute to accomplish the things in this passage today any later than they are now occurring. There needs to be a time of transition which prepares both the leadership and the people for what lies ahead.

As for Moses, the passage today gives the highlights, but it skips some of the details of what occurs between the Lord and him when he is told he is to die. We’ll look at those things from Deuteronomy today, and we’ll go over them in detail when we get there.

But the point is, in both instances, that Moses resigned himself to the fact that he wasn’t going into Canaan, and that another would have to assume his position in order for Israel to take that giant step forward. For Moses, he is told to go up the mountains and see what he would not attain. His life was a pilgrimage that ended before receiving the promise…

Text Verse: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Hebrews 11:13

For us, there are two parts to the promise we have been given. The first is that we have obtained the promise in Christ. It is ours, actual and whole, but it is not yet realized. The second part is when it is realized. Too often, we separate the two, as if we might not actually obtain the promise, even though it is ours.

People fret over their salvation, they believe that they can lose it, and they second-guess what they have heard, wondering if it is all just some type of hoax that they once believed. That is a sad state to be in, but it doesn’t change the reality of the situation. If one is in Christ, the promise is his and it comes with a guarantee.

The way to not fall into doubt, worry, or frustration is to keep in the word, understand what you have received, and simply hold fast to it. The promises of God are sure, and they are verifiable. We will talk about that at the end of the sermon, after we have looked over the verses in today’s passage.

Let us take comfort in our faith, hold fast to it, and not forget that the second part of our promise – the realization of entry into the inheritance – could come at any moment. The Lord may come and take His church home, or He may come and gather us to our fathers as has happened to so many before us.

Either way, we are going to be with Him. This is a great and perfect hope which is to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. You Also Shall Be Gathered to Your People (verses 12-14)

The last portion of Scripture we looked at last week dealt with the inheritance rights of the people of Israel, particularly the division of inheritance to someone who had no sons. With that matter settled, the Lord speaks to Moses once again about his not being one to enter into Canaan. Moses, or He Who Draws Out, would not be the one to bring the people in to receive their inheritance. The picture is obvious. Moses drew out the people from Egypt, but the law also came through him. The law draws out sin in man. It does not resolve the sin problem; it highlights it, as Paul explains –

“But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. ⁹ I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰ And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death.” Romans 7:8-10 

Moses, who represents the law, cannot enter the promised inheritance. Rather, the law must die prior to granting salvation (pictured by entry into Canaan). Aaron, the high priest of the law, has already died. Moses must also die outside of the inheritance to fulfill the picture. But in the death of Moses, there must be another to lead the people. Today’s narrative will continue the picture…

¹² Now the Lord said to Moses: 

The Lord has set the parameters of all things, and the Lord has made the determinations contained within them. For Israel, one of those parameters is that the law will not lead the people into glory. It will lead the people to glory, but only “to,” not “into.” To meet one of the determinations contained within that parameter, the Lord continues by saying…

^{12 (con’t)} “Go up into this Mount Abarim,

aleh el har ha’abarim hazeh – “Go up into Mount the Abarim the this.” Moses is instructed to go into the mount of the Abarim. The word comes from abar, meaning to pass over, by, or through. The “im” at the end is a plural marker, like our “s.” Thus, it is “The Crossings Over” or “The Regions Beyond.”

They are in the regions beyond Canaan, and so it is Canaan which is the point of reference. The instruction for Moses to go up is anticipatory. In other words, he is to do this, but the actual event doesn’t occur until Deuteronomy 31-34.

And so, this is not two different stories, as some scholars claim. Rather, it is an often-used literary tool found in Scripture. An event is spoken of, and the details are filled in later. It was what occurred with the creation accounts in Genesis 1 & 2, and it is something we have seen repeatedly in Numbers.

The reason for including this now, as seen, is to show that the law, typified by Moses, is not a part of the inheritance. It is also to reveal that a new leader must be identified and commissioned to lead the people into Canaan. This will continue to be revealed in the verses ahead.

The timing of the ordination of Joshua is actually later in the chronology of events in the book of Numbers, but the record of it now is necessary to establish the idea that he is the one to assume the role of leader after Moses. This will become more evident when we get to Chapter 31. For now, along with a new leader, a new generation – typified by the daughters of Zelophehad – will enter and receive the inheritance. Thus, the words of Paul concerning the law are seen here –

“Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ. ¹⁷ And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” Galatians 3:16-18

The generation of the law, meaning those who received it, died prior to entry into Canaan. But those of the promise – meaning their offspring – would enter. We are being given typological representations of what God would do in Christ who is the fulfillment of the law. His seed will, in fact, obtain the promise.

The words, “Go up into this Mount Abarim,” are general. However, they will become more specific as the narrative is expanded upon in Deuteronomy. Abarim will be defined as Pisgah, and then Pisgah will be further defined as Mount Nebo. To continue with the typology of the law’s inability to bring Israel in, the Lord continues with his words to Moses…

^{12 (con’t)} and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel.

The land of Canaan is the Lord’s land. This was stated explicitly in Leviticus 25:23. However, he has given it to the children of Israel as an inheritance. As Moses is left east of the Jordan, he is not given that inheritance. Again, one can see the law bringing the people to, but not into, the inheritance.

The law performs its work, and it is then terminated upon its completion. The typology here in Numbers shouts out aloud anticipating those doctrines which are set forth in the gospels and which are then explained in the epistles. It cannot be said enough, for those under law, there is no inheritance. Again, this is seen…

¹³ And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people,

The term “gathered to your people” goes back even to the time of the death of Abraham in Genesis 25:8. It obviously doesn’t mean to a specific place, because Abraham was buried in Canaan and Moses will be buried outside of Canaan. It also does not mean that he is cut off from any future promises. This is obvious for several reasons, the main one of which is recorded in the gospels. There, it shows that Moses did, in fact, appear in Canaan with Jesus –

“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; ² and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. ³ And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. ⁴ Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’” Matthew 17:1-4

Everything that is recorded of Moses in his earthly life is given to show us hints and pictures of Christ and His redemptive work, including the time and place of his death. It is outside of Canaan that he will be gathered…

^{13 (con’t)} as Aaron your brother was gathered.

kaasher neesaph aharon akhikha – “as was gathered Aaron your brother.” These words could have gone unstated and nothing would be lost in the detail. It is already a known fact that Aaron had died. Further, Miriam had died, and she isn’t mentioned.

Therefore, the words are a poignant reminder of past misdeeds for Moses to reflect on. Further, they are a continued reminder to us of the insufficiency of the law – or those under it – to obtain the inheritance. If there is anything that we should learn from this passage, it is that.

It begs for us to come to Jesus, trust in Him alone, and be reconciled to God apart from our futile attempts to live out our lives in hopes of personal merit instead of what God offers apart from our efforts.

¹⁴ For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation,

kaasher meritem pi b’midbar tsin – “as you rebelled against my mouth in the Wilderness of Zin.” Using the word kaasher, or “as,” the Lord just said in the previous verse “as Aaron your brother was gathered.” Now, he again uses the word kaasher, or as, concerning his rebellion in the wilderness of Zin – “as you rebelled.” The repetition of the word is not saying one is the cause of the other. Rather, it is being used in a comparative sense. The word translated as “you rebelled against” is plural. It speaks of both Moses and Aaron. And so, in essence, the Lord is saying, “As Aaron has been gathered, so you will be gathered. You both rebelled and you are both to receive the same fate.

^{14 (con’t)} you rebelled against My command

As we just saw, the Lord doesn’t say, “My command.” He says, “My mouth.” Though it can be used figuratively to mean “command,” when the Lord speaks as He does, it is to be taken as authoritative.

He should not have to say, “I command you to do this Moses.” Rather, His word bears all of His authority. Moses disregarded that precept, and it cost him. But it had to happen in order to maintain the typology. The account of this matter is recorded in Numbers 20:1-13. If you didn’t see that sermon, you now know what you must do tonight when you are at home.

^{14 (con’t)} to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

Again, as I said a moment ago, the words here follow from what was recorded in Numbers 20. It is an amazing passage that needs to be explored in order to understand all of the beauty that was presented there. If you missed the sermon, or if you forgot the details, be sure to go back and watch it.

As a quick reminder, the name Meribah comes from what occurred. There was riv, or strife, and so the name of the place was called Merivah, meaning Place of Quarreling. Likewise, the name Kadesh comes from the verb qadash, meaning to hallow or set apart.

Moses and Aaron failed to hallow the Lord, and the place was named based on that. Along with that, however, there are other puns in the three verses we have looked at so far. The name Abarim is the same as what was said to the people when they rebelled in Numbers 14. There it said –

“And Moses said, ‘“Now why do you transgress the command of the Lord? For this will not succeed.’” Numbers 14:41

There, Moses said, lamah zeh atemoberim eth pi Yehovah – “why this you transgress the mouth of Yehovah.” Abarim and oberim are the same word, meaning to pass over.

By telling Moses that he is to go up into the Abarim to die, it is a reminder to him that – like the people who overstepped, or transgressed, the mouth of the Lord and were condemned to die in the wilderness – he too overstepped that same mouth, and he too is condemned to die outside of Canaan.

But more, the word Abarim is also identical to the plural word for Hebrew, ivrim. The Hebrew people are those who have crossed over to the Lord, and yet they continue to cross over (meaning transgress) the word of the Lord.

The act of burying Moses in the Abarim signifies this. As long as Israel, the Hebrew people, trust in the law, they will overstep their boundaries, and they will be judged by that same law.

The filler information, necessary to understand a better picture of what is so briefly spoken to Moses here, is found in Deuteronomy 32 where it says –

Then the Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: ⁴⁹ “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession; ⁵⁰ and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people; ⁵¹ because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel. ⁵² Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.” Deuteronomy 32:48-52

Moses, My servant, you shall be gathered to your people
It is now time for you to come home
Though many will mourn ‘neath that steeple
Your time of rest has come; no more to roam

Another must now take your place
While you are gathered to a new home
But you shall rise to again see My face
But for now you shall rest; no more to roam

You have fulfilled your mission and you have done well
And you shall be remembered always after I gather you home
Until you are raised again after a short spell
But until then you shall rest; no more to roam

II. Set a Man Over the Congregation (verses 15-23)

¹⁵ Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying:

The vast majority of sections which deal with a conversation between the Lord and Moses begin with the words, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying.” The words here are reversed. It is Moses who initiates this conversation, and it is based on the news he was just given. He shall not lead Israel into Canaan. Based on this, the first thing that comes to his mind is a concern for the people…

¹⁶ “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,

Moses appeals to the Lord on behalf of the people, but he does it in a manner similar to what was said in Numbers 16 during Korah’s rebellion. In their distress, Moses and Aaron fell before the Lord and exclaimed –

“O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?” Numbers 16:22

Here, he doesn’t say, “O Yehovah, the God of the spirits of all flesh, please set a man over the congregation.” Instead of calling the Lord by His name and then stating his words, he uses the Lord’s name in his statement – “Let Yehovah.”

There is purpose to this. The name Yehovah comes from the verb hayah which signifies to come to pass, or to be. In essence, he says, “Let the One who Is, the God of the spirits of all flesh.”

He is making a contrast between the Lord, who is self-existent, and who knows all things, to himself, and indeed to all others as well. The “God of the spirits of all flesh” signifies that He is the Creator of them. They came into existence, and they will go the way of all flesh in death at some point.

Even apart from the obvious defect of sin in man, in all men there is a deficiency of knowledge, experience, and wisdom. In God is found only the perfection of each of them. No matter what choice Moses made, he would be incapable of determining who was the most capable person to assume the leadership of the people.

When the sanctuary was to be constructed, the Lord knew the exact person who had the proper skills to oversee the project. And so He called out for Bezalel the son of Uri. The construction of the sanctuary was a matter of the highest importance, and the choice of the overseer required the knowledge of the Lord in order to select the right man.

The leadership of Israel was no different. Even with all of the wisdom of the elders joined together, they could not look at the hearts of the men to determine who was most fit. The spirit of man is known but to God alone. Only the Lord could search each out.

This is what Moses is relaying in his words now. His petition is that the all-knowing God alone was capable of making the right selection, and so he defers to Him to do so. The people needed someone…

¹⁷ who may go out before them and go in before them,

The words concerning a person going out and going in speak of the common, private life of the man. It is what man does. He goes out in the morning to work, and he comes home at night exhausted from the labor. Or, he goes out to carouse, and he comes in drunk. Maybe he goes out to commit adultery, and he comes in with syphilis.

Moses knows that the Lord will pick someone who is reliable. Jesus uses this same thought in John 10 –

“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” John 10:9

Who is it that will go out and come in according to the will of the Lord? Moses defers to the Lord to decide.

^{17 (con’t)} who may lead them out and bring them in,

Moses’s words now speak of the public, official life of man. What type of a leader will he be? The words speak of a shepherd who leads sheep out, and then leads them back in again. He cares for them and will be a faithful leader over them. Again, Jesus refers to this when speaking of Himself in contrast to false shepherds –

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ² But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵ Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10:1-5

Surprisingly, Jesus said these words to the people of Israel, who claimed to be followers of Moses, and yet John next says of them that “they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.” No wonder Moses deferred to the Lord to make the choice.

^{17 (con’t)} that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”

Moses’ concern for his people was because he knew the faithless character of man. Few could be trusted with the leadership of the Lord’s people, as is evidenced throughout the Old Testament, and as is witnessed by Matthew at the time of Jesus’ advent –

“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. ³⁶ But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” Matthew 9:35, 36

One can see how heavily the New Testament relies on the Old for its symbolism and terminology. As far as the sequence of events which are now being relayed, before we get to the next verse, the words of Deuteronomy 3 must be seen to understand the full context of what occurs.

“Then I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying: ²⁴ ‘O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? ²⁵ I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.’

²⁶ “But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter. ²⁷ Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. ²⁸ But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.’” Deuteronomy 3:23-28

The Lord told Moses he would be gathered to his fathers. Moses then petitioned the Lord for mercy. The Lord rebuked him as if he would waffle on such a matter. Moses then petitioned the Lord for the people, and only then did the Lord respond, as is now seen…

¹⁸ And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you,

Joshua is selected, and the Lord commands that he be ordained. Joshua, or “Yehovah is Salvation,” is a type of Christ. He came under the law, and yet he prevailed over the law. He demonstrated faith in the Lord and was granted freedom from the curse of the law which came upon all others except Caleb.

Whereas Moses led the people to the land of promise, Joshua will lead them into the land of promise. The typology of Christ is obvious. Jesus was born under the law, a law waiting to be fulfilled. It brought the people to the land of promise, but it could not bring them in.

Only when Christ came, born under the law, and who died in fulfillment of the law, could the people be brought in – by faith in what He did. Joshua, or “The Lord is Salvation,” looks to Yeshua (Jesus), meaning “Salvation,” and who is the Lord.

The name Nun means “to propagate” or “increase.” God the Father, through the Son, propagates his offspring. The typology is set, and it all points to what God does in Christ.

^{18 (con’t)} a man in whom is the Spirit,

Of the twenty-eight versions I checked for this sermon, only one gets this right. There is no article in front of the word “spirit” in the Hebrew. It simply says, “a man in whom is spirit.” The meaning is explained later in Deuteronomy 34 –

“Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.” Deuteronomy 34:9

^{18 (con’t)} and lay your hand on him;

This is an outward consecration of the man. It is a public act which is intended to convey to the people that the transfer of leadership has been decided, and that it is ordained by the Lord through Moses. In typology, the law laid its hand upon Christ.

The transfer was made, and in His death, the law found its end. A new covenant was established, just as a new leader is now inaugurated. But all things must find their proper place, and so this is to be done publicly, before others as well…

¹⁹ set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight.

We saw in Numbers 20 that the transfer of the priesthood from Aaron to Eleazar pictured the transfer of the priesthood from the Aaronic line to that of Christ. Here we see the acknowledgment of the priesthood in the ordination of Israel’s new leader.

Though under the law the two offices were separate, under the New Covenant, they are both found in Jesus. And it was not done in a corner. Rather, it was done before all the congregation. Nothing about Christ’s authority was kept from the people, even if they kept separate from Him.

²⁰ And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

A new word, translated as “authority,” is seen here, hod. It signifies splendor, majesty, or vigor. This is its only use in the books of Moses. It is usually used when referring to the Lord. It comes from a root signifying grandeur, such as in an imposing appearance.

In the inauguration, Moses is associating Joshua with his own majestic office. One can see Christ bearing the majesty of the law which was transferred to Him as He hung on the cross. Moses is about to die; Joshua is about to be elevated as the new leader. The law died when Christ died, but Jesus came forth as the new Leader. Each thing that occurs is given in small hints of something much greater which was coming in Christ.

²¹ He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. 

Moses talked to the Lord face to face, whereas Joshua receives the judgment of the Lord through the Urim, or lights, via Eleazar. This shows the greatness of Moses in all of the Old Covenant.

And yet, in type, because Jesus is both the Leader of the people of God, and the High Priest of the New Covenant – filling both roles stated here – He is superior to Moses. This is explicitly stated in Hebrews 3. In Him is also the true Source of light as stated in John’s gospel. The naming of the Urim here looks to the light of Christ to come.

^{21 (con’t)} At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”

This is speaking of the direction of the Lord, not Joshua or Eleazar. It further reads, “at his mouth they shall go out, and at his mouth they shall come in.” In other words, the shepherding of Israel is by Joshua, but only at the direction of the Lord.

This is why the calling by the people for a kingship was so repulsive to Samuel, and considered such a transgression by the Lord. The people had rejected their true Head, and called for a human to take the reigns instead. But it also shows the greatness of king David who understood the truth of his own position when he said, “The Lord is my shepherd.”

David did not shun his selection as king of Israel, but he understood that his kingship was one which was still rightly as a sheep before its shepherd. It also shows the boldness of Christ to proclaim to the people, “I am the good Shepherd.”

There are only two possibilities to His words. The first is that He was a blasphemer who rejected the authority of the Lord, and the second is that He is, in fact, the Lord. Taken in the context of what is said here and throughout the rest of Scripture, no other option is left for man to consider when evaluating who Christ Jesus is.

²² So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation.

The words here are to show the obedience of Moses to every detail spoken to him. This is an often-repeated word concerning him. He is given directions, and he meticulously follows through with them. With only the exception of the waters of Meribah, Moses was faithful in all his house.

He stood Joshua before Eleazar and, as it says, before all the congregation. It is a public ceremony intended to leave no doubt at all who the successor to Moses will be. The high priest standing with him shows the alliance between the two offices.

Moses performing the rite demonstrates his approval of the Lord’s selection, and the congregation are all witnesses. No person could question the authority granted to Joshua, because all were witnesses to it.

And the same is true with Christ. The high priest witnessed Christ’s work, the law testifies to Christ’s work, and the people throughout Israel also were witnesses to what they saw. There is no more excuse for Israel’s rejection of Jesus than there would have been if they had rejected Joshua at some point after he was so inaugurated.

*^{23 (fin)} And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

The words here are simple and direct. With the authority and approval of the Lord, and by the hand of Moses, Joshua was inaugurated to the office of leader of the Lord’s people. A fuller set of details of this inauguration are found in Deuteronomy 31 –

“‘“Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. ² And he said to them: “I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’ ³ The Lord your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the Lord has said. ⁴ And the Lord will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed them. ⁵ The Lord will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you. ⁶ Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”’”

“Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. ⁸ And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.’” Deuteronomy 31:1-8

Later in that same chapter, it again says –

“Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, ‘Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.’” Deuteronomy 31:23

What is recorded here about Joshua is not at all unlike that which is spoken by Peter about Jesus. Joshua was imparted the hod, or splendor of Moses at his inauguration. Peter says that Jesus bore the same splendor as the Father. He repeats the substance of the account of the transfiguration in his epistle with these words –

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. ¹⁷ For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 2 Peter 1:16, 17

The patterns between Moses and Joshua and that of the law and Jesus were recorded about 1400 years apart, and yet they show marvelous similarities between the two accounts in order to let us know that what is recorded about Jesus isn’t just arbitrary or happenstance, but it is purposeful.

Further, if these similarities were purposefully manufactured they would have been called out as such from the moment they were written. But there could be no argument at all that what was recorded was exactly what happened.

If someone in the congregation of Israel had said, “Moses never ordained Joshua,” he would have been locked up as a lunatic. Moses stood and openly ordained him. Eleazar was there. The leaders were there, and indeed, the entire congregation was called to witness it. And further, the account was written down to ensure that it would be remembered properly.

Likewise, the same thing happened in regards to Jesus. Those things which were only seen by the apostles might have been dismissed as nonsense, except that the apostles were willing to die for what they proclaimed. Nobody in their right mind would purposefully die for what they knew was a lie.

As you defend your faith in Christ, remember the lessons concerning what is recorded, not just from the New Testament, but even from the Old. In Acts 17, the saints at Berea were called more noble than the saints at Thessalonica because they not only accepted the word, but they searched the Scriptures to see if what they were told was true and accurate.

The Scriptures which are spoken of were not the New Testament, but the Old. They heard the gospel, and of the things accomplished by the Lord, and they went back to their own Scriptures in order to determine if the things they were told matched the things they should anticipate from the Law and the Prophets.

And guess what? They do. Be assured and reassured that what you are told about Christ in the New Testament is sufficiently well-documented in the Old to validate the faith you have placed in Him. And more, the New Testament is so perfectly woven together between the books that we can have a complete assurance that what we have received, is exactly what the Lord intended for us to have.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Hear, have faith, and be confident in the faith you have professed.

Closing Verse: “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. ³³ Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
³⁴ “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
³⁵ Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’
³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:32-36

Next Week: Numbers 28:1-10 Detailing these most important profferings… (The Daily and Sabbath Day Offerings) (54^th Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Inauguration of Joshua

Now the Lord said to Moses:
“Go up into this Mount Abarim, as to you I now tell
And see the land which I have given
To the children of Israel

And when you have seen it
You also shall be
Gathered to your people
As Aaron your brother was gathered, as now directed by Me

For in the Wilderness of Zin
During the strife of the congregation
You rebelled against My command
To hallow Me at the waters before their eyes
———-yes before the whole nation

These are the waters of Meribah, where you did sin
At Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin

Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying:
These words to the Lord he was relaying

“Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh
Set a man over the congregation
Who may go out before them and go in before them
Who may lead them out and bring them in, yes before this nation

That the congregation of the Lord, as I petition You this day
May not be like sheep which have no shepherd
———-hear my petition I pray

And the Lord said to Moses:
“Take Joshua the son of Nun with you
A man in whom is the Spirit
And lay your hand on him, so you shall do

Set him before Eleazar the priest
And before all the congregation
And inaugurate him in their sight
Yes, in the site of the whole nation

And you shall give some of your authority to him
That all the congregation
Of the children of Israel may be obedient
Yes, so shall it be among the nation

He shall stand before Eleazar the priest
Who shall inquire before the Lord
For him by the judgment of the Urim
According to My word

At his word they shall go out
And at his word they shall come in; yes, the whole nation
He and all the children of Israel with him
All the congregation

So Moses did as the Lord commanded him
He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest
And before all the congregation
Yes, before them all, from greatest to least

And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him
———-as we now understand
Just as the Lord commanded by Moses’ hand

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

¹² Now the Lord said to Moses: “Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. ¹³ And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. ¹⁴ For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

¹⁵ Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: ¹⁶ “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, ¹⁷ who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”

¹⁸ And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; ¹⁹ set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. ²⁰ And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. ²¹ He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”

²² So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. ²³ And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.