Num 28:2-8 | KingComments | STEP | Numbers 28-29 are only easy to understand when we see that we are dealing with a people who have come to the end of the wilderness journey. The feasts we find in these chapters and in connection with which the sacrifices are made are also found in Exodus 23, Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16. In each bible book they are viewed from a different angle: 1. In Exodus 23 the feasts are connected with the law, the rights of God. 2. In Leviticus 23 the emphasis is on the feasts themselves and the significance they have for the Israelites; they prophetically represent the history of God’s people. 3. In Deuteronomy 16 it is about the time that the people are in the land and the feasts are in a special connection with “the place where the LORD chooses to establish His name” ( ). 4. In Numbers 28-29 the accent is on the offerings brought during the feasts. These are offerings of which God says: “My offering, My food for My offerings by fire, of a soothing aroma to Me” ( ). These two chapters are full of sacrifices. Each sacrifice is a picture of Christ in His Person and His work. Christ and His offering are all for God’s heart. He wishes it to be the same with us. Therefore, He commands us to come up with these offerings, that is, to tell Him about the different aspects of His Son’s offering that emerge in the various offerings. In the wilderness the people are not ready for these offerings. Now that they are at the end of the wilderness journey and are just in front of the land, they are spiritually ripe for it. In view of the land, God is going to tell His people what He wants them to do there: He wants them to bring offerings to Him there. The old generation died in the wilderness. He addresses Himself to a new people and speaks to them about the wishes of His heart toward the Lord Jesus, for all offerings speak of Him. The book of Numbers is about the wilderness journey. The meaning of this is the life of God’s people on earth as a place of trial. But the earth will not always remain a place of trial. For there will come a time when the earth will be the resting-place for God’s people. The offerings God speaks about with His people here refer to that time. After the change of leadership that has passed from Moses to Joshua, God makes it clear that the transfer of leadership does not change the bringing of offerings to Him. God makes clear to the people to what He is entitled. In Numbers 15, He also spoke of offerings. There it is about offerings of a voluntary nature and there they are in contrast with an apostate people. However, the apostasy of the people does not diminish the possibility for the few faithful to bring the LORD offerings when they will have arrived in the land. But even then, He connects His conditions to the way He wants the offerings to be brought. Here God speaks of a multitude of offerings in connection with the various feasts that the people will celebrate in the land. These are regulations for the people as a whole. God presents the feasts in their full extent and glory. Everything is about Him. This can be seen in the recurring words “My” and “Me”. The people must know what belongs to Him. Are we aware of this? This is not about knowing the truth about the feasts. We find the truth about the feasts in Leviticus 23. There we find what the feasts mean. What still needs to be learned is what is due to God in each of those steps, with each of those feasts. And what is due to God? These chapters describe a large number of burnt offerings. No peace offerings, only a few sin offerings, but especially burnt offerings. This represents the work of the Lord Jesus in what God has enjoyed of it, what the Lord Jesus has given to God in it. What we have here is therefore the ‘material’ for eternal worship. We give Him in worship what He has given us in His Son. The multitude of offerings put for our attention in these two chapters bear an overwhelming testimony to the work of the Lord Jesus. All the actions of God are based on it. And He wants us to be ever more impressed and talk about it with Him. Hence His precept to take care to bring Him “My offering, My food for My offerings by fire, of a soothing aroma to Me” ( ). As said, God speaks to us about the all surpassing offering of His Son in His great richness as we come to the end of our wilderness experiences. The fact is, that the more experience we have gained in the wilderness about who we are and Who He is, the more we will long to honor and worship Him.

‏ Numbers 28:2-8

Introduction

Numbers 28-29 are only easy to understand when we see that we are dealing with a people who have come to the end of the wilderness journey. The feasts we find in these chapters and in connection with which the sacrifices are made are also found in Exodus 23, Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16.

In each bible book they are viewed from a different angle:

1. In Exodus 23 the feasts are connected with the law, the rights of God.

2. In Leviticus 23 the emphasis is on the feasts themselves and the significance they have for the Israelites; they prophetically represent the history of God’s people.

3. In Deuteronomy 16 it is about the time that the people are in the land and the feasts are in a special connection with “the place where the LORD chooses to establish His name” (Deu 16:2).

4. In Numbers 28-29 the accent is on the offerings brought during the feasts. These are offerings of which God says: “My offering, My food for My offerings by fire, of a soothing aroma to Me” (Num 28:2).

These two chapters are full of sacrifices. Each sacrifice is a picture of Christ in His Person and His work. Christ and His offering are all for God’s heart. He wishes it to be the same with us. Therefore, He commands us to come up with these offerings, that is, to tell Him about the different aspects of His Son’s offering that emerge in the various offerings.

In the wilderness the people are not ready for these offerings. Now that they are at the end of the wilderness journey and are just in front of the land, they are spiritually ripe for it. In view of the land, God is going to tell His people what He wants them to do there: He wants them to bring offerings to Him there. The old generation died in the wilderness. He addresses Himself to a new people and speaks to them about the wishes of His heart toward the Lord Jesus, for all offerings speak of Him.

The book of Numbers is about the wilderness journey. The meaning of this is the life of God’s people on earth as a place of trial. But the earth will not always remain a place of trial. For there will come a time when the earth will be the resting-place for God’s people. The offerings God speaks about with His people here refer to that time.

Command to Bring Offerings to the LORD

After the change of leadership that has passed from Moses to Joshua, God makes it clear that the transfer of leadership does not change the bringing of offerings to Him. God makes clear to the people to what He is entitled. In Numbers 15, He also spoke of offerings. There it is about offerings of a voluntary nature and there they are in contrast with an apostate people. However, the apostasy of the people does not diminish the possibility for the few faithful to bring the LORD offerings when they will have arrived in the land. But even then, He connects His conditions to the way He wants the offerings to be brought.

Here God speaks of a multitude of offerings in connection with the various feasts that the people will celebrate in the land. These are regulations for the people as a whole. God presents the feasts in their full extent and glory. Everything is about Him. This can be seen in the recurring words “My” and “Me”. The people must know what belongs to Him. Are we aware of this?

This is not about knowing the truth about the feasts. We find the truth about the feasts in Leviticus 23. There we find what the feasts mean. What still needs to be learned is what is due to God in each of those steps, with each of those feasts. And what is due to God? These chapters describe a large number of burnt offerings. No peace offerings, only a few sin offerings, but especially burnt offerings. This represents the work of the Lord Jesus in what God has enjoyed of it, what the Lord Jesus has given to God in it. What we have here is therefore the ‘material’ for eternal worship. We give Him in worship what He has given us in His Son.

The multitude of offerings put for our attention in these two chapters bear an overwhelming testimony to the work of the Lord Jesus. All the actions of God are based on it. And He wants us to be ever more impressed and talk about it with Him. Hence His precept to take care to bring Him “My offering, My food for My offerings by fire, of a soothing aroma to Me” (Num 28:2).

As said, God speaks to us about the all surpassing offering of His Son in His great richness as we come to the end of our wilderness experiences. The fact is, that the more experience we have gained in the wilderness about who we are and Who He is, the more we will long to honor and worship Him.

The Daily Burnt Offering

The first sacrifice God speaks of is the daily burnt offering. It consists of a sheep or a lamb. Every day a lamb is brought in the morning and a lamb in the evening, that is, “continuously” (Num 28:4 ; 10; Exo 29:38). It is the constant presentation of the value of Christ. God would like to be reminded of Christ daily, that is to say, without any break. Doing so also assures us that we will not forget Him. We may also see in it that God looks at us, His children, in His Son as the burnt offering.

The burnt offering must also be accompanied by a grain offering. That speaks of the life of the Lord Jesus. We may tell God that that Man accomplished that wonderful work. It is due to God. We may thank Him for all the good things in creation, but above all He wants to hear from us Who the Lord Jesus is for Him.