Numbers 28:1-8

III. REVIEW AND ADDITIONS TO THE LAW
(Numbers 28; Numbers 29; Numbers 30)

A. THE DAILY OFFERINGS vv. 1-8
TEXT

Numbers 28:1. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2. Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savor unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season. 3. And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the Lord; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering. 4. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even; 5. And a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a meat offering, mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil. 6. It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord. 7. And the drink offering thereof shall be the fourth part of hin for the one lamb: in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the Lord for a drink offering. 8. And the other lamb shalt thou offer at even: as the meat offering of the morning, and as the drink offering thereof, thou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 28:1. Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 2. Command the children of Israel and say to them, -You shall be careful to present my offering, the provision of my sacrifices made with fire as a sweet aroma to me, when it is the proper time.-' 3. And you shall say to them, -This is the fire offering which you shall offer to the Lord: two lambs, yearlings without defect, day by day as a continual burnt offering. 4. You shall offer the one lamb in the morning and the other lamb at evening; 5. also, a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil. 6. It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained at Mount Sinai as a sweet aroma, a sacrifice made by fire to the Lord.-' And its drink offering shall be one-fourth of a hin for each lamb; in the holy place you shall pour out the strong drink to the Lord for a drink offering. 8. You shall offer the other lamb at evening: just as the meal offering of the morning, and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, a sacrifice by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.-'

COMMENTARY

In summarizing the purpose of the two Chapter s next before us, KD suggests: When Israel was prepared for the conquest of the promised land by the fresh numbering and mustering of its men, and by the appointment of Joshua as commander, its relation to the Lord was regulated by a law which determined the sacrifices through which it was to maintain its fellowship with its God from day to day and serve Him as His people, (p. 216). The offerings and sacrifices detailed were periodical and public, beginning appropriately with the daily morning and evening burnt offerings which had been instituted at Sinai when the altar was dedicated. Other sacrifices follow in logical order: the Sabbath offerings, the New Moon offerings, offerings for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for the Feast of Weeks, for the Feast of Trumpets, for the Day of Atonement and for the Feast of the Tabernacles.

The importance of these offerings is seen in their significance. The daily burnt-offering is designed to sanctify the life, both body and soul and spirit, to God Himself. The sacrifices on the feast days were to reinforce this sanctification. The sacrifices of the daily ritual were doubled on the Sabbath; on the other feast days it was increased by a burnt offering of oxen, rams, and yearling lambs, always preceded by a sin offering. Both the Sabbath and the feast days were thus elevated high above ordinary days.
When KJ translates Shecar as strong wine, it is exceptional. The usual meaning exempts wine and includes other intoxicants (see Leviticus 10:9). But the matter is by no means certain, since the Targums give its meaning as old wine since the drink offering in every other instance listed was to be of wine. PC proposes that the difficulty of obtaining wine in the wilderness might well account for this exceptional provision, so that any fermented drink might be used in the daily ritual. All sources agree that the provision was temporary only, and that nothing but wine was used after the settlement in Canaan.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

515.

What primary purpose was served by all of the sacrifices and offerings of the Israelites?

516.

Show the significance of each separate type of offering.

517.

How and why were the daily offerings different from those of special days?

518.

Discuss the use of strong wine in the drink offering.