Numbers 15:1-41
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you,
3 And will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performinga a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock:
4 Then shall he that offereth his offering unto the LORD bring a meat offering of a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of oil.
5 And the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare with the burnt offering or sacrifice, for one lamb.
6 Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meat offering two tenth deals of flour mingled with the third part of an hin of oil.
7 And for a drink offering thou shalt offer the third part of an hin of wine, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
8 And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings unto the LORD:
9 Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth deals of flour mingled with half an hin of oil.
10 And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half an hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
11 Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or a kid.
12 According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number.
13 All that are born of the country shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
14 And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever be among you in your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; as ye do, so he shall do.
15 One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD.
16 One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.
17 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
18 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land whither I bring you,
19 Then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave offering unto the LORD.
20 Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering: as ye do the heave offering of the threshingfloor, so shall ye heave it.
21 Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD an heave offering in your generations.
22 And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,
23 Even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations;
24 Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the LORD, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.
25 And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their ignorance:
26 And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance.
27 And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.
28 And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.
29 Ye shall have one law for him that sinnethb through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.
30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously,c whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
31 Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.
32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
37 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
41 I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.
OFFERINGS WHEN IN THE LAND
(vs.1-21)
In this chapter the abrupt change from the subject of Chapter 14 may seem strange to us. However, God is infinitely wise and infinitely good. Chapter 14 has shown the severity of His judgment against disobedience, while Chapter 15 displays the reality of His great goodness. While it was necessary for Him to chasten Israel, yet He here makes it clear that Israel will definitely come into their own land (v.2), and He gives provision for their true well-being at that time. His counsels of grace stand because they are founded not on Israel's obedience, but upon that of which the offerings speak, the perfection of the person of Christ and the perfection of His work of sacrifice. Such things must be brought to our attention over and over again because we are so slow to appreciate the significance of them.
Verse 3 refers to a voluntary offering which one desired to offer, not for sin but a burnt offering for the Lord's pleasure, therefore "a sweet aroma." Whether the animal was from the herd or the flock, the Lord required that it should be accompanied by a grain offering and a drink offering (vs.4-5).
The meal offering (or grain offering) was never offered alone, but in connection with a blood offering. The burnt offering would signify the offerer's recognition that God is glorified by the work of the Lord Jesus in sacrificing Himself on Calvary. But we may be appreciative of His sacrifice while not valuing the perfection of His person. The grain offering therefore reminds us that in every detail of His life on earth the Lord Jesus expressed the perfection of human righteousness. Then the drink offering of wine symbolizes the joy of the offerer in the offering, that is, the believer's joy in the Lord Jesus personally and in the value of His work.
If a lamb was offered (v.5) the amount of fine flour was one-tenth of an ephah, mixed with one-fourth of a hin of oil and one-fourth of a hin of wine for the drink offering. In the case of a ram being offered, this was increased to two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil and one-third of a hin of wine for the drink offering. When a bull was offered there was a further increase (vs.8-10).
The different amounts of things accompanying the different offerings teaches us that the larger our apprehension of the sacrifice of Christ, the greater should be our thankful response. Just as those born as natives in Israel were to bring such offerings (v.13), 50 should every born again person respond to the value of the person and offering of the Lord Jesus.
A stranger coming to dwell in Israel was to be subject to the same order as were Israelites (vs.14-16). The rules of the offerings were applicable to him. It was understood that only those circumcised were to offer sacrifices, and though it is not mentioned here, yet Exodus 12:48 is clear that a stranger coming among Israelites must have all his males circumcised before eating the Passover. "For no uncircumcised person shall eat it." The following verse is another insistent reminder that "one law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you" (Exodus 12:49). This is just as true in the assembly of God today: there are to be no double standards. One who does not want to be subject to the order of the assembly is thereby disqualifying himself from fellowship with the assembly.
Again the Lord gives instructions to Moses that when Israel came into the land of promise, as soon as they ate of the produce of that land they were to offer up a heave offering to the Lord, a cake of the first of their ground meal. This is one case where a blood offering is not mentioned along with a meal offering, though it may be implied from verses 3-11. But the insistence here is upon the person of Christ in His perfect humanity (the meal), yet as being raised from the dead, as the heaving indicates. For while we are to deeply appreciate all the life of the Lord Jesus in lowly grace and suffering, yet we no longer know Him in this relationship (2 Corinthians 5:15), but as raised from among the dead. As we consider His path on earth we shall partake of His grace and humility, but in His resurrection, power and dignity are added to this.
SINS OF INADVERTENCE
(vs.22-29)
Because of our sinful nature there are sins we commit without realizing at the time that such things are sin. Certainly the Lord does not allow the foolish present-day notion that so long as we think a thing is alright, then it is not sin. Sin is sin, no matter what we think about it. Yet if it is done through inadvertence, this is much different than when it is boldly committed in the face of knowing it to be wrong.
For the unintentional sin therefore the Lord provided a sacrifice. The whole congregation of Israel might be guilty of such sin, and when afterward it was brought to their attention as being sin, they were to offer one young bull as a burnt offering, together with its grain offering and drink offering, and one kid of the goats as a sin offering (v.24). The burnt offering speaks of God's glory being the first consideration in this matter, and with it the reminder that the perfect Man, Christ Jesus (the grain offering) is the one standard of sinlessness, who is therefore the only acceptable burnt offering. The drink offering was to symbolize Israel's joy in being so blessed by the offering. The sin offering was essential too as that which fully atones for sin, so that Israel could be forgiven (vs.25-26).
The case of a individual's unintentional sin required only the sacrifice of a young female goat (v.27), a type of Christ as the substitute to take our place in suffering for sin. The female indicates the subjective character of this, showing that the individual is to take deeply to heart the truth that the innocent victim, the Lord Jesus, has taken his place in suffering for sin. Again it is emphasized that one law embraces both natives of Israel and strangers who dwell among them (v.29).
PRESUMPTUOUS
(vs.30-31)
In contrast to sins of inadvertence, there was no sacrifice for presumptuous sins. If one deliberately sinned, knowing full well he was defying the law of God, he was bringing reproach on the Lord, and must be punished by death (v.31). This compares to the willful sin of Hebrews 10:26, for which "there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins," but rather "a certain fearful expectation of judgment." This willful sin is that of rejecting the Lord Jesus and thereby defying the Word of God.
A TEST CASE AS TO THE SABBATH
(vs.32-36)
Over and over again Israel had been warned against doing any work on the sabbath. Therefore if one were to violate this, it would be presumptuous sin. such a case arose at this time, that of a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath. We can understand that the children of Israel would hesitate to think of carrying out a sentence against him so severe as death. But they put him under guard until Moses should be told by the Lord what to do. The answer was definite and solemn. The man must be put to death by means of all the congregation stoning him (v.35). This was the stern requirement of law.
Verse 36 speaks of the death penalty carried out against the man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath. He had not directly harmed other people by his working, but he had defied the Word of God, which is certainly more serious. Why did God make the Sabbath so serious a matter? Because he was declaring to mankind the basic truth that no relationship with God could be gained or maintained on the basis of human works. One who violated the Sabbath was therefore choosing his own works rather than faith in the clear Word of God. Today, under grace, God does not require the death sentence for working on the Sabbath, and also the Sabbath was never imposed on Gentiles, but only on Israel under law (Exodus 31:12). However, the spiritual significance of this is more serious than the literal law of the Sabbath. For if one refuses to trust God's Word concerning the sacrifice of His Son, but trusts his own works instead, he will suffer, not only death, but the judgment of eternal fire.
The judgment God pronounced was carried out by the whole congregation (v.36). This tells us that believers are expected to fully concur with God's judgment against that which dishonors Him.
TASSELS ON THE BORDERS OF GARMENTS
(vs.37-41)
At this time God tells Moses to instruct the children of Israel to make tassels on the borders of their garments attached by a lace of blue (v.38). It is said that the word for "tassels" literally means "flowers," and comes from a root meaning "to shine" (Numerical Bible). The same word is used for the place on the high priest's forehead (Exodus 28:36) which was also connected by a lace of blue. The borders of the garments were of course next to the ground, so that when one looked downward, he was reminded of heaven (the blue) and would be encouraged to look up. If the man who was gathering sticks on the Sabbath had had this decoration on the border of his garment, he might have been encouraged to look up rather than to look at the sticks on the ground.
Though Israel required such reminders as this to warn them against the evil toward which their hearts were inclined (v.39), such things are not necessary for believers today. Rather, we have the Spirit of God within us to constantly remind us of our proper heavenly inheritance and should be kept by His power in living communion with the Lord. He is the real power for godliness and we have therefore no excuse for falling into sin.
This section closes with another strong declaration, "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord your God." Having been told this so often, how could Israel dare to turn so soon afterwards to other gods?