Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Guidelines for Worship

Numbers 15:1-21

One thing about God’s forgiveness, He does not hold a grudge.  Once the chastening is administered, there are no recriminations, nagging us about previous mistakes.  God simply went on in a normal manner, dealing with the problem and continuing with his long term plans, just as he did when they made the golden calf.  He continued to teach them how they were to worship when they finally came into the land.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 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, And will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing 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: 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.  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. 


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.  And for a drink offering thou shalt offer the third part of an hin of wine, for a sweet savour unto the LORD. 


And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings unto the LORD: Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth deals of flour mingled with half an hin of oil.  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. 


Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or a kid.  According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number.” (Numbers 15:1-12)

Each sacrifice was to be accompanied by a meat offering or food offering of a specified amount of ground meal, similar to corn meal or coarse flour mixed with a specified amount o of olive oil.  In addition, a specified amount of grape juice was to be provided as a drink offering.  Since part of each sacrifice provided food for the priests, this ensured that they were not limited to meat.  The size of the meat offering and drink offering was varied according to the amount of meat available with each sacrifice.

“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.  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. 


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.  One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.” (Numbers 15:13-16) 

The same standard was to be demanded of uncircumcised gentiles who worshipped as for the most devout Jew.  God didn’t set different standards for different groups in the Old Testament, nor does he in Christianity.  Galatians 3:26-28 declares, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land whither I bring you, Then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave offering unto the LORD.  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.  Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD an heave offering in your generations.” (Numbers 15:17-21) 

At each meal, the Jews were to hold up a cake of the first of their dough as a heave offering acknowledging God’s provision, just as they were to do with their crops at harvest.  It was the same principle by which Christians bless their food before eating.

Numbers gives us an overview of the sacrifices and law, but Leviticus goes into far greater detail, and was almost certainly written by Moses himself, probably during the period between his meeting with God on Mount Sinai and re commencing their journey.

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