NUMBERS 28: WORSHIP GOD ALWAYS By Sonny Islas; check out the video teaching here!
INTRODUCTION: NUMBERS Ch. 28 serves as a reminder regarding the sacrificial system for the new generation of Israelites. Seeing that the older, unbelieving, ungrateful, and unfaithful generation has died off in the wilderness, the new generation needed a fresh reminder of The Sacrificial System – the worship of Yahweh. They needed both the reasons for the animal sacrifices and the times, dates, and ways in which they must be offered.
Seeing that this new generation of Yahweh worshippers were going to enter, conquer and inhabit the wicked land of Canaan (that became Israel), led by Joshua, they needed a fresh reminder of how the One true God wanted to be served, honored, obeyed, and worshipped – namely through animal sacrifices.
Christians have been doing the same thing since the death and resurrection of Jesus. Every generation starting with the Christians in the 1st Century, had a sacred duty to hand down the written Word of God, which contains the proper worship of the One true God, to their children – from one generation to the next.
Why? So that we don’t forget God! And so that Christ is preached, souls are saved, and Biblical Truth and worship is preserved.
Reminders are essential because the Good News and the entire story of redemption from Genesis to Revelation is always being assaulted, twisted, questioned, disregarded, and mocked – plus there are many other things (Information of all sorts, godless entertainment and education, warped ideas, man centered philosophies, false religions, and lies of all kinds) competing for our minds and hearts, for our attention, and affections.
Therefore, just like the Old Testament Israelites (the OT Church) needed reminders in a pagan world, the Body of Christ (the NT Church) also needs those reminders in a pagan world – and we need them daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly!
In Numbers 28, we’re going to notice that animals were sacrificed to God, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly (annually).
This points to two things:
1. Israel needed their sins forgiven 24/7, 365 days every year and
2. Israel was called to remember God and WORSHIP GOD ALWAYS!
In the same way, let’s all fill our hearts and calendars with the worship of God.
NUMBERS 28:1-8
1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "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.' 3 "And you shall say to them, 'This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs in their first year without blemish, day by day, as a regular burnt offering. 4 'The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, the other lamb you shall offer in the evening, 5 'and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil. 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. 7 'And its drink offering shall be one-fourth of a hin for each lamb; in a holy place you shall pour out the drink to the LORD as an offering. 8 '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.
Here we see that “two male lambs without blemishes (no defects at all)” were to be sacrificed/killed/offered every day without fail, one in the morning and one in the evening. As we know, every animal sacrifice pointed to Jesus, who is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (JOHN 1:29)
This served as a daily reminder of God’s kindness, as God decided to kill animals in the place of sinners. In one sense innocent animals are punished in our place for our sin. This is what the innocent LAMB Of GOD Jesus did on the cross for us.
The reason why every sacrifice was a “sweet smelling aroma,” was not necessarily the tasty smell of lamb chops and BBQ, it wasn’t the smell of meat, but the smell of mercy that pleased God. Every sacrificed animal reflected God’s mercy.
So then, It was both the sweet smell of mercy on His part and the sweet smell of obedience on our part.
When we think about Jesus’ cross and His great love for us every day, those daily thoughts of gratitude and amazement arouse holy and happy affections that rise to heaven like “a sweet aroma.”
Any time we do anything out of a pure love and sacrifice for God, whether it’s praying, serving someone, watching our words, giving our financial offerings to church (in our case, SHINE BRIGHT Church), singing songs, witnessing etc. - that’s “a sweet-smelling aroma” to God.
What’s done with selfish motives is a stench to God.
And we want less smelly service in the days ahead, Amen?
Verses 1-8 serves as a reminder that we ought to worship God daily. God should be on our minds from morning to evening.
PSALM 5:2-3NUMBERS 28:9-10
2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. 3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.
PSALM 63:6-7
6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. 7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
LAMENTATIONS 3:22-25
22 Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" 25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.
9 '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- 10 'this is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering.
Here we see that an additional sacrifice to the already daily/regular sacrifices must be made every week, every “Sabbath” (every 7th Day of the week – every Saturday). Four lambs, instead of just two were to be offered up.
The Sabbath was Israel’s holy day, a special day of corporate worship – kind of like our Sunday. It was their day off of regular customary work for the sake of worship, both spiritual and physical rest – for soul, and bodily rejuvenation.
The Jews worshipped on the Sabbath, which is the seventh day of the week as a way to show the world that they were the people of the Creator, the incomparable God who created the world in six (literal) days and rested on the seventh day (Sabbath - our Saturday).
We Christians worship on the first day of the week because Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday (ACTS 20:7; 1 COR 16:2). The Apostles and the early Church gathered on Sundays to worship Jesus and the Church universal has been doing that ever since. And yet ROMANS 14:5 gives us the freedom to worship on any day of the week.
Verses 9-10 serves as a reminder that we ought to worship God weekly. So let’s be faithful to be here at church every Sunday because God is worthy of all our worship. This also points to the fact that we not only need forgiveness and mercy daily but weekly too. And we have that in Jesus.
NUMBERS 28:11-15
11 'At the beginnings of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish; 12 'three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull; two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram; 13 '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. 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; this is the burnt offering for each month throughout the months of the year. 15 '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.
Here we see Israel having to sacrifice animals every month, including the daily two lamb sacrifices. This points to us worshiping God and needing His mercy monthly.
One of the things that separates the Church from the world is daily, weekly, monthly, yearly – and one day, eternal worship. The world along with false regions don’t have the LORD in their hearts nor on their calendars. They may pretend to, but false religion can only produce false worship (and neither will exist in eternity!).
Faithful worship is one way to keep us from the filth and scandals of this fallen world. The worship of Yahweh served as a tool to keep Israel occupied with God and not evil. BUT as you know at times Israel either perverted the worship of God or abandoned it altogether. That happens when true worship exits the heart and idols come rushing in.
GOD calls upon His anointed to bring Israel back from such times; He called Elijah, Josiah and others that brought about reformation to Israel.
NUMBERS 28:16-25
16 'On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the LORD. 17 'And on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast; unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days. 18 'On the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. 19 '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. 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; 21 'you shall offer one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs; 22 'also one goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you. 23 'You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering. 24 'In this manner you shall offer the food of the offering made by fire daily for seven days, as a sweet aroma to the LORD; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. 25 'And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.
The Passover was celebrated once a year in the month of Nisan (March/April) according to Israel’s religious calendar (See the following teaching from SHINE BROUGHT Church on EXODUS 12 and the Passover).
It was a time to remember and celebrate their rescue from Egypt and how God spared the firstborn of the Jews but not those of the Egyptians. As the blood of the Passover lamb was spread on the door frame of every Israeli home, the angel of death passed over those who applied the blood.
In the same way, every one of us who place our trust in the death of Christ on the cross, the wrath of God passes over us because it already fell on His Son on Golgotha.
In 1 COR 5:7, Paul calls Jesus our Passover Lamb. When Jesus made His way to Jerusalem (the Triumphal entry) just before being crucified, everyone was bringing their Passover lamb to be sacrificed, but God the Father also brought His – His Son.
Lastly, today, we Christians, we don’t celebrate the Passover because Jesus instituted The LORD’s Supper in its place because Jesus’s sacrifice has provided a far greater salvation than that from Egypt – He has saved us from God’s just wrath and God’s eternal prison called hell. And that’s what the LORD’s Table should always remind us of, always until He returns for us! (Check out the following TTUF article ALTAR of the ALMIGHTY – PART One and PART Two).
Verses 16-25 serves as a reminder that we ought to worship God yearly.
NUMBERS 28:26-31
26 '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. 27 'You shall present a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, 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, 29 'and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; 30 'also one kid of the goats, to make atonement for you. 31 'Be sure they are without blemish. You shall present them with their drink offerings, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering.
During the spring harvest Israel was to worship the LORD by giving Him the first fruits of their harvest.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:20
But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
This points to Jesus’s resurrection as the first fruits of the harvest. In other words, just as Jesus was resurrected (“harvested”), first, we will be resurrected after. The church gathering is a group of saved people who will be harvested/resurrected on that blessed Day (1 THESS 4:16-17).
To close, I’m going to read a paragraph from Gotquestions.com regarding how the Passover and the Feast of weeks connect to Christ:
“Jesus was crucified as the “Passover Lamb” and rose from the grave at the Feast of Firstfruits. Following His resurrection, Jesus spent the next 40 days teaching His disciples before ascending to heaven (ACTS 1). Fifty days after His resurrection and after ascending to heaven to sit at the right hand of God, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as promised (JOHN 14:16–17) to indwell the disciples and empower them for ministry. The promised Holy Spirit arrived on the Day of Pentecost, which is another name for the Feast of Weeks.”
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