Read Numbers 15
Supplementary Offerings
15 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘After you enter the land I am giving you as a home 3 and you present to the Lord food offerings from the herd or the flock, as an aroma pleasing to the Lord—whether burnt offerings or sacrifices, for special vows or freewill offerings or festival offerings— 4 then the person who brings an offering shall present to the Lord a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of olive oil. 5 With each lamb for the burnt offering or the sacrifice, prepare a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering.
6 “‘With a ram prepare a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with a third of a hin of olive oil, 7 and a third of a hin of wine as a drink offering. Offer it as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
8 “‘When you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice, for a special vow or a fellowship offering to the Lord, 9 bring with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with half a hinof olive oil, 10 and also bring half a hin of wine as a drink offering. This will be a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 11 Each bull or ram, each lamb or young goat, is to be prepared in this manner. 12 Do this for each one, for as many as you prepare.
13 “‘Everyone who is native-born must do these things in this way when they present a food offering as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 14 For the generations to come, whenever a foreigner or anyone else living among you presents a food offering as an aroma pleasing to the Lord, they must do exactly as you do. 15 The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the foreigner shall be the same before the Lord: 16 The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigner residing among you.’”
17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land to which I am taking you 19 and you eat the food of the land, present a portion as an offering to the Lord. 20 Present a loaf from the first of your ground meal and present it as an offering from the threshing floor. 21 Throughout the generations to come you are to give this offering to the Lord from the first of your ground meal.
Offerings for Unintentional Sins
22 “‘Now if you as a community unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the Lord gave Moses— 23 any of the Lord’s commands to you through him, from the day the Lord gave them and continuing through the generations to come— 24 and if this is done unintentionally without the community being aware of it, then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering as an aroma pleasing to the Lord, along with its prescribed grain offering and drink offering, and a male goat for a sin offering. 25 The priest is to make atonement for the whole Israelite community, and they will be forgiven, for it was not intentional and they have presented to the Lord for their wrong a food offering and a sin offering.26 The whole Israelite community and the foreigners residing among them will be forgiven, because all the people were involved in the unintentional wrong.
27 “‘But if just one person sins unintentionally, that person must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering. 28 The priest is to make atonement before the Lord for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made, that person will be forgiven. 29 One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you.
30 “‘But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or foreigner,blasphemes the Lord and must be cut off from the people of Israel.31 Because they have despised the Lord’s word and broken his commands,they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.’”
The Sabbath-Breaker Put to Death
32 While the Israelites were in the wilderness, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, 34 and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. 35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.” 36 So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Tassels on Garments
37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. 40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.’”
Go Deeper
Israel was at one of the lowest points in its history. They had just rebelliously rejected God’s promise to bring the nation into Canaan. God sentenced them to wander in the wilderness for 38 years until the unbelieving generation had perished in the wilderness and a new generation of faith could take the Promised Land. Yet, immediately after this stinging rebellion and the chastisement from the LORD, Israel received valuable examples of God’s mercy, care, and help to Israel.
Yet, God cared for Israel. He cared so much for them that he gave instructions for how to present offerings when they would enter the land (keeping His promise) and in times of unintentional sin. These instructions were intended to give Israel another chance, a do over- if you will. God showed grace early and often to the Israelites just as He does to us today. He refers to successful offerings as a “sweet aroma.”
The ultimate sweet aroma came in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to come would be perfectly sweet and pleasing to God, and therefore be offered once-for-all (Hebrews 7:27, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 10:10). This is a reminder of the truth of John 3:16 and just how much God loves the world.
He has loved us since before He created us and His grace and mercy permeates not only the trials and tribulations of the Israelites in the Old Testament, but to and through us as believers today. No elaborate sacrifices, just trust and abide in Him.
Questions
- How does God continue to show you mercy and grace, even when you are rebellious?
- How can you become more aware of unintentional sin and how to correct it in your life?
- What does the word abide hold for you when you think about your relationship with Jesus.
Pray This
Heavenly Father,
I know I fall short every day in intentional and unintentional ways. Help me see my blind spots where I can lean on you even more. Thank you for your continuous mercy and grace as you deliver me from the distractions of this world and the evil in it.
I pray this in Your name. Amen.
Leave a Comment below
Join the Team
Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email hello@biblereadingplan.org.
9 thoughts on “Numbers 15”
What secret sin is in your life?
Doing something intentional is comprimising your life. God does not accept secret sin. You know that the rules/law/directions say that picking up sticks on the Sabbath is not allowed. But this one time because you were not prepared or just got lazy, you can ask for forgiveness later. Rather than asking if you can do something, just do it first, and if anyone objects you can apologise later. BUT GOD gave His one and only Son for your redemption. Jesus paid it all, with blood, sweat and tears. The fact for us is that Jesus has paid our death sentence, but that doesn’t change how God feels about deliberatly sinning. This should be a wow and life changing moment/reminder if you are walking in a secret sin that you know is completely wrong. STOP, remember He does not tolerate games and lip service. He never has. NAS Hebrews 10:26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.
God thank You for showing me any sins that are not in the light. God I desire to be/do Your will. Continualy lead, guide and direct me to You. Let me have ears to hear and eyes to understand and a heart to change. Thank You for these minutes of this day. God I give You glory, honor and thanksgiving. God in all my ways I acknowledge You and desire that You shall direct my paths. God help me to not wise in my own eyes but that I fear(terrifing fear to not be with and for God) You as my Lord, and that I depart from evil, any and all in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
41 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.’”
This phrase is repeated often in God’s Word. My lesson is that I need to remember where God has brought me from when I have doubts about where He is taking me to!
As a visual learner, maybe I need to sew tassels on my garments attached to a blue cord “to remember the commands of the Lord, to obey them and not prostitute myself by chasing after the lusts of my own heart and eyes” (v38-39). Praying for an undivided, consecrated heart, that chooses to abide in his presence over the chaos of this world. Here’s a link to a song that has been a prayer and a solace that I reference often:
https://youtu.be/BA-Wi4fdcVE?si=8JhkkiVFhAaMjp-K
❤
I found this very helpful regarding the stoning of the man for gathering wood on the Sabbath. (From Got Questions)
https://www.gotquestions.org/working-on-Sunday.html
Thank you!❤️
Daily in the grind of life is a constant battle when we refuse to follow the commands God set before us. Let us be purified, refined, and stripped of our old selves. Change my heart, at the root and bring to light whatever hides that I may bear the trait of humility. In Jesus’s name, Amen!
“No elaborate sacrifices, just trust and abide in Him.”
I am so grateful that God’s mercies are new every day and that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God is so good and so gracious. I pray that I continue to chase after him and abide in him.
I love this verse:
You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.
We definitely need reminders all the time of what life is about. God I am so tired and exhausted. I fall short so many times and get weary in doing good. Help me continue to keep my eyes on you.
Regarding the questions: Jesus shows me mercy everyday by allowing me to live. I don’t deserve it. I have plotted against god, his plans and have wanted to do my own. Lord help me surrender to you today for the rest of my days. Whether I make much or little may I honor you in the business world. You are the one that satisfies.
Please come back to earth. Rescue us. I hate my own sinful nature.