Numbers 15

Verses 1-7

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 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:
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.”

Moses was now instructed by God to initiate a system of ceremonies, rites and sacrifices, for the time the people entered Canaan. The offering is described, and an additional demand was made – the offeror was to bring a meat offering of a ‘tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of oil’. As we can see from Leviticus, God is VERY precise in His demands, and each demand is absolute, with no excuse for making them less, or even more. (tenth part/deal=a tithe. Hin=about 5 quarts).

There was also to be a fourth part of an hin of wine (quarter of 5 quarts) to be offered with a lamb offering. But, if a ram is offered, the meat offering had to be one fifth of flour mingled with a third of an hin of oil. The drink offering would be a third of an hin of wine – all will be acceptable to the Lord. Exactly as commanded. When we view all this against our laxity and the loose way we treat God’s demands in our day, we should be afraid… no demand of God can be treated loosely.

Verses 8-12

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.”

God then instructs Moses in how to prepare a bullock. The same applies to performing a vow and peace offerings: The bullock would be accompanied by a meat offering consisting of three-tenth amounts of flour mingled with half an hin of olive oil (two and a half quarts). The drink offering was to be an half hin of wine, put into the fire, to be acceptable to God. This arrangement applied to single sacrifices, so each bringer of sacrificial elements had to follow individual demands. This should remind us that each individual Christian is his or her own person, and is accountable as individuals to God.

Verses 13-16

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.”

For those who claim to be Christians, note this requirement – that foreigners who live or even pass-through the land HAD to act in the same way as the Israelites. They were not only commanded to do the same, but also to worship God and NOT to worship their own gods and customs. In our time, foreigners with ungodly beliefs are allowed to openly worship their false gods, without any kind of opposition. No cult or false religion should have this freedom to throw aside God’s commands and laws! This was not just for ancient days in the Middle East – it applies to us today. As God told Moses – one law and one manner! Otherwise, we have a situation that is untenable – Islam commanding Christians to worship Allah, or else. Even though we cannot force others to obey the true God, we can reject their open worship of pagan false gods, and should do so openly, having the freedom to oppose in the public arena. Sadly today we cannot do so, because we have a godless government who allows freedom for all things sinful, but not for things holy and good and moral.

Verses 17-21

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.”

When the people finally entered Canaan and lived there, they were to offer up an heave offering (the shoulder of the animal, held up). With it would be a cake made from the first fruits of the grain harvest, also given as an heave offering. This was to be offered ‘in your generations’ e.g. perpetually. Thus, God’s commands are perpetual and may not be set aside because we do not wish to obey.

Verses 22-29

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 sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.”

God now gives the people a lifeline, through Moses – if they commit sins ignorantly, and not with deliberate secret intent, God would allow them to seek atonement. They must offer a year-old she-goat for sacrifice, as a sin offering. In this way the sinner was atoned-for and forgiven. This remedy was to also apply to any strangers in the camp. We should here note that sin can be performed without intent, but it is still sin and must be repented-of, even today. In today’s atmosphere of godlessness, this same provision remains valid: all and any sin, deliberate or not, must be repented-of. Only Christians can repent, because an unsaved person does not have access to the Lord, until he or she is born-again and saved. What this means in context, is that modern people who are unsaved cannot receive forgiveness from God.

Verses 30&31

30. “But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, 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.”

On the other hand, if a person sins deliberately (presumptuously), whether Hebrew or a foreigner, he or she sins against God more than against Man. And in their day, a deliberate sinner was cast out of the tribes. The reason? To commit deliberate sin is to reproach the Lord! In this text “reproacheth” actually means that each sin is blasphemy. Hence the casting out from the nation – it is that serious. To reinforce this condemnation, the text tells us that to sin deliberately is to despise God’s word or commands… to hold God’s word in contempt, to treat it as worthless. Dare we apply all this to our modern times, when it is a spiritual fact?

Verses 32-36

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.”

We now come to the reality of not obeying God totally – death. A man gathered sticks, probably for a fire. But, it was the Sabbath day (seventh day of rest). He was taken to Moses before all the tribes, and secured in a suitable ‘cell’ whilst Moses called on God for counsel. God Himself told Moses to put the man to death – such was the seriousness of obedience… and especially given the penchant of the Hebrews to follow alien practices and to sin. The man was taken outside the camp area and stoned to death. Such is the enormity of disobeying the Lord of Hosts. Oh that we held His commands with the same seriousness.

Verses 37-41

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.”

God increases His demand, all aimed at keeping the people in constant remembrance, not only of his patronage to the entire emerging nation, but also of His commands, which were to be obeyed in every detail. The people had to sew a band of blue ribbon, apparently made into a fringe, onto the bottom of their outer clothing. In this way the person would see the blue strip and be reminded of their duty to Jehovah, to keep His commandments (to the letter). Add the phylactery to this and all Jews were reminded of what God demands, every moment and every day.

This constant reminder was much needed (as similar reminders are essential for us today), because God is all-powerful and Almighty, and is greater than ourselves. Indeed, without Him as Ruler of the Universe, we would simply die instantly. We all have an inner deception that causes us to go after our own desires and ways… Instead of asking God for HIS command in our life and waiting for the reply, we sinfully think up all kinds of plans and courses of action from our own minds, thus losing the dynamism inherent in a continual walk with God. It is why we are today so weak, and why our problems are greater than our faith. To “go a whoring” is to forget God and go about our own pleasures and sins, including fornication, adultery and prostitution (whether in body or in thought), but overall to be unfaithful. We NEED reminding!

The call is very simple, but rarely kept in mind: “I am the LORD your God.”

© 01 September 2024

---oOo---