Continuing a chronological Bible study:
(Numbers 15:1) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2) “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘When you have come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving to you,'"
In chapter 14 of Numbers, the Israelites had been sentenced to wander in the wilderness for forty years and to die there (except Caleb and Joshua) never seeing their promised land. However, in 14:31, the Lord said He would bring their children into the land, and here He confirmed His promise that they would indeed reach their promised land. It could be that some years had passed since their sentence was given, as what follows are instructions that would seem to be given to adults rather than children. However, it is just as likely that the Lord would reiterate His promise and instructions for their conduct to all the Israelites, demonstrating that He was reconciled to them all (even though the elder generation would not see the promised land), and that He would bring to fruition His promise that their children would indeed inherit the promised land.
(3) "'And will make an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savor to the LORD, from the herd or the flock, (4) Then he who offers his offering to the LORD shall bring a grain offering of a tenth deal of flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of oil.'"
The Lord continued speaking to Moses, giving instructions that he was to pass on to the Israelites when they came into the land of Canaan. When they offered to the Lord burnt offerings from the cattle or sheep, in the various ways they might offer an offering by fire to please the Lord and be accepted by Him, they were also to bring a tenth part of an ephah of flour, an omer, mixed with a fourth hin of oil. I've read that the Hebrews didn't maintain a standardized measuring system throughout history, therefore the estimates of how much this actually was vary, and I get a different answer every time I look it up. One point of view is that it was about as much as a man could eat in one day, perhaps about a quart of flour with about a cup of oil. However, to illustrate the huge disparity among Biblical scholars, Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, suggested it was about three quarts of flour mixed with about four and a half pints of oil. The range is so varied, all we can determine from these instructions is the fact they were specific and understood by the people at that time.
(5) "'And a fourth of an hin of wine for a drink offering you shall prepare with the burnt offering or the sacrifice, for each lamb.'"
With the burnt offering of each lamb, they were to offer a fourth of a hin of wine. A liquid hin of wine seems to be different from a hin of oil, and in this case, I believe the amount of wine to be about three pints. Dr. Gill would say it was the same as a fourth of a hin of oil, about four and a half pints.
(6) "‘Or for a ram you shall prepare as a grain offering two tenth deals of flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil. (7) And for a drink offering you shall offer a third of a hin of wine as a sweet savor to the LORD.'"
For a burnt ram offering, the people were to prepare a grain offering with two omers of flour mixed with a third of a hin of wine. Based on the first conversion used for verse 4 above, this would be about two quarts of flour and about a cup and a third of oil. They were also to offer a third of a hin of wine which would have been about two quarts of wine. These they would offer as pleasing and acceptable to the Lord. Dr. Gill wrote it was "the quantity of six quarts of fine flour, and about three pints and a quarter of a pint of oil." Once again, with the conversions so varied, the only certain message is that as the quality of the sacrificial animal had increased, so was the amount of accompanying offerings to be increased.
(8) "‘And when you prepare a young bull for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, or for a peace offering to the LORD, (9) Then shall be offered with the young bull a grain offering of three tenth deals of flour mixed with half a hin of oil. (10) And you shall bring for a drink offering half a hin of wine for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to the LORD.'"
If the people brought a young bull for a burnt offering, they were also to bring a grain offering of three omers of flour mixed with half a hin of oil and half a hin of wine to be pleasing and acceptable to the Lord. Once again, we see a proportional increase of the accompanying offerings relative to the quality of animal sacrifice.
(11) "‘Thus it shall be done for each bullock, for each ram, or for each lamb or kid. (12) According to the number that you prepare, so you shall do with every one according to their number.'"
It was to be done as dictated above for each young bull, each ram, and each lamb or kid goat. If two animal sacrifices were offered, then the accompanying offerings were to be doubled, with one set as described above per animal sacrifice.
(13) "‘All who are born of the country shall do these things in this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to the LORD.'"
All people born of the Israelites were to do as instructed above when offering burnt offerings to be pleasant and acceptable to the Lord.
(14) "‘And if a stranger sojourns with you, or whoever is among you throughout your generations, and would offer an offering made by fire of a sweet savor to the LORD, just as you do, so shall he do.'"
Any non-Jew alien among them throughout their generations who desired to offer a burnt offering to the Lord was also required to do it just as the Israelites were to do. I believe there are two important messages in this. First, God invited all people to come and join His people in worship of the one true God. Secondly, however, if they did, they must conform to the rules the Lord set forth. I can't help but think of our present-day immigration battle. Liberals love to throw God's word back at whom they consider to be hypocritical conservatives, that God welcomed all foreigners. Even now the gift of everlasting life through the blood of Jesus Christ is offered to all people. However, they seem to conveniently forget the second part, that the foreigners must conform to the rules and requirements of the people they are joining, that is to assimilate. In our country, we have the freedom of religion, so immigrants are not required to worship as we do, but they should be required to obey the laws and come here legally and seek to assimilate and become Americans. If only we followed the wisdom of God!
(15) "'One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger who sojourns with you, an ordinance forever throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD. (16) One law and one custom shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.'"
One ordinance or set of rules were to be for both the Israelites and the foreigners who dwelt among them throughout their generations. While at first glance, this looks like a repetition of what the Lord had already said, it actually is a statement that the stranger was to be treated just as the Israelite, and accepted by the Lord, if he conformed to the laws the Lord set forth for them.
(17) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (18) “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘When you come into the land to which I bring you, (19) Then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a heave offering to the LORD.'"
The Lord continued speaking to Moses, telling him what to say to the children of Israel. He was to tell them that when they came into the land to which the Lord was bringing them, the land of Canaan, when they were to eat of the bread of the land, they were first to offer up a heave offering to the Lord, as described in the following verse.
(20) "‘You shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering; as a heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall you heave it.'"
From the first dough of the first grain they harvested, they were to make a cake for a heave offering. It was to be a heave offering of the corn or grain on the threshing floor when they had gathered in their harvest. Similar to what had been instructed in Leviticus 23 when they were to bring the first fruits of their harvest to the priest and he waved them before the Lord, so the people were to heave up a cake from the first dough of their harvest. A wave offering was one that was waved back and forth; a heave offering was one heaved up and then down and up again, etc. The idea in both cases is that the first belongs to the Lord. Actually, it all belongs to the Lord, and it is only by His grace, that we have anything, so by offering up the first to Him, the people demonstrated their acknowledgment of God's blessings and their thankfulness for them.
(21) "'Of the first of your dough you shall give to the LORD a heave offering throughout your generations.'"
Not only when they first came into the land of Canaan (v. 18), but continually throughout their generations, they were to offer up their first dough.
(22) "'And if you have erred, and not observed all these commandments which the LORD has spoken to Moses, (23) All that the LORD has commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day the LORD commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations; (24) Then it shall be, if it is 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 savor to the LORD, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one kid of the goats as a sin offering.'"
If the people erred unintentionally through oversight or ignorance, and strayed from what the Lord had commanded through Moses they do, at any time throughout their generations, then the entire congregation, upon the realization it had been omitted, was to offer a young bullock for a burnt offering to be acceptable to the Lord. They were to bring the required grain and drink offerings along with it (v. 8-10), with the addition of one kid goat as 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 to the LORD, and their sin
offering before the LORD, for their ignorance.'"
With the offering of the burnt offering and sin offering described above, the priest would make atonement for all the congregation, and their unintentional sin would be forgiven them. What a perfect illustration of the coming Christ who would atone for the sins of the people with His blood sacrifice, and their sins would be forgiven them.
(26) "'And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel,
and the stranger who sojourns among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance.'"
All the people would be forgiven, the children of Israel and the foreigners who dwelt among them, because of the atoning sacrifice offered, since all the people had acted unintentionally. Again, what a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ this is! His gift of salvation through His blood sacrifice is offered to all!
(27) "'And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a female goat in its first year as a sin offering.'"
If any individual soul, or person, sinned unintentionally through ignorance or a misunderstanding of the commandment above, then he was to bring a yearling female goat as a sin offering.
(28) "'And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul who sins ignorantly, when he sins by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.'"
The priest would then make atonement for the person who had sinned ignorantly. It should be noted that the original word translated as "ignorance" in the above verses was "shegagah" which means "mistake" or "inadvertent transgression", or "unintentionally", as most translations define it. However, the word translated as "ignorantly", "shagag", Strong's defines as "stray", "deceived, err, go astray, sin ignorantly". Perhaps the meaning is essentially the same; obviously to err is to make a mistake, and one would sin unintentionally if he had been deceived or taught by someone who had strayed from the original commandment, but I couldn't help but wonder if one who went astray from what he knew to be correct was included in this group. Maybe that is not the case, but if it was, I think the sense is that this person is one who did not willfully sin. I may be letting my New Testament grace view take over here, when in actuality, these people had to adhere to the law. That's the reason Jesus had to die, to pay for our sins because it was impossible to adhere 100% to the laws. Therefore I have to believe that going astray in this case must mean by ignorance or deception only, and not what we call backsliding when the person himself knew what to do.
(29) "‘You shall have one law for him who sins unintentionally, both for him who is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them.'"
This one law that pertained to the individual person who sinned unintentionally, applied to both the Israelite and the foreigner who dwelt with the Israelites alike.
(30) "'But the soul who does anything presumptuously, whether he is born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproaches the LORD, and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.'"
The word translated as "presumptuously" was actually two words, "yad" meaning "hand" and "room" meaning "high". The person who sinned with a high hand, through pride, exalting himself in a bold and haughty manner, with no regard or fear for his Lord; that person reproached the Lord, that is, blasphemed Him. The original word "gadaph" was defined by Strong's as "to hack (with words), that is, revile: - blaspheme, reproach." Brown-Driver-Briggs defined it as "to revile men, blaspheme God." The person who so blasphemed the Lord, whether he was an Israelite or a stranger who dwelt among the Israelites, was to be cut off from his people, either by the civil magistrate or by the immediate hand of God. There was no sacrifice that could atone for this willful sin.
(31) "‘Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken His commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.'"
Because the person who sinned presumptuously despised the word of the Lord and willfully broke His commandment, he was to be completely cut off and his iniquity forever upon him, with no atonement to remove it.
(32) And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath day.
While the Israelites were in the wilderness, there was a time when they found a man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath day. I don't think it necessarily happened immediately after God gave these commandments to Moses at this time, but may have been cited here as an illustration.
(33) And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation.
Those who had found that man who was gathering sticks on the Sabbath brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation.
(34) And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
They put the man in a type of prison or at least under guard until it was decided what should be done to him. It had already been established in Exodus 31:14 and Exodus 35:2 that whoever did work and defiled the Sabbath would be put to death, but this may have been the first such case and they did not know in what manner he should die. Dr. John Gill wrote that some believed that it may have been a "matter of doubt whether gathering of sticks was a breach of the sabbath, or at least such a breach of it as required death."
(35) And the LORD said to Moses, "The man shall be surely put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp."
Moses had obviously consulted the Lord about what was to be done with this man, and the Lord made it clear that this was indeed an offense that demanded death. The congregation was to stone him with stones outside the camp. I am sure others feel as I did when first reading this that it seems so harsh, and it made me shudder to think I would have to throw stones at a person and kill him! I can also hear the chants about the Lord commanding us not to kill. First of all, it has been established in this study that the word "kill" in the commandment actually meant "murder". A lawful execution is not murder. I believe the people had to take part to show that they wanted no part of someone who defiled and blasphemed their Lord. Most importantly, people had to learn that they were sinful and never good enough to approach the pure and holy God of the universe. All such incidences in the Old Testament proved that man was worthy of death and needed a savior, specifically their Savior Jesus Christ. Without such lessons, they may never have known their need.
(36) And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died, as the LORD commanded Moses.
The congregation did just as the Lord had commanded Moses they do, and they took him outside the camp and stoned him to death. Once again, this incident may have been inserted here to illustrate what was to be done with a person who sinned presumptuously and despised the word of the Lord.
(37) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (38) “Speak to the children of Israel and tell them to make fringes on the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue cord on the fringe of the borders."
I have read that the outer Jewish garment was ordinarily a rectangular piece of cloth. The Lord told Moses to tell the people to make fringes, or what actually turned out to be tassels, on the borders of their garments. The original word "kanaph" that was translated as "borders" more precisely meant the extreme quarters, or corners. They were to put tassels in the corners of their outer garments with a blue twined thread in each tassel.
(39) "And it shall be to you a fringe that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you not seek after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you use to play the harlot."
The tassel with the blue cord, blue perhaps considered a heavenly color, was to be looked upon to remind them of the commandments of the Lord that they should do them and not go after the desires of their sinful hearts or the sinful pleasures seen by their eyes. The reference to playing the harlot in this case meant committing idolatry, committing adultery in that they took what was to be the Lord's alone and gave in to worldly affections.
(40) "That you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy to your God."
Finishing the thought started in verse 39, the tassel with the blue thread was to remind them not to follow the sinful desires of their hearts, but to recall and do all the Lord's commandments, so that they would be holy and sinless in His presence.
(41) “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.”
God declared He was their one and only true Lord, the One who brought them out of captivity in Egypt to be their Lord. As their Lord God, He had the sovereign right to enact laws and demand the observance of them.
In the last chapter of Numbers, the Lord had determined to destroy the children of Israel because of their rebellion, but upon Moses's intercession, He did not utterly destroy them, and in His mercy, it appears He took this opportunity to reiterate some of the laws regarding offerings.
