Lots of Blood and Offerings: Numbers 28-29

Over the span of these two chapters we see the Lord's instruction on offerings the children of Israel were to make to Him. We see Daily, Weekly (Sabbath), Monthly Offerings. Also we see instructions for the special days and feast like the Passover, the Feast of Weeks (or Firstfruits), Feast of Trumpets (The New Year), the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (Feast of Booths). The priests were to sacrifice everyday on behalf of the nation of Israel to God. I read on person who tallied up how many animals in a year just the priests would go through

113 Bulls

32 Rams

1,086 Lambs

Over 20 Goats

On top of the animals they would have sacrificed over a ton of flour and thousands of bottles of oil and wine.

Couple on points really stick out to me:

1) The Perpetual Offerings were presented to the Lord on a Daily Basis. This speaks to me in the New Covenant that we are to daily offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God. Just as daily the nation of Israel offered up offerings to God, so are we to offer up offerings unto our God and Savior. This will keep our lives in proper perspective of who we are and whose we are.

2) The Abundance of Sacrifices that were Made to God. Some days they would have had to double the sacrifices that were made. For instance on the Sabbath they had to offer the daily offerings as well as the Sabbath offerings. One the monthly offerings they had to sacrifice the daily offerings as well. And then when they celebrate the special days, they would again have to sacrifice the daily offerings on top of the offerings for that particular celebration. That is why large quantities of animals and flour, oil, and wine were used in a given year.

This reminds me of the passage in the New Testament where the adulterous woman pours expensive perfume on Jesus. When that occurred there were those that said she wasted that expensive perfume. But, who was she pouring it on? Jesus. Is Jesus worth expensive perfume being poured on Him? I would say so. Is God worth all these sacrifices and offerings? Yes indeed! He is the one that provided it for them anyway. Think about it. God is the one that instituted the sacrificial system. Don't you think that He knows that the nation has to be blessed with lots of animals in order to sacrifice them. So God blesses, but the people have to trust in order to obey and continue to receive the blessings of God.

Today in our own life, what we give to God, although it may be extravagant, will never go to waste. That is why we should by nature, as believers, givers and people who are very generous. Because we have such a good God who blesses us beyond what we deserve. We can give our time, our talents, and our treasures. What time, what talents, and what treasures our we offering daily, weekly, and monthly to our great God?

3) There was crazy amounts of blood that was shed. It amazes me that Jesus died once and for all for the sins of the world, so we no longer have to sacrifice the blood of bulls and goats, but now we just have to surrender to Him and offering to Him our lives as pleasing aromas to Him. Aren't you grateful that we don't have to sacrifice as they did in the Old Testament. Sin is awful! Sin causes death! Sin is not pretty! Sin does not smell good! Sin is gruesome! That is the picture we see in this sacrificial system. And Jesus comes and fulfills the sacrificial system by becoming the perfect sacrifice! Amen!