There are all sorts of special festivals different churches celebrate throughout the year. Many Christians are currently observing the season of Lent, defined as the 40 days before Easter, through self-denial and confession of sin. And practically everyone celebrates Christmas, even if they think it’s only about Santa and presents.
Just so, most of chapters 28 and 29 focus on the extraordinary times in the Old Testament religious calendar, and the offerings that were to be brought on those special occasions. But what patterns of worship should our daily and weekly life follow? Today’s passage gives us some hints.
It says that God’s people were to bring two offerings every day – one in the morning and one at twilight. These were the same times of the day when the lamps on the golden lampstand were to be trimmed to make sure they would always remained lit (Leviticus 24:3), and when incense was to be offered on the golden altar inside the Tabernacle (Exodus 30:7-8). On the Sabbath day, the same types of offerings were to be made, but in twice the amount (Numbers 28:9-10).
What does this tell us? Simply this: we need to draw near to the Lord every day. We need to remember the sacrifice of Christ offered for us every day. We need the light of Christ to fill our hearts and minds every day. Our prayers need to arise like incense before the Lord every day. And just as God’s Old Testament people brought extra offerings on the Sabbath day, we need to spend more time with God on His special day, bringing Him our worship and praise.
How would our daily life change if we began and ended our days with prayer and the study of God’s Word? How would our relationship with God improve if we made Lord’s Day worship a priority? Let’s find out this week.
Numbers 28:1-10 (ESV)
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel and say to them, ‘My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.’ 3 And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering. 4 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; 5 also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil. 6 It is a regular burnt offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. 7 Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD. 8 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight. Like the grain offering of the morning, and like its drink offering, you shall offer it as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
9 “On the Sabbath day, two male lambs a year old without blemish, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering: 10 this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
