When is Enough, Enough? (Numbers 28:1- 29:40)
Transcript
Have you ever wondered when enough is enough? Let's start with a simple example: how often should you brush your teeth? Once a day? Twice a day? How about after every meal? If you eat three times a day, should you brush three times a day? Being told we should brush our teeth is a simple instructions, but they can get complicated quickly.
Now, let’s apply this concept to something spiritual.
The Old Testament is filled with spiritual activities, and Paul reminds us that these things were written for our learning. While the New Testament clarifies that we don't have to do everything they did in the Old Testament, we can certainly learn from their practices. So, how often should we engage in spiritual activities?
Consider how often you should attend a religious service. Once a week? In the New Testament, that was common. But when I was growing up I was part of a church where it was possible to attend services four or five times a week: Sunday school, morning service, evening service, prayer meeting, and bible studies. So, how many times is enough? Or take something as simple as reading your Bible. How often should you do that? How often is enough?
When is enough, enough, well that what we are going to consider to in TBPDP….
Turn or follow the link to the book of Numbers, specifically chapters 28 and 29 and we are going to go through these chapters to understand the various offerings that the Lord required of ancient Israel and emphasize how often they were to perform these activities. There’s a lot of repetition in these chapters, summarizing what was previously detailed in Exodus and Leviticus. These chapters list the feasts and emphasize the timing and frequency of offerings.
I am not going to read the chapters like I usually do at the beginning but I am going to survey through them and you can follow along n the text if you wish.
Contextually, Numbers 28 and 29 find the children of Israel on the verge of entering the Promised Land. The first generation has died off, and the new generation is being instructed in the ways they are to live once they enter the land. This instruction was necessary for the younger generation, and it goes into detail about the offerings they are to present.
If you were to summarizes Numbers 28 and 29 you might say they simply contain a list of the minimum number of sacrifices the priests were to offer for the nation each year. These chapters outline the minimum requirements for sacrifices and offerings, beyond which individuals could make additional sacrifices if they wanted.
Keep this idea of "minimum" in mind as we journey through these two chapters today, we will read about:
1. Daily Offerings: Every day, two lambs a year old without defect, one in the morning and one in the evening.
2. Sabbath Offerings: Every Sabbath, in addition to the daily offering, two lambs a year old without defect, with a grain offering and a drink offering.
3. Monthly Offerings: On the first of every month, a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, along with a grain offering and drink offerings, plus a sin offering of one male goat.
4. Passover: On the fourteenth day of the first month, the Passover offering, followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days, with specific offerings each day.
5. Feast of Weeks: Fifty days after the Passover, a special offering similar to the monthly offerings.
6. Feast of Trumpets: On the first day of the seventh month, a special burnt offering, a grain offering, and a sin offering.
7. Day of Atonement: On the tenth day of the seventh month, a special burnt offering, a sin offering, and a grain offering.
8. Feast of Tabernacles: Starting on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, this feast lasted for seven days, with specific offerings each day.
These offerings were constant reminders of the people's dependence on God and their need for atonement and thanksgiving. They structured their entire calendar around these offerings, emphasizing the importance of regular, disciplined spiritual practice.
So, what can we learn from this? While we are not required to follow these specific rituals, the principle of regular, disciplined spiritual practice is vital. It’s not about checking off boxes but about cultivating a rhythm of life that keeps us connected to God. Just as the Israelites had daily, weekly, monthly, and annual offerings, we too can develop habits of regular prayer, Bible reading, worship, and service.
So, when is enough, enough? The answer isn’t a simple number. It's about cultivating a life that continually turns toward God, seeking His presence and guidance in all things.
The structure provided in Numbers 28 and 29 will offers a model for how we might integrate certain regular spiritual practices into our own lives, ensuring that we remain connected to the source of our strength and wisdom, which is God himself. And how do we as Christians extrapolate meaningful spiritual practices from these original ritualised instructions.
If you were to pick a phrase that really captures what’s going on in these two chapters, it’d be “at the appointed time.”
28 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Make sure that you present to me at the appointed time my food offerings, as an aroma pleasing to me.’
(Numbers 28: 1-2)
This phrase is critical to understanding the intent behind these instructions.
1: Daily Offerings:
Numbers 28:1-8 outlines the daily offerings. Verse 3 says:
These verses describe the daily offerings: one lamb in the morning and one in the evening. The end of verse 3 highlights that these are regular offerings to be offered "day by day," and verse 4 specifies the times: "One lamb in the morning, the other lamb ,in the evening."
This routine is further detailed, calling it a regular burnt offering with an accompanying drink offering, and verse 8 repeats the need for an evening offering, along with a grain and drink offering.
What’s striking here is the repetitive nature of these instructions. Every morning and every evening, the priests had to offer these sacrifices.
One commentator I read described this as a “priestly treadmill”—a constant, unending cycle of offerings. When one day’s offerings were completed, the next day’s began.
2: Weekly Offerings
The next set of offerings are the weekly ones, described in verses 9-10:
Every Sabbath, in addition to the daily offerings, there were special Sabbath offerings. These included two lambs along with grain and oil. This is the first specific instruction in the Pentateuch on what to do on the Sabbath regarding sacrifices.
While the general command for the wider community was to rest, the priests had specific sacrificial duties on the Sabbath, making it a workday for them. Similar to how pastors often work on Sundays.
3: Monthly Offerings
Moving on to the monthly offerings, verse 11-15 states: "At the beginnings of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish."
These offerings were to be made at the beginning of each month, adding another layer to the rhythm of sacrificial practices. Again, this included specific sacrifices of bulls, rams, and lambs, along with grain and oil offerings.
These instructions show a rigorous, some might say relentless schedule of offerings, ensuring that sacrifices were a continual, integral part of Israel’s worship and daily life.
This continuous cycle of already established daily, weekly, and monthly offerings was a way to maintain a constant connection with God, emphasizing the importance of regular, disciplined spiritual practices.
So, what we see here is a structured, repetitive system of offerings that ensured the Israelites maintained their relationship with God through regular, disciplined practices.
Now remember, we are not required to follow these exact rituals today, but the principle of regular, disciplined spiritual activity remains relevant.
This schedule of sacrifices still points to the need for a continuous, disciplined approach to our spiritual lives today.
It’s not about checking off boxes but about maintaining a consistent, ongoing relationship with God. Just as the Israelites had structured their worship, we too can cultivate good habits like regular prayer, Bible reading, worship, and service, ensuring we remain connected to God in our daily lives.
But when it comes to reflecting on the question, "When is enough, enough?" we see that it's not about the quantity but the consistency and the heart behind our practices.
It about establishing a rhythm in our spiritual lives, keeping us in constant communion with God.
OK, so we have covered daily, weekly, and monthly offerings. What’s next?
Annual Offerings: The annual offerings, corresponding to Israel’s religious festivals, provide even more insight into the structured worship in ancient Israel.
4: Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread (Numbers 28:16-25)
Passover was observed on the 14th day of the first month rolling over into the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th day of the same month and lasts for a further seven days.
Verse 18 specifies that on the first day of the feast, there is to be a holy convocation, and no customary work is to be done.
During this feast, a special offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs without blemish is made, along with a grain offering mixed with oil. Emphasizes is given to the fact that these offerings are to be in addition to the regular daily, weekly and monthly offerings.
This combination of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread spans eight days, highlighting a period of intense worship and reflection. The interconnectedness of these feasts sometimes leads to their joint reference as just the "Passover Season" in the New Testament.
5: Feast of Weeks (Sometimes called The Feast of First Fruits or Pentecost) (Numbers 28:26-31)
This is celebrated 50 days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
On this day of the first fruits, you were to bring a new grain offering to the Lord have a holy assembly, and not do any work.
Offerings would also include two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs without blemish, accompanied by grain offerings mixed with oil.
Verse 31 underscores that these should be without blemish, emphasizing the purity and quality required for these sacrifices.
6: Feast of Trumpets (Numbers 29:1-6)
This was observed on the first day of the seventh month, which was their New Year’s Day.
A burnt offering of one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs, all without blemish, was to be made, along with grain offerings mixed with oil.
Again, these offerings are in addition to the regular monthly and daily offerings, indicating the special significance of this feast.
7. Day of Atonement: On the tenth day of the seventh month, a special burnt offering, a sin offering, and a grain offering.
8. Feast of Tabernacles: Starting on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, this feast lasted for seven days, with specific offerings each day.
So, these instructions cover the cycle of daily, weekly, monthly, and annual offerings, presenting a comprehensive system of worship that kept the Israelites in constant communion with God.
The rigorous schedule ensured that the Israelites regularly focused on their relationship with God through structured worship practices.
he priests’ relentless cycle of offerings can be seen as a metaphor for our need to maintain a regular, disciplined approach to our spiritual lives today.
While we do not follow these exact rituals, the principle remains: our relationship with God benefits from regular, intentional practices.
The key takeaway is that spiritual practices are not about checking off boxes but about nurturing a continuous, meaningful relationship with God.
The offerings shown here in Numbers should remind us that our spiritual journey requires dedication and consistency. In asking, "When is enough, enough?" we are reminded that our spiritual lives are not about doing the minimum but about cultivating a deep, ongoing connection with God.
It seems to me that one of the other things we are meant to walk away with from this is an awareness of the seriousness of sin.
Most of these religious rituals, sacrifices and offerings have to do with the fact that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.
They connected their sin with some of these offerings, and these offerings were flagging up continually the enormity of the sacrifices that needs to be made to deal with the seriousness of sin.
As modern Christian readers of Old Testament books like Numbers, we can’t fail to notice this overwhelming emphasis on sacrificial worship should cause the reader to think of the enormity of the offering to deal with offense of our sin against the holiness of God.
This is all meant to drive us as repentant sinners to the foot of the cross. All sacrifices, whether the morning or the evening or the Sabbath or a new moon, had their ultimate meaning in the death of the Savior.
However, thankfully after Jesus’s death, these sacrifices as religious requirements are now redundant. Indeed, they actually suggest even then that something was needed in addition to all of this stuff.
Before his death, the sacrifices were the very means by which God gave his people the ability to face the enormity of their sin, and the reality of their need for his grace and forgiveness. Therefore in some mysterious way they pointed them to the coming cross of Jesus."
So, they existed to point people to their sin and today their purpose can still reminds us of the enormity of sin.
But it seems to me that perhaps there is another issue here, and that is, there is not just sacrifice for sins; there are just sacrifices and offerings to the Lord.
So, I think the second lesson I would draw from this has to do that it reminds us of the need to give sacrifices to the Lord., but to mke offering of worship also.
Each day was to be a day of worship for the Israelites. They offered sacrifices daily to make it a worship day. The weekly Sabbath also was a special day of worship.
So, I'm suggesting we learn from this, and we gotta give sacrifices, all the time, everyday.
Let’s turn for a moment to Philippians chapter 4.
In the book of Philippians, Paul had established the church, he left the area but then he got arrested, he's in jail when he writes this letter, because they have sent him some financial support via a fellow from that church.
So he says this, now you Philippians, in verse 15:
15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. 17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
(Philippians 4: 15-18)
So, Paul says, "You have sent me money to support my ministry," and he calls that, and he uses the terminology right out of the book of Numbers “Aan offering; it's a sacrifice.
Now turn to the book of Hebrews chapter 13.
In Hebrews chapter 13, and verse 15
15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
(Heb 13: 15-16)
How about that? Praise is a sacrifice.
I want to show you one more sacrifice. Turn to Romans chapter 12.
This one you've heard and probably don't understand; you probably can quote this verse: Romans chapter 12 verse 1. "
I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
(Romans 12: 1)
So, you can give money, it's a sacrifice; you can give praise, that's a sacrifice; or you can give yourself. How do you do that? I think this is one of the misunderstood verses in the Bible.
What does this verse mean? It took me years before I finally realized what this word means. What does it mean to present your body as a sacrifice
Well, let me tell you, turn back a few pages to Romans 6.
In Romans chapter 6,
Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
(Romans 6: 16)
Now, I'm not alone, and what I'm about to suggest is my the standard interpretation. The Greek word that is translated "present" in Romans 6:16 is the same word that is translated "present" in Romans 12:1.
Numerous commentaries have pointed out that Romans 12: verse 1 and 2 is, in a sense, a summary of all of Romans 6 through 1, and he's come back and he's summarizing and then he's going to go on and apply that.
If that's the case, and I am persuaded it is, then "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, that you present your bodies" is lifted directly out of what Paul has been saying earlier about, “presenting your body as a sacrifice to obey.
So, anytime you use your body to obey the Lord, that is an offering to the Lord.
Paul uses that imagery as if that is a sacrifice to the Lord, just like all those sacrifices in the Old Testament. And then clearly by doing that you can, "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind," By not working according to the flesh, but walking according to the spirit. And for our purposes in this session, it is that we give sacrifices to the Lord by giving money, by giving praise, and by being obedient.
Now, put these two things together: given the seriousness of sin and the sacrifice of Christ to pay for our sin, to borrow Paul's language from Romans chapter 12, verse 1, ultimately obedience is our reasonable service, and the best type of offering we can give to the Lord.