“Constant Reminders” – FBC Morning Light (2/28/2024)

Constant Reminders in Numbers 28–30

Well, a good Wednesday morning to you. Today, here in the middle of the week, we're reading in Chapters 28 through 30, and one of the features of these three chapters, or two of the three chapters, is instructions regarding sacrifices.

And they were constant and multiple sacrifices. Let me just run through them. So in Chapter 28, it begins, the Lord gives instructions regarding the daily sacrifices, every single day. Sacrifices, burnt offerings were to be made at the appointed times.

Then, in verse 9 and 10, the Lord gives instructions regarding the Sabbath day. So not only were there the daily offerings, but every Sabbath day, there were additional offerings. Two lambs had to be offered as a burnt offering.

And then, there were monthly sacrifices. Verses 11 to 15, God gives instruction for offering sacrifices at the beginning, burnt offerings, at the beginning of every month. And then, once a year, on the 14th day of the first month, is Passover, and offerings were to be made.

And by the way, these are corporate offerings. These are offerings that were to be made at the temple, or the tabernacle. They weren't individual offerings, so it's not like every individual, on every day, had to offer a couple of lambs.

I mean, that would just be absolutely impossible. This was the work of the priests for the sake of the congregation, for the sake of the nation. So, in verse 16, Chapter 28, there are instructions regarding the Passover sacrifices.

In verse 26, is the Feast of Weeks, and there were burnt offerings to be offered. Two young bulls, a ram, and seven lambs had to be offered. In Chapter 29, there are offerings that were to be made at the Feast of Trumpets.

On the 10th day of the seventh month, verse 7 says, is the Day of Atonement, and there were to be sacrifices, burnt offerings, on the Day of Atonement. A few days later, on the 15th day of the seventh month, and for the next week, was the Feast of Tabernacles, and every day during the Feast of Tabernacles, it lasted a week, there were special burnt offerings that needed to be offered.

Constantly, constantly, the nation of Israel, God's people, were reminded of their ongoing need for forgiveness, and cleansing, and consecration, every single day of the year, and some days, they were reminded on multiple occasions.

Christ the Fulfillment of the Sacrificial System

Now, then came Jesus, and when Jesus came, all of that was done away. Why? How? Well, the book of Hebrews gives us an answer to that question. In Chapter 10 of the book of Hebrews, the writer of Hebrews says this, he says, for the law, this is the Old Testament law that we've just been talking about in Numbers 28 and 29, the law having a shadow of good things to come.

All of those sacrifices were a shadow of something good that is to come. And what is that good that is to come? They weren't the very image of things, the writer says, and they can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

Those Old Testament sacrifices in Numbers 28 and 29, they could never make anybody perfect. Because then he goes on to say, for then would they not have ceased to be offered? If they could be offered and yield perfection, then there would be no point in having them repeated again and again and again.

No. For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year, and indeed, it was just an ongoing thing, an ongoing reminder.

And then here's the explanation. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. So all those sacrifices, they had a place. They were a shadow. They were pointing forward to a sacrifice that could take away sins.

They pictured the coming sacrifice that could accomplish what those sacrifices could only picture. He goes on to say, therefore, when Jesus came into the world, he said, Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me.

In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure. Then I said, Behold, I have come, in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do your will, O God. What was that will? What was that will?

It was to end up on a cross, to be the ultimate sacrifice for sins that would end all other sacrifices, that was the fulfillment of those that were just a shadow of that which was to come. So verse 9 says, When he said, Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, he takes away the first, that is those first sacrifices, that he may establish the second.

By that will, the writer says, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all. Once for all. Once for all. Oh, brother, believe it. Isn't it a great thing? Jesus paid the one-time sacrifice for all of our sins.

We don't have the daily reminders of having to offer up burnt offerings somewhere in Jerusalem or anywhere else. Jesus paid it all. Our Father and our God, we thank you today that indeed he has. Thank you that Jesus took our sins and his body on the cross and the shedding of his blood, the offering of himself was the one sacrifice to end all others.

Thank you for our Savior. In his name we pray, amen. All right, well listen, have a good rest of your Wednesday. May the Lord bless you in it. Good day.