What can we learn about God's character from Numbers 7:56? Key Verse: Numbers 7:56 “and two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a peace offering. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.” Setting the Scene • Numbers 7 records twelve consecutive days in which each tribal leader brought the very same gifts to dedicate the altar. • Gamaliel, leader of Manasseh (Numbers 1:10), appears on the eighth day (Numbers 7:54-59). • The verse highlights the animals for the peace offering, a voluntary sacrifice symbolizing fellowship with God (Leviticus 3:1-17). What the Verse Reveals about God’s Character • God of Peace and Reconciliation – The very term “peace offering” (Hebrew šĕlāmîm) signals restored harmony. – Leviticus 3:1 calls this sacrifice “an offering made by fire for a pleasing aroma to the LORD.” God delights in reconciled relationship, foreshadowing Christ, “our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). • God Who Welcomes Fellowship – Unlike sin offerings consumed entirely on the altar, peace-offering meat was shared by priests and worshipers (Leviticus 7:15). God invites His people to dine in His presence, echoing “If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him” (Revelation 3:20). • God of Order and Fairness – Each tribe presented identical gifts (Numbers 7:12-83). No favoritism, no rivalry—every leader stood on equal footing (Romans 2:11). – The precise repetition underlines that God treasures orderly worship (1 Corinthians 14:33). • God of Abundant Provision – Two oxen, five rams, five goats, five lambs: costly animals that only a providing God could supply (Psalm 50:10). – He gives generously so His people can give back generously (2 Corinthians 9:8). • God Who Invites Corporate Participation – Gamaliel’s offering is one piece of a twelve-part symphony. Every tribe had a day, every voice was heard. – The pattern anticipates the New-Covenant body in which each member contributes (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). Living the Truth Numbers 7:56 may look like a simple inventory, yet it paints a vivid portrait of a God who longs for peaceful fellowship, administers His household with fairness, supplies every need, and delights in the unified worship of His people. |
    |