How does Numbers 28:14 connect with New Testament teachings on sacrificial giving? The Original Command: Numbers 28:14 “And their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine with the bull, a third of a hin with the ram, and a quarter of a hin with each lamb. This is the burnt offering for each month, throughout the months of the year.” • A scheduled, monthly presentation at every new moon • Whole animals consumed in fire—nothing held back • Wine poured out—a life gladly expended before the Lord • Practiced “throughout the months of the year,” anchoring every calendar page to worship What the Monthly Offering Teaches Us • Regularity: worship-giving wasn’t occasional; it punctuated every month (cf. Proverbs 3:9) • Priority: the nation met with God first, then faced their own needs • Totality: a burnt offering was completely consumed, picturing absolute surrender (Leviticus 1:9) • Overflow: the drink offering wasn’t required for atonement, yet God invited it—worship that goes beyond duty Fulfilled in the Sacrifice of Christ • Jesus is the once-for-all burnt offering—wholly devoted, entirely accepted (Hebrews 10:10) • His blood poured out like the drink offering (Luke 22:20); Paul echoes this image of self-expenditure (Philippians 2:17) • The repetition of Numbers 28 anticipates the finality of the cross (Hebrews 9:11-14) • Because the perfect sacrifice is offered, believers now give from completion, not for completion New Testament Calls to Sacrificial Giving • Romans 12:1 — “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” • 1 Corinthians 16:2 — set aside a gift “on the first day of every week” (regularity mirrors the monthly rhythm) • 2 Corinthians 8:3-5 — the Macedonians “gave themselves first to the Lord” (priority and totality) • 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 — God loves a cheerful giver; generosity is still an act of worship, not compulsion • Philippians 4:18 — their gift is “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God” (burnt-offering language) • Hebrews 13:15-16 — “do not neglect to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” Living the Pattern Today • Honor a rhythm: plan generosity into every paycheck or calendar cycle, reflecting Israel’s monthly pattern • Give first, not last, demonstrating God’s precedence over personal budgets • Hold nothing back—time, talents, resources—because the burnt offering was wholly consumed • Let generosity overflow; pour out what isn’t strictly “required,” echoing the drink offering • Depend on grace: our giving responds to Christ’s finished work, never replaces it (2 Corinthians 9:8) • Expect fragrance: God delights in sacrificial gifts that spring from redeemed hearts, just as Numbers 28 rose in a pleasing aroma |
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