How does Numbers 28:5 connect to Jesus as the ultimate sacrificial offering? Setting the Scene: Numbers 28:5 “and a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter hin of pressed oil.” This verse sits in the middle of instructions for the twice-daily burnt offerings (vv. 3-8). Alongside each lamb, God required a grain offering blended with oil. Why the Grain and Oil Matter • Fine flour – sifted, with every coarse element removed • Pressed oil – the purest olive oil, produced under pressure Symbolic Threads Leading to Jesus • Fine flour: – Consistency and purity point to Jesus’ flawless humanity (1 Peter 2:22). – “Bread of life” imagery (John 6:35) echoes the grain offering that sustained Israel’s worship. • Pressed oil: – Oil throughout Scripture pictures the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18). – The Messiah is “anointed” (Acts 10:38); Jesus’ earthly ministry flows from Spirit-empowered obedience. • Daily presentation: – Morning and evening lambs with grain and oil declare unbroken fellowship. – Hebrews 7:25 shows Jesus “always lives to intercede,” fulfilling the perpetual aspect in one perfect sacrifice. Foreshadowing the Ultimate Offering 1. Perfection required: The flour had no imperfections; Christ is “a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19). 2. Costly surrender: Oil came from olives crushed—mirroring Gethsemane, where Jesus accepted the crushing weight of sin (Matthew 26:36-46). 3. Union of elements: Grain and oil could not be separated once mixed, just as Jesus’ divine anointing cannot be divorced from His humanity (John 1:14; Colossians 2:9). 4. Aroma pleasing to God: The burnt offering rose as a “soothing aroma” (Numbers 28:6); Ephesians 5:2 identifies Christ’s self-offering as that fragrant fulfillment. New Testament Links • Hebrews 9:11-14 – The earthly rituals point to Christ’s superior, once-for-all sacrifice. • John 1:29 – “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” ties the daily lambs to the ultimate Lamb. • Colossians 2:16-17 – These offerings were “a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” Living in the Light of Numbers 28:5 • Confidence: Because Jesus satisfies every demand the offering symbolized, believers rest in finished grace (Hebrews 10:14). • Continual worship: The daily rhythm calls today’s disciples to ongoing devotion, empowered by the Spirit rather than repeated sacrifices (Romans 12:1). • Gospel proclamation: Just as Israel’s altar broadcast God’s holiness and mercy, the church now proclaims the once-for-all sacrifice that Numbers 28:5 quietly previewed. |
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