How does Numbers 29:28 connect with New Testament teachings on sacrificial giving? Verse in focus Numbers 29:28: “and their grain offerings and drink offerings with the bulls, rams, and lambs are to be prepared according to the number prescribed.” Old Testament context • Fifth day of the Feast of Tabernacles. • Seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs offered, each with grain and drink offerings “according to the number prescribed.” • Emphasizes costly, specific, repeated sacrifice—nothing left to personal whim. Principles observed • God sets the standard for giving. • Offerings are proportionate, deliberate, and complete. • Sacrifice is joyful participation in covenant life, not grudging obligation. New Testament echoes • Matthew 6:1-4—giving for God’s pleasure, not human applause. • Mark 12:41-44—the widow’s two mites: small amount, great sacrifice. • 2 Corinthians 8:1-5—Macedonians “gave according to their means and beyond their means, of their own accord.” • 2 Corinthians 9:6-8—“Each one should give what he has decided in his heart… God loves a cheerful giver.” • Hebrews 13:15-16—“Do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” • Romans 12:1—believers called to present their bodies “as a living sacrifice.” Points of connection • Specificity → Intentionality – Numbers lists exact numbers; Paul urges purposeful, pre-decided generosity (2 Corinthians 9:7). • Proportion → Stewardship – OT sacrifices scaled to festival day; NT giving “as each has prospered” (1 Colossians 16:2). • Costliness → Whole-hearted devotion – Seven bulls were premium stock; the widow’s mites were her all. True giving costs. • Repetition → Lifestyle of worship – Daily sacrifices in Numbers; continual “living sacrifices” in Romans 12:1. • God-centered → Christ-centered – OT offerings foreshadow Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1-10), motivating ongoing generosity. Living it today • Start with prayerful, planned giving — not sporadic spurts. • Give in proportion to God’s provision, aiming for true sacrifice rather than convenience. • Let Christ’s ultimate offering shape attitudes: gratitude, cheerfulness, faith. • View every act of generosity—time, talent, treasure—as fragrant worship consistent with both Numbers 29:28 and the New Testament call to sacrificial living. |
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