How does Numbers 15:11 guide us in offering sacrifices to God today? Setting the Verse in Its Context Numbers 15 records supplemental instructions God gave Israel just after the rebellion at Kadesh-barnea. In verses 1–16 He details grain, oil, and drink offerings that must accompany every animal sacrifice. Verse 11 summarizes: “This is how you must prepare each one, for every bull or ram, or for any of the young male goats or lambs.” (Numbers 15:11) The Literal Instruction in Numbers 15:11 • One rule applied “for every” animal—large or small. • Israel was to add specific grain, oil, and wine portions to every burnt offering or fellowship offering. • God’s phrase “throughout your generations” (v. 15) made the command ongoing, not optional or occasional. Timeless Principles Behind the Command • Consistency matters. Worship is not guesswork; God defines what pleases Him. • Wholeheartedness. The worshiper brought both the costly animal and the extra grain, oil, and wine—nothing held back. • God-centeredness. Sacrifice focused on God’s holiness, not the worshiper’s convenience. • Inclusive obedience. Whether offering a “bull or ram, goat or lamb,” the same care and reverence applied. Christ, the Fulfillment of Sacrifice • All Old Testament sacrifices foreshadowed the perfect offering of Jesus: “For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). • Because Christ’s cross satisfied the law’s demands once for all, we no longer bring animals to an altar (Hebrews 10:18). How We Offer Acceptable Sacrifices Today 1. Living Sacrifices – “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” (Romans 12:1) • Whole-life devotion mirrors Israel’s whole-offering with grain, oil, and wine. 2. Praise and Thanksgiving – “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess His name.” (Hebrews 13:15) • Regular, verbal thanksgiving is today’s “drink offering.” 3. Doing Good and Sharing – “Do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Hebrews 13:16) • Generosity parallels the added grain portion—costly, tangible, joyful. 4. Broken and Contrite Hearts – “A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17) • Humble repentance keeps our offerings sincere, never perfunctory. 5. Priestly Service – “You yourselves, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5) • Every believer now shares priestly responsibility to worship in spirit and truth. Encouragement for Everyday Worship • Let Numbers 15:11 remind you that God still desires consistent, wholehearted offerings. • Because Christ met the law’s requirements, your “everyday” can be an altar: home chores, workplace integrity, compassionate words, secret generosity. • Bring the whole package—mind, body, resources, praise—whenever you draw near. God’s unchanging standard remains: each sacrifice, offered His way, delights His heart. |
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