What is the meaning of Numbers 15:7? Setting within Numbers 15 Numbers 15 follows Israel’s rebellion in chapter 14 and God’s assurance that He will still bring a future generation into the land. Verses 1-16 lay out grain, oil, and wine accompaniments for every burnt or fellowship offering “when you enter the land” (15:2, cf. Deuteronomy 12:10-11). The details reinforce God’s faithfulness to His covenant promises despite human failure (cf. 2 Timothy 2:13). and a third of a hin of wine • A “hin” is roughly a gallon; a third would be about 1.3 liters—generous, not token. • Wine represents joy and abundance promised in the land (Deuteronomy 7:13; Psalm 104:15). • God specifies exact measures (Exodus 29:40) to show He cares about precision in worship and the heart that delights to give Him the best (Malachi 1:8-9). • The inclusion of wine with every sacrifice points to daily dependence on God’s provision, anticipating Jesus turning water into wine as a sign of messianic fullness (John 2:1-11). as a drink offering • The wine was poured out beside the altar (Leviticus 23:13), symbolizing total surrender of the worshiper’s life. • Earlier glimpses appear with Jacob (Genesis 35:14) and later with Samuel’s dedication of Israel (1 Samuel 7:6). • Paul employs the same image, “I am already being poured out like a drink offering” (Philippians 2:17; 2 Timothy 4:6), showing believers are called to the same costly devotion fulfilled perfectly in Christ. • The drink offering complements, never replaces, the blood sacrifice, hinting that fellowship with God flows from atonement already made (Hebrews 9:22). a pleasing aroma to the LORD • “Pleasing aroma” is covenant language for sacrifice God accepts (Genesis 8:21; Exodus 29:18). • The fragrance is not for God’s senses but a relational declaration that obedient faith meets His holy standard (1 Samuel 15:22). • Ultimately, every Old Testament aroma points to Jesus, “who loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). • Because the Lord is pleased, He invites His people to share in that acceptance, motivating grateful service (Romans 12:1). summary Numbers 15:7 teaches that God delights in wholehearted, precisely obeyed worship. The specific measure of wine highlights His promised abundance; the act of pouring it out underscores complete surrender; and the resulting “pleasing aroma” reassures us of acceptance grounded in sacrificial atonement—truths ultimately fulfilled and modeled in Jesus Christ. |
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