What is the meaning of Numbers 28:21? Setting within Numbers 28 • Numbers 28 unfolds as the Lord’s calendar of regular sacrifices—daily, weekly, monthly, and festival offerings—directed to Israel in the wilderness (Numbers 28:2-15). • These commands build on what was first laid out at Sinai (Exodus 29:38-42; Leviticus 23:37-38), reminding the second generation that worship must stay consistent even as circumstances change. • Verse 21 falls inside the instructions for the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread (Numbers 28:16-25), immediately after Passover’s opening day sacrifice (Numbers 28:19-20). The Specific Instruction in Verse 21 “and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with each of the seven lambs” (Numbers 28:21). • Each lamb (without defect, Numbers 28:19) required its own grain offering. • The portion—“a tenth of an ephah”—matched the standard set earlier for daily lambs (Exodus 29:40; Numbers 15:4), underscoring God’s unchanging expectations. Measuring a Tenth of an Ephah • An ephah was about 22 liters; a tenth, therefore, roughly 2.2 liters of fine flour. • By prescribing a precise measure, the Lord highlighted that obedience is expressed in details, not in vague generalities (1 Samuel 15:22; Luke 16:10). • The oil mixed in (Numbers 28:5) symbolized richness and consecration, echoing the anointing oil that set priests apart (Exodus 30:25-30). Seven Lambs and the Theme of Completeness • Offering seven lambs daily through the feast (Numbers 28:24) presented a picture of wholeness and perfection, a pattern seen in other festival sacrifices (Leviticus 23:18; Joshua 6:4-5). • The pairing of seven animals with seven grain offerings emphasized that complete atonement and complete devotion go hand in hand (Hebrews 10:1-4). The Grain Offering: Sustenance Offered Back • Grain represents the fruit of daily labor (Deuteronomy 26:10). By surrendering staple food, Israel confessed that even their bread came from God (Deuteronomy 8:3). • Mixing in oil produced a pleasing aroma when burned (Leviticus 2:1-2) and portrayed the joy of fellowship with the Lord (Psalm 104:15). • The priest received a portion to eat (Leviticus 2:3), showing that worship supports those who minister (1 Corinthians 9:13-14). The Verse in the Larger Sacrifice Pattern • Each day of the feast combined burnt offerings (total surrender), grain offerings (thankful dependence), and drink offerings (Numbers 28:24)—a threefold testimony that God deserves everything we are and have (Romans 12:1). • Repetition through seven days ingrained worship as habit, not event (Psalm 119:164). Fulfillment in Christ • Jesus, the sinless Lamb (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:19), satisfies the pattern of flawless offerings. • He also embodies the grain offering: the “bread of life” given for the world (John 6:35). • His once-for-all sacrifice ends the need for repeated lambs and grain (Hebrews 9:23-28), yet the principle of wholehearted devotion remains. Living Out the Principle Today • Give God the “first and finest” of time, resources, and talents, mirroring Israel’s finest flour (Proverbs 3:9-10). • Let worship permeate an entire week, not just a single service, reflecting the feast’s seven-day rhythm (Colossians 3:17). • Support those who serve the body, just as priests were sustained by the grain offering (Galatians 6:6). summary Numbers 28:21 instructs Israel to present a precise grain offering—“a tenth of an ephah” of fine flour mixed with oil—with each of seven daily lambs during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The measured portion reinforces exact obedience, the oil signifies consecration, and the repetition across seven lambs portrays complete, joyful devotion. While the physical sacrifices pointed ahead to Christ’s perfect fulfillment, the underlying call endures: offer God the best of our lives, every day, in grateful dependence on His provision. |
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