What is the meaning of Numbers 28:31? Offer them with their drink offerings • By saying “Offer them with their drink offerings,” the Lord links every animal sacrifice to a poured-out libation of wine. Exodus 29:40 reminds us that “with the first lamb you are to offer…a drink offering of a quarter hin of wine”. • The pairing teaches that worship involves both what is consumed on the altar and what is poured out beside it—complete devotion, not partial. Paul borrows the image in Philippians 2:17, “I am being poured out like a drink offering,” indicating a life gladly expended for God. • Drink offerings, consisting of joy-producing wine (Psalm 104:15), underscore that obedience is meant to be glad, not grim. Joel 1:9 warns that when “grain and drink offerings are withheld,” joy dries up—an implicit call to keep the libation flowing in worship today as well. In addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering • The Feast of Weeks offerings in Numbers 28 never replace the daily rhythm of worship. Numbers 28:3–4 outlines that rhythm: “two unblemished year-old male lambs each day, offered morning and evening”. • God’s word stresses “in addition,” showing that special celebrations build on, rather than cancel, steady faithfulness. The same pattern appears in Leviticus 23:18, where festival animals are presented “together with their grain offerings and drink offerings.” • Our own spiritual disciplines mirror this layering principle: special retreats, conferences, or outreach efforts add richness, but they cannot substitute for the regular “morning and evening” walk with the Lord (compare Luke 9:23—“take up his cross daily”). • The combined scent of regular and additional sacrifices rises as “a pleasing aroma to the LORD” (Leviticus 23:18). Likewise, Romans 12:1 urges believers to present their lives as an ongoing, pleasing sacrifice, then build every extra act of service on that foundation. The animals must be unblemished • Perfection is non-negotiable: “You must not present anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf” (Leviticus 22:20). Even a festive atmosphere cannot excuse cutting corners. • Malachi 1:13 rebukes those who offer the lame and sick; God still expects excellence, not leftovers. • The requirement ultimately points to Christ: “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19). Hebrews 9:14 adds that He “offered Himself unblemished to God.” Every flawless animal in Numbers 28 foreshadows the flawless Savior. • For believers, the call to be “blameless and pure” (Philippians 2:15) flows from being united to that perfect Lamb. In practice, this means examining motives, confessing sin quickly, and seeking integrity in every offering of time, talent, or treasure. summary Numbers 28:31 weaves three strands—drink offering, continual offering, flawless offering—into a single cord of wholehearted worship. God invites His people to pour out joy alongside obedience, to add extra devotion without neglecting daily faithfulness, and to pursue excellence that reflects the spotless Lamb. Living this way today turns every ordinary moment and every special occasion into a fragrant, God-honoring sacrifice. |
    |