IN DUE SEASON. Numbers 28 There were appointed times when God wanted His people to share with Him what was most important to Him. Our Lord Jesus Christ has always been, and always will be, the delight of His heart. In this chapter and the next, the Lord describes the priestly responsibility and privilege of fellowship with Him. In Leviticus, the same offerings are outlined, along with the reasons for them as they applied to the children of Israel as a whole.
Here, in the priestly context, God describes how offerings should be made at the appropriate times. This is very important to us because He refers to these offerings as "My offering... My bread... My sacrifice... a sweet savor unto Me." God is leading us to the time and place where we share with Him what the Lord Jesus Christ is to the Holy and Righteous God. In a Christian's life, ceremonies and ceremonial cleansing are not enough in our relationship with Him. We are called to go much further than that. Unfortunately, many professing Christians are content with the forms and symbols rather than with the Lord Himself.
To help the children of Israel understand what mattered to God, the priests offered two burnt offerings each day—one in the morning and one in the evening. This ensured a continuous aroma rising to God, day and night. Every twelve hours, a perfect lamb was sacrificed, along with about two quarts of grain mixed with one quart of olive oil and one quart of wine, presented to the Lord. This served as a constant prophetic reminder to God's people of what our Lord Jesus Christ signifies to God. As the first light appeared in the east, the sweet-savor offering was made.
It is important for God's people today to start each day by focusing on the significance of Christ's person and work to God. "In Him, we live and move and have our being." "Our life is hidden with Christ in God." "Christ, who is our life..." At the end of each day's activities, we should remember the value of the One who is our Mediator and Advocate with the Father, and understand why we have a relationship with God. Daily reflection on what Christ means to God helps us appreciate what He means to us and guides us on how to behave on holy ground.
The importance of what Christ has done for us becomes truly clear when we understand what God perceives in Him and His achievements. While the sin offering is mentioned thirteen times in Numbers 28 and 29, the focus remains on the sweet-savor offerings, which are referenced fifty-eight times. The burnt offering reminds us of what enables God to show mercy and grace to us initially. He is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." God's joy in the Perfect Man, Christ Jesus, is something we should reflect on daily. Additionally, this priestly exercise extended to weekly, monthly, and yearly observances that highlight the value God places on our Savior.
The weekly burnt offering was made on the Sabbath, probably around midday. It would be evident in the extra smoke seen beyond the daily burnt offering. The weekly offering was twice the size of the daily one. We need to think about God's plans for His Son every day, but there is something special about the weekly remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ that makes an even greater impact on our souls and spirits. Moral, ethical, and spiritual purity are required when we worship our God in "the beauty of holiness." The Sabbath served as a reminder of the Creator and His creation, as well as of the Redeemer and His redemption.
In the Middle East, at that time, Israel was about to enter the promised land. The monthly cycle of the moon drew people to worship not only the moon and sun but also some stars such as Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, and other planets. These were revered because of the monthly cycle of nature. The monthly burnt offering was made on the first day of each month and included two bullocks, a ram, seven lambs, and larger portions of grain, oil, and wine.
This would remind God's people, as they saw the great clouds of smoke rising, of His superiority and what pleased Him most—above all the ideas and imaginations people held about themselves and their gods. In every offering made, there was never allowance for shortages or imperfections; they had to meet God's standards. Whether in abundance or famine, the Lord remains unchanged. God is eternal in every part of His being. The greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ far surpasses any forms of worship and praise people might offer when they gather weekly, monthly, or yearly. "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever."
There were also special days of remembrance. There were days of convocations when God's people gathered to remind themselves in fellowship with others from different places of what God saw in the sweet-savor sacrifices. We have our daily personal thoughts of our Savior as we worship the Lord. When we come together weekly with others who know us well, sharing in our worship further opens our minds and hearts to the effects of God's grace toward us.
As months and seasons change, we see how much we have compared to others who try in their own way to connect meaningfully with God. Our access to Him depends on solid faith in what delights Him - not on anything we or others might do. There are times when God's people meet annually at conferences, listen to His word preached, sing hymns of praise and worship, and pray together - and that fellowship is rooted in our common interest - our Lord Jesus Christ.
When God gives us the privilege of sharing with Him the delight He takes in His Son, our joy deepens, and more and more, our Lord becomes the focus and theme of our lives. During times of discouragement, He is the One who lifts up our head. When we feel despair because of failure, He is the Restorer of life who sustains us and offers us a new beginning. In moments of dullness caused by weariness, He is the Light that guides us. When we are restless, He is our Peace. When we are aimless, He is our Goal. When we are weak, He is our Strength. When we face trials, He is our Victory. During spiritual warfare, He is the Captain of our Salvation. When we are hungry, He is our Bread. When we thirst, He is our Life-giving Refreshment. When we are burdened, He is our Burden-Bearer. When we are distracted, He is our Occupation.
The Passover was the first and most important day of the Feasts of Jehovah. Understanding what sacrifice meant to God could turn a mere act into genuine worship and fellowship with Him. Fifty days later, the Feast of First Fruits occurred, and the Lord received from His people clear evidence of what the sacrifice meant to them. Offering our worship is our deepest way to participate with God in the holy things that bring joy to His heart.
True worship of God doesn’t happen by chance. It requires a prepared mind and heart because you can’t speak to God sincerely with a casual attitude. True worship begins when our focus is on the cross. To offer worship, praise, and offerings that are acceptable to God, I must think carefully and prepare what is right. Giving God something that is wrong or of the flesh is not a true sacrifice in His sight.
In Israel, two lambs were offered each day, one in the morning and one at night. Every day of the year, as they passed, two lambs were prepared well in advance. They had to be the right age and the right type, lest the sacrifice itself be a trespass against God. As the smoke of the offering ascended high, the people of God could all see that the sacrifice had been made. In the early morning, God is worthy of praise, and at twilight, our worship should also be given to our Lord Jesus Christ from grateful hearts.
On special days like conference gatherings, we should bring our offerings of thanksgiving, adoration, and praise as we join voices and hearts in unity. On the first of the month, as individuals, we should remember His blessings and offer spiritual songs and hymns of praise. The key to all this is the preparation we make by reviewing all God gives us from His fullness on our way to our heavenly promised land. When we come on the Lord’s Day morning to worship and remember our Lord, we must come prepared. In our “baskets” of prepared thoughts and words, we take them to be joined with those of the other believers present and offer the contents to our Lord on that day.
The process repeats again and again, marked by God’s unending grace. The worship of God will never be fully finished, not even when we see Him face to face, for the God who has led us, fed us, and loved us is worthy of all glory and praise forever and ever. Each day, week, and month, the saints in the chorus, even those in heaven, praise Him and will praise Him for endless days.