Chapter 15 Provision Made For Their Walk Before Yahweh: offerings and sacrifices.
In this chapter provision is made for the marking off of Israel as Yahweh's and how sins, both deliberate and unwitting, are to be dealt with.
1). Marking Israel as His and Calling For A Commitment To Keep His Commandments (Numbers 15:1-41).
As we have suggested, the first of God's four provisions for the future lay in a call to walk before Him. This would include a) offering to Him offerings and sacrifices of continual dedication to Him for dedication and atonement, b) offering continually purification for sin offerings for the removal of sin, c) avoiding presumptuous sin, and d) the wearing of what would be a continual reminder of the need to keep His commandments by having tassels on the fringes of their garments. We must now look at these one by one.
These also are presented in a chiastic manner..
a Offerings to Yahweh - a commitment to keeping His commandments (Numbers 15:1-16).
b Dealing with unwitting sin (Numbers 15:17-31).
b Dealing with presumptuous sin (Numbers 15:32-36).
a Tassels on the fringes of their garments - a commitment to keeping His commandments (Numbers 15:37-41).
We shall consider them one by one.
i). Offerings and Sacrifices to Yahweh.
‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,'
Again it is emphasised that we have here words spoken by Yahweh to Moses.
“ Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When you are come into the land of your habitations, which I am giving to you,”
Dismissing the wilderness generation and the period in the wilderness almost without a further glance (although see Numbers 16-17) Yahweh now gave instruction to the future generation for when they entered the land and established their habitations, in the land which He was giving them, thus confirming that they would eventually do so. They were then to offer to Yahweh regular offerings of dedication and atonement, both individually and as a nation. The emphasis here is on the grain and drink offerings which would gain in prominence once they were farming their own land and growing their own vineyards. They would no longer be just ‘shepherds' (Numbers 14:33).
“ And will make an offering by fire to Yahweh, a whole burnt offering, or a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or as a freewill-offering, or in your set feasts, to make a pleasing odour to Yahweh, of the herd, or of the flock, then shall he who offers his oblation offer to Yahweh a grain offering of a tenth part of an ephah of milled wheat grain mingled with the fourth part of a hin of oil,”
An offering by fire was one that brought a pleasing odour to Yahweh by being offered up on the altar. In the case of the whole burnt offering it was wholly offered up, an indication of total dedication and desire for atonement, a being made ‘at one' with Him. For details see Leviticus 1. In the case of peace (wellbeing) offerings they were also to foster fellowship with Yahweh by eating before Him. For details see Leviticus 3; Leviticus 7:11-21; Leviticus 7:29-36.
Whole burnt offerings were offered daily in the morning and evening sacrifices (Numbers 28:3-8; Exodus 29:38-42), and they were offered at set feasts. The most vital one of the year was made at the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). They could also be offered individually for the whole congregation, for priests and for the different levels of society as an act of free worship (Leviticus 1). They were a continual recommitment to Yahweh; to Him, to His covenant and to His commandments.
Of the grain offerings that went with them a portion was burned on the altar and the remainder belonged to the priests. The only exception was of a grain offering made by the priest (Leviticus 6:23). What belonged to the priests was ‘most holy'. It could only be partaken of by them.
The peace offerings were also offered at set feasts. Their main purpose was of thanksgiving, but they could also be either in order to accomplish a vow, or given as a freewill offering of love and worship, although again containing an element of atonement. In all cases they were a bringing to Him of tribute and acknowledgement of His Overlordship.
Both types of offering, whole burnt offerings and peace offerings, were to be accompanied by a grain offering mingled with oil. This is described in Leviticus 2. While all the animal offerings reflected gratitude for what God had given them, and continued to give them as more and more were born, the grain offering would also include an element of gratitude for the rain and an offering of their labour to Yahweh as revealed in the grain offering. Much work had been necessary in order to produce milled grain. See our commentary on Leviticus 2. Little of such could take place in the wilderness as they moved around, but once they were settled in the land it would involve a large part of their lives.
While the grain offering was equally as prominent in Leviticus as the other offerings, little was said about the quantity of grain that should be offered. But once they were in the land it was to be measured and multiplied at every offering and sacrifice. This would be because grain was then so plentiful because of Yahweh's goodness towards them. No better indication of future prosperity could be given.
“ And wine for the drink offering, the fourth part of a hin, shall you prepare with the whole burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.”
With the grain offering should also be offered wine for a drink offering which should accompany each offering or sacrifice. The redness of the wine was probably seen as symbolising blood, and the wine itself part of that provision by God for which they were showing gratitude. From Exodus 30:9 it is clear that it was poured on the altar in some way, but we have no further details. This made clear that in days to come they would have vineyards overflowing with grapes.
“ Or for a ram, you shall prepare for a grain offering two tenth parts of an ephah of milled wheat grain mingled with the third part of a hin of oil, and for the drink offering you shall offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a pleasing odour to Yahweh.”
Where, however, a ram was offered, in the case of set feasts where it was laid down as the requirement, and in the case of the individual offering either as laid down or by choice, then the grain and drink offerings had to be larger as befitted the offering.
“ And when you prepare an ox bull for a whole burnt offering, or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace-offerings to Yahweh, then shall he offer with the ox bull a grain offering of three tenth parts of an ephah of milled wheat grain mingled with half a hin of oil. And you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a pleasing odour to Yahweh.”
When the offering was an ox bull the grain offering and drink offering had to be twice as large, as befitted such an offering. This multiplication of the grain and drink offering stresses the prosperity that would be theirs in the land.
“ Thus shall it be done for each ox bull, or for each ram, or for each of the he-lambs, or of the kids. According to the number that you shall prepare, so shall you do to every one according to their number.”
And these grain and drink offerings as prescribed were to be offered with each animal offering. This would become possible because the land would become theirs.
“ All who are homeborn shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a pleasing odour to Yahweh.”
This practise was to be carried out by all who were homeborn. They were to make their offerings by fire as a pleasing odour to Yahweh, and with them they were to offer their grain and their wine for they would enjoy prosperity in the land.
“ And if a stranger temporarily resides with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a pleasing odour to Yahweh; as you do, so he shall do.”
And any foreigner or resident alien who came among them could also make offerings to Yahweh. And they too would offer in the same way as the homeborn.
“ For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you, and for the stranger who resides temporarily among you, a statute for ever throughout your generations. As you are, so shall the resident alien be before Yahweh. One law and one ordinance shall be for you, and for the stranger who resides temporarily with you.”
All were to be equal in their offerings, both homeborn and foreigner. All would be welcome to worship Him. All were to operate under the same law following the same practise. In the new land worship of Yahweh would be available to all.