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A. Concerning the Offerings

In 15:1-31 we have the ordinances concerning the offerings.

1. To Be Applied in the Good Land

The ordinances concerning the offerings were to be applied in the good land (vv. 2, 18). Once the people entered the land, they were to keep these ordinances.

2. For a Special Vow or as a Freewill
Offering or at the Appointed Feasts,
to Offer a Satisfying Fragrance to God

Some offerings were for a special vow or as freewill offerings, and some offerings were offered at the appointed feasts as a satisfying fragrance to God. According to the instructions given in Exodus and Leviticus, God commanded that at the appointed feasts more offerings be offered to Him. Numbers 15 speaks of only a few of these offerings that were "a satisfying fragrance to Jehovah" (v. 3).

a. Offering from the Herd
or from the Flock as an Offering
by Fire or a Burnt Offering or a Peace Sacrifice

Verses 3 and 8 speak of the burnt offering and the peace offering. The burnt offering signifies a life that lives for God and to God for His satisfaction. The peace offering is for our fellowship with God, issuing in mutual enjoyment. To offer these two offerings is to offer the crucified Christ, Christ in His death.

b. With a Meal Offering
of Fine Flour Mingled with Oil

The meal offering matches the burnt offering and the peace offering. Whenever we offer a burnt offering or a peace offering, we need to match this offering with a meal offering of fine flour mingled with oil (v. 4). Such a meal offering signifies Christ in His humanity mingled with the Holy Spirit to be the food of God and man. What we offer to God as a meal offering becomes food not only for God but also for us.

c. With Wine for a Drink Offering

The wine for a drink offering is an additional matching offering (v. 5). The drink offering signifies Christ pouring Himself out for God's pleasure. Christ has poured Himself out as wine to make God happy.

All these offerings are types of Christ. Daily we need to take such a Christ as our offerings and offer Him for a satisfying fragrance to God.

d. The Same Statute and Ordinance Being
for All the People of Israel and the Sojourning
Strangers and the Heathens among the People of Israel

The same statute and ordinance were for all the people of Israel and the sojourning strangers and the heathen among the people of Israel (vv. 13-16). This signifies that all the heathens and strangers share Christ in the same way as the people of Israel (Eph. 2:12-19; 3:6).


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Life-Study of Numbers   pg 82