Slices
Prepare
‘Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly profess his name’ (Hebrews 13:15).
Bible passage
The Passover
16 ‘“On the fourteenth day of the first month the Lord’s Passover is to be held. 17 On the fifteenth day of this month there is to be a festival; for seven days eat bread made without yeast. 18 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do not do any of your ordinary work. 19 Present to the Lord a food offering consisting of a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. 20 With each bull offer a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, one-fifth; 21 and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. 22 Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. 23 Offer these in addition to the regular morning burnt offering. 24 In this way present the food offering every day for seven days as an aroma pleasing to the Lord; it is to be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. 25 On the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do not do any ordinary work.
The Festival of Weeks
26 ‘“On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the Lord an offering of new grain during the Festival of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do not do any of your ordinary work. 27 Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 28 With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, one-fifth; 29 and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. 30 Include one male goat to make atonement for you. 31 Offer these together with their drink offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Be sure the animals are without defect.
Explore
Unless we come from a culture that is familiar with animal sacrifice, chapters like this can seem very alien. Besides, we know that ‘It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins’ (Hebrews 10:4). What are we to make of all this? A helpful clue is found in Numbers 2. This details the formation of the tribes in their camps and journeys. They move in formation around the Tent of Meeting. Their whole life is to be organised around God’s holy presence.
This chapter demonstrates amazing commitment, rigour, and discipline in Israel’s approach to worship. It requires not only the sacrifice of animals but also of time. Israel’s year is punctuated by special days like the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, and special weeks such as the Feast of Tabernacles. These feasts, still celebrated by Jews today, require preparation and commitment. They are also times of great joy.
This makes me reflect on my own approach to worship. Am I too casual? Do I have a rhythm of prayer and worship through each week and through the year? When I go to church to worship, have I spent any time preparing myself? Do I actually need to become more organised around the holy presence of God?
Respond
King David refused to offer to God something that cost him nothing (1 Chronicles 21:24). What about me?
Deeper Bible study
Sing or pray: ‘Take my life, and let it be / consecrated, Lord, to thee; / Take my moments and my days, / Let them flow in ceaseless praise.’1
In Sri Lanka we have 25 annual public holidays. I considered this a record until I discovered that Cambodia has 28! Ancient Israel had even more. The various feasts described in Numbers 28 and 29 (not counting the weekly Sabbaths) add up to a whole month of holidays! These were not just holidays, however, they were also holy days. The ‘appointed’ times for sacrificial offerings (v 2) were spiritual punctuation marks in Israel’s calendar. The daily sacrifices (vs 3–8), like commas, were brief but deliberate pauses in their day, whereas the weekly Sabbaths (vs 9,10) were longer and more intentional breaks, like semi-colons! The annual feasts were decisive full stops, with all regular work coming to a grinding halt. This wasn’t so workers could indulge in a lazy holiday but so worshippers could observe a holy day by holding ‘a sacred assembly’ (vs 18,25,26). These annual feasts were divinely appointed, imposing obligations on the people. They were also divine appointments – occasions for deeper encounters with God and opportunities to delight him with their offerings. These were not just solemn feasts but joyous ‘festivals’ (see vs 17,26), exclamation points to mark momentous events!
The Passover, for instance, is both ‘a reminder of past salvation and a symbol of perpetual deliverance’:2 it provoked thanksgiving and hope. While pointing forwards to the ultimate Passover Lamb,3 it also had crucial implications for the present: ‘This observance will be for you like … a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips.’4 Not only must we reinject holiness into our holidays, we must also punctuate each day with pause points where we reflect on and respond to God’s moment-by-moment presence in our lives.
‘I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.’5
1 Frances Havergal, 1836–79, ‘Take my Life’ 2 Brown, The Message of Numbers, IVP, 2002, p260 3 1 Cor 5:7 4 Exod 13:9 5 Matt 11:28,29, The Message
Deeper Bible study
Read the Bible in a year: Proverbs 29,30; 2 Thessalonians 1
Pray for Scripture Union
Thank God for his continued financial provision and pray that we may steward wisely the resources that he has given us so that God’s name may be glorified through the ministry of Scripture Union.
