July 26, 2019
Hitting a Good Rhythm
Numbers 29
Adam Gaspar
Central Truth
God is honored when we consistently turn to Him in faith during the ordinary times and by the sacrifices we make to keep Him as our central focus.
Key Verse | Numbers 29:1-2
“On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish."
Numbers 29
Offerings for the Feast of Trumpets
1 On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, 2 and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; 3 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah 1 29:3 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters for the bull, two tenths for the ram, 4 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs; 5 with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you; 6 besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offering, according to the rule for them, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.
Offerings for the Day of Atonement
7 On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and afflict yourselves. 2 29:7 Or and fast You shall do no work, 8 but you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old: see that they are without blemish. 9 And their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the one ram, 10 a tenth for each of the seven lambs: 11 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the sin offering of atonement, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.
Offerings for the Feast of Booths
12 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the LORD seven days. 13 And you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD, thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish; 14 and their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams, 15 and a tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; 16 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.
17 On the second day twelve bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 18 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 19 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.
20 On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 21 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 22 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
23 On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 24 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 25 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.
26 On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 27 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 28 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
29 On the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 30 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 31 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offerings.
32 On the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 33 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 34 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
35 On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall not do any ordinary work, 36 but you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish, 37 and the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 38 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
39 These you shall offer to the LORD at your appointed feasts, in addition to your vow offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.”
40 3 29:40 Ch 30:1 in Hebrew So Moses told the people of Israel everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Dive Deeper | Numbers 29
I realize that it has been several months, but did you make any New Year's Resolutions? Was it perhaps losing a few pounds, reading the Bible more often, spending more time with family, or achieving a goal for work? I know I am thankful for grace when I have not followed through on some of these, but I am glad when I press through and succeed at others.
Here in Numbers 29, we read what the Israelites did for their New Year or Rosh Hashanah as it was later called. They start out with a blast of trumpets and a few sacrifices. They continue on throughout the month with other celebrations and sacrifices—all of which are to be pleasing to the Lord. As you continue to read this chapter, nearby context, and related passages from Moses, you get a sense of rhythm. The Israelite calendar, when they enter the Promised Land, will be quite full of meaningful events in which the cost of sin is displayed prominently in front of the people's eyes, ears, noses, and hands, as well as opportunities for rejoicing in God's provision for them, now and later.
If you are like me, this breeds thankfulness for the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all unrighteousness in a way that animals never could (1 John 1:7; Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 9:12-14; 1 Peter 1:18-19). However, note that God saw fit to give His people a rhythm to keep the focus on Him throughout the year, both for the individual and the community of faith, via significant habits and routines.
We have a great opportunity to be intentional in making the Lord our focus throughout the year by setting up habits and routines. They may not be big and flashy, but being consistent in our "ordinary" days, of which there are many, is extremely valuable as a common means by which the Spirit can form a Christlike attitude in us over time. In fact, it is commonly the case that these patterns of regular sacrifice help make our obedience more likely in the future.
Discussion Questions
1. There are plenty of routines and habits available that we can develop. Have you made Scripture reading and prayer a consistent habit?
2. In 2,000 years of church history, there are some good examples of creative and effective ways to punctuate the day and year for the purpose of reorienting our lives to focus on our relationship with God. How could you incorporate some of these methods into your life to keep you focused on Christ?
3. Who is someone that you can talk to for feedback concerning any preexisting rhythms in your life? Also, who can help you dream up creative practices to reshape what fills your normal days in God-honoring ways?
4. Do you recognize that God is interested in your day-to-day life and in the way you structure time in your lifestyle for your good and His glory?
5. What regular sacrifices could you or do you make that please God?