Wilderness Numbers 15

Cake - heave offering

Numbers 15:20 "Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave-offering: as ye do the heave-offering of the threshing floor, so shall ye heave it."

This refers to when the children of Israel come into the promised land. It is more or less back to school for Israel. They came to the door of Canaan and faltered, so it is back to the wilderness until that generation that rebelled is dead.

I find this cake as a celebration. Like when we have family over and a cake is made. So it is that in the future (now) for Israel that they will offer a cake to the Lord in their first harvest.

There is no doubt that Israel will arrive in Canaan, but it will be a new generation that is taught the law and will enter the promised land.

Ignorance sin

Numbers 15:24 "Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the Lord, with his meat-offering, and his drink-offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin-offering. v25 And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance:.........."

The Lord is ever ready to forgive. It may be that someone growing up who has not been there since Mount Sinai was not taught all the details of the law and so committed some sin not knowing that it was sin. So a provision is made for them.

To help them remember it is also commanded that they sew a blue fringe in the hem of their garments to remind them to obey the commandments of the Lord.

v40 "That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God."

Sticks

There is a story tucked into this chapter that shows the sternness of the law and makes me glad that I am under grace instead of the law. A man was caught picking up sticks on the sabbath and was brought forward for his sin. It was determined that under the law he was to die and so was stoned by all the people. It was a punishment for the man but also a lesson for the people that the law was to be obeyed. v32-36

It contrast with grace as shown in the New Testament when the disciples of Jesus plucked corn on the sabbath.

Matthew 12:8 "For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day."

Jesus was the law giver and the fulfilment of the law. It seems perfectly just to me that the disciples would be allowed to eat if they were hungry when the Lord of the sabbath was present and did not object.

Grace is indeed better that the law.

Galatians 3:10 "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. v11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident, for The just shall live by faith. v12 And the law is not of faith: but The man that doeth them shall live in them. v13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."

So we go back to the idea that the law is our schoolmaster. To teach us that man is sinful and needs a Savior. As we study these Old Testament books it becomes evident that the offerings gave forgiveness but did not change the heart of the people. It is only in Christ and the Spirit living inside that can change a person so that they desire to do God's will.

Psalm 86:1 "Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy."

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