[Numbers 28] Partaking of the Continual Sacrifice. In this passage, instructions are given regarding the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly sacrifices connected with consecration and forgiveness of sins. The morning sacrifice was performed with a specific orientation to the rising sun and the tribe of Judah. The entire encampment was a proclamation of the gospel in type and shadow.
[Num 28:1-31 KJV] 1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, [and] my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, [for] a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season. 3 And thou shalt say unto them, This [is] the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, [for] a continual burnt offering. 4 The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even; 5 And a tenth [part] of an ephah of flour for a meat offering, mingled with the fourth [part] of an hin of beaten oil. 6 [It is] a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD. 7 And the drink offering thereof [shall be] the fourth [part] of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy [place] shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the LORD [for] a drink offering. 8 And the other lamb shalt thou offer at even: as the meat offering of the morning, and as the drink offering thereof, thou shalt offer [it], a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. 9 And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour [for] a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof: 10 [This is] the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering. 11 And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot; 12 And three tenth deals of flour [for] a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth deals of flour [for] a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one ram; 13 And a several tenth deal of flour mingled with oil [for] a meat offering unto one lamb; [for] a burnt offering of a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD. 14 And their drink offerings shall be half an hin of wine unto a bullock, and the third [part] of an hin unto a ram, and a fourth [part] of an hin unto a lamb: this [is] the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year. 15 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the LORD shall be offered, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering. 16 And in the fourteenth day of the first month [is] the passover of the LORD. 17 And in the fifteenth day of this month [is] the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. 18 In the first day [shall be] an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work [therein]: 19 But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire [for] a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall be unto you without blemish: 20 And their meat offering [shall be of] flour mingled with oil: three tenth deals shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram; 21 A several tenth deal shalt thou offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs: 22 And one goat [for] a sin offering, to make an atonement for you. 23 Ye shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning, which [is] for a continual burnt offering. 24 After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: it shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering. 25 And on the seventh day ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work. 26 Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks [be out], ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: 27 But ye shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD; two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year; 28 And their meat offering of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto one bullock, two tenth deals unto one ram, 29 A several tenth deal unto one lamb, throughout the seven lambs; 30 [And] one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you. 31 Ye shall offer [them] beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, (they shall be unto you without blemish) and their drink offerings.
We begin in this chapter with a reiteration of laws concerning daily sacrifices. In this instance, there were two daily sacrifices called for. One sacrifice was made in the morning facing the west and a second offering facing the east in the evening. In both cases, the sun would be coming resting over the shoulder of the officiating priest, underscoring the impression that God (who is light – 1 John 1:27) is our rearguard or protection as declared in Isaiah 58:8:
Isa. 58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
An observant Jew would read this passage and immediately make the connection with the morning and evening sacrifice. Suppose you compare the solar orientation of these sacrifices with Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of God and the living creatures. In that case, it is possible to correlate the north, south, east and west positioning with the faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle.
[Eze 1:10 KJV] 10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
When a priest would make the morning sacrifice, the tribe of Judah was at his back with the rising sun coming over his shoulder. As the lamb died, the sun rose. The sun, in this case, represents God, and specifically the Messiah. Peter, in his first epistle called Jesus the Dayspring arising in our hearts:
[2Pe 1:19 KJV] 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
This is also a type prefiguring Matthew 6:33 “seek first the kingdom and all things will be added…” The western direction is connected with Ephraim and Ezekiel’s vision of the ox, which is a type of the servant of God. Ephraim was required to fight battles that were not their own in order to gain their own inheritance. The ox is the servant of God. As you embrace the servant mentality, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah rises to defend you and protect you and light your path. Seek first the kingdom, and all things will be added.
In v. 4, we see reference to the morning sacrifice and the evening sacrifice. These morning and evening offerings were burnt offerings, not sin offerings. The burnt offering is a consecration offering. God does not want you walking out a sin consciousness; he wants you to walk in a consecration consciousness. These offerings consisted of the following ingredients:
1. 10th part of an Ephah – 10 is a number connected with testing.
2. 4th part of a Hin of Beaten Oil – 4 is a number of dominion.
3. Strong wine (v. 7) poured on the offering speaks of the vintage of the Spirit of God, bringing us up from death and destruction.
These offerings were described in v. 6 as a sweet savor to the Lord. What does the term “sweet savor” mean? It indicates that He is satisfied with the sacrifice. Nothing more needs to be added. He is satisfied with what Jesus has done for us, and we need not add our religious performance to our petitions in order to get an answer or receive His favor.
On the sabbath day, the same morning and evening sacrifices were to be made but with doubled portions. Isa. 40:2 connects the idea of doubling with comfort and forgiveness:
[Isa 40:1-2 KJV] 1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.
The double here is the idea of sins written out on parchment and folded in half to cover them. Hence the idea of the double is also connected with the idea of covering.
In v. 11, we find that there were monthly sacrifices in addition to daily and weekly sacrifices. The monthly sacrifices were calculated with a lunar calendar. Revelations 12 gives a vision of a woman clothed with the sun and her feet on the moon. The moon represents the church because it reflects the glory of the sun, which represents Christ. The last part of this sacrifice was that of a goat, which is almost always connected to the sin offering. This has to do with sins of ignorance. In other places, the sin or goat offering was always associated with specific trespass. You knew what you did wrong, and you brought the goat to atone for that act. In this case, there is no particular act mentioned, but rather it is a covering act of atonement that says even sins that we are not aware of through ignorance or immaturity are covering by the continual sacrifice of Christ, which brings the grace of God over our lives.
In v. 16, we have the mention of the Passover on the 14th day of the first month. The number fourteen is also a double number of 2 x 7, which speaks of double portion perfection. It says to us that Jesus is the perfect atonement for sin and that his perfection doubles for us or covers us. This feast is a three-part feast:
Nisan 14: Passover
(Jesus is our Passover lamb; God sees Jesus and forbears judgment)
Nisan 15-21: Unleavened Bread
(Jesus is the perfect and sinless fully human yet untainted by Adamic sin)
Nisan 16 First Fruits (Barley harvest)
(Jesus is the first fruits from the dead, the firstborn of many brethren)
When Jesus came out of the grave, the high priest in the temple at that very moment was waving the wave offering of firstfruits before the Lord indicating in shadow what Jesus represented in substance being as Paul declares in 1 Cor. 15:20 and Col. 1:18.
These offerings are described in details, and the final verse of the chapter dictates that these offerings for sin and celebration of Passover are to be made while the ongoing continual daily offerings were not to be interrupted as an observance every morning and every evening of continual burnt offering, consecration offerings we make symbolizing our consecration and devotion to God.
