Numbers 28 // An interactive faith

“1 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘Be sure to present to Me at its appointed time My offering and My food as My fire offering, a pleasing aroma to Me.’ 3 And say to them: ‘This is the fire offering you are to present to the Lord:

Each day present two unblemished year- old male lambs as a regular burnt offering. 4 Offer one lamb in the morning and the other lamb at twilight, 5 along with two quarts of fine flour for a grain offering mixed with a quart of olive oil from crushed olives.’ 6 It is a regular burnt offering established at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the Lord.””
Numbers 28:1-6

And along with these daily sacrifices, there was a double sacrifice for each Sabbath, and then monthly offerings as well. In total, each month would see about 75 lambs, two young bulls and a ram, in addition to all the drink and grain offerings. This does not include the possibility of a festival or holy day during that month, which would then increase the work of the priests and the people depending on what is to be done. Every day, every weekend and every month there was a constant line of sacrifices going through the tabernacle, a constant aroma of incense and burnt offerings, trumpets, prayers and songs, all being offered up to God as part of the worship His people would give Him.

And this wasn’t a dull, dusty, ritualistic, just-because-you-have-to type of faith. No. God set this all up to first bring honor and glory to Himself because He is worthy, but He also did this so we would have a way to interact with Him, to fulfill that primary component of our humanity, which is to worship Him with every facet of our being. There were always going to be daily, weekly and monthly opportunities to lift God up in praise. There were always going to be times of extra worship, celebration and somber remembrance.

God has blessed us with a faith that goes with us daily, that is always wafting around us, like the smoke in the Israelite camp. Little whiffs, aromas, that remind us of Him all throughout the day. A rhythm of worship, sacrifice, prayer, praise and His love, established to make that all important connection between the Maker and the made, the Shepherd and His sheep.
Again, every moment of it is meant for His glory, and is intended to be worship for Him. It -is- all about Him, after all. We benefit from this because this is what we were made for, and so our hearts find fulfillment, deep, lasting fulfillment, in worship.

As we GoLove others in the Name of Jesus, our lives should be a reflection of our acknowledgement that this is indeed our purpose. We should live lives of worship, praise, prayer, sacrifice, and all done in love of the One who first loved us. That sacrificial life is a clarion call above the pride and selfishness of the world, and the sinful behavior of mankind. We have been made for something far greater, and we will never find fulfillment until we find it in worship of our Great King, Jesus.

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