And in the beginnings of your months ye shall present a burnt-offering to Jehovah two young bullocks, and one ram, seven yearling lambs without blemish.
The chapter moves outward in three steps: what was offered daily, what was added weekly, and now what came at the start of each month. This monthly offering is the largest of the three. Why does a new month call for more, and what does each animal stand for?
The chapter works like a calendar before it reaches the yearly feasts. This verse opens its third stage.
First of all you have the general arrangement of what was to be daily (Num. 28:3-8), weekly (Num. 28:9-10), and monthly (Num. 28:11-15). And then come the seven annual feasts of which the passover was the first.
The words "at the beginnings of your months" point to the new moon. One commentator notes that this command appears nowhere else in the first five books of the Bible.
This belongs to Numbers alone; no other book of the first five contains it. The reason seems to be that it is closely bound up with the wilderness pictures of Israel — their experiences and changes as a people on earth. "At the beginnings of your months," that is, at the new moon, when the light that had faded shone out again. Such a picture in no way fits the church, which is called during Israel's darkness, after the light faded and before it shines again.
Commentators differ on how far the picture reaches. Kelly keeps it to Israel. Another writer widens it, because the moon's light is only the sun's light falling on her.
The light of the moon reappears — that is, the light of the sun shines on her again. In the seventh month we find this linked with the feast of trumpets, Israel's recall into the light of God, when the full time of her blessing has come. Of course the church as such cannot be said to be recalled into the light; yet the people in her, and above all the Gentile who had fallen away from God, are now brought back. What is more, her history has shown how dependent she is on God for reviving grace. Like Israel's, it is a record of falling back into darkness over and over, and of revivals through His sovereign goodness, again and again. For each of us too, how deeply we are in debt to God for constant renewal!
The bull, the ram and the lambs are not interchangeable. Each stands for something different, and the numbers matter too.
The bull here presents Christ offered to God in the fullest way, with the thought of energy in devotedness to God, and it does so in the full testimony that "two" stands for. I take the sheep, or the lower forms, to show Christ valued in a smaller measure. The bull is the fullest appreciation of Christ. Those who had despised Him so long will now own Him with all the more warmth because they once slighted Him. The Lord kindly takes notice of this. The ram pictures Christ as an offering of consecration to God; here it is only a weak testimony — "one ram." The "seven lambs" mean the completeness of the pleasing aroma of Christ before God.
If the new moon is God reviving the light, the offering is what comes back the other way. The offering does not stop at what pleases God — a goat for sin comes with it.
So when the testimony is renewed, when God revives the light that produces it — and this is the first feast mentioned here — man's answer is simple and perfect. There are two bulls, just as there were two lambs on the sabbath day. That is the full and complete testimony to man's devotedness, for two made a testimony valid. The ram of consecration is the full estimate of the sacrifice of Christ. Man is still down here, and sin is not out of the question, so the goat was added as an offering for sin.
The flour offered with each animal was not left to choice. It was fixed in a set ratio, and the ratio itself teaches something.
These offerings go with us through the whole double series. The only change is in the number of the first three animals, and the grain offering that goes with them keeps a fixed proportion: one tenth of an ephah of flour for a lamb, two tenths for a ram, three for a bull. So our grasp of Christ's person grows along with our grasp of His work, if that grasp is real.
- Rhythm — The offerings come daily, then weekly, then monthly, and only later yearly. This verse opens the monthly stage.
- Renewal — The new moon is light returning after it faded. It pictures a people recalled into the light of God, kept there by reviving grace.
- Response — Renewed light draws out worship. Two bulls give full testimony to devotedness, the ram speaks of consecration, and the seven lambs of completeness.
- Realism — Man is still on earth, and sin is still an issue, so a goat for sin joins the offerings that please God.
- Ratio — The flour rises with the animal: a larger view of Christ's work goes with a larger grasp of His person.
And three tenth parts of fine flour as an oblation, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth parts of fine flour as an oblation, mingled with oil, for the ram;
Every animal offered at the new moon came with its own measure of fine flour mixed with oil. A bull took three tenths of an ephah, a ram two. Why does the flour rise with the animal? And what did flour and oil say to Israel?
The grain offering never stood alone. A rule tied it to the animal sacrifice, and that rule covered the whole calendar:
The measures of the required grain offering were fixed. They normally varied with the animal brought from the herd or the flock for a burnt offering or a peace offering... this rule held good for the daily, the weekly, the monthly, and the yearly celebrations. For Christ in His death and in His life were both to be brought to mind before God. His death as a sacrifice of pleasing aroma was to be pictured beforehand, but His life as well. The first was not to be pictured without the second. The order, however, is suggestive. The grain offering came with the burnt offering or the peace offering. Men can only take up Christ's life before God in connection with His death, reading His history, as it were, in reverse order.
The verse names two ingredients: fine flour and oil. One writer takes each as a picture of Christ:
The grain offering is the picture of Christ in His perfect humanity and holy, devoted character. It was not for atonement, just as Christ's holy humanity and devoted life could not atone for sins... The fine flour, sifted and pure, coming from the grain of wheat, is the fitting and beautiful picture of His perfect humanity. The oil, so prominent in this offering, is the picture of the Holy Spirit... The fine flour was mixed with oil. This pictures His conception by the Holy Spirit, His whole being Spirit-filled... Yeast was completely absent... It had to be left out, for yeast is a picture of evil, and no evil was in Him.
The verse names two animals, and each stands for a different measure of how Christ is valued:
The bull represents the largest way of setting Christ forth as offered to God, with the idea of energy of devotion to God... The sheep, or the lower forms, show, I think, Christ valued in a smaller measure. The bull is the fullest appreciation of Christ... The ram is a picture of Christ as an offering of consecration to God; here it is only a weak testimony — "one ram."
The amounts carry meaning of their own. The smallest of them matched what fed one person:
The ordinary measure was the ephah. A tenth of it was an omer, the food of one man (Ex. 16:16, 36). In the grain offering, the amount of fine flour that went with the burnt offering matched the size and importance of the animal offered. So a lamb had one tenth, that is one omer; a ram two tenths, or one fifth; and a bull three tenths, "three measures of fine flour," which speak of the fulness of Christ.
One writer makes that fixed ratio a test of real growth:
These offerings go with us through the whole double series. Only the number of the first three animals changes, and the grain offering that goes with them stays in constant proportion — one tenth of an ephah for a lamb, two tenths for a ram, three for a bull. Our grasp of Christ's person grows with our grasp of His work, if this growth is real.
These offerings show what God enjoys. They also set the pattern for what we bring Him:
God delights in Christ; and it should be our constant aim to present to God that in which He delights. Christ should ever be the material of our worship; and He will be, in proportion as we are led by the Spirit of God. Sadly, the heart can tell how often it is otherwise with us. Both in the assembly and alone, how often the tone is low, and the spirit dull and heavy. We are occupied with self instead of with Christ.
- Measure attached — The grain offering never came alone. Fixed amounts of flour went with each animal, at every set feast in the year.
- Measure explained — Fine flour pictures a perfect humanity. Oil mixed through it points to the Holy Spirit. Yeast, the picture of evil, is left out.
- Measure graded — One tenth for a lamb, two tenths for a ram, three tenths for a bull. The flour rises with the animal, and three tenths is read as the fulness of Christ.
- Measure tested — The proportion never changes. So a fuller sense of Christ's work should bring a fuller sense of His person. The two grow together, if the growth is real.
- Measure offered — God's delight is the point of the whole section. So Christ, and not ourselves, should be the material of what we bring to God.
and a tenth part of fine flour mingled with oil as an oblation for each lamb [it is] a burnt-offering of a sweet odour, an offering by fire to Jehovah.
This verse belongs to the offerings for the start of each month. Every lamb of the burnt offering came with its own measure of fine flour mixed with oil. Why tie a grain offering to an animal sacrifice? And why does God call what comes of it His own food?
The lambs of this verse belong to the new moon offerings, a set of sacrifices described only in this book. One commentator points out where this feast is found, what the new moon pictures, and what its lambs stand for.
Then comes "the beginnings of your months." This is found only in Numbers, in no other of the first five books of the Bible. The reason seems to be that it is closely bound up with the wilderness pictures of Israel — their experiences and changes as a people on earth. "In the beginnings of your months" means at the new moon, when the light that had faded shone out again… The "seven lambs" mean the completeness of Christ's pleasing aroma before God.
The grain offering of flour and oil pictures the Lord Jesus — not His death, but the life He lived. One writer takes each ingredient in turn, and says why yeast had no place in it.
The meal offering is a picture of Christ in His perfect humanity and holy, devoted character. It was not for atonement, just as the holy humanity of Christ and the devotedness of His life could not atone for sins… The fine flour, sifted and pure, coming from the grain of wheat, is a fitting and beautiful picture of His perfect humanity. The oil, so prominent in this offering, is a picture of the Holy Spirit… The fine flour was mixed with oil. This pictures His coming as man, conceived by the Holy Spirit, His whole being filled with the Spirit… There was no yeast in it at all… Yeast had to be kept out, for yeast is a picture of evil, and no evil was in Him.
The flour never went up alone; it came with the lamb. The pairing is the lesson, and so is the order.
Both Christ's death and Christ's life were to be brought before God as a memorial. His death as a sacrifice of pleasing aroma had to be pictured beforehand, and His life just as much. The one was not to be pictured without the other. The order, however, is telling. The grain offering came with the burnt offering or the peace offering. Men can only take up Christ's life before God in connection with His death. They read His history, as it were, backwards.
The amount was not left to the worshipper. It rose and fell with the animal it accompanied, and a tenth was the smallest of the three.
The ordinary measure was the ephah, and one tenth of it was an omer — the food of one man. In the meal offering, the measure of fine flour that went with the burnt offering matched the size and importance of the animal offered. So for a lamb, one tenth, that is one omer; for a ram, two tenths, or one fifth; while for a bull, three tenths, "three measures of fine flour," which speak of the fullness of Christ.
One writer reads that sliding scale as a spiritual principle.
These offerings go with us right through the series. Only the number of the first three changes, and the meal offering that goes with them stays in constant proportion… Our grasp of Christ's person grows with our grasp of His work, if that grasp is real.
God calls this offering His own food. That settles who the offering is chiefly for.
"My offering," "My food," "My sacrifices," "A pleasing aroma to Me." All of this is clearly marked. We can learn here, without any effort, that the great leading thought is Christ presented to God. It is not so much Christ meeting our need — though He does meet it, richly — as Christ feeding and delighting the heart of God. It is God's food — a wonderful expression, and one few people think about or understand.
If this is what God calls food, then it also settles what He looks for when His people come to Him.
God delights in Christ, and it should be our constant aim to present to God the One in whom He delights. Christ should always be the material of our worship… We are taken up with self instead of with Christ. The Holy Spirit's own proper work is to take the things of Christ and show them to us. Instead, He has to occupy us with ourselves, in self-judgment, because our ways have not been right.
- Setting — At the new moon, light shines again after fading. These offerings track Israel's changing life on earth.
- Flour — Sifted flour without yeast stands for a perfect humanity with no evil in it.
- Oil — Flour mingled with oil points to a life conceived and filled by the Holy Spirit.
- Measure — A tenth for a lamb, two for a ram, three for a bull: grasp of His person grows alongside grasp of His work.
- Aroma — Life and death come to God together, and He calls the result His own food. So Christ, not self, is the true material of worship.
And their drink-offerings half a hin of wine for a bullock, and the third part of a hin for the ram, and the fourth part of a hin for a lamb. This is the monthly burnt-offering for each month throughout the months of the year.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
And a buck of the goats shall be offered, for a sin-offering to Jehovah, besides the continual burnt-offering, and its drink-offering.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.