Mark had been a Christian for eight years, and he was quite sure he had figured it out. “Jesus already made the ultimate sacrifice,” he liked to say. “The veil was torn. The debt is paid. We don’t have to do any of that Old Testament stuff anymore.”
To Mark, this meant the Christian life is largely cost-free. He tithed the minimum required to keep his conscience quiet. He served at church when it was convenient and didn’t interfere with his weekends. When his wife asked if they could take in her struggling younger brother for a few months, Mark gently explained that they needed their space and their peace. “God doesn’t expect us to make big sacrifices anymore,” he told her. “That was the old covenant.”
He was especially fond of quoting Hebrews: “There is no longer any offering for sin.” To him, that settled it. No more animal sacrifices meant no more personal sacrifices either.
Then his friend David called. David had been diagnosed with aggressive cancer. The treatments were brutal, and his wife was struggling to keep up with their three young children and the medical bills. Mark was quick to volunteer his thoughts but not much else. “I’ll pray,” he said. “That’s the most important thing anyway.”
A few weeks later, David’s wife reached out to Mark directly. “Could you maybe take the kids for a couple of hours so I can take David to his appointment? We don’t have anyone else.”
Mark felt the familiar resistance rise in his chest. He had already given money to the church that month. He had already prayed. “I wish I could,” he said, “but we’ve got a lot going on right now. I’m sure someone else can help.”
It is true that Christians in the church age are not required to offer animal sacrifices. However, that does not mean the Christian life is cost-free. Today’s passage in the 28th chapter of Numbers lists multiple animal sacrifices that were required to be offered on a regular basis. These sacrifices are an illustration which helps us understand how to think about living the Christian life.
Num. 28:1 ¶ Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Num. 28:2 “Command the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be careful to bring near My offering, My food for My offerings by fire, of a soothing aroma to Me, at their appointed time.’
Num. 28:3 And you shall say to them, ‘This is the offering by fire which you shall bring near to Yahweh: two male lambs one year old without blemish as a continual burnt offering every day.
Look at the words “every day”. The Israelites were required to make daily sacrifices.
Num. 28:4 You shall offer the one lamb in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight,
Num. 28:5 also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil.
Flour and oil had to be included with the animals.
Num. 28:6 It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai as a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to Yahweh.
Num. 28:7 Then the drink offering with it shall be a fourth of a hin for each lamb, in the holy place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to Yahweh.
A drink offering was also brought with the animal.
Num. 28:8 And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to Yahweh.
Num. 28:9 ¶ ‘Then on the sabbath day two male lambs one year old without blemish, and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and its drink offering:
Notice the word “sabbath day”. This verse lists the required sacrifices each sabbath.
Num. 28:10 This is the burnt offering of every sabbath in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.
Take note of the words “in addition”. The sabbath sacrifice was in addition to the daily sacrifice.
Num. 28:11 ¶ ‘Then at the beginning of each of your months you shall bring near a burnt offering to Yahweh: two bulls from the herd and one ram, seven male lambs one year old without blemish;
This verse lists the animals that were brought monthly.
Num. 28:12 and three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, for each bull; and two-tenths of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, for the one ram;
Num. 28:13 and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering for each lamb, for a burnt offering of a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to Yahweh.
Num. 28:14 And their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull and a third of a hin for the ram and a fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year.
Notice the phrase “each month throughout the months of the year”. This emphasizes the requirement to do this every month, month after month.
Num. 28:15 And one male goat for a sin offering to Yahweh; it shall be offered with its drink offering in addition to the continual burnt offering.
Once again we see the words “in addition”. The monthly offerings did not replace anything. They were in addition to everything else.
Num. 28:16 ¶ ‘Then on the fourteenth day of the first month shall be the Passover of Yahweh.
Num. 28:17 And on the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast; unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days.
Num. 28:18 On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work.
Num. 28:19 And you shall bring near an offering by fire, a burnt offering to Yahweh: two bulls from the herd and one ram and seven male lambs one year old; they shall be for you without blemish.
Num. 28:20 Now as for their grain offering, you shall offer fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for a bull and two-tenths for the ram.
Num. 28:21 A tenth of an ephah you shall offer for each of the seven lambs;
Num. 28:22 and one male goat for a sin offering to make atonement for you.
Num. 28:23 You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.
Num. 28:24 After this manner you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of the offering by fire, of a soothing aroma to Yahweh; it shall be offered with its drink offering in addition to the continual burnt offering.
Num. 28:25 Now on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work.
Christians in the church age are not required to bring all these daily, weekly, and monthly animal sacrifices. However, that does not mean Christians do not have to make any sacrifices. The New Testament also teaches the concept of making sacrifices.
Paul wrote that we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices. This means we are not to be conformed to the world (see Romans 12:1-2). It takes a lot of sacrifice for Christians to live differently from the world.
Paul pictured himself as being a drink offering which was poured out on the faith of the Philippians (see Philippians 2:17). The Philippians had sent money to support Paul more than once, and Paul called that an acceptable sacrifice which was pleasing to God (see Philippians 4:18).
Peter wrote that believers are a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices (see 1 Peter 2:5). He went on to write that we should proclaim the excellencies of God (1 Peter 2:9), abstain from fleshly lusts (1 Peter 2:11), silence foolish men by doing good (1 Peter 2:15), use our freedom to act as slaves of God (1 Peter 2:16), love the brethren and fear God (1 Peter 2:17), submit to crooked masters (1 Peter 2:18), and endure the suffering that comes after doing good (1 Peter 2:20).
Christians are slaves of Christ. Being a slave involves making sacrifices. We live for Him, not ourselves.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”