Numbers 7 is the longest chapter in the Bible. Its main purpose is straightforward. It records the offerings brought by the twelve leaders of Israel for the dedication of the tabernacle after it had been set up. Each leader brought the exact same offering. It is important to note that God records each one individually. Instead of saying, “They all brought the same thing,” God chose to record each offering individually. This teaches us that every act of worship and obedience matters to God. God values each person’s faithfulness, even when it looks similar to someone else’s. This chapter is very long but it can be divided into three parts. In verses 1-9 the leaders donate six covered carts and twelve oxen to help the Levites transport the tabernacle. The Gershonites and Merarites receive them because of the heavy loads they carry, but the Kohathites receive none because they carry the holy objects on their shoulders. In verses 10-83 each tribe’s leader presents the same offering over twelve consecutive days. In verses 84-89 Moses enters the tabernacle and hears God’s voice speaking from above the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant. The Tabernacle points directly to Jesus. This whole chapter revolves around dedicating the tabernacle, the place where God dwelled among His people. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” We have to remember that the word “dwelt” literally means “tabernacled.” Jesus became God’s presence living among His people. Israel came to the tabernacle to meet God, today we come to Jesus. Each leader brought a silver dish, a silver basin, a gold bowl of incense, a burnt offering, a sin offering, and a fellowship offering. These sacrifices reminded Israel that sin separates people from God. For us Jesus fulfilled every sacrifice. For our burnt offering Jesus completely surrendered Himself to the Father. For our sin offering Jesus paid for our sins. For our fellowship offering Jesus reconciled us to God. Hebrews 10:12 says, “But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” Instead of bringing animals repeatedly, we now trust in Christ’s once for all sacrifice. Although each tribe had a different history, leader, and territory, they all brought identical offerings. This teaches us that every tribe stood equally before God. For us, Jesus creates this same unity in the Church. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Our backgrounds differ, but our salvation is the same. When we read this chapter we all notice the repetition. God records every offering fully twelve times. When I read it, it just seems repetitive to me but from God’s perspective, every gift mattered. In Mark 12, Jesus noticed the widow giving two small coins while everyone else overlooked her. Every gift matters to God. Every prayer, act of generosity, service, and obedience we offer is seen by God. The chapter ends with Moses entering the tabernacle. God spoke from above the mercy seat. The mercy seat represented God’s throne where atonement was made. Now, Jesus is our true mercy seat. Romans 3:25 says, “God presented him as the mercy seat , by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.” Jesus fulfilled every sacrifice required under the Old Covenant. Because of Jesus, we no longer approach God through animal sacrifices but through what he did for us on the cross. We can confidently come into God’s presence because Jesus is our perfect High Priest and our perfect sacrifice. Love y’all! Have a great day!
Numbers 7:1-89
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“On the day Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, along with the altar and all its utensils. After he anointed and consecrated these things, the leaders of Israel, the heads of their ancestral families, presented an offering. They were the tribal leaders who supervised the registration. They brought as their offering before the Lord six covered carts and twelve oxen, a cart from every two leaders and an ox from each one, and presented them in front of the tabernacle. The Lord said to Moses, “Accept these from them to be used in the work of the tent of meeting, and give this offering to the Levites, to each division according to their service.” So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. He gave the Gershonites two carts and four oxen corresponding to their service, and gave the Merarites four carts and eight oxen corresponding to their service, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. But he did not give any to the Kohathites, since their responsibility was service related to the holy objects carried on their shoulders. The leaders also presented the dedication gift for the altar when it was anointed. The leaders presented their offerings in front of the altar. The Lord told Moses, “Each day have one leader present his offering for the dedication of the altar.” The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab from the tribe of Judah. His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab. On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented an offering. As his offering, he presented one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar. On the third day Eliab son of Helon, leader of the Zebulunites, presented an offering. His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon. On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, leader of the Reubenites, presented an offering. His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur. On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, leader of the Simeonites, presented an offering. His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, , leader of the Gadites, presented an offering. His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold bowl weighing four ounces full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel. On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, leader of the Ephraimites, presented an offering. His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud. On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, leader of the Manassites, presented an offering. His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, leader of the Benjaminites, presented an offering. His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni. On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, leader of the Danites, presented an offering. His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ochran, leader of the Asherites, presented an offering. His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ochran. On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, leader of the Naphtalites, presented an offering. His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan. This was the dedication gift from the leaders of Israel for the altar when it was anointed: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver basins, and twelve gold bowls. Each silver dish weighed 3 1/4 pounds, and each basin 1 3/4 pounds. The total weight of the silver articles was 60 pounds measured by the standard sanctuary shekel. The twelve gold bowls full of incense each weighed four ounces measured by the standard sanctuary shekel. The total weight of the gold bowls was 3 pounds. All the livestock for the burnt offering totaled twelve bulls, twelve rams, and twelve male lambs a year old, with their grain offerings, and twelve male goats for the sin offering. All the livestock for the fellowship sacrifice totaled twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty male lambs a year old. This was the dedication gift for the altar after it was anointed. When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim. He spoke to him that way.”
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