Numbers 28 – 30

Verse 28:2 starts the details of when to sacrifice:

Make clear to the Israelites that they should make their offerings for My food and fire offerings as a soothing aroma, when they bring their sacrifices at the appointed time.

As I read these I can understand the details and what is going on, but often I wonder why. Why is the death of an innocent animal required for redemption of sin? I understand the concept and how it applies to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, I just don’t understand the why’s of it. At the same time 2000 years after Jesus where we no longer need to kill an animal for the atonement of sin we lose the significance because like many of us we ask why.

This is after 40 years of being a believer, so don’t worry if you are new to the faith asking these questions. I understand the requirements and what it all means, just not sure why it was required in the first place.

Verse 29:12 talks about the requirements for the festival of Mine:

Mid-month, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you shall observe another ritual marking that day’s holiness, and you won’t work. Celebrate for a full seven days a festival of Mine.

The Jewish festivals are often week long events and have many rituals associated with them. Today I don’t believe they sacrifice the livestock, but they are still celebrated. It’s my understanding they are waiting to rebuild the temple before the sacrificial system can go back into place. It’s fascinating looking at the details that are required for each festival.

Verse 30:2 often makes me wonder why not today:

Whatever a man promises to God or others, whether a vow or a binding oath with a pledge, he must do. He is bound by his word: no excuses and no exceptions.

All one has to do is actually pay attention to politics and we see this has “gone out the window” in our society. As parents we often start the cycle and then it spirals out of control to the point where the leader of our country cannot give us a straight up promise. Most have to be lawyers to ensure they do not commit to anything and use words like “should” instead of “shall” or “may” as a qualifier.

This is gone and often is because there is so much to keep track of we forget. Maybe the devil has won with technology making it so difficult to keep on top of everything we “need to know”. Over and over we write “ checks our tails can’t cash” (Bo Diddly) and seem to forget the most important in our lives, our children. They are often “overdrafts” because we write too many checks and can never abide by half of them in a normal life. The key is follow this law with a passion, especially with your children.