Numbers 15
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CHAPTER 15
Supplementary Offerings (15:1–21)
1–12 Immediately after the terrible judgment described in the last chapter, the Lord said: “After you enter the land I am giving you. . .” (verse 2). The original promise to Abraham would one day be fulfilled (Genesis 12:7); let the Israelites be reassured. But it was only to those under twenty (and Joshua and Caleb) that God spoke these words; they did not apply to the others.
All of the offerings described here have been discussed in detail elsewhere.46 The only new feature in these verses is the stipulation that drink offerings accompany all burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.
These instructions about supplementary offerings may seem unimportant, but they indicate that God still expected His people to draw near to Him through these offerings, to draw near to Him in their hearts. The words aroma pleasing to the LORD are repeated here three times (see Leviticus 1:5–17 and comment); this signifies that the Lord expected to be pleased not only with the people’s offerings but also with the people themselves. After the severe judgment on their parents, the next generation of Israelites could look forward to being accepted by the Lord once more.
13–16 In these verses we see once again the major reason God chose Israel as His special people: He intended that through them all the peoples on earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3; 17:12). This is why the alien (the non-Israelite) was always welcome to be part of the community of Israel: You and the alien shall be the same before the LORD (verse 15). Of course, for the aliens to be the “same,” they had to follow the same rules the Israelites had to follow (see Exodus 12:43–51; Leviticus 24:22).
17–21 These verses repeat the principle that the firstfruits of all animals and crops should be offered to the Lord, in recognition of the fact that all fruits come ultimately from Him (see Exodus 23:16,19). Here, in addition to presenting a sheaf of grain (Leviticus 23:10), the Israelites were instructed to present a cake made from the first of their ground meal (verse 20). Before people satisfied their own desires, they needed to first “satisfy” the Lord who provided for all their needs.
Offerings for Unintentional Sins (15:22–31)
22–29 This section reminds us that God gave the law for the sake of His people; the law was a manifestation of God’s grace.47 The laws concerning unintentional sins are an example of that grace; God didn’t make up all these rules just so that He could pounce on people for breaking them!
But since even unintentional sins must be atoned for and forgiven, God provided that sacrifices of atonement could be offered, and two are mentioned in verse 24: the burnt offering and the sin offering (see Leviticus 1:1–4; 4:1–2 and comments). Two kinds of sin offering are mentioned: verses 22–26 deal with the offering required when the whole community has sinned (Leviticus 4:13–21), and verses 27–29 deal with the offering required when an individual has sinned (Leviticus 4:27–31).
30–31 These verses deal with sins committed defiantly—that is, intentionally; there was no offering, no sacrifice, available for such sins.
The Israelites had collectively committed this kind of “defiant” sin when they believed the report of the ten spies and refused to enter the promised land (Chapter 14). Committing blasphemy is another example of such a sin (Leviticus 24:10–16). In the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles recognized that certain sins were beyond forgiveness (Mark 3:28–29; Hebrews 6:4–6; 10:26–29; 1 John 5:16). In simple terms, an unforgivable sin is any sin that one refuses to confess and repent of. If we will only confess and repent of our sin, we shall immediately be cleansed and forgiven by our faithful and just God (1 John 1:9). Because our God is just, however, we will necessarily bear some consequence of our sin even though we’ve been forgiven48 (2 Samuel 12:13–14).
A person who committed a defiant sin was to be cut off49 from his people. In the case of severe sins such as idolatry, sorcery, incest and adultery, being “cut off” meant being put to death (Leviticus 20:1–16). But whatever the sin, God judges the heart. Some sins may on the surface seem to deserve death, but God knows hidden things about the sinner that we cannot know. God knows the degree of defiance in each sinner, the severity of the temptation; God knows all mitigating circumstances. And God will judge justly, and He will hear our plea for mercy50 (Numbers 14:20).
The Sabbath-Breaker Put to Death (15:32–36)
32–36 It seems surprising that immediately after a discussion about defiant and unforgivable sin, we should be told about this man gathering firewood on the Sabbath. We have to assume that this man was guilty of doing it defiantly (verse 30). Two million other Israelites were quietly observing the Sabbath, and he must have thought this was his opportunity to gather some firewood.
For Christians, breaking the Sabbath law does not seem so evil as other sins. But we must remember that keeping the Sabbath was a special covenant obligation for the Israelites: their observance of the Sabbath was a distinctive sign—like CIRCUMCISION—signifying that they were God’s chosen people. For this reason, the penalty for breaking the Sabbath was death51 (see Exodus 20:8–11; 31:12–17 and comments). To break God’s Sabbath law was, in effect, to break God’s covenant.
Some Christians today equate the Old Testament Sabbath with the Lord’s Day; they believe that the Lord’s Day should be strictly observed just as the Old Testament Sabbath was observed. But they forget that the Israelites were under the old covenant, and that Christians are under a new covenant. Observing the Sabbath is no longer a “sign of the covenant” for Christians. Furthermore, would the average modern Christian—given all the activities he or she engages in on the Lord’s Day—be willing to accept the penalty for “breaking the Sabbath”? The Sabbath law was specifically given for the Israelites, not for Christians.
Tassels on Garments (15:37–41)
37–41 Given people’s sinful nature and their constant tendency to break God’s law, every reminder from God to obey His law is an act of grace. The tassels mentioned here served as such a reminder. They were to be sewn on the four corners of the men’s cloaks (Deuteronomy 22:12).
In Deuteronomy 6:6–9, God gives the Israelites additional ways to remind themselves of His commandments; these ways include talking about them, tying them to their hands and foreheads, and writing them on their door frames and gates. Just as a child learns by repetition, so too do we learn to obey God by reminding ourselves of His Word over and over again. All of this is designed to make it easier for us to obey Him. God takes no pleasure in punishing people for their sins; He would much prefer to keep people from sinning in the first place.
The Jews of Jesus’ day also wore tassels on their cloaks, but for the wrong reason: they made their tassels extra long so that other people would notice them and think the wearer was especially godly (matthew 23:5). Jesus rebuked the Jews’ hypocrisy; the tassels were meant to waken their conscience, not feed their pride.