There is a song that we used to sing when we were younger. The lyrics describe the depth of God’s love for His own. The words say: His love is warmer than the warmest sunshine, softer than a sigh. His love is deeper than the deepest ocean, wider than the sky. His love is brighter than the brightest star, that shines every night above. And there is nothing in this world, that can ever change His love.
These
words are true and Numbers 15 attests to the depth of His love. He could have
left and had nothing to do with the children of Israel having been snubbed by
them so many times. But God did not. Though he had decreed that the present generation
would all die in the wilderness, He still thought of the next generation. Here
the verses give the impression as if they would be going into the promised
land. Through Moses, God was instructing the people on how to continue to
have fellowship with Him. Numbers 15:1-15 deal not only with sacrifices for the
atonement of sin but also for fellowship meals with the Lord and with each other
in the community.
God
had prescribed sacrifices for different purposes. Firstly, sacrifices were to
be made for the atonement of sin. Secondly, sacrifices were also to be made
to honor the Lord as their master. And thirdly, sacrifices must also be made to
enjoy fellowship with God, their covenant Lord. We see the emphasis on the
sacrifices described in Numbers 15 were more for the purpose of fellowship with
God. That was why included in the sacrifices were the details for meal
offerings. The portion of the meal-offering varied depending on the size of the
animal they would bring to offer to the Lord. Notice the talk about the sweet
aroma pleasing to the Lord. It was an indication of God’s desire to participate
in their fellowship meals. For consistency, God not only prescribed these
for the people of Israel but also for those foreigners who chose to be a part
of their community.
Here
again, we see the mercy and grace of God in full display. Indirectly God was
rebuking the people for their unbelief. If they would obey Him, there would be
no fear of lack for them. They would have plenty and be enabled to enjoy lavish
fellowship with the Lord. Implicit in this was the fact that God still wanted
to have continual fellowship with them as His people despite their failure. This
was why a portion of verse 2 reads “…When you enter the land where you
are going to live, which I am giving you…”
He was referring to the next generation of course. God thought of
their future. While the present generation would not have the privilege of
going into the promised land, the next generation would. Isn’t this the
graciousness of God? The instruction given here was to ensure that their
freedom of fellowship with Him would remain intact. For us, the instructions in
Numbers 15 tell us that faith in God ensures freedom of fellowship with Him.
But obedience is required. True faith is not opposed to effort, it only opposes
merit. It rests firmly and objectively on the Word of God. When we do as we are
instructed, we will enjoy love and true fellowship with God. Isn’t that marvellous!
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