Numbers

Chapter 15

"Laws and Offerings for the People.[1 - 41]"
"Laws Regarding Offerings. [1 - 29]"
"Presumptuous Sin, Punishment. [32 - 36]"

The stage is now set for their long journey through the wilderness. The children of Israel have learned a dear lesson, that you don't continue blaming God for things that are your own fault. They didn't trust God and take Him at His Word, for the entire congregation spoke with one mind and decided to send in twelve spies into the land of Canaan. They would spy out the land and report back to the people. These spies saw the land and the people and did their plotting without taking God's promises into consideration. When the spies returned forty days later, they gave a false report, the people believed them. They turned their backs to God; to the point of choosing a captain to lead them back into bondage in Egypt. All the people cried out that they wished that they would have died in the wilderness, rather than face the giants in the land, and that their children would not have to face those giants.

 

God granted them their wish, and withdrew the protection around them, and said that they would wander in the wilderness for forty years, one year for each day that the spies spent on their journey spying out the land for their false reports. However, all those under the age of 20 years old will live to enter into the promise land. This leads us to the point were this fifteenth chapter begins; God will revive the hopes of those young people, to give them faith and trust in God's promises. These people under the age of twenty are going to be the adults that will enter into the promise land under the leadership of Joshua, and inherit it for themselves and their families.

 

Numbers 15:1 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,"

 

God is now preparing the people with a set of laws for the time that they will be living in the land of Canaan, the promise land.

 

Numbers 15:2 " "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, `When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you,"

 

Notice that this set of instructions is not for dad and mom at this time, because they will have died off, but for the youth that will move in and inhabit the promise land. It is important for these youth to remember that it is God that will give the land to you, not your army. In the three years that the older people had been wandering since they left Egypt they forgot that, for these Israelites did not Trust God to keep His Word. They had to send out the spies, and then they trusted the lies of these false prophets over God's promises. Get the picture? Two things here, the first is that these youth will inherit the promise land, and second and most important, It will be a gift from God. This has nothing to do with the generation that just messed up, for their carcasses will all buried along the pathways through the wilderness. The future of Israel is in their youth. That is the way it is with all nations, for the condition of any nation is only as stable as its youth. A nation that invests in its youth, invests in its future.

 

Numbers 15:3 "And will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock:"

 

The people as a nation will make this "burnt offering", which is the "Olah" offering, from the prime "alah" which means to ascend. In the "Olah" offering: "the entire sacrifice is consumed and the flame and smoke rises to heaven, being wholly burnt, as a complete commitment to God."

 

The second "sacrifice" is the "Zeback", meaning "any slain sacrifice which is offered, and is directed to the place of the slaughter." The "freewill offering" is the "Nedabah", which is "any free-will or voluntary gift given to God". This gift refers to the motive of giving the gift, and not the nature or mode of the gift.

 

All of the Solemn Feasts are recorded in Leviticus 23, and these holy convocations are all of the times God said the people must respect. The first of the Solemn Feast days is the Passover. In verse five; "In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's Passover." The Passover is the celebration of the night that the death angel passed over the children of Israel, and spared the lives of the firstborn of Israel; of both man and animal. We as Christians celebrate this Passover at the Communion table, for Our Lord Jesus Christ became our Passover when he became the the perfect unblemished blood sacrifice, for one and all times. We read on in the six verse.

 

Leviticus 23:6, 7 "And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread." [6] "In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein." [7]

 

The day after the Passover, the people packed up and that week was spent getting out of Egypt. God wanted the children of Israel never to forget those times of departure from their bondage.

 

The next time to remember as a solemn feast day is the in harvest time; "For then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:" [10]

 

Leviticus 23:11, 12 "And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it." [11] "And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the Lord." [12]

 

By now you can see the image of Christ's coming and sacrifice on the cross in each of these solemn feast days. Jesus Christ became the firstfruits, and He also became the unblemished lamb that taketh away the sins of all those that would believe on Him, and by faith repent of their sins "in Jesus name". When you repent "in Jesus name" you are recognizing that Jesus was truly the only Begotten Son of God, that he lived the perfect life, and at the hand and plotting of the Kenite Jewish leaders, was crucified and nailed to the cross. Leviticus 23 continues on with each of the offerings and feast days and times, and gives us the reason why. Each case relates directly to Christ, as our Bread, and it ties "in with the bread, seven lambs without blemish of the first year," and so on. Each of these appointed time are directly ties to the Communion Table that we must continue to celebrate until the time of our Lord Jesus Christ's return.

 

So what we will see from here on is the loose ends concerning all these offerings and feast days which will be fine tuned, and brought to a completion. The first time they were given was at the camp site at Sinai, and all of these offerings and feast times are recorded in the book of Leviticus.

 

Numbers 15:4 "Then shall he that offereth his offering unto the Lord bring a meat offering of a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of oil."

 

So when a person would bring their "approach offering", at the same time they were to bring a meal "Minchah" offering, made with a " tenth deal of flour mingled with a forth part of an hin of oil". A "tenth deal" in common terms of today, is about one half (1/2) gallon (dry) of fine flour, mixed with about a quart of olive oil. The Hebrew "hin" equals about one gallon of liquid measure. This meal offering was to gain favor with the Lord. Leviticus 2:1 records the details of this offering. This fine or pure flour also represents the purity of our Lord Jesus Christ, while the oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.

 

Numbers 15:5 "And the fourth part of an him of wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare with the burnt offering or sacrifice, for one lamb."

 

This drink offering is the "Nesek" offering, and it is to be poured. The lamb would normally be a peace offering, for the peace given in the past; but this Nesek or drink offering is an offering that has to be poured out.

 

Numbers 15:6 "Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meat offering two tenth deals of flour mingled with the third part of an hin of oil."

 

"Two tenth deals" of pure fine flour is about one dry gallon. That fine flour is mingled with about two thirds of a gallon of olive oil. Notice that the larger animal that is used in the sacrifice, the greater amount of fine flour and oil. This is working its way from the smallest animals to the larger animals: The portions of the meal and drink also increase. Remember also that these items used are symbols for times to come; the fine unblemished flour, of Christ, the Bread of Life; and the olive oil for the Holy Spirit, the truths of the Word of God brought to our minds by the Holy Spirit of God

 

Numbers 15:7 "And for a drink offering thou shalt offer the third part of an him of wine, for a sweet savour unto the Lord."

 

Keep in mind that a "hin" is approximately one liquid gallon. The "drink offering" is the "Nesek" meaning to pour out, is about one third of a gallon, and the wine in the Hebrew is "yayin", meaning fermented wine.

 

Numbers 15:8 "And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings unto the Lord:"

 

Before we get to wrapped up in all these offerings; remember that God has stated in Hebrews 10:8, 9; "Above when He said, "Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin Thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein;" which are offered by the law;" [8] "Then said He, "Lo I come to do Thy will, O God." He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second." [9] Each of these blood sacrifices and offerings are ordinances that are established under the law. There is a difference between laws, statutes and ordinances. The laws are fixed and permanent, while the blood ordinances were nailed to the cross of Christ.

 

The purpose for our Lord Jesus Christ coming to earth as a child and living the perfect unblemished life, was to be that sacrifice, and fulfill each and every one of those blood ordinances. The Law requirement of animals sacrifice was the first, and that part of the Law was taken away at Jesus death; so that the second [New] Testament or Covenant may be established.

 

Anyone that says that our Lord Jesus Christ had sin and errors, than mark that person will, for he or she is of Satan. That person is telling you that there was blemish in the sacrifice of Christ, and that is not so. There was no sin in Jesus the Messiah, and that is why these sacrifices unto the law used fine flour, fermented wine, with no blemish in any of the animals. These are all part of God's perfection and requirements, and if you accept Christ, you accept the fact of Our Lord's Perfection.

 

Hebrews 10:10 "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

 

Those sheep and goats never redeemed any soul from sin, but it was a temporary covering until the coming and sacrifice of our Lord and Savior.

 

I Peter 1:18, 19 "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;" [18] "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without a spot:" [19]

 

Friend, this is fact, and the only thing that allow that barrier between you and God to be broken down, and God's grace to be given to you. You must believe it and accept it by faith.

 

I Peter 1:19, 20 "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you," [20'] "Who by Him do believe in God, That raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." [21]

 

Every thing that we are reading of in the book of Numbers are shadows of things to come. These blood ordinances are shadows of the time in the future when the precious blood of Christ would be shed, and Jesus would become the Lamb without blemish and without spot for the perfect sacrifice. Jesus Christ sacrifice was planned from before the foundation of this earth age of flesh man. It became part of the plan of God when Satan rebelled and brought one third of all souls with him in that rebellion. God had to destroy many of His children, or make a Way for His children to repent and come back to him; and that is what this earth age of flesh man is all about. "Being born from above", is being born again, through the womb of woman as a baby, completely innocent of that first earth age; then having the right to choose again between God or Satan.

 

Our Heavenly Father raised Jesus from the dead, and gave our Lord the glory, "that your faith and hope might be in God". So as we read through each of these offerings and sacrifices keep in mind that only Jesus Christ is the perfect unblemished and unspotted sacrifice sufficient to give you eternal life, but these things were necessary for that period of time of waiting on the Lord's fulfillment of all of His promises pertaining to the blood ordinances.

 

Hosea 6:6 "For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." God wants your love more than your burnt offerings.

 

Numbers 15:9 "Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth deals of flour mingled with half an hin of oil."

 

So the offering has become larger here, as with both the animal and the flour and oil. We are up to a gallon dry weight of fine flour, and a half a gallon of the fermented wine. As the animal gets larger, so does the portion.

 

Numbers 15:10 "And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half an hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord."

 

Here the drink offering is up to a half a gallon of wine, and as this offering is burnt in the fire, it sends a pleasant aroma up to the YHVH, our Heavenly Father. Remember that this smoke ascends to the Father.

 

Numbers 15:11 "Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or a kid."

God is telling Moses that this is the portion of the meal [flour and oil], and drink [fermented] offering that you are to bring, per animal that is made a sacrifice. If you bring a small animal, then small amounts of flour, oil and wine are required, but as the animal is increased in size, so are the portions of the meal offering.

 

Numbers 15:12 "According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number."

 

So if you offer two rams, then you have to have double the other portions of the meal offering and drink offerings also.

 

Numbers 15:13 "All that are born of the country shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord."

 

Remember that these are the requirement that are set for that time when the children of Israel are in the promise land. It is saying that all the people that are "born Israelites" will be required to do these things; and in the manner that is spelled out in this chapter. This will be the manner to make your sacrifice offerings to please the Father YHVH.

 

Numbers 15:14 "And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever be among you in your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord; as ye do, so he shall do."

 

This verse is in anticipation that there would be more foreigners abiding or living amongst the Israelites, once they did take control of the land. Remember, this chapter is directed to the children, the youth under the age of twenty at the time of the refusal to enter into the promise land; for the older people will all be dead along the trail in the wilderness.

 

So one law for those born of the linage of Israel, but the same law exists for those foreigners that reside right along with them.

 

Numbers 15:15 "One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord."

 

There is only one law under God, and that law is the same for Israel, and for those living in the land with them. Most of these laws were given much earlier, and recorded in Exodus and Leviticus, but this part about the stranger living amongst the Israelites is the new part added to the law given before. God could see ahead that though the heathen nations would be removed from their inherited lands, individuals within those nations may remain mixed amongst them.

 

Numbers 15:16 "One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you. "

 

This now is departing from the burnt offerings, and rmember that Jesus Christ was the sacrificial Lamb, and His blood covers our sins today. The blood of animals atoned for sins for one year at this time of Moses, but today we have the Blood of Jesus Himself atoning for our sins.

 

Numbers 15:17 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,"

 

So for the nest four verses we will read about the heave offering, which is lifted up to God our Heavenly Father Himself.

 

Numbers 15:18 " "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,` When ye come into the land whither I bring you,"

 

So this heave offering is directed to the time when the Israelites have entered into the land of Canaan. This offering is not give for those people that were judged to die in the wilderness, but to their kids, as well as Joshua and Caleb.

 

Numbers 15:19 "Then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave offering unto the Lord."

 

This "heave offering" will be a firstfruit offering, and will be given after you have entered into the land and partaken of the fruits of the land. This offering is called the "Terumah", and is so called because it is lifted up to the Lord. The firstfruits offerings also went to the priests, as part of what they were to receive for making the offering.

 

Numbers 15:20 "Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering: as ye do the heave offering of the threshingfloor, so shall ye heave it."

 

In Ezekiel 44:30, deals with the time of the Millennium when the People are in the promise land, in relationship as here, after the Israelites have entered into their promise land.

 

Ezekiel 44:30 "And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest's: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house."

 

It states there that those that give of their firstfruits offering, will bring blessing down on their own homes. The Bread today that we should have in our homes, is the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ.

 

So this verse twenty is saying also that that not only shall you give of the firstfruits of the corn on the threshingfloor, but also you should give the firstfruits of the bread that you make with those grains.

 

Numbers 15:21 "Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the Lord an heave offering in your generations."

Numbers 15:22 "And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the Lord hath spoken unto Moses,"

 

So these next verses through verse 31 deal with the sin offerings. So if the entire congregation has sins, and do not observe all these commandments that God is spelling out here to Moses. These are offerings for sins not committed, but were omitted from what they should have been doing. They will be the "Asam", the Sin offering for coming short by missing the mark in omission. The "Chattah" was the Sin offering for sins of commission. In other words they failed to follow the commandment of the Lord.

 

Numbers 15:23 "Even all that the Lord hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the Lord commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations;"

 

Notice that this pertains to the moment that Moses writes this down and presents it to the congregation; from that moment in time these commandments apply. God is trying to build up the hopes of these young people, to look forward to the time when they are in the promise land. Remember that if their parent's had follow God into the promise land, and taken it, instead of turning their backs to God and sending their spies out, this would apply to their parents also. But none except Joshua and Caleb will enter into the promise land but the children and those born along the way in the wilderness. But this is given to prepare these youths for their adulthood in building their nation in the land of Canaan.

 

Numbers 15:24 "Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for the brunt offering, for a sweet savour unto the Lord, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering."

 

"Without the knowledge" in the Hebrew text means "away from your eyes". This sin of omission is done in a manner or to a point were you were completely unaware of what you were doing. It was in ignorance; or committed by ignorance. The point that God is making here, is that those sins of "Asam", sins by omission still have to be taken care of at the altar, so that there is no guilt before God.

 

The "burnt offering" or "Olah" has more priority here, but actually the "sins offering" the "Chattah" offering had to be completed before the Olah could take place. The sin must be removed before the people are in a condition to where they could approach YHVH, our Heavenly Father.

 

Numbers 15:25 "And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their ignorance:"

 

The "ignorance" spoken of here would be better "inadvertent". This "sacrifice made by fire" is the "Ishsheh" offering, which simply means "any offering made by fire". So this "sin in ignorance" spoken of here means that when you did sin, you had no way of knowing about it at that time it was committed. However God is saying that at the moment in time that you know that you did commit that sin, it will be required only then to make this Ishsheh offering, this burnt offering.

 

Numbers 15:26 "And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the People were in ignorance."

 

So during the time of this wandering, the whole nation of Israel was in ignorance of certain laws or sins that they had committed, including the strangers, and when the knowledge of those sins came to their understanding, then this sacrifice offering had to be made.

 

Numbers 15:27 "And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering."

 

At this verse, it is switching from addressing the whole congregation as a nation, and speaking to the individual him or herself. If a person sin by omission, or the lack of understand of a law, when that person comes to understand he or she has sinned, they this "sin offering" or "Chattath" offering must be given by himself. The sin offering here was for the person making an inadvertent mistake.

 

Numbers 15:28 "And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him."

 

So the next few verses deal with sins that will be forgiven, but the Lord also lays down the Law that the sins that are committed intentionally "with a high hand", and were premeditative in nature, there will be a harder penalty than those sins of omission.

 

Numbers 15:29 "Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them."

 

This law is expanded to include all strangers that live in the land with the Israelites. God could foresee that many people would be mixing in with the children of Israel and living amongst them in the land, once Israel was established as a nation.

 

When we started this book of Numbers, we started out in the New Testament, with the warning by the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 10:1-12. Paul warned us that all these things that were happening in the Old Testament, especially in Moses' books were written as ensamples or examples of what would take place to that generation living at the time of the end. We are in that final generation. So our studies had better take a deeper meaning than the historical events of Moses' day, or the blood offerings and sacrifice that were done away with, because they were fulfilled in Christ's death.

The promise land to our generation is that Millennium generation, and we are sputtering around in the wilderness for that generation of doubt and confusion to die off before the generation that will enter into the promise land can take place. This generation, Jesus told us, took place when the parable of the fig tree took place [Matthew 24:32-34] and that "generation" that saw the establishment of the Jewish state of Israel, the good and bad figs return to Jerusalem, "would not die until all of those things [events]" He stated for the end time, took place. Paul has warned us, and Jesus gave us special notification of these things, and we had better pay attention to these warning.

 

Numbers 15:30 "But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people."

 

Many things are happening today, and people think they can do their plotting and get away with it. Think again! The person that think that he can plot against god in rebellion, will be held accountable for his actions. It doesn't matter if that person is of Israel or a stranger to Israel, living in the land at the time. "Presumptuously" as used here is ; "to use a high hand in rebellion against God openly." While "reproacheth" is #1442 in Strong's Hebrew Dictionary. "Gadaph, gaw-daf; a prime root; to hack (with words); revile; to blaspheme." This means that when you blaspheme God amongst the people, you will atone for that sin with your life.

 

Get it? The fathers, those 20 and older to the man, blasphemed God and planned their own way, it for that mistrust, they would atone with their life. So this is a warning to the youth to wake up and learn a lesson from their parents, as they fall by the wayside in the wilderness. They will not enter into the promise land. This was the penalty for blaspheming God amongst the people.

 

Numbers 15:31 "Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken His commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.' " "

 

God is telling us that this persons punishment for her sins of despising the Word that God has given to us is to be utterly cut of from God's people. You did the sin, and it's your own fault for the punishment that has come down on you, you earned it yourself and paid for it with your life. .

 

Numbers 15:32 "And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day."

 

Now we get to the laws dealing with the Sabbath breaker. So that sin of rebellion against God, here is an example of blaspheming against God's Sabbath following right after the punishment has been stated. The law that was stated by at the foot of Mount Sinai that the Sabbath was not to be violated, yet this man is out there on the Sabbath picking up sticks, that should have been done the day prior. The punishment is stated in Exodus 31, and 35, so there can be no doubt what should happen in breaking the Sabbath here. The punishment stated under the law was death.

 

Numbers 15:33 "And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto the congregation."

 

This man gathering sticks on this Sabbath day, was brought to Moses and Aaron and to the Elders of the congregation. These Elders of the tribes were their judicial system under the Law at this time.

 

Numbers 15:34 "And they put him in ward, because it was nt declared what should be done to him."

 

This was the first time that this had come up, and the Elders just did not know what to do with this stick gathering man. The penalty was stated clearly, but it had never been challenged before. The man was locked up while the evidence was gathered and tried. Remember that the breaking the Sabbath was death under the Law. So the point that wasn't covered under the law, was the method that this man was to die. As similar law was challenged in Leviticus 24, for a Israelite woman's son of an Egyptian father blasphemed the Lord, and he thought he could run around the camp and argue or strive with the people throughout the camp, about the things of God. As they were arguing, the young man blasphemed against God, and they took him to Moses.

 

Leviticus 24:12-14 "And they put him in ward, that the mind of the Lord might be shewed them." [12] "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying," [13] "Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him." [14]

 

So the punishment that this young man received will be the same as this man that picked up sticks on the Sabbath receives.

 

Numbers 15:35 "And the Lord said unto Moses, "The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp."

 

This was the same as stated in Leviticus 20:2 for those adults that would give their seed or children to Molech. "Again thou shalt say to the children of Israel, `Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones." God does not put up with people, anyone that defiles his sanctuary or His name. Molech worship was to pass their children through the fire, and sacrificing children by fire had never entered into God's mind.

 

Leviticus 20:3 "And I will set My face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile My sanctuary, and to profane my holy name."

 

Here this half Egyptian man had blasphemed the name of the Lord and cursed His holy Name.

 

Numbers 15:36 "And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses."

 

There were no delay, or courts of appeal, they took the man immediately out side the camp and the whole congregation picked up their stones and killed the young man. Case closed, and that will never happen again by that man. Do you see why capital punishment is go powerful, for when the people see it happen, it is final. An object lesson that the congregation will not soon forget.

 

Numbers 15:37 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,"

 

Numbers 15:38 " "Speak to the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:"

 

This was covered in a prior chapter, from Matthew 23:5, 6 "But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments," [5] "And love the uppermost rooms at the feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues." [6] Jesus Christ was addressing the scribes and Pharisees and and drawing attention to the things that they were doing, to make themselves appear to be more holy than the other people.

 

But what these fringes ["Craspeda" in the Greek] were, they were tassels [twisted cords] sewed on their garments, as explained in Deuteronomy 22:12 and placed on the four corners of their upper vesture or clothes that were worn. Their vesture was a square piece of cloth, like a poncho, and these tassels would hang from each of the corners, tied on with a blue ribbon.

 

Numbers 15:39 "And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:"

 

The reason from wearing this poncho with the four tassels tied on with the blue ribbon, that when you looked on those tassels and ribbons bouncing before your eyes, you would remember the commandments of the Lord, and do them. In other words, these were there to keep you from whoring after the strange gods of the people whose lands you will pass through. The Israelites liked to go whoring after idols, from their bondage time in Egypt, the building of the golden calf, and worshipping it, and there will be many other times that they will fall to temptation. We serve a jealous God, and if one of His own whores after idols, He takes action against that person.

 

Numbers 15:40 "That ye may remember, and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your God."

 

"Holy unto your God", means that you are "Separated and set apart for God's use." God gave His commandments to His people, to follow are stay close to Him. they are the means that we can adopt to the form that He would have us to be. Sure we may fall short from time to time, but that is why our Lord came to earth to live an unblemished life, and become the Sacrifical Lamb for one and all times. That is our victory that we have in Christ. Yet is our duty to try to follow the commandments the best we can.

 

Our people like to tie strings and ribbons around everything from their fingers to trees to remember important things. We have tide yellow ribbons to remember the soldiers in war, and strings around our finger to remember to pick up the milk. This blue ribbon and tassel was to remember to keep the commandment, should the temptation to violate one come to mind. However when we do sin, there is victory and forgiveness through our repentance in Jesus' name. "When we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse, us from all unrighteousness." That is a promise, and a fact: But it is up to you to make the move by faith of confessing those sins.

 

Numbers 15:41 "I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God."

 

YHVH Father is reminding His children of Israel that it is He that preformed those miracles back in Egypt that allowed Pharaoh to set them free. He is the Lord our God even today.

 

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