- These you shall offer to the Lord at your appointed feasts, in addition to your vow offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings. Numbers 29:39 – In yesterday’s devotion we highlighted the grand amount of offerings the Lord was calling His people to make on a regular basis and how on certain days of the years all the daily, weekly, monthly, and appointed feast sacrifices would line up on the same day and how Israel was still expected to give all of it. One commentator noted that each year Israel sacrificed at least 1,086 lambs, 113 bulls, 32 rams, more than a ton of flour, and some 1000 bottles of oil and wine. That is a lot, but notice I said they’d sacrifice “at least” this much. Meaning this was the minimum expectation for this was just the offerings God placed on their calendars to always be given. Our verse above reminds us that scripture also outlined other offerings the people must do. If they sinned there was offerings to be made, more offerings could be made if they made some sort of vow, they also were told they could just give thanks to the Lord by bringing offerings whenever they wanted to. In summary, God was expecting a lot from His people back then, and God is still expecting a lot from His people today. Thankfully Jesus took care of the sacrifice so we don’t have to worry about all the animals like those in Numbers had to, but our expected gift isn’t any less valuable to the Lord. In fact it’s of greater value for God is desiring to have our entire life. For the Israelites back then, and us today, we then are faced with the question is God worth all this sacrifice? He’s asking for so much, is He worth it? He is and He always will be. Remember all we have is from the Lord and He’s already done so much for us. Know the cost of following Jesus is high, but it’s worth every bit. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3379
- On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets… Numbers 29:1 – “A holy convocation.” Meaning they should gather as a large assembly of people, setting themselves apart from the normal daily life in order to give themselves fully over to this time with God. While this chapter isn’t one for us to follow literally anymore, what God is calling His people to do here is something we can still follow. We too are called to gather as a people together, setting ourselves apart from the normal daily life to give ourselves over fully to the worship of God. We are called to “A holy convocation.” Yet when you gather with other believers, say in church or a Bible study, are you treating it as holy? Are you setting yourself and that time apart from everything else? Or are you bringing in thoughts about work, stuff going on later in the day, or even just lunch afterwards in with you during this time? It’s one thing to gather together as believers, it’s another thing to treat that time as holy. You can have the largest of “convocations” yet it remain unholy. While in these gatherings you can’t make anyone else treat it as holy, be sure to treat it as holy yourself. Set that time wholly over for God. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1445
- Numbers 29 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall not do any ordinary work… Numbers 29:35 – This phrase of “You shall not do any ordinary work” appears multiple times within our passage that is an outline of the offerings to be given during these unique and special times of the year. God showed them what sort of sacrifices needed to be given on the altar, but also commands of them another sacrifice. A sacrifice that every person was not only allowed to make to God, but required to make. A sacrifice of not doing your “ordinary work.” These times, just like the Sabbath, were meant to be for the Lord. Your normal grind, your typical daily tasks, they were to be handled differently within these times. This setting aside their normal work opened the doors for these feasts and offerings to become holy. It wasn’t tainted with distractions or worldly cares, all that was set aside for a time for these were times set aside for the Lord. As I right this, I’m a couple hours away from our church gathering for our Sunday morning services. I have to ask myself, how is my coming to the Lord today different? Am I setting aside my ordinary work so I can be fully present today and fully giving to the Lord a holy sacrifice? As we come together with our brothers and sisters in Christ to worship the Lord today, seek to set aside your ordinary work. The concerns at the office can be dealt with later and the plans for next week can be planned later. Of course, if there are things that need to be brought to the Lord for help and direction, bring those into your time with Him, but if it truly is just your “ordinary” grind trying to distract you from the Lord today, then set that aside. Let today be holy unto the Lord and let Him have your full heart and devotion today. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2310
Daily DEVO 