AM Bible Study Group; April 21, 2010

Numbers 7:1-89

Theme: This passage describes the offerings that the leaders of the tribes of Israel made at the time of the dedication of the tabernacle..

This chapter is the longest in the book of Numbers; and is one of the longest in the Old Testament. To modern ears, the reading of it may seem rather dry and repetitive; but to those who were there to experience the events it described, it was deeply meaningful and rich. God cared very much about the details of this chapter; and saw fit to record them for us specifically.

It describes the events that followed after Moses’ dedication of the tabernacle. The leaders of the various tribes declared their ‘amen’ to that dedication by two very noteworthy free-will offerings. Those offerings—and the manner in which they were given—is described for us in this passage.

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE OFFERINGS (v. 1).

A. The events being described to us in Numbers are not necessarily chronological. We’re told that the occasion of this offering was when “it came to pass” that Moses “had finished setting up the tabernacle”; and after he had “anointed it and consecrated it and all its furnishings, and the altar and all its utensils”. This puts the events of this chapter back in the Scriptural time-line to just after Exodus 40:16.

B. Based the the date of the departure of the people of Israel from Egypt, Gordon Wenham (Numbers: An Introduction and Commentary [Downers Grove: IVP], p. 91) arranges the main events that surround this chapter as follows:

II. THE OFFERINGS THAT WERE MADE (vv. 2-87).

A. The offerings for the service of the tabernacle (vv. 2-9; see attached diagram). The leaders of Israel (the same as are mentioned in chapters 1 and 2) make a combined, free- will offering to help the Levites with their service in carrying the tabernacle. Note that, because it was a free-will offering not commanded by God, it was not given to the Levites only after Moses received the command from God that it be accepted. The offering was of six covered carts and twelve oxen (two per cart). Moses gave two carts and four oxen for the Gershonites who carried the curtains, screens and cords (see 4:21- 28). Four carts and eight oxen were given to the Merarites who carried the boards, bars, pillars, pegs sockets, cords and furnishings (see 4:29-33). Note that none of the carts or oxen were given to the Kohathites, who were to carry the holy things on their shoulders (see 4:4-20). A failure on the part of the Kohathites to carry the ark later on—and for the ark to be carried on a cart instead—resulted in dreadful judgment from God in the time of King David (see 1 Samuel 13:7-12).

B. The offerings for the altar (vv. 10-88; see attached diagram). The leaders of each tribe then made their dedication offering for the altar in the order of their tribes marching position; “one leader each day” (vv. 10-11). The order in which the tribal leaders made their offering matched that of the order in which the tribes were to camp and march (see Numbers 2:3-31; 10:14-28). The leader of each tribe made an offering that was consistent with the requirements of the law of offerings in Leviticus 1-7. Each tribe offered the following: one silver platter of 130 shekels full of fine flour; one silver bowl of 70 shekels full of fine flour; one gold pan of ten shekels full of incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb of the first year for a burnt offering; one kid of the goats as a sin offering; and two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year for a peace offering. The offering made by each tribe was identical, so that no tribe made their connection to the altar greater than any other. But though the offering was the same for each, the Holy Spirit has taken the time to record each offering in such a way as to show that it was from the heart; and that each tribes offering was valued deeply by God.

III. THE RESULTS OF THE OFFERING IN WORSHIP (v. 89).

The significance of these offerings is shown in how God communicated with His people from above the mercy seat. Note that God didn’t speak from the heavens or from the cloud; but from the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, and in such a way as to show that His response to the offerings was consistent with the dedication made for the altar.

* * * * * * * * * *

Today, we don’t offer carts, or animals or gold or silver utensils in our offering to God in service of a physical tabernacle. Rather, the offering we’re to make is that of laying our very selves upon the altar (see Romans 12:1-2). Any other offering we make is to follow after the offering of our own selves to Him (see 2 Corinthians 8:5). And as this passage wonderfully illustrates to us, our God knows those who make an offering to Him, and He values it to the greatest detail as if it were the only one given (see Mark 12:41-44).