Numbers 4-11: There is No Difference

Now we come to one of those chapters of the Bible that my wife claims as her favorite chapter of the Bible and that I have read time and time again as I read through God's word but not with nearly the same level of excitement that my wife approached it with.  This chapter is Numbers chapter 7.  You know which chapter I am talking about.  This is the chapter in which each of the tribes of Israel offer the identical offering for the dedication of the altar.  I know you remember the list of the offerings:  ...one silver charger, the weight thereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:  One spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense:  One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:  One kid of the goats for a sin offering:  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering ...

My problem with this had historically been the repetition of the offering.  My wife really enjoyed this repetition of the entire list for each tribe but I always thought surely this would have been easier to just say they all offered the same thing.  Then God used my wife to open my eyes to the reason why God repeated their offerings over and over and over again.  Are you interested?  Here it is.  They brought burnt offerings for atonement, sin offerings, and peace offerings.  All of them were the same because it does not matter who you are or what you have done or what you own, we must all come to God on the same terms--the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Lord is the only sacrifice that will atone for sin and bring peace with God.  This seemingly repetitious cataloging of the offerings of these twelve tribes serves as an illustration driving home the point that the Lord Jesus is the only sacrifice that is acceptable to God and that all of us must offer the same offering.  Now aren't you glad God repeated Himself?

Daily Devotional:  Matthew 5:17-20; Romans 8:1-4  Jesus Fulfills the Law