A God of grace Numbers 15

A God of grace BACKGROUND Numbers is an account of the time between the Exodus and the entry into the Promised Land Despite the reports and encouragements of Caleb and Joshua the people have refused to obey God to go into the Promised Land The Lord has judged their disobedience. They will now wander in the wilderness and everyone over 20 will never enter the Promised Land

A RESPITE FROM THE ACTION A God of grace A RESPITE FROM THE ACTION Chapter 15 seems somewhat out of place, it looks like it would have been better placed in Leviticus It is deliberately placed here After the rebellion and judgement God is affirming that they are still His people and He will see them settled in the land He has promised (v2) God will continue to accept their sacrifices and be their Lawgiver

OFFERINGS TO A GRACIOUS GOD (1 – 16) A God of grace OFFERINGS TO A GRACIOUS GOD (1 – 16) God continue to speak to His people through Moses Offerings of bread and wine are to be made together with the burnt offerings for sin It speaks of an agricultural future for God’s people The link between sin offerings and bread and wine offerings may remind us of the Last Supper and Jesus’ sacrifice Both Israelites and strangers living with them are included – a foreshadowing of the gospel of grace

A FIRST FRUITS OFFERING (17 – 21) A God of grace A FIRST FRUITS OFFERING (17 – 21) God reiterates that He will bring them into the Land They are to bring a “first fruits” offering of grain This is consistent with other first fruit offerings in other books on the Pentateuch: - crops (Exodus 23:19, Leviticus 23:9) - animals (Numbers 8:17) - grain and fleece (Deuteronomy 8:14) - first born sons (Numbers 8:17,18 – Levites take their place by being consecrated to the Lord)

FORGIVENESS FOR THE SINNER (22 – 29) A God of grace FORGIVENESS FOR THE SINNER (22 – 29) Provision is made for those who unintentionally sin This applied to the community (22-26) and to the individual (27 – 29) Atonement will be made by the priest on behalf of the whole community and also for individuals Again the same provision applies both to the Israelites and the strangers who live with them

A God of grace DEFIANT SIN (30 – 36) Defiant sins are those that are, in effect, blasphemy against the Lord (30) Presumptive sin is where someone deliberately disobeys God, knowing full well what they are doing God’s patience is not inexhaustible A particular example is given in 32 – 36 to emphasise the seriousness of defiant sin

REMEMBERING THE LORD (37 – 41) A God of grace REMEMBERING THE LORD (37 – 41) The Israelites will have a permanent reminder of the Lord wherever they walk The tassels will remind them of God and the circumstances in which He gave them this command It is a command to be passed down through the generations - God has a future planned for them He declares yet again that He is their God, the One who brought them out of slavery (41)

A God of grace LESSONS FOR TODAY God does not treat us as our sin deserves His grace abounds to His people He has plans for His people which will come to fruition Sin is serious and will be dealt with - either through confession and repentance which relies on the atoning work of Jesus or by punishment for unrepentant defiant sinners Each day we should remind ourselves that we are walking with God wherever we go and whatever we do