Thursday Evening Bible Study

January 13, 2010

Introduction

Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision

We have been marching with the Israelites through their forty year journey through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land.

The book of Numbers gets its name from the two censuses taken, one at the beginning of the wilderness period, one at the end.

One of the purposes of the last census was to determine the population of each tribe and when it came to dividing up the Promised Land, the bigger the tribe, the bigger the portion of land allotted to that tribe.

It’s this issue of potential land rights that leads to the next chapter.

Numbers 27

27:1-11 Inheritance Laws

:1 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

What is about to happen is a bit out of the ordinary.  In ancient cultures, women had NO rights whatsoever.  These gals have an important issue and they march right up to Moses at the doorway to the Tabernacle.

:2 And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying:

:3 “Our father died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the LORD, in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons.

This is going to present a problem.  If this fellow died in the wilderness, with no sons, then his family is going to have no right to claim any of the Promised Land.

:4 Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.”

:4 give us a possession

These gals are bold.  They want a piece of the Promised Land.

To many people, they would look at the situation and say to themselves, “Well, it’s never been done before, why should it be any different now?”

The results of that kind of thinking are that it WON’T be any different now.

Lesson:

Just ask. 

What harm can it do?

How many times is it that the only thing that keeps us from doing or receiving something is because we never bothered to ask?

Don’t let your dreams or your inheritance go by the wayside simply because you didn’t bother asking about it!

James wrote,

(Jas 4:2 NKJV) …Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

Jesus said,

(Jn 16:24 NKJV) Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

The worst that could happen is that you get a “no”.  But what if the answer is “yes”?

:5 So Moses brought their case before the LORD.

Lesson

Lots to learn

This tells me two things:

1.  Moses didn’t have all the answers.

It’s okay to respond with “I don’t know”.  It’s much better to do that than just make up something stupid.

The reason we make up stupid stuff is probably due to pride.  We don’t want to look ignorant.

2.  Don’t know?  Ask God.

Just because you don’t know doesn’t mean you can’t find out.

When you don’t have the answers, sometimes the questions of life can cause you a lot of grief.

I wonder how much grief we endure simply because we didn’t take the time to ask God for answers.

:6 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

:7 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.

:8 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter.

:9 If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.

:10 If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.

:11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’ ” And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

:7 give them a possession

The Lord gave Moses the procedure of passing on an inheritance.

We follow this today, looking for the “next-of-kin”

Lesson

Women’s inheritance

This passage has more importance than just with probate laws.

This law opens the door for the Messiah!

Follow the logic:

1.  The Messiah would come from a woman, a virgin

(Ge 3:15 NKJV) —15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

(Is 7:14 NKJV) Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

2.  The Messiah would be the heir to the throne of David.

(2 Sa 7:12 NKJV) “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

3.  If Messiah had no earthly father, how could he inherit the throne of David?

Because of the Daughters of Zelophehad!

Jesus has TWO genealogies.  They’re both pretty different in covering the period of history between David and Jesus.

Matthew records the genealogy of Joseph, Jesus’ step-father.

Matt. 1 - Gives Jesus the legal right to the throne, through Joseph.

(Mt 1:16 NKJV) —16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

Luke records the genealogy of Mary and her father Joseph, Jesus’ mother and physical link with the human race.

Luke 3 - Giving Jesus the physical right to the throne, through Mary.

(Lk 3:23 NKJV) —23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

27:12-14 Moses gets a peek

:12 Now the LORD said to Moses: “Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel.

:12 Abarim – “regions beyond”

The mountain range that contains Mt. Nebo, which was also known as Pisgah. Play “Pisgah view” video.

:13 And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered.

:14 For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

:14 you rebelled

Moses would be able to see the land, but not go in.

He had rebelled against God, didn’t treat God as holy, and misrepresented God before the people at the waters of Meribah (Num.20:9-13).

When He should have spoken to the Rock to make the water come he struck the Rock in anger instead.

Lesson:

Missing out

Sometimes we give in to sin because we are afraid we’re going to “miss out” on all the fun.

Illustration

There’s this little guy sitting in a bar just looking at his drink. He sits that way for a half an hour. Then this big trouble-making truck driver step up next to him; takes the drink from the guy and drinks it. The poor man starts crying. The trucker says, “Come on, man, I was just joking. Here, I’ll buy you another one. I can’t stand to see a man cry.” “No, that’s not it, “the little guy says to the thug. “It’s just that today was the worst day of my life. First, I overslept and missed an important meeting and the boss fired me. When I walked outside to drive home, my car was stolen. The police said they could do nothing. “I got a cab to return home, and after I paid the driver and the cab was gone I discovered I had left my wallet in the cab. “I got home only to find my wife kissing the gardener. I left home and came to this bar. And just when I was thinking about putting an end to my life, you show up and drink my poison.”

If we would learn to say “no”, we only end up missing out on the poison, not the “fun”.

Moses’ sin led to disqualification.

(1 Co 9:24–27 NKJV) —24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Note:  Moses’ disqualification was from entering into the Promised Land, not from going to heaven.

Who was Jesus talking with on the mountain of transfiguration (Mat.17)?  He was talking with Moses and Elijah.  Moses made it to heaven.

But Moses didn’t make it to the final goal of his whole ministry.

You may not lose your salvation because of sin in your life, but you certainly won’t be able to achieve the same kinds of things you could have if you had dealt with your sin.

27:15-23 Successor to Moses

:15 Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying:

:16 “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,

You have to hand it to Moses, many leaders become so paranoid, that the last thing they would ever think of is giving someone else a chance, let alone turning over their leadership to another person.

:17 who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”

:17 go out … go in

The words are used to describe a shepherd, who would lead the flock into the safe place for the night, then lead them out into the pasture in the daytime.

God wants his leaders to be good shepherds.

:18 And the LORD said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;

:19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight.

:20 And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

:21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”

:21 the judgment of the Urim

We are simply not exactly sure exactly what the “Urim and Thummin” are.

The Mormons think they are special magic glasses that enabled Joseph Smith to translate the Book of Mormon from nonexistent golden plates written in a language that doesn’t exist.  I think not.

It’s more likely that they were some kind of stones that worked within the pocket of the breast piece that the high priest wore. (Ex.28:30)

:22 So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation.

It’s important in passing authority from one person to the next to do it in front of the people who count, the people who will be led.

It was done before Eleazar the priest, in case he got ideas about taking leadership himself.

It was done before the people, they were to be the ones led.

:23 And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

Lesson

Godly leaders

What kind of person does God choose for leadership?

1.  Filled with the Spirit

(vs. 18) “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit,

You can lead with your own strength and wisdom, or you can learn to lead with the strength and wisdom that the Spirit gives.

Learning to live a life of being yielded to the Spirit doesn’t begin when you find yourself in a place to lead, it begins before you lead.

2.  Warrior

The first time we encounter Joshua, it was in a war:

(Ex 17:9 NKJV) And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek…

Joshua was kind of one of Israel’s first generals.  He was a warrior.

(Eph 6:10–13 NKJV) —10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

The battle is going on around us whether we are aware of it or not, whether we like it or not.

A leader is always going to be a prime target of the enemy.

If you get the leader, the rest of the army is going to scatter.

If you step out to serve God, expect to be attacked.  The greater the responsibility, the greater the attacks.

3.  Faith

Num.13 - the twelve spies are sent into the land.  One of them is Joshua.

When the spies came back with their report, ten of them discouraged the people by not just pointing out the giants in the land, but by saying that the people would be unable to conquer the giants.

Look what Joshua said at that time:

(Nu 14:7–9 NKJV) —7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

What does it mean to be a man of faith?  Play “I’m against it” video clip.

Faith is not “against” the things God might want to do.

It’s being a man who is confident that God can handle things.

4.  Servant

Moses was the most humble man on earth (Num.12:3), at least that’s what Moses tells us!  But Joshua was the servant of Moses. (Ex.24:13; 33:11)

Even after Moses was gone, Joshua was still known as Moses’ servant.

(Jos 1:1 NASB) Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant…

God’s greatest leaders are not those who give orders best, but those who learn to serve.

Illustration

In Fast Company, Jim Stuart, entrepreneur, Harvard Business School grad, and co-founder of the Leadership Circle, writes:

Leadership derives naturally from a commitment to service. You know that you’re practicing servant leadership if your followers become wiser, healthier, more autonomous and more likely to become servant leaders themselves.

I’ve led from a place of servant leadership, and I’ve led from a place of top-down leadership and there’s no question which kind of leadership is more effective. My classmates at Harvard Business School used to call me the Prussian General: For many years, that was my approach to leadership. Then I was hit by a series of personal tragedies and professional setbacks. My wife died. A mail-order venture that I had started went bankrupt. The universe was working hard to bring a little humility into my life. Rather than launch another business, I accepted a friend’s offer to head an aquarium project in Tampa.

I spent the next six years in a job that gave me no power, no money, and no knowledge. That situation forced me to draw on a deeper part of myself. We ended up with a team of people who were so high-performing that they almost walk through walls. Why, I wondered, was I suddenly able to lead a team that was so much more resilient and creative than any team that I had run before? The answer: Somewhere, amid all of my trials, I had begun to trust my colleagues as much as I trusted myself.

Jim Stuart, cofounder of The Leadership Circle, Fast Company, September 1999

Numbers 28

28:1-8 Daily Offerings

We’re now going to enter a section where we have two chapters full of instructions for various offerings.  Offerings are categorized by daily, weekly, monthly, and special holidays during the year.

Some of this is review.  Some of this is filling in the blanks. It’s been forty years since some of this has been talked about.  The rituals are going to be expanded a bit as they enter the Promised Land.

:1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

:2 “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time.’

:2 sweet aroma

Lesson

Pleasing Sacrifices

Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that “sacrifice” is only for when you need to make things right with God.

There is a place for that – that is why Jesus came, to be our sacrifice, to pay for our sins.

But we need to remember that God wants our obedience, our heart, not our sacrifices.

God commanded Saul to wipe out the Amalekites.

And he did, sort of.  Just not completely.  In fact he kept some of the spoils of war … for a good reason.

(1 Sa 15:15 NKJV) And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”

Saul thought that it was more important to have lots of sacrifices than to simply to what God had asked him to do.

God’s response?

(1 Sa 15:22 NKJV) —22 So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

Don’t misunderstand.  God loves our “sacrifices”, the things we offer Him from a right heart.

The problem is when we think that we can just ignore the sin in our lives because we plan on giving God a really great Father’s Day present.

:3 “And you shall say to them, ‘This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs in their first year without blemish, day by day, as a regular burnt offering.

:4 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, the other lamb you shall offer in the evening,

:4 in the evening –

This was the “time of the evening offering”, which was one of the times you could set your watch by in Bible times.

Josephus tells us that it occurred at the ninth hour (3:00 in the afternoon), while the Mishna taught that it actually took place at 3:30 p.m.

This little tidbit will come in handy in your Bible reading when you come up on passages like these:

(1 Ki 18:36 NKJV) And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.

Imagine the story of Elijah calling down fire on the sacrifice, happening late in the afternoon, perhaps at sunset!  What a fireworks show!

:5 and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil.

:6 It is a regular burnt offering which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

:7 And its drink offering shall be one-fourth of a hin for each lamb; in a holy place you shall pour out the drink to the LORD as an offering.

:8 The other lamb you shall offer in the evening; as the morning grain offering and its drink offering, you shall offer it as an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

:3 a regular burnt offering

regular – tamiyd – continuity, perpetuity: continually

The KJV – “a continual burnt offering”

Israel was to have a lamb burning on the altar, night and day, day in and day out.

There are two pictures this represents:

1.  Jesus, our perpetual sacrifice.

Jesus was undoubtedly the picture behind the Passover Lamb.

(Jn 1:29 NKJV) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Jesus’ blood covers us so God is able to “Pass Over” our sins.

The Passover lamb was to be an unblemished male lamb, one year old.  Same as in the daily sacrifice.

Jesus is constantly available to bear our sins.

(Heb 10:14 NKJV) For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Lesson

Forgiveness is available

He wants to pay for your sins!

2.  A living sacrifice

The idea of the burnt offering was that the lamb was taking your place on the altar.  You somehow imparted yourself into that lamb, then it was slaughtered, cut into pieces, and completely consumed on the altar.  Nothing was to be left behind but ashes.

God desires much of the same of our lives, in a spiritual way.

He desires that we place our entire lives:  Our hopes, our wishes, our plans, our emotions, upon His altar.  Then the fire is lit.  And we are completely consumed.  We are completely given over to God.

(Ro 12:1–2 NKJV) —1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Lesson

Stay on the altar

The problem with living sacrifices is that they tend to crawl off the altar.

Perhaps that’s why the sacrifice is repeated morning and evening.

It starts in the morning. How about this prayer:

“Lord, I have been so good today.  I haven’t raised my voice to anyone.  I haven’t called anyone rude names.  I haven’t yelled and screamed, ranted and raved at anyone.  I haven’t even broken anything or hurt anybody.  But Lord, I’m about to get out of bed in about five minutes and I will probably need your help then.”

And as important as having time with God in the morning, perhaps we ought to consider spending time with God in the evening as well.

Climb back up on the altar in the morning, get back on at night.

The famous English preacher, Charles Spurgeon, wrote a book for devotions called “Morning and Evening”.

28:9-10 Sabbath Offerings

:9 ‘And on the Sabbath day two lambs in their first year, without blemish, and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, with its drink offering—

:10 this is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering.

It does not say when these were to be sacrificed, but the Jews by practice did it right after the morning sacrifice.

Notes:

Many people settle for just the Sabbath Offerings, enjoying Jesus and giving themselves to the Lord once a week.  But God desires these things every day!

It is neat that it seems like we get a double portion (two lambs, not just one) of the Lord when we all get together and have church together!

28:11-15 Monthly Offerings

:11 ‘At the beginnings of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish; …

God goes on to lay out the offerings given monthly month…

:12 three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull; two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram;

:13 and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with oil, as a grain offering for each lamb, as a burnt offering of sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

:14 Their drink offering shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, one-third of a hin for a ram, and one-fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering for each month throughout the months of the year.

:15 Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering to the LORD shall be offered, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

The Jews use a lunar calendar, and their months follow the phases of the moon.

That’s why Passover is on a different day each year, sometimes a different month – because our calendar does NOT follow the phases of the moon.

These sacrifices at the beginning of the month were known as “New Moons”. 

In addition to the sacrifices, trumpets were to be blown. (Num. 10:10)

(Nu 10:10 NKJV) —10 Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”

These apparently became feast days.

(1 Sa 20:5 NKJV) And David said to Jonathan, “Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening.

(Ps 81:3 NKJV) Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.

Lesson:

Ritual Warning!

The problem with things like this is that we get into doing rituals rather than understanding what we’re supposed to be doing.  God would rather that we use the time to draw near to God.  We want to say the magic words and eat our supper and not get too close to God.

(Is 1:13–14 NKJV) —13 Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. 14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.

(Col 2:16–17 NKJV) —16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

Don’t let your worship be a hollow shell.  Let it express a heart of love for God.

28:16-25  Passover Offerings

Now we move to things that will happen once a year, the holidays or “holy-days”.

The Feasts

We’re going to be looking at the major feast or “festivals” of the Jewish people.

These were important for several reasons:

1.  They taught the people history.

The Passover was a yearly reminder of the historical event when God had delivered Israel out of Egypt.

2.  They were opportunities to pass on the faith.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was a time of “cleaning out the leaven”, removing not only leaven, but sin from our lives.

3.  They brought the people together.

These feasts were often called “holy convocations”

4.  They had prophetic importance.

(Col 2:17 NKJV) which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

The feasts were pictures of future events, and God seems to be fond of making those events happen on the Feast Days.

The Passover was a picture of God passing over our sins – and Jesus ended up dying on the Passover.

Pentecost was the feast of “first fruits”, and the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church at Pentecost, bringing the “first fruits” of God’s work through Jesus.

:16 ‘On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the LORD.

The Passover was to commemorate every year how God mightily delivered Israel out of Egypt on the night when all the first born were slain, except in those houses that had blood on the door.

Jesus is our Passover.  God passed over our sins.

:17 And on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast; unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days.

:17 unleavened bread

The Passover was a one day event followed by a seven day event called the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

This was a seven day feast to remember how the people didn’t have time to sit around and use leaven to allow bread to rise, but had to eat unleavened bread when they fled out of Egypt.

For the practicing Jews, who take this very seriously, part of the ritual in preparing for this feast is to send your kids all through the house looking for leaven.  The entire house must be leaven free!  Part of the fun is to hide little packets of leaven for the kids to find, then to remove from the house, preparing you for the feast.

Lesson

Clean house.

Leaven in the Bible is often a picture of sin.

Leaven works by corruption.  The yeast is actually causing a type of spoilage that creates gas, that rises the bread, etc.

Sin also brings corruption in our lives.

So the yearly feast of Unleavened Bread speaks about cleaning house not just physically, but spiritually as well.

Paul wrote about this to the Corinthians, because they had been allowing a man to fellowship with their church who was sleeping with his step-mom.  He was doing it openly, and the church was acting very smug in how open and accepting they were.  In counseling them to remove the man from their fellowship, Paul wrote,

(1 Co 5:8 NKJV) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Perhaps we ought to take time every once in a while and “clean house”.

Paul’s not talking about removing people who sin from church.  If that were the case, there would be no one in church because we all sin.  He’s talking about people who claim to be Christians, yet openly and without any sense of regret, without any desire to change, flaunt their sin before everyone.

Keep your life pure before the Lord.

:18 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.

:18 holy convocation – Translation:  Getting together for church.

:19 And you shall present an offering made by fire as a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. Be sure they are without blemish. …

More details on the various sacrifices for this feast…

:20 Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah you shall offer for a bull, and two-tenths for a ram;

:21 you shall offer one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs;

:22 also one goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you.

:23 You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering.

:24 In this manner you shall offer the food of the offering made by fire daily for seven days, as a sweet aroma to the LORD; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

It sounds as if this batch of sacrifices were repeated every day for seven days.

:25 And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.

:25 holy convocation – another time to gather at the end of Passover/Unleavened Bread.

28:26-31 Feast of Weeks Offerings

:26 ‘Also on the day of the firstfruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. …

:26 holy convocation – another one

:27 You shall present a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year…

:28 with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

:29 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs;

:30 also one kid of the goats, to make atonement for you.

:31 Be sure they are without blemish. You shall present them with their drink offerings, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering.

:26 Feast of Weeks

This feast was called “First Fruits” because it celebrated the period when the harvest of the wheat crops would begin.

When you picked the first fruit from your field, you would turn and offer it up to God, recognizing who it was who gave you the fruit in the first place.

The feast was called “Weeks” because it was celebrated after a week of weeks (seven times seven days, or forty-nine days, plus one), on the fiftieth day after Passover.  We also call it Pentecost (Greek for “fifty”).

Historically

This is one of the few feasts that Biblically is not tied to a part of the history of Israel.

Later, Jewish tradition added that this was the day when Moses was given the Law of God on Mount Sinai.

Prophetically

A wonderful thing happened on the fiftieth day after the Real Passover, when Jesus’ blood was spilt to cover our sins.  God brought in the first Harvest of souls by sending the Holy Spirit on the people gathered together, and the church was born.