Numbers part 7 | “Bringing in the Sheaves”
Today we continue our walk through the Book of Numbers with chapter 7. Chapter 7 is another chapter that consists mainly of lists. The Israelites are consecrating the tabernacle through a celebration, and in that celebration, they will bring their offerings. Most of the chapter details what the twelve tribes bring for their offering.
Before we begin reading the first part of the chapter, I’d like to ask a question.
Where do the Israelites get all their goods to bring to the tabernacle?
Again, they have just come out of Egypt. They have been slaves for 400 years. They would be wanted fugitives except for the fact God miraculously brought them out of Egypt and Pharaoh’s army was washed away in the Red Sea. We don’t tend to think of wanted fugitives as having an abundance of goods, but look with me at Exodus 12:33.
Where do the Israelites get the goods to make an offering? | Exodus 12:33-36
The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders. The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
Exodus 12:33-36
At the end of the 10 plagues, the Egyptians are so ready for the Israelites to leave, they give away large portions of their goods. Now, much of the livestock would be part of the households that left, but here we see the Israelites had silver, gold, and clothing because they asked for it from the Egyptians.
Before we consider making offerings to the Lord, we should note where “our stuff” comes from in the first place. The Lord provides all things.
Offerings pay tribute to the God who gives us all good things and remind us He is our Provider.
The Israelites will make jewelry, candlesticks, priestly garments, the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, and a number of other things from the loot given to them. This story also gives us insight into the nature of God’s salvation.
When the Lord saves you, He does not leave you empty-handed. He doesn’t promise an easy life, but He does promise to provide all that we need. The Israelites were leaving Egypt and needed to build a new nation. The capital and means to build such a nation came…ironically, much of it from the very nation that enslaved them!
Bringing in the Offerings | Numbers 7
On the day when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it with all its furnishings and had anointed and consecrated the altar with all its utensils, the chiefs of Israel, heads of their fathers' houses, who were the chiefs of the tribes, who were over those who were listed, approached and brought their offerings before the Lord, six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and for each one an ox. They brought them before the tabernacle. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.” So Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites
Numbers 7:1-6
The people send their heads of houses to bring offerings to the Lord. These wagons and oxen would carry the tabernacle and its furnishings as they traveled from place to place. They go to the Levites who now have transportation for their respective functions.
The remaining sections outline who gets which oxen, and then the tribal leaders who come and bring plates, basins, oil, incense, and all other manner of furnishings and supplies for the tabernacle. It’s worth noting the parade of offerings is a 12 day celebration. Each tribe is given a particular day to celebrate and bring their offerings.
When you look at verses 10-88, you’ll also notice each listing is extremely repetitive. Some commentators speculate the original document was possibly a 2 dimensional chart that was transcribed into the Book of Numbers. Regardless its origin, we also can see that each tribe was given equal responsibility for furnishing the tabernacle. No tribe had more to give, nor less.
Now, on the one hand, we could say each tribe had equal burden in their giving. That would certainly be a good modern materialistic way of looking at it. But, we could also say each tribe had equal honor in bringing their offerings. This celebration is the very beginning of the new nation. It would be easy for one tribe to assert their dominance or assert a more honored place among the nation by bringing in more offerings than the others. Think of Christmas when some people want to spend the most money or get the coolest gift so others know they really are the best at giving. It’s a very special kind of arrogant humility.
The equal gifts of the tribes point us to the equal footing each tribe had in the nation.
I want to emphasize the equality of gifts has to do with honor and not to assert the principle we are all called to give the same amount. When we fast forward to the New Testament and look at making an offering as Christians, the honor of the gift is not in the amount but in the sacrifice itself. Turn with me to Luke 21.
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Luke 21:1-4
The widow can only give two small coins, but these coins are all she has. The rich put just a small portion of what they had to give. Who exercised more faith in their giving?
If we turn back to our Scripture Reading today, we read again “God loves a cheerful giver.” “Cheerful” is the Greek word ‘hilaros’ which sounds familiar because it’s the exact word that became the English ‘hilarious.’ A ‘cheerful giver’ is someone who is happy to give and joyful they are able to give.
The more we recognize how much God has given us, the more we are willing to give in His Name.
Keep in mind this text comes right after Aaron has prayed the priestly blessing upon Israel, and they have the Lord’s Name upon them. They are to bear God’s Name which we said meant they are to uphold the Lord’s reputation by being the people He has called them to be.
When we bear the Name of Jesus, if we say we follow Him, then we are going to become a more generous people. It is inevitable because we will know more and more about the generosity and provision of our God who saves us. And in our giving, we will find ourselves blessed.
The Lord Responds to the Offerings | Numbers 7:89
And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him.
Numbers 7:89
After the 12 days of offerings come in, Moses enters the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, and the Lord responds. Now, we should not give in order to force God to respond (that’s not something we can even do), but we can give knowing God will respond. Our offerings of prayer, of time, of money, of our talents, and of whatever else He calls us to give, will draw His response, but we must remember God’s response is not necessarily what we want. God is not a cosmic vending machine that we simply have to push the right buttons to get the prize we want.
The Lord will respond by speaking to us. In that message will be the wisdom that we need, but that wisdom may also be a call to repent. If our giving is for selfish motives, we will not receive our selfish desires. We will receive discipline. Consider the warning in James 4.
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James 4:1-4
Christians, you should be very careful in your prayer life and giving offerings. If you believe that God is honoring your selfishness by helping you hoard your wealth or giving you pretty things, there is a strong chance it’s not God you are listening to. Wealth in itself is not evil, but the selfish pursuit of it (i.e. the love of it) certainly is.
Giving an offering, much like prayer and fasting, is a spiritual discipline that is meant to help turn our hearts towards God.
There is nothing wrong with wanting God to bless you through your giving…just like we can expect God to bless our Bible reading and prayers. But if our desire to make ourselves greater, then we have missed the point of our giving.
In fact, when we go back to Numbers 7:5, what was the offering of the 12 tribes used for?
Accept these from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting,
Numbers 7:5
We no longer have a tent of meeting because it is unnecessary with Christ. What is the new temple for those in Christ? We are. The Holy Spirit resides in those who have surrendered to Christ. Offerings today are offerings to help build the Body of Christ. If your offering is to help the Body, then give. If it is to help yourself, then it would be better to repent first. Sacrifice your selfishness before you try to bring an offering.