Offerings of the Leaders


Sermon by on April 18, 2007

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Wednesday Evening

April 18, 2007

Numbers 7:1-89

“Offerings of the Leaders”

Dr. Ligon Duncan
III

We’re in Numbers 7 tonight,. It’s been a month since
we’ve been in the book of Numbers. Numbers 7 is the longest chapter in the
Bible, with the exception of Psalm 119, if you want to count that as a chapter.
So what I’ve done is I’ve provided you an outline on two sides of an 8 Ѕ x 14,
with all the verses–all 89 verses of Numbers 7. And I’ve put some notes above
each of the sections because there is a lot of repetition in this passage, and
in order to focus you on certain things that we’re learning throughout different
parts of the chapter, even in the repetition I’ve given you some notes. So
follow along as we read tonight in Numbers 7.

Let me say that Numbers 7 describes a unique event in
Israel’s history. There was a twelve-day festival in which gifts were brought to
the tent of meeting. Some of those gifts were going to be used for the permanent
ministry in the tabernacle. Some of them were going to be used immediately for
certain offerings and sacrifices in the tabernacle. The leaders first brought
gifts to the tent of meeting, and then everybody in Israel, tribe by tribe,
brought gifts to the tent of meeting. Those gifts were ceremonially brought by
the head of their tribes — the same people who had numbered them back in Numbers
2. In fact, those gifts come in the same order that the children of Israel were
numbered back in Numbers 2.

Now look for the following things in this passage as
we read it. One, this passage emphasizes the importance and the function of our
giving in worship, and we’ll see that emphasized in verse 3, and in 13-17, as
the first gift is given. There are certain things that are told you there that
will help you appreciate the function and the importance of giving in worship.
The giving is repeated in detail twelve times in this passage, and we know that
the Bible does not contain vain repetition, so when we come to repetition like
that, we have to ask the question, “Why is the repetition there? Why is God
using the exact same words describing the exact same gifts twelve times?”
Obviously, God’s a good teacher. He knows how to make a point. And what do
teachers do when they want to make a point? They say it over and over, and over
again. And so when God does that, He’s drawing attention to something. And in
this case He’s drawing attention to the importance of giving, and the function
of giving in worship.

Secondly, as you look at this passage, look at how it
describes the extraordinary privilege of meeting with God. The very name of the
tabernacle, the tent of meeting, indicates that it is a place appointed for a
special meeting with God, for God’s people to meet with God, and that high
privilege is highlighted in this passage over and over. All of the gifts that
are going to the tent of meeting are designed to enable the children of Israel
to do what? Fellowship with God. And so the priority of communing with God, of
fellowshipping with God, of meeting with God, of drawing near to God, of
engaging with God, of having an appointment with the living God, are highlighted
in this passage.

Thirdly, as you look at this passage notice how–and
you see this especially in verse 89…in fact, the last three things I’m going to
tell you to look for is only found in verse 89. It’s a summarizing verse for the
whole passage because it indicates the fulfillment of a promise that God had
given to Moses back in Exodus 25. Remember when He said ‘Moses, when you build
this tabernacle, I’m going to come meet with you in the tent of meeting at the
ark of the covenant. I’m going to speak My word to you.’ Well, that happens in
Numbers 7:89. Moses goes into that tent of meeting, and God comes and speaks to
him. And think of the vital importance of the things that Moses would hear from
God in that tent of meeting through the long, long travels through the
wilderness! He would be instructed by God in what he is to do. And so his
hearing of the word of God was going to be vital for the well-being of the
children of Israel.

Fourth, this passage speaks of the necessity of
cleansing, of pardon, and forgiveness. And you see that also in verse 89, but
you also see it–go back and you can look at verses 3, 13-17, again, and notice
the sacrifices that are given. There are sacrifices for sin and for peace, and
then what is spoken of in verse 89? The mercy seat. Why is the mercy seat
necessary? Because the children of Israel needed mercy. Why did they need mercy?
They were sinners. God in His mercy made a provision for the forgiveness of
their sins. And so this passage emphasizes the need for forgiveness.

Fifth and finally, we see something of the blessing
of God and the receiving of the blessing of God, again in verse 89. As Moses
goes into that tent of meeting–think of it, friends!–he sees what? The ark of
the covenant. Seeing the ark of the covenant is going to remind Moses of at
least four things about God.

Now, it was my intention to highlight all five of
these things for you. I think it’s going to take me twenty minutes to read this
passage! And God’s words are more important than my words, so we’re going to
read all of God’s words, and if there is any time left, you’ll hear from me,
commenting on God’s words! We’re going to read all of God’s words. If we don’t
have much time left, I’m just going to zero in on the first point and the fifth
point, OK?

So let’s start reading God’s word, and before we do,
let’s pray.

Lord, this is Your word, and You mean it to teach
us, encourage us, instruct us, equip us for every good work. Grant that we would
hear it with belief in our hearts: in You; in Your gospel; in Jesus Christ. In
His name we pray. Amen.

Hear the word of God:

“Now on the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle,
he anointed it and consecrated it with all its furnishings and the altar and all
its utensils, he anointed them, and consecrated them also. Then the leaders of
Israel, the heads of their father’s households, made an offering (they were the
leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who were over the numbered men). When
they brought their offering before the Lord, six covered carts and twelve oxen,
a cart for every two of the leaders and an ox for each one, then they presented
them before the tabernacle. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Accept these
things from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting,
and you shall give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.’
So Moses took the carts and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites. Two carts
and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service, and
four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merarai, according to their
service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. But he did
not give any to the sons of Kohath because theirs was the service of the holy
objects, which they carried on the shoulder.”

[I cannot resist! But stop and say, “Why?” You know
why, don’t you? The ark of the covenant was not to be carried on oxen and a
cart. It was to be carried on poles. The Kohathites had the responsibility, so
they weren’t given oxen and a cart. Years later, what did David do? He put the
ark of the covenant on a cart with oxen, and the oxen stumbled, and a man named
Uzzah reached his hand out to try and keep the ark from falling, and God struck
him dead. And David got mad about it! Because, look, that man was just trying to
keep the ark of the covenant from falling, and I was just trying to bring the
ark up to Jerusalem! Why would You do this to me? And then of course the next
time that you see David bringing the ark of the covenant up to Jerusalem, how’s
it being carried? On poles. Well, David had disobeyed the word of God. He
disobeyed the word of God as to how the ark was to be carried, and so even in
this just passing comment, the Lord is preparing the way for that glorious
story. It’s one example of how in a passage that may seem so mundane there is
deep and rich truth for the learning of the people of God. But that’s all I can
say about that! Let’s keep on going through.]

“The leaders offered the dedication offering for the altar when it
was anointed, so the leaders offered their offering before the altar. Then the
Lord said to Moses, ‘Let them present their offering, one leader each day, for
the dedication of the altar.’

[Now. What we’ll find now is twelve dedications,
twelve offerings made on twelve consecutive days, and all of the words are the
same in every offering. All of the offerings are the same, except for the name
of the leader and the tribe that are making the offering. This is deliberate.
Listen closely.]

“Now the one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon
the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah; and his offering was one silver
dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy
shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine
flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold pan of ten shekels, full of
incense; one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;
one male goat for a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the
offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

[Just note this progression as you see it over and
over: fine flour for a grain offering; the bull, the ram, the lamb for the burnt
offering; the male goat for the sin offering; and for the sacrifice of peace,
the ox and the rams, the goats and the lambs. Just note that over and over, that
progression of sacrifices.]

Verse 18:

“On the second day, Nethanel the son of Zuar, leader of Issachar,
presented an offering; he presented as his offering one silver dish whose weight
was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels,
according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed
with oil for a grain offering; one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; one
bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat
for a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five
rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of
Nethanel the son of Zuar.

“On the third day it was Eliab the son of Helon, leader of the sons
of Zebulun; his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and
thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of
the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain
offering; one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; one bull, one ram, one
male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering;
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats,
five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

“On the fourth day it was Elizur the son of Shedeur, leader of the
sons of Reuben; his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred
and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel
of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain
offering; one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; one bull, one ram, one
male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering;
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats,
five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of
Shedeur.

“On the fifth day it was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, leader of
the children of Simeon; his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one
hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the
shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a
grain offering; one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; one bull, one ram,
one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin
offering; and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five
male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel the
son of Zurishaddai.

“On the sixth day it was Eliasaph the son of Deuel, leader of the
sons of Gad; his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and
thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of
the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain
offering; one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; one bull, one ram, one
male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering;
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats,
five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of
Deuel.

“On the seventh day it was Elishama the son of Ammihud, leader of
the sons of Ephraim; his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one
hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the
shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a
grain offering; one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; one bull, one ram,
one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin
offering; and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five
male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Elishama the
son of Ammihud.

[By the way, at this point you can get the feeling
that the congregation itself would have been able to repeat the words of the
sacrifices along with the priests as they were announced. It’s interesting that
at wedding feasts in the ancient Near East, one of the duties of the groom would
be to stand up and read the entire list of those who were guests at the wedding
feasts, and to list every gift that had been brought as a way of honoring those
who had brought gifts, and of recognizing them as a part of the responsibilities
of hospitality. And you have something sort of like that going on here. All
these gifts are recounted in detail. Let’s go back to verse 54.]

“On the eighth day it was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, leader of
the sons of Manasseh; his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one
hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the
shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a
grain offering; one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; one bull, one ram,
one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin
offering; and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five
male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the
son of Pedahzur.

“On the ninth day it was Abidan the son of Gideoni, leader of the
sons of Benjamin; his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred
and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel
of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain
offering; one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; one bull, one ram, one
male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering;
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats,
five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of
Gideoni.

“On the tenth day it was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, leader of
the sons of Dan; his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred
and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel
of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain
offering; one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; one bull, one ram, one
male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering;
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats,
five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of
Ammishaddai.

“On the eleventh day it was Pagiel the son of Ochran, leader of the
sons of Asher; his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and
thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of
the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain
offering; one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; one bull, one ram, one
male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering;
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats,
five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.

Verse 78:

“On the twelfth day it was Ahira the son of Enan, leader of the sons
of Naphtali; his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and
thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of
the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain
offering; one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; one bull, one ram, one
male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering;
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats,
five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.

“This was the dedication offering for the altar from the leaders of
Israel when it was anointed: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver bowls, twelve
gold pans, each silver dish weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and each
bowl seventy; all the silver of the utensils was 2,4000 shekels, according to
the shekel of the sanctuary; the twelve gold pans, full of incense, weighing ten
shekels apiece, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the
pans 120 shekels; all the oxen for the burnt offering twelve bulls, all the rams
twelve, the male lambs one year old with their grain offering twelve, and the
male goats for a sin offering twelve; and all the oxen for the sacrifice of
peace offerings 24 bulls, all the rams 60, the male goats 60, the male lambs one
year old 60. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was
anointed.

“Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he
heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy that was on the ark of the
testimony, from between the two cherubim, so He spoke to him.”

Amen. This is God’s holy, inspired, and inerrant word. May
He write its eternal truth upon our hearts.

I. Our attitude in giving.

Two things I want you to see in this passage tonight.
First, how it highlights for us the importance and function of giving in
worship.

Now these people, you understand, have already given
lavishly three times in their career in the wilderness. First, at Mount Sinai,
they gave for the building of …the golden calf…which gold was melted down,
scattered into the water, and they were made to drink it.

Then they gave lavishly for the building of the
tabernacle. That’s what’s recorded for us through the whole end of Exodus, from
chapter 24-25 all the way to Exodus 40. Now as the tabernacle is completed they
are called upon to give lavishly once again for what? For the services of the
tabernacle. There are certain things that need to be given so that the service
of the tabernacle can be carried out. And there’s a tremendous message here with
regard to the function and the importance of giving in worship. These are not
rich people. Yes, God has granted them plunder from the Egyptians, but these
people have been slaves for ten generations or more, so they’re not people who
have amassed tremendous amounts of wealth. And yet they are to show the value of
God to them in their giving; that is, the giving of Israel is to be a visual
picture of their value of God.

Think of the things that have been given in that
summary section as it’s recorded in verses 84-88. This is a very expensive gift
from the people of God. Yes, there were many, many of them, but this is a very,
very expensive gift that has been given on the occasion of the dedication of the
tabernacle, and it’s designed to be a picture of the value of God.

It makes sense, then, doesn’t it, when God spares
Jerusalem…the death angel in the wake of David’s sinfully taking the census of
the people, and Onan the Jebusite offers David the field free on which he can
make sacrifices to the Lord in thanksgiving for sparing the children of Israel.
And what’s David’s response? “I will not offer a sacrifice to the Lord that
costs me nothing.” Why? Because your offering is designed to visibly show how
much you value the Lord, so an offering that costs you nothing does not
adequately display your value of the Lord.

Now, of course Jesus Himself tells a poignant story
in Mark 12:42 of a very, very poor woman who gave from an earthly perspective
very, very little money, which Jesus considered a very, very rich gift. You
remember her. She was an impoverished widow who gave two small coins–widows’
mites, we call them–and it was a very, very expensive gift because it was all
that she had in this world. And Jesus thought it an appropriate expression of
her value of God, not because of the relatively small amount that she gave in
comparison to the large gifts, but in light of the sacrifice that it entailed
for her. She gave everything that she had. And if you study the New Testament,
over and over from the days of Jesus into the days of the apostles, the early
church is generous and lavish in its giving because it values God. It’s a very,
very important principle for us, especially those of us who have been blessed
with much bounty. Because it’s just a statistical fact that the more people
have, the less they tend to give; and the less people have, when they are
consecrated to the Lord, the more generous they tend to be in our giving. That
should not be so of us. The Lord has given much to us, and we ought, out of
hearts filled with gratitude, to give much to Him. There’s the first thing I
want you to see.

II. The blessing they received.

The second thing is this. Look at verse 89,
because I want you to see something of the blessing that the children of Israel
were receiving in this God.
There’s no way that their gifts could out-give
God. Yes, they gave an expensive gift to God, but think of the gift that God had
given in Himself to the children of Israel. Moses walks into that tent of
meeting, and he sees the ark of the covenant. Now that ark reminds him
immediately of four blessings that God is to His people.

The first blessing is this: God is their King.
The ark, God says, is the place from which He reigns. It’s like His throne in
Israel. That’s why later in the time of David, David’s throne will be right
where the ark is located. It’s a visible picture of God’s reign in Israel, and
so when Moses goes in and sees that ark of the covenant, he’s seeing a visible
reminder that God is Israel’s king. What greater blessing could there be than
for a people to have God as their king? What a gift God had given! What a gift
the children of Israel had received in God serving as their king!

The second thing I want you to see is this: The
ark of the covenant would have reminded Moses that God was not only the King of
Israel, He was the Teacher of Israel.
Because what was inside the ark of the
covenant? The Ten Commandments. And what were The Ten Commandments but the
loving heavenly Father’s household instruction to His family? Where as a father
He kindly and tenderly teaches His people the way of communion with Him.

How do you live in communion with the living God? Let me
give you My instruction, the family Law. And so Moses beholds the ark of the
covenant, and so he’s reminded not only is God king, but God is the teacher of
Israel.

And as he remembers The Ten Commandments he also
remembers that God is designed Himself to be the great delight of Israel. That’s
the third thing.
What is the first commandment? “You shall have no other
gods before Me.” There is to be nothing else in the world that you value above
Me, that you worship beside Me or instead of Me, that you delight in more than
Me. I am to be your delight. I give Myself so that you can delight in Me.

And so Moses goes into that tent and he is reminded
of God who is king, God who is teacher, God who is delight.

And then, finally, he’s reminded of the God who
provides.
And it hits him right between the eyes, doesn’t it? Because on top
of that ark of the covenant there is a mercy seat, and that mercy seat pictures
the gracious provision of God for the forgiveness of His people’s sin, so that
they can fellowship with Him and glorify and enjoy Him forever. And that mercy
seat, what it pictures, will be fulfilled in the One who was Himself the mercy
seat of His people, who was Himself the propitiation of the sins of His people:
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of that loving heavenly Father, given in grace
and love and mercy by that heavenly Father, so that we could fellowship with Him
forever. And so Moses is reminded something of the gift, of the blessing, of the
benediction that God is on His people, as he looks at the mercy seat and he’s
reminded that God is king, God is teacher, God is our delight, and God is our
merciful provider of salvation by grace, which is through Jesus Christ.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, thank You for this word. Thank
You for repeating it over and over in our ears so that we see how precise and
rich You are in Your provision for all our needs. Grant, O God, that we would
respond to Your grace with lives of joyful, humble, diligent, bold gratitude. In
Jesus’ name. Amen.

[Congregation sings The Doxology.]

Grace to you.

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