By this stage you are probably tired of reading through instructions for offerings and you could be excused for skimming the material. However, it is important that you reflect on the point of these frequent lists of instructions: worship was to be at the centre of the life of Israel. And worship involved physical acts of offering. There is something unique about this list that we should note. Here God gives instructions on the amounts that are to be given as offerings on various occasions in the future. This is notable because offerings were always to be proportionate to what the people had. So, the proportions would be a reflection of the abundance of God’s blessing. What we have here, in a section we might otherwise skip over, is an anticipation of a great abundance of blessing that lay ahead for the people. The amounts to be given, as listed here, reflect God’s intention to greatly bless his people in the land. And this is the point. The perspective on the promise contained in this section is significant. God doesn’t give them a list of how much they will receive. He gives them a list of how much they will give. God measures blessing, not by what comes to us but by what comes from us. Worship God with your wealth and measure your success, not by what you gain, but by what you give.
Reflect on your giving before God.
Read Numbers 28 and 29.
