New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Numbers 15
1
The Lord said to Moses,
2
"Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'You are going to enter the land I am giving you as a home.
Reference
3
When you do, you will give offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. The animals must come from your herd or flock. The offerings will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. They can be either burnt offerings or sacrifices. They can be either for special promises or for feast offerings. Or they can be for offerings you choose to give.
Reference
4
" 'With each of the offerings, the one who brings it must give the Lord a grain offering. It must be eight cups of fine flour. It must be mixed with a quart of olive oil.
Reference
5
Also prepare a quart of wine as a drink offering. You must give it with each lamb that you bring for the burnt offering or the sacrifice.
Reference
6
" 'With a ram prepare a grain offering. It must be 16 cups of fine flour. It must be mixed with two and a half pints of olive oil.
7
You must bring two and a half pints of wine as a drink offering. Offer everything as a smell that is pleasant to the Lord.
8
" 'Suppose you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice. You prepare it to keep a special promise to the Lord. Or you prepare it to give as a friendship offering.
Reference
Sacrifice
Leviticus 3:1
9
Then bring a grain offering with the bull. The grain offering must be 24 cups of fine flour. It must be mixed with two quarts of olive oil.
Reference
10
Also bring two quarts of wine as a drink offering. It will be an offering that is made with fire. It will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord.
Reference
Sacrifice
Numbers 15:5
11
" 'Each bull or ram must be prepared in the same way. Each lamb or young goat must also be prepared in that way.
12
Do it for each animal. Do it for as many animals as you prepare.
13
" 'Everyone in Israel must do those things in that way. He must do them when he brings an offering that is made with fire. Offerings like that give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord.
14
" 'Everyone must always do what the law requires. It does not matter whether he is an outsider or someone else who is living among you. He must do exactly as you do when he brings an offering that is made with fire. Offerings like that give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord.
15
" 'The community must have the same rules for you and for the outsider who is living among you. That law will last for all time to come. In the sight of the Lord, the law applies to you and the outsider alike.
Reference
16
The same laws and rules will apply to you and to the outsider who is living among you.' "
17
The Lord said to Moses,
18
"Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'You are going to enter the land I am taking you to.
Reference
References Israel
Numbers 15:2
19
You will eat its food. When you do, bring part of it as an offering to the Lord.
20
Bring a loaf that is made from the first flour you grind. Give it as an offering from the threshing floor.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 34:26
Exodus 23:19
Ezekiel 44:30
Leviticus 23:10
Sacrifice
Leviticus 2:14
Nehemiah 10:37
21
You must bring the offering to the Lord. You must give it from the first grain you grind. You must do it for all time to come.
Reference
Sacrifice
Exodus 29:28
22
" 'Suppose you fail to keep any of the commands the Lord gave Moses. And suppose you do it without meaning to.
Reference
Word
Leviticus 4:2
23
That applies to any of the commands the Lord told Moses to give you. And they are in effect from the day the Lord gave them and for all time to come.
24
Suppose the community sins without meaning to. And suppose they do not know they have sinned. Then the whole community must offer a young bull. They must offer it for a burnt offering. It will give a smell that is pleasant to the Lord. Along with it, they must offer its required grain offering and drink offering. They must also offer a male goat for a sin offering.
Reference
25
" 'With it the priest will pay for the sin of the whole community of Israel. Then they will be forgiven. They did not mean to commit that sin. And they have brought to the Lord an offering that is made with fire for the wrong thing they did. They have brought a sin offering with it.
Reference
26
" 'The Lord will forgive the whole community of Israel and the outsiders living among them. All of the people had a part in the sin, even though they did not mean to do it.
27
" 'But suppose just one person sins without meaning to. Then he must bring a female goat for a sin offering. It must be a year old.
28
With it the priest will pay for the person's sin in the sight of the Lord. He will do it for the one who did wrong by sinning without meaning to. When the sin is paid for, that person will be forgiven.
Reference
Sin
Leviticus 4:35
29
" 'The same law applies to everyone who sins without meaning to. It does not matter whether he is an Israelite or an outsider.
Reference
30
" 'But suppose someone sins on purpose. It does not matter whether he is an Israelite or an outsider. He speaks evil things against the Lord. He must be cut off from his people.
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 10:26
Psalm 19:13
Hebrews 10:29
Matthew 12:32
Psalm 74:22
2 Peter 2:10
References Lord
Deuteronomy 1:43
Psalm 74:18
Psalm 79:12
Psalm 89:51
31
He has made fun of what the Lord has said. He has broken the Lord's commands. He must certainly be cut off. He is still guilty.' "
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Thessalonians 4:8
Psalm 38:4
Sin
Ezekiel 18:20
Leviticus 5:1
Isaiah 53:6
Word
Proverbs 13:13
2 Samuel 12:9
Psalm 119:126
Isaiah 30:12
2 Peter 2:21
32
The people of Israel were in the desert. One Sabbath day, people saw a man gathering wood.
33
They brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole community.
34
They kept him under guard. It wasn't clear what should be done to him.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 24:12
35
Then the Lord said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole community must kill him by throwing stones at him. They must do it outside the camp."
Reference
36
So the people took the man outside the camp. There they killed him by throwing stones at him. They did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
37
The Lord said to Moses,
38
"Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'You must make tassels on the corners of your clothes. A blue cord must be on each tassel. You must do it for all time to come.
Reference
39
You will have the tassels to look at. They will remind you to obey all of the Lord's commands. Then you will be faithful to him. You will not go after what your own hearts and eyes long for.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 106:39
Psalm 73:27
Ezekiel 6:9
Proverbs 28:26
Job 31:7
Ecclesiastes 11:9
James 4:4
Word
Proverbs 3:1
Deuteronomy 29:19
40
" 'You will remember to obey all of my commands. And you will be set apart for your God.
Reference
41
I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.' "
Reference
References God
Leviticus 22:33
Summary of Numbers 15
Numbers chapter 15 provides further instruction to Israel concerning offerings, sacrifices, sin, and obedience. The chapter begins with the Lord speaking to Moses after the events of the previous chapter. God was providing instruction concerning what the Israelites should do when they eventually entered the land that he had promised them. The chapter had begun with the announcement that the current generation would not be allowed to enter the land. God was preparing the nation for the future despite the loss of many adults.
When an Israelite was to offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, the animal was to provide with a grain offering and a drink offering. The amount was dependent upon the size of the animal being provided. A greater amount was required for a bullock than a lamb, and a greater amount was required for a ram than a bullock.
The reason why these instructions are provided is to provide an orderly pattern. The sacrifice of the animal was not to be made without the accompanying grain offering and drink offering. God was giving specific instruction for the worship in the promised land.
The same applied when a stranger, who was living among the Israelites, was to offer a sacrifice. The chapter states that there was to be one law for the Israelite and for the stranger living in their midst. This was the same throughout their generations. It shows that the worship of God was not to operate with one law for Israelites and another law for the foreigners who chose to associate themselves with the nation.
The chapter next provides instruction concerning the first portion of dough. When the Israelites ate of the bread of the land, they were to offer a portion of their dough as an offering to the Lord. This was a practice that would continue from generation to generation. It reminded the people that the food that they produced ultimately came from God.
Numbers 15 then moves to address the issue of sin in an unintentional manner. If the congregation made a mistake, then the community was to bring a young bullock as a burnt offering along with the necessary grain and drink offering and a kid of the goats as a sin offering. The priest was to make atonement for the congregation, and they were to be forgiven.
The same applied when an individual was unintentionally involved in sinning. The person was required to bring a female goat of the first year for a sin offering. The priest was to make atonement for the person, and they were to be forgiven.
The distinction between unintentional sin and deliberate rebellion becomes very important with the next portion of the chapter. The rebellion was to be punished most severely because it showed contempt for the Lord and an outright rejection of his word.
This was not an act of rebellion that showed that the person had failed to understand what they had been taught to do or not to do. It was a case where the person had deliberately disregarded the known instruction of God.
The chapter then provides an example of someone deliberately breaking a command. While the Israelites were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. The people brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the congregation because they were unsure what to do with this particular case.
The man was kept in custody while Moses sought the Lord's instruction. The Lord ordered that the man was to be taken out of the camp and stoned to death. The congregation carried out the order.
This was in line with the instruction regarding deliberate disobedience. The man was not making a trivial mistake. He was deliberately working on the Sabbath day after the people had received God's instruction concerning this day. The example demonstrated the severity with which the Israelites were expected to regard the word of God.
The final section of the chapter provides instruction regarding the fringes on the garments of the Israelites. God instructed Moses to inform the people that they were to make fringes on the border of their garments throughout their generations. The fringes were to include a blue ribbon.
The reason was very simple. When the Israelites saw the fringes, they were to "remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them, and not do what their hearts desire or their eyes see as they tempt them to turn away from the Lord." They were to remember God and not follow their desires and temptations.
This was a response to the consistent failure of the Israelites to remember God's commands and to do what he had instructed.
They had forgotten what he had done for them and were easily swayed by their own desires and the influence of the people around them. The garment fringes were a constant physical reminder that they were God's people and were expected to live by his commands.
God reminded the Israelites that they were to remember that he had brought them out of Egypt to be his people.
Numbers 15 is important in that it comes directly after the rebelling episode described in Numbers 14. The Israelites had refused to enter into Canaan because they did not believe that they would be able to succeed. Even though the entire generation was not to be allowed to enter, God's promises continued. The instruction contained in the chapter pointed to the future when their children would live in Canaan and would continue to worship God.
The chapter also demonstrates that atonement and forgiveness were possible when a person sinned unintentionally. However, deliberate rebellion was to be punished even more severely. The distinction was not between greater and lesser mistakes, but between the unintentional failure to do what had been instructed and the deliberate decision to reject the word of God.
The instruction concerning the Sabbath and the garment fringes pointed to the same idea. The Israelites were to remember God's words and live by them even when the physical punishment was not necessarily obvious. They needed reminders of their obligation to God.
In this case, it was the wilderness and the temptations and the fears of the unfamiliar environment that led the people to act out of control. The Israelites lived in a difficult environment and were easily influenced by the circumstances.
Numbers 15 reminds Israel that there will be future beyond this present crisis in the wilderness. It shows that they were to continue to worship God even in the midst of the promised land and that their lives would have to continue to be lived in obedience to his word. The people were to obey his commands, remember his rules, and take the deliberate sin as a most serious issue since it represented their attitude of rebellion towards God.
When an Israelite was to offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, the animal was to provide with a grain offering and a drink offering. The amount was dependent upon the size of the animal being provided. A greater amount was required for a bullock than a lamb, and a greater amount was required for a ram than a bullock.
The reason why these instructions are provided is to provide an orderly pattern. The sacrifice of the animal was not to be made without the accompanying grain offering and drink offering. God was giving specific instruction for the worship in the promised land.
The same applied when a stranger, who was living among the Israelites, was to offer a sacrifice. The chapter states that there was to be one law for the Israelite and for the stranger living in their midst. This was the same throughout their generations. It shows that the worship of God was not to operate with one law for Israelites and another law for the foreigners who chose to associate themselves with the nation.
The chapter next provides instruction concerning the first portion of dough. When the Israelites ate of the bread of the land, they were to offer a portion of their dough as an offering to the Lord. This was a practice that would continue from generation to generation. It reminded the people that the food that they produced ultimately came from God.
Numbers 15 then moves to address the issue of sin in an unintentional manner. If the congregation made a mistake, then the community was to bring a young bullock as a burnt offering along with the necessary grain and drink offering and a kid of the goats as a sin offering. The priest was to make atonement for the congregation, and they were to be forgiven.
The same applied when an individual was unintentionally involved in sinning. The person was required to bring a female goat of the first year for a sin offering. The priest was to make atonement for the person, and they were to be forgiven.
The distinction between unintentional sin and deliberate rebellion becomes very important with the next portion of the chapter. The rebellion was to be punished most severely because it showed contempt for the Lord and an outright rejection of his word.
This was not an act of rebellion that showed that the person had failed to understand what they had been taught to do or not to do. It was a case where the person had deliberately disregarded the known instruction of God.
The chapter then provides an example of someone deliberately breaking a command. While the Israelites were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. The people brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the congregation because they were unsure what to do with this particular case.
The man was kept in custody while Moses sought the Lord's instruction. The Lord ordered that the man was to be taken out of the camp and stoned to death. The congregation carried out the order.
This was in line with the instruction regarding deliberate disobedience. The man was not making a trivial mistake. He was deliberately working on the Sabbath day after the people had received God's instruction concerning this day. The example demonstrated the severity with which the Israelites were expected to regard the word of God.
The final section of the chapter provides instruction regarding the fringes on the garments of the Israelites. God instructed Moses to inform the people that they were to make fringes on the border of their garments throughout their generations. The fringes were to include a blue ribbon.
The reason was very simple. When the Israelites saw the fringes, they were to "remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them, and not do what their hearts desire or their eyes see as they tempt them to turn away from the Lord." They were to remember God and not follow their desires and temptations.
This was a response to the consistent failure of the Israelites to remember God's commands and to do what he had instructed.
They had forgotten what he had done for them and were easily swayed by their own desires and the influence of the people around them. The garment fringes were a constant physical reminder that they were God's people and were expected to live by his commands.
God reminded the Israelites that they were to remember that he had brought them out of Egypt to be his people.
Numbers 15 is important in that it comes directly after the rebelling episode described in Numbers 14. The Israelites had refused to enter into Canaan because they did not believe that they would be able to succeed. Even though the entire generation was not to be allowed to enter, God's promises continued. The instruction contained in the chapter pointed to the future when their children would live in Canaan and would continue to worship God.
The chapter also demonstrates that atonement and forgiveness were possible when a person sinned unintentionally. However, deliberate rebellion was to be punished even more severely. The distinction was not between greater and lesser mistakes, but between the unintentional failure to do what had been instructed and the deliberate decision to reject the word of God.
The instruction concerning the Sabbath and the garment fringes pointed to the same idea. The Israelites were to remember God's words and live by them even when the physical punishment was not necessarily obvious. They needed reminders of their obligation to God.
In this case, it was the wilderness and the temptations and the fears of the unfamiliar environment that led the people to act out of control. The Israelites lived in a difficult environment and were easily influenced by the circumstances.
Numbers 15 reminds Israel that there will be future beyond this present crisis in the wilderness. It shows that they were to continue to worship God even in the midst of the promised land and that their lives would have to continue to be lived in obedience to his word. The people were to obey his commands, remember his rules, and take the deliberate sin as a most serious issue since it represented their attitude of rebellion towards God.