Daily Devotion | Numbers 15:1–21 | 2026 May 11

Title: Daily Devotion | Numbers 15:1–21 | 2026 May 11

Scripture: Numbers 15:1–21 (ESV, reference only)

Date: 2026 May 11

Speaker: Rev. John Chen

Transcribed, translated & edited by: Joseph Wang (Yufan)

Alright, dear brothers and sisters, peace to you all. We thank God for His grace that He has brought us into a new day to study our daily spiritual nourishment together. Today we are studying Numbers chapter 15, verses 1 through 21. Let us see whether we can finish the passage today. Alright, let us pray.

Lord, we thank and praise You for Your grace. Thank You for leading us today to Numbers chapter 15, where You show us how great Your love and mercy are toward us. Lord, we truly are people who sin and offend You, yet You have never cast us away. Instead, You continually draw us with Your holy and compassionate love to come before Your throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. We ask that You would continue to guide us so that we may understand Your love and sing praises to Your faithfulness. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

Now today we come to Numbers chapter 15. First of all, we can say that this chapter feels somewhat strange. Why does it feel strange? Because chapters 14 and 16 are both narrative sections. They are both telling stories, and the events should seem connected together. Yet chapter 15 is inserted right in the middle, and it feels somewhat abrupt. So first we need to look at why chapter 15 is placed here and what its main significance is, and then afterward we can look at the specific text itself.

Then chapter 15 says, “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving to you…’” and then it continues speaking about offering sacrifices from the herd and the flock as food offerings to the Lord and so forth. We will discuss the details later. But chapter 15 is absolutely not placed here for no reason. It is not simply that a section of law was inserted between two narrative passages as though it had no deeper meaning. Actually, when you read the surrounding context, you can see a very obvious message.

In chapter 14, God declared that He would cause Israel to wander in the wilderness for forty years. So from the perspective of the Israelites, what would their question have been? Their question would have been: “Will we still be able to enter the Promised Land? Does God’s promise still count? Is His covenant promise still valid?” Surely they would have had these doubts. Therefore chapter 15 is given to settle their hearts. It is like God giving them reassurance and saying, “You will certainly enter the land.”

So the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘When you come into the land that I give you to dwell in…’” This verse is extremely important, especially verse 2. In reality, this is itself a promise from God. God is telling the Israelites, “Although I am going to make you wander in the wilderness for forty years, I will surely bring you into the land.” Therefore, after you pass through the wilderness and enter Canaan, what are you to do? What offerings are you to bring? What regulations are you to follow? So this chapter is actually God encouraging them. That is why Numbers 15 is not placed here meaninglessly.

In fact, chapter 15 is God’s promise to them: “You will certainly enter the land, and after you enter it, this is what you are to do.” So here we can clearly see that God is comforting Israel. In chapter 15, God is comforting the Israelites and saying, “Do not be anxious. I will surely bring you in. There is no problem.” Therefore what He is teaching them now are the regulations for sacrifices. And because He is teaching them these regulations, it means they certainly will enter the land. So I think that for the Israelites in the wilderness, if they received God’s Word by faith, this should have brought them comfort. “Although I myself may not enter now, my descendants certainly will, because God’s covenant promise still remains. They will still enter the land of Canaan.”

So this is the first point we want to discuss: the significance of chapter 15. Then the second thing is from verses 3 through 10. What do verses 3 through 10 talk about? They talk about how, when you offer burnt offerings or peace offerings by fire, you must accompany them with fine flour, oil, and wine. If you compare this with the sacrificial laws previously given in Leviticus regarding burnt offerings and peace offerings, it seems like something has been added here. In Leviticus there was no mention of the flour, oil, and wine in the same way.

Why was it not mentioned there? We can understand this. While they were in the wilderness, they had no grain harvest. The food they ate was manna. Therefore when Leviticus described the sacrifices offered in the wilderness, apparently these grain and drink offerings were not required. But once they entered the land—once they officially began worship in Canaan—that was no longer the case. At that point, in addition to sacrificing animals, they also had to offer flour, oil, and wine.

What does this mean? On the one hand, God is expressing that sacrifices were originally meant to include these things. There should be the sacrificial animal, there should be bread, bread mixed with oil, and there should be wine. These things properly belonged with sacrifice. But because they were in the wilderness and did not have them, God did not command them then. Yet once they arrived in the land that God gave them to dwell in—“when you come into the land that I give you to dwell in”—the requirements changed. This means that God’s requirements in the wilderness were different from His requirements in Canaan.

The requirements in Canaan were fuller and more complete, because this was how things were originally intended to be. The wilderness regulations were like a simplified version, while the regulations in the land were the fuller version. This was the proper way. But at the same time, there are two more messages here that we can read from the text.

The first message is that they absolutely would enter the land. There was no need for them to doubt this. Because if God was already telling them about the sacrificial regulations they would carry out there, then surely they would one day be able to practice them. So once again God is encouraging their faith. He is saying, “You certainly will enter.”

Then what is the second meaning? The second meaning is that God would give them grain, new wine, and oil in the land. In other words, “I will bless you in that land. You will have abundant produce. You will have flour, you will have oil, and you will have wine.” Therefore in verses 3 through 10, what God is actually telling Israel is this: not only will you enter the land, but once you are there, you will experience abundant harvest and blessing from Me.

When they offered sacrifices, besides the animals, they also needed to present oil, wine, and flour—cakes mixed with oil, together with wine—as an offering to God in response to Him. That is the meaning of these sacrificial regulations. First, they promised Israel that they certainly would enter the land. Second, God promised them that there would be abundant harvest there. These are truths we can clearly read from the text.

There is also another thing we should notice. The meat, the wine, the cakes mixed with oil—does this not resemble a banquet? Have you noticed that? It is almost like a meal. There is meat, bread, and wine. It is a rich feast. So in fact, through this imagery, God is revealing that sacrifice is like a banquet. During sacrifice, we are in a sense participating in a feast together with God.

And what does eating together signify in the mindset of Eastern culture? The meaning is very clear. It signifies God’s acceptance of us. In sacrifice, God accepts us and eats and drinks together with us. That is probably the picture being foreshadowed here. So from this passage we can see another meaning of sacrifice. Certainly sacrifice turns away God’s wrath and reconciles us to God. That is absolutely true. It is through Jesus Christ that sacrifice reconciles us to God. But at the same time, Numbers 15:3–10 presents another picture, namely the picture of God and man sitting together at one table.

And if reconciliation with God means that we may sit together with Him at His table, then very clearly this points forward to our reigning with Christ in heaven. The true sacrifice ultimately refers to Jesus Christ—that much we already know well and do not need to repeat in detail. In Jesus Christ, we may sit together with God. In Jesus Christ, we reign together with Christ. That is the meaning. But the imagery of these abundant sacrificial offerings—meat, bread, oil cakes, and wine—clearly points forward to the richness of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus.

The sacrifice that the Lord Jesus offered is full and abundant. Therefore in Jesus Christ there is a rich sacrifice. After the Lord Jesus offered up all the sacrifices in Himself, we may sit at table together with God and reign together with Him. These are connected ideas. Of course, God did not tell the Israelites this so directly at that time. But in reality He is telling us that we are to share in a banquet, that we sit together with God, and that this shows our reconciliation with Him. Therefore we should once again thank the Lord Jesus Christ for the sacrifice He has offered for us.

Think about these two paths. One path is to sit at table together with God. The other path is to be far from God, cast by God into the lake of fire for judgment. How terrifying that is. We thank God that He has prepared this abundant banquet for us. He prepared this feast with His own body, so that we may enter into this banquet. We thank and praise the Lord.

Alright, the third thing mentioned here is that when offering sacrifices, you are to prepare the required offerings, and the sojourner among you is to have the same rule as you. From verses 14 to 16, the text uses quite a long section to speak about this. If a sojourner lives with you, or if someone is among you throughout your generations and wishes to offer a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord, how should you handle this? He must do it in the same way. There shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, one rule and one law.

The meaning here is very clear. It points to the gospel being spread among all mankind. Today, when we read this passage from the background of the New Testament, this is very clear. As we have said, the sacrifice represents the Lord Jesus Christ, the once-for-all sin offering that is effective forever. And this sin offering brings God’s salvation to all nations and all peoples. Among all nations, all people who worship the Lord are under one same rule. They have one Lord and one way of salvation.

What way of salvation is this? It is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. If one confesses with the mouth and believes in the heart, he will be saved. This is clearly what Numbers 15:11–16 is telling us. Such an abundant banquet, such a beautiful entrance into the land of Canaan—this was clearly not given only to the Israelites. Therefore, if sojourners live among them, and if these sojourners are willing to do as they do and offer sacrifices, then they are under the same rule, the same way of salvation, the same Savior, justified by faith in Jesus Christ. What a matter for thanksgiving this is. In Numbers, this was already being foretold.

So when we read these passages, if we read them with New Testament eyes, we can see a great deal of gospel truth. Remember, this is not us interpreting the text randomly. Some people say that using the New Testament to interpret the Old Testament in this way is wrong. But actually, they are the ones who are wrong. This kind of interpretation is correct. It is also the only correct way of interpretation: Christ-centered interpretation, reading the Old Testament in light of the New Testament. This is the right way to interpret Scripture.

Then verses 17 to 21 speak about offering the firstfruits. “When you come into the land to which I bring you…” This phrase is stated again. When you enter the land and eat the bread of the land, you shall present a contribution to the Lord. You shall offer the first of your dough as a contribution. From here, we can again see that the meaning is the same as in the first section. First, God is telling Israel, “I will surely bring you in. My promise is true.” Second, when you harvest grain in the land of Canaan, you must first give the firstfruits to Me, showing that this land is given to you by Me, and that the harvest is also given to you by Me.

Alright, this is roughly the meaning that this passage tells us. Then how should this passage be applied to us? I think for us, this is a very great reminder, especially when we are in affliction, suffering, and hardship. Can we continue to depend firmly on God’s promise? God says that He loves us. God says that He will keep us and bring us into the heavenly home. Yet in our own lives, we may feel that this is so unbelievable. Why? Because we look at God with earthly eyes. We want to see God’s blessings given to us. We want to see God solving our problems. But sometimes God places us in a difficult situation, and that causes us to doubt His promise.

This was just like the Israelites. They were going to be exiled in the wilderness for forty years, and they wondered, “Can God still bring us in?” This was their question. So God personally used chapter 15 to comfort them, saying, “There is no problem. I will surely bring you in.” Therefore, here, regarding God’s faithfulness, we must have faith. Brothers and sisters, we must not live by sight. Do not look merely at the visible environment. By faith, enter into God’s promise.

And the later verses tell us that God’s blessing in Canaan is abundant. He treats us with grace. All of this is comfort for us. If a person is a normal Christian, then he should have a very deep understanding and realization of life and death, heaven and hell. Only in this way can he face this world properly.

The key is: what do we value? What do you regard as weighty? Do you regard the things of this world as weighty? Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. If you take the world as your treasure, your heart will be in the world. If you take heaven as your treasure, your heart will be in heaven. This requires us to train ourselves continually, to depend on God and follow God. This includes our daily devotion today, every time we listen to preaching, and every Lord’s Day gathering. What are we doing in all these things? We are continually coming to know God. Then, under God’s revelation and the guidance of Scripture, we continually renew and adjust our vision.

We need to adjust our sight. Our vision is wrong. Our feelings are wrong. We need Scripture to correct us. How does Scripture correct us? It turns our eyes to eternity. It fixes our eyes on God’s promise, instead of looking at our environment. When the environment says that after wandering for forty years, the question becomes, “Can God still bring me in?” God Himself answers this question.

Next, we must preach the gospel. We must faithfully bring the gospel to more people. This is our mission, is it not? How beautiful is the doctrine of justification by faith. We only need to trust in Christ, and then we can be delivered from eternal punishment. What good news this is. Therefore we need to bring this good news to more people, just as we ourselves have received this good news.

So evangelism must become our mission. Brothers and sisters, do not be lazy in evangelism. This is a mistake that Reformed churches often make. We think, “Since we pursue doctrine, perhaps we do not need to preach the gospel. After all, God has predestined everything.” This is spiritual pride, and it is also spiritual laziness. We must pay attention to this. We must preach the gospel faithfully. We must do our utmost to preach the gospel to the people around us.

Since we ourselves have been gained by the gospel, since we have received this treasure, should we not also bring others to come together with us under the same rule? The same statute, the same ordinance—should we not want others also to receive the benefits of this gospel? This is certain. Therefore, when we meet the Lord, we should not be ashamed because of our coldness, retreat, or shamefulness in evangelism. We must actively preach the gospel.

This is the second application from this section. Then what does the third section tell us? It tells us that everything we have, in its essence, comes from God. I think Christians are rarely trained in this point. Usually, we think that everything we have is earned by our own labor, right? You see, I got into university. I went to graduate school. I got a job. I have money. We think, “This is what I obtained by my own effort.” But actually, you are completely mistaken. Everything—including the wisdom and intelligence by which we studied, and the opportunity by which we found work—all of it belongs to God. Not one thing is truly our own.

If you are a Christian, especially in a church like ours, and you have listened to the daily devotion all the way until now, even reaching the book of Numbers, and yet you still do not have this kind of thinking, then you must repent. You must receive everything from the hand of God. When we offer all these things to God, this is only right and proper. The produce of the land, of course, should be offered to God, showing our gratitude to Him. So tithing is certainly something we should do, because in tithing you acknowledge that all these things come from God.

But if you do not think this way, if you say, “My job came from my own effort,” or, “The matter in front of me is something God has let me handle by myself, and only when I meet something I cannot handle in the future will I go to God; God surely does not care about such detailed things, right? The things I can do before me, I will just do myself”—this kind of thinking is completely wrong. In reality, if we think this way, then basically we are living in a godless environment.

Atheism is like this: there is no God, I do not need God, and I can handle everything in front of me by myself. But in reality, what we lack is a vision that receives every blessing from the hand of God, and also receives every discipline from the hand of God. I think this is a lesson that every Christian needs to be trained in. My work is given by God. My income is given by God. My wife is given by God. My children are given by God. Everything I have is given by God.

So you need to keep telling yourself this. Sometimes we say that Christians lack spiritual discipline. Besides reading the Bible too little, gathering too little, and praying too little, there is also another lack: we practice too little. What does this kind of practice mean? It means that in daily life, in almost every area, you need to think about God. Only in this way can your life become more abundant and more mature in thought.

Time is given by God. Money is given by God. Material things are given by God. At every moment, we are to practice our relationship with God. Walking with God is not only something we do when reading Scripture. It is something you practice every day. “This is given by God. God loves me. I respond to God’s love.” At every moment, in every matter, we reflect on and think about God’s love and grace.

This is just like what we have considered today. In order to comfort His people, God specifically spoke about these sacrificial regulations. Why? Because He was concerned that they would worry and fear that they could not enter the land. So God came to tell them. This is like a loving Father comforting and leading His people through a way that seems very ordinary, even through a way that seems almost unintentional. But in reality, He is full of painstaking care as He comforts and leads His people.

I think we need to think about God more. Why do I often urge everyone not to watch short videos all the time, and not to follow the world by looking at all kinds of messy things? It is because your mind and thoughts are very easily turned aside. Of course, I am not saying that you absolutely cannot watch the news or understand what is happening in the world. That is not what I mean. I mean that you must not be attracted by the things of the world. In daily life, you must practice walking with God.

In this way, when things happen, you will probably be able to respond more deeply and more correctly in a godly way. Otherwise, it will be like going onto the court and immediately being stunned. You need constant training so that when you go onto the court, you can play well. You must train yourself, and this training is daily training. This is just like what verses 17 to 21 teach us: when you come into the land, you are to offer the first of the ripe grain to God.

Why does God require the firstfruits of the grain? Does God need to eat this grain? No. Through this way, God is telling you, “This thing was given by Me. You must remember Me. You must praise Me, so that in Me you may receive even more blessing.” Therefore this is a training of our relationship with God. Whether it is offering the firstfruits, or walking with God in our daily life, the meaning is the same. It is so that we may continually worship God. May God comfort us through Numbers chapter 15, and may He encourage us in affliction. Alright, today’s sharing will simply stop here. Thank you, everyone.