Numbers 15:20
From the first of your dough, you are to lift up a cake as a contribution; offer it just like an offering from the threshing floor.
Sermons
An Offering from the Dough: Domestic ReligionD. Young Numbers 15:17-21














I. A DALLY OFFERING, or if not daily, be practically daily. God has spoken so far of free-will offerings, but here is one connected with such a frequent and necessary act as the eating of bread. There are occasions for free-will offerings when evident mercies and peculiar gains prompt to something special in the way of acknowledgment; but men are only too prone to forget the common and daily mercies which in reality are greatest of all. Where we abound in forgetting, God most abounds in reminding. The time of eating bread was an appointed opportunity for acknowledging his daily goodness. The manna was so evidently miraculous, that very little was needed to remind Israel how entirely it was produced without their intervention. It was not the sort of food they would have cultivated. They took it, not that they liked it, but it was the only thing to be got. But bread is a thing on which man spends much care. It goes through so many processes before it reaches his mouth that he easily exaggerates his share in the production of it. Sowing and reaping, grinding and baking, help to hide the good hand of God behind them. Hence the giving of the first from every piece of dough was a deliberate and frequent recognition of dependence on God for the bread in Canaan, as much as for the manna in the wilderness.

II. A DOMESTIC OFFERING. Thus religion was brought into the house to sanctify a common homely duty. There was something to excite the curiosity of children. It was an opportunity of explaining to them, from whose loving-kindness came their daily bread; teaching them lessons of dependence and gratitude in the seed-time and the harvest, by the mill and the oven. Contrast with this the melancholy picture by Jeremiah of the children gathering the wood, the fathers kindling the fire, and the women kneading dough to make cakes to the queen of heaven (Deuteronomy 28:5; Nehemiah 10:37; Psalm 104:14, 15; Jeremiah 7:18; Ezekiel 44:30; Haggai 1:9). - Y.

The Lord is with us: fear them not.
I. JOSHUA AND CALEB WERE DEEPLY GRIEVED BY REASON OF THE REBELLION OF THE NATION.

II. JOSHUA AND CALEB NOBLY ENDEAVOURED TO ARREST THE REBELLION OF THE NATION.

1. They reassert the excellence of the land.

2. They declare the attainableness of the land.

3. They exhort the people not to violate the conditions of its attainment.

(1)By rebelling against the Lord.

(2)By dreading the people of the land.

III. JOSHUA AND CALEB WERE IN DANGER BY REASON OF THEIR EFFORT TO ARREST THE REBELLION OF THE NATION. "All the congregation bade stone them with stones." See here —

1. The tactics of an excited mob when defeated in argument.

2. The folly of an excited mob. This proposal to stone Joshua and Caleb was insane.(1) Stoning would not disprove the testimony, or take away the wisdom from the counsel of the two brave explorers.(2) Stoning would involve the nation in deeper guilt and disgrace.

3. The perils of faithfulness.

IV. JOSHUA AND CALEB RESCUED FROM DANGER BY THE INTERPOSITION OF GOD.

(W. Jones.)

I. A SUPPOSITION. "If the Lord delight in us" (Proverbs 8:30). God delights in His Son, &c. He delights in His holy angels, &c. But have we reason to suppose that He delights in His saints?

1. We might conclude, indeed, that He could not delight in them, when we reflect —(1) On their nothingness and vanity. "Man at His best estate," &c.(2) On their guilt and rebellion. Not one but is a sinner.(3) On their pollution and want of conformity to His likeness.(4) And more especially when we reflect on His greatness, independence and purity.

2. But there are the most satisfactory evidences that He does delight in His people.(1) Observe the names by which He distinguishes them. His "jewels" — "inheritance" — "treasure" — "diadem" — "crown" and "portion." See the very term in the text. And Proverbs 11:20.(2) Observe the declarations He has made respecting them. "He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of Mine eye."(3) Observe what He has done for them. Favoured — sustained — redeemed them — given His Son — Spirit — promises.(4) What He has provided for them. "The Lord God is a sun," &c. "My God shall supply," &c. "Eye hath not seen," &c.(5) Eternal life and unceasing glory.

II. AN INFERENCE. "Then He will bring us into this land," &c. Observe here —

1. The land specified. It is "the land afar off." The good land. The heavenly Canaan. The region of immortality.

2. This land is God's gift. Not the result of merit. It is given in promise — given in Christ.

3. To this land God must bring His saints. Difficulties, enemies, and dangers intervene. He will guide to it. Keep — safely conduct, and at length put people into it, as He did Israel. "Fear not, little flock," &c. "Let not your hearts be troubled," &c. (Revelation 2:10, 26; Revelation 3:5, 12).

(J. Burns, D. D.)

I. How SOUND WAS THEIR REASONING!

1. They drew a strong argument from the assurance that the Lord was with them, bat that the defence of the Canaanites had departed from them. They spoke of the country itself as worthy of the contest.

2. They reminded the people of the danger of disobedience, as appeared from their past history; and from the character of God. Sin was the only giant that they had reason to fear. Happy would it have been for the people, had they listened to these arguments.

II. How RESOLUTE WAS THEIR SPIRIT! Personally, no doubt, it would have been much more pleasant to remain in the tent; but viewing this as an opportunity of doing good, and glorifying God, they encountered the shame of uttering sentiments which were reprobated; and the danger of advising measures which were disliked. Thus numbers in the present day say, "Religion is all very well in its place"; but they have no idea of glorifying God, and endeavouring to save souls, by acting with the decision that Caleb and Joshua did. We, too, may mourn over sin, but we must do something more; we must use all our influence to put it down, and to lead forward the Israel of God.

III. How UNDIVIDED WAS THEIR AIM! Their one desire was to get the land; and therefore if popular opinion coincided with them, well; but if not, they would not be guided by it. They could do without riches, or honour, or life itself; but they could not do without Canaan.

(George Breay, B. A.)

People
Aaron, Ephah, Israelites, Moses
Places
Egypt, Wilderness of Paran
Topics
Apart, Beginning, Cake, Coarse, Dough, Floor, Gift, Grain-floor, Ground, Heave, Heave-offering, Lift, Lifted, Lifting, Meal, Offer, Offering, Present, Rough, Threshing, Threshingfloor, Threshing-floor, Wave
Outline
1. The law of the meat offering, and the drink offering
14. The stranger is under the same law
17. The law of the first of the dough
22. The sacrifice for sins of ignorance
30. The punishment of presumption
32. He who violated the Sabbath is stoned
37. The law of tassels

Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 15:20

     4524   threshing-floor

Numbers 15:20-21

     4462   grinding

Library
List of Abbreviations Used in Reference to Rabbinic Writings Quoted in this Work.
THE Mishnah is always quoted according to Tractate, Chapter (Pereq) and Paragraph (Mishnah), the Chapter being marked in Roman, the paragraph in ordinary Numerals. Thus Ber. ii. 4 means the Mishnic Tractate Berakhoth, second Chapter, fourth Paragraph. The Jerusalem Talmud is distinguished by the abbreviation Jer. before the name of the Tractate. Thus, Jer. Ber. is the Jer. Gemara, or Talmud, of the Tractate Berakhoth. The edition, from which quotations are made, is that commonly used, Krotoschin,
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

We are Drawing Near the End, and to the Highest Conclusions of True Human Wisdom...
We are drawing near the end, and to the highest conclusions of true human wisdom; and full of deepest interest it is to mark the character of these conclusions. Reason speaks; that faculty that is rightly termed divine, for its possession marks those who are "the offspring of God." He is the Father of spirits, and it is in the spirit that Reason has her seat; whilst in our Preacher she is enthroned, and now with authority utters forth her counsels. Here we may listen to just how far she can
F. C. Jennings—Old Groans and New Songs

Seventh Day. Holiness and Obedience.
Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: ye shall be unto me an holy nation.'--Ex. xix. 4-6. Israel has reached Horeb. The law is to be given and the covenant made. Here are God's first words to the people; He speaks of redemption and its blessing, fellowship with Himself: 'Ye have seen how I brought
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

The Healing of the Woman - Christ's Personal Appearance - the Raising of Jairus' Daughter
THERE seems remarkable correspondence between the two miracles which Jesus had wrought on leaving Capernaum and those which He did on His return. In one sense they are complementary to each other. The stilling of the storm and the healing of the demonised were manifestations of the absolute power inherent in Christ; the recovery of the woman and the raising of Jairus' daughter, evidence of the absolute efficacy of faith. The unlikeliness of dominion over the storm, and of command over a legion of
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Among the People, and with the Pharisees
It would have been difficult to proceed far either in Galilee or in Judaea without coming into contact with an altogether peculiar and striking individuality, differing from all around, and which would at once arrest attention. This was the Pharisee. Courted or feared, shunned or flattered, reverently looked up to or laughed at, he was equally a power everywhere, both ecclesiastically and politically, as belonging to the most influential, the most zealous, and the most closely-connected religions
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Degrees of Sin
Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous? Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others. He that delivered me unto thee, has the greater sin.' John 19: 11. The Stoic philosophers held that all sins were equal; but this Scripture clearly holds forth that there is a gradual difference in sin; some are greater than others; some are mighty sins,' and crying sins.' Amos 5: 12; Gen 18: 21. Every sin has a voice to speak, but some
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Worship of the Synagogue
One of the most difficult questions in Jewish history is that connected with the existence of a synagogue within the Temple. That such a "synagogue" existed, and that its meeting-place was in "the hall of hewn stones," at the south-eastern angle of the court of the priest, cannot be called in question, in face of the clear testimony of contemporary witnesses. Considering that "the hall of hew stones" was also the meeting-place for the great Sanhedrim, and that not only legal decisions, but lectures
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Day and Defends his Act.
(at Feast-Time at Jerusalem, Probably the Passover.) ^D John V. 1-47. ^d 1 After these things there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [Though every feast in the Jewish calendar has found some one to advocate its claim to be this unnamed feast, yet the vast majority of commentators choose either the feast of Purim, which came in March, or the Passover, which came in April. Older commentators pretty unanimously regarded it as the Passover, while the later school favor the feast
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Third Day in Passion-Week - the Last Controversies and Discourses - the Sadducees and the Resurrection - the Scribe and the Great Commandment - Question
THE last day in the Temple was not to pass without other temptations' than that of the Priests when they questioned His authority, or of the Pharisees when they cunningly sought to entangle Him in His speech. Indeed, Christ had on this occasion taken a different position; He had claimed supreme authority, and thus challenged the leaders of Israel. For this reason, and because at the last we expect assaults from all His enemies, we are prepared for the controversies of that day. We remember that,
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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