Numbers 28:2, commentary and pictures

Numbers 28:2 commands Israel to present the regular daily burnt offering in its appointed season, one lamb each morning and evening with its meal and drink offering of flour and oil, as a continual service for the whole nation that was never omitted. Its phrase for bread means the fat and the parts burned with it on the altar, called the food of God. On the Sabbath that labor was doubled to two lambs morning and evening, yet the priests were blameless, showing that the Sabbath law does not forbid work done for God in religious service. All those daily offerings kept remembrance of sin continually before the people and looked forward in faith to the coming Redeemer and to cleansing figured by the heavenly sanctuary. The sacrificial rites themselves have ended by Christ's one offering, so their worship regulations are not binding today though their principles remain, and Christian households may offer morning and evening praise and prayer instead.

Words and Appointed Services

The expression my bread denotes the fat and the portions burned with it upon the altar, called the bread of God, food. The command enjoins the regular daily sacrifice of one lamb in the morning and one in the afternoon, each accompanied by meat and drink offerings of meal and oil. The morning offering was made at about the third hour, or nine o'clock, and the afternoon offering at about the ninth hour, or three o'clock.

The daily offering was half as great as the Sabbath offering, for on the Sabbath two lambs were offered morning and evening instead of one, requiring twice as much labor, and so the daily offering continued day by day through the year. The verse belongs to the regulations for Israel's appointed offerings and to the regular and daily ministration of the earthly sanctuary. It stands alongside the morning and evening burnt offerings and incense and the additional services for Sabbaths, annual sabbaths, new moons, and feasts, to be presented at appointed times as a continuing service.

It describes the daily ministration for the nation, which combined and correlated all the various offerings brought from day to day into one offering for the nation. The morning and evening sacrifices were continual burnt offerings for the whole congregation every day of the year, never omitted because other offerings were made. The verse places Israel's offerings within appointed seasons and introduces the offerings and vows covered in Numbers 28-30, which have lessons for the people.

Its due season includes the regular daily sacrifice with its evening offering, and the time of the offering of the evening oblation when Elijah prayed on Carmel was that appointed daily evening sacrifice. The morning and evening sacrifices accompanied set hours of prayer, when the people prayed while the priests ministered on their behalf.

Foreshadowing and Fulfillment

The daily ministration for the nation combined and correlated all the various offerings brought from day to day into one offering for the nation, as the second of three general ministries of the earthly sanctuary. One lamb together with meal and oil was offered in the morning and the same at evening, doubled on the Sabbath day, and so continued through the year day by day. These were continual burnt offerings for the whole congregation every day of the year, never omitted because other offerings were made. In this daily service remembrance of sin was constantly made in the sanctuary, and beasts were constantly offered indicating the faith of those who brought them in the Redeemer to come. All the daily offerings looked forward to a future antitype fulfilled with the yearly day of atonement.

These continual services addressed sin and its cleansing and served as a figure of the heavenly sanctuary. The regular morning and evening sacrifices were offered at their appointed times as offerings by fire and a pleasing savor to God, and accompanied set hours of prayer, when the people prayed while priests ministered on their behalf. The sacrificial rites have ended, since Christ's one offering has perfected forever those who are sanctified, and Christian households may offer morning and evening praise and prayer instead. As part of Israel's church laws regulating worship and the times for offerings, its regulations as laws for Israel are not binding on people today, though their underlying principles remain binding.

Sabbath Work Permitted

God commanded Israel to observe His offerings in their due season, and in context that temple service required twice as much labor on the Sabbath as on other days. Two lambs were offered morning and evening on the Sabbath instead of one, so the priests offered more sacrifices and performed more sanctuary service on the Sabbath than on other days. In carrying out that sanctuary service on the Sabbath they were nevertheless blameless. Therefore the Sabbath commandment does not forbid work done for God, and the Sabbath law does not forbid religious service.

Carrying out the ordinances God has given on the Sabbath is no transgression of His commands. This includes feet-washing. It includes also the Lord's Supper.