Principle
The priests of Israel had to offer burnt sacrifices and drink offerings twice a day.
Explanation
GOD instructed Moses to have the priests, beginning with Aaron and his sons, offer daily burnt sacrifices to GOD before the tabernacle, once in the morning, and once at evening.
38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two unblemished lambs of the first year, day by day continually. 39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer in the evening. 40 With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of a measure of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering. 41 The other lamb you shall offer in the evening, as at the morning offering, and according to the drink offering of the morning lamb. You shall offer it as a sacrifice of sweet aroma to the Lord.
42 “This shall be a continual sacrifice throughout your generations at the doors of the tabernacle of testimony before the Lord, where I will be known to you to speak to you. 43 There I shall give directions to the children of Israel, and I shall be sanctified in My glory. 44 So I will sanctify the tabernacle of testimony and the altar. I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests. 45 I will be called upon among the children of Israel and will be their God. 46 So they shall know I am the Lord their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt to be called upon among them and to be their God.
Exodus 29:38-46 OSB
The priests offered sacrifices according to GOD’s instructions on a daily basis because the blood of animals could never take away sin. The sacrifice only appeased GOD’s necessity for just-ness, delivered through His wrath, temporarily.
According to these verses, for Israel’s part, the purpose of these offerings was to:
- Maintain a healthy connection to GOD.
- Receive direction from GOD.
- Consecrate the priests before GOD.
- Call upon GOD as Israel’s God.
- Be reminded that it is Jehovah GOD who brought Israel out of Egypt and claimed them as His own special people.
All statements about Israel’s relationship to GOD as being their God must be properly viewed against the backdrop of the second world and the assignment of angels to oversee all the other (Gentile) nations.
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