Marge and I watched a movie the other night and one of the characters named Timmy delivered a line that stuck with me. He was an idealistic, modern-day hippy teen that snapped up any rebellious trend that existed. Vegan, anti-establishment, anti-mainstream, ALT-rock, I guess you could say he was just anti everything. His friend was asking him about his wealthy parents and his new BMW they bought him, and he replies, “I’m trying to, as much as is possible, not participate in our economy. I don’t like money. I am trying to live by bartering alone." The line just had me rolling, so young, so idealistic and just so completely unrealistic.
The idea had me thinking though about what that would even look like, that is, trying to live off of bartering alone. I thought about everything that I had bought in the last month and how every single transaction had taken place. I give the merchant some printed paper and they give me tacos. Pretty simple. Before we went to Mexico, I even ordered pesos from Bank of America to take with us. Another barrier to the barter only lifestyle Timmy, travelling. Different lands require different pieces of printed paper to get the stuff you need. Much easier than packing gold.
I saw an interesting documentary years ago about the history of currency, it was very fascinating. In mankind’s very early years it was a barter only agricultural system as no government existed to backup a currency. There was a period in time where colored glass beads were used as currency in Europe. They had little inherent value themselves but their value as a currency was held simply by the number of people that held them and traded them, the precursor to modern coins. But by and large today, the world runs on printed paper. Paper that is guaranteed by a government to hold said value printed upon it. It’s just the way of the world, if you want toothpaste or car insurance, you gotta peel off some cash. I asked, State Farm does not take potatoes.
Today in Numbers 29 we see a different economy and different way of paying and buying. Timmy should have been an Old Testament Israelite, his passion for bartering could have been thoroughly embraced. But the show of value I speak of today is not for personal items but sacrifices and offerings to God. You see, in the Old Testament the people lived not only in a different age but in a different Covenant with God. Jesus Christ had only been prophesied about at this time, so atoning (paying) for personal sins looked radically different than what it does today. The people had to go to great lengths to pay for the high cost of their sins, and this method was sacrificing and offering innocent animals to God in the very specific way He demanded.
What strikes me about the content of chapter 29 is the volume of the sacrifices. If you haven’t read it, please stop and do, it’s value is limitless in its contrast to today. As I continued to read about the lambs, bulls, rams, flour, oil and grain I had to stop and do some addition. Get this, for Israel to obey what God commanded in Numbers chapters 28 and 29, it meant that every year, the priests sacrificed 1,086 lambs, 113 bulls, 32 rams, more than 2,000 pounds of flour, and some 1,000 bottles of oil and wine on behalf of the nation. And all this sacrifice did not include the sacrifices made by individuals or households. In the days of Jesus, there is record of 255,600 Passover lambs being sacrificed at one Passover just by individuals and households. Let all that sink in good and deep, that's alot of sin.
These sacrifices were clearly required under God’s Old Testament (testament means agreement) and this type of sacrifice is no longer required. Why is it no longer required? Because God saw that mankind was not capable of living without sin. Mankind had been permanently and eternally infected with sin ever since Adam and Eve took that first crunchy bite. Instead of continuing this cycle of endless killing and sacrificing of innocent animals, God made a New Testament (new agreement) with the world. He sent the perfect sacrifice to this planet to be a one time sacrifice for all people that have and ever will live. This couldn’t be just any lamb though, it had to be the absolute perfect, sin-free, blemish free, spotless Lamb. And that Lamb is His only Son, Jesus Christ.
“ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
Today instead of butchering and burning the flesh of bulls, lambs, goats and rams, the atoning for your sins looks very different. Today you can claim that perfect sacrifice that Jesus made. He died as a sacrifice for all, you must only admit and acknowledge His work upon the Cross. Admit that your sins against God will cost you eternal separation from Him when you die and depart your Earthly body. In your own sin steeped condition, you can never be allowed into the presence of a prefect, Holy, Righteous God. Admit the truth about your condition, that you are a sinner, have sinned and continue to sin and there’s nothing you can do about it. You need help.
Admit that Jesus is your only help. Cry out to Him to save you from the penalty of your sin against God, and folks, it will all change in the blink of an eye. His mercy, grace and forgiveness will wash over you like soft rain. The grace of Jesus’ sacrifice will cover you so completely that when you step into the presence of God, He will not see your life of sin and transgression, but the life of the Lamb. Jesus took our place on the Cross so that we can have a place in Heaven.
As you read about the hundreds of thousands of innocent animals offered up in Numbers, ask yourself this question. What do I have to offer God today? He no longer requires sacrifices, Jesus has finished this process, so what do you have to offer God?
You see, God doesn’t require, animals, grain, oil or in that sense anything on this planet from you. So, what do you offer? It’s really pretty simple, He wants your heart.
To give your heart means to give your whole. To give your very life. To give your time, your thoughts and your passions. To give your heart to God means to forgo what you love in order to give God what He loves. And folks when you truly give your heart and life to God, He does something only God can do as a result of this obedience. He opens Heaven and rains His blessings down upon His child.
Offer God the only thing you can offer Him today…you. He created you. He knew you while you were yet still in your mother’s womb. He has numbered the hairs of your head. He sent His only Son for you. In return He asks for you to acknowledge the work that His Son did for you on the Cross. He asks for your love, your worship and your reverence. He asks for your availability, your obedience and your time.
Everything you have to offer God beats within your chest. Give your heart to God today and live a life that radiates the light of Christ to the world.
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