Numbers 15
Big idea: Immediately after the sentence, God gives laws that begin when you have come into the land. To a generation condemned to die outside it, he speaks about grain and wine offerings for the day their children arrive — and states, twice, that one law covers the native-born and the foreigner. Then the difference that matters most in a book about rebellion: sin done unwittingly has a remedy, and the congregation or the individual is forgiven; but the soul who does anything with a high hand has despised Yahweh's word and is cut off. A real case follows immediately — a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath, held in custody until it is declared what should be done. And the chapter ends with tassels on every garment, a blue cord on each, so that you may see it and remember, and not follow your own heart and your own eyes.
Chapter 15 warns against acting with a high hand. Chapter 16 shows what that looks like: 250 men with censers.
15:1–16 — When you have come into the land
When you have come into the land of your habitations which I give you, and make an offering by fire — a burnt offering or a sacrifice, for a vow, a freewill offering, or at your set feasts — the offerer brings a meal offering with it: for a lamb, a tenth of an ephah of flour with a quarter hin of oil and a quarter hin of wine; for a ram, two tenths with a third of a hin of each; for a bull, three tenths with half a hin of each. So for every bull, ram, lamb or goat, according to their number. All who are native-born shall do it this way — and if a foreigner living among you offers, as you do, so he shall do. There shall be one statute for you and for the stranger, a statute forever: as you are, so the foreigner shall be before Yahweh. One law and one ordinance for both.
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land of your habitations, which I give to you, 3 and will make an offering by fire to Yahweh—a burnt offering, or a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or as a free will offering, or in your set feasts, to make a pleasant aroma to Yahweh, of the herd, or of the flock— 4 then he who offers his offering shall offer to Yahweh a meal offering of one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one fourth of a hin of oil. 5 You shall prepare wine for the drink offering, one fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb. 6 “‘For a ram, you shall prepare for a meal offering two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with the third part of a hin of oil; 7 and for the drink offering you shall offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 8 When you prepare a bull for a burnt offering or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace offerings to Yahweh, 9 then he shall offer with the bull a meal offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil; 10 and you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 11 Thus it shall be done for each bull, for each ram, for each of the male lambs, or of the young goats. 12 According to the number that you shall prepare, so you shall do to everyone according to their number. 13 “‘All who are native-born shall do these things in this way, in offering an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 14 If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh, as you do, so he shall do. 15 For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner, a statute forever throughout your generations. As you are, so the foreigner shall be before Yahweh. 16 One law and one ordinance shall be for you and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner with you.’”
15:17–31 — Unwittingly, or with a high hand
When you come into the land and eat of its bread, offer a wave offering of the first of your dough, throughout your generations. Then the distinction: when you err and don't observe the commandments, if it was done unwittingly and without the congregation's knowledge, the whole congregation offers a bull for a burnt offering and a male goat for a sin offering, and they shall be forgiven — the stranger among them as well, for it was done unwittingly. An individual who sins unwittingly brings a year-old female goat, and the priest makes atonement, and he shall be forgiven. One law for the native-born and the foreigner in this. But the soul who does anything with a high hand, native or foreigner, blasphemes Yahweh; that soul shall be cut off, because he has despised Yahweh's word — his iniquity shall be on him.
17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land where I bring you, 19 then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a wave offering to Yahweh. 20 Of the first of your dough you shall offer up a cake for a wave offering. As the wave offering of the threshing floor, so you shall heave it. 21 Of the first of your dough, you shall give to Yahweh a wave offering throughout your generations. 22 “‘When you err, and don’t observe all these commandments which Yahweh has spoken to Moses— 23 even all that Yahweh has commanded you by Moses, from the day that Yahweh gave commandment and onward throughout your generations— 24 then it shall be, if it was done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh, with its meal offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering. 25 The priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to Yahweh, and their sin offering before Yahweh, for their error. 26 All the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, as well as the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them; for with regard to all the people, it was done unwittingly. 27 “‘If a person sins unwittingly, then he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering. 28 The priest shall make atonement for the soul who errs when he sins unwittingly before Yahweh. He shall make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven. 29 You shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them. 30 “‘But the soul who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, blasphemes Yahweh. That soul shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised Yahweh’s word, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall be utterly cut off. His iniquity shall be on him.’”
15:32–41 — A man gathering sticks — and a cord of blue
In the wilderness they find a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. Those who found him bring him to Moses, Aaron and the whole congregation, and they put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him. Yahweh's ruling: he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him outside the camp — and they do. Then: make fringes on the borders of your garments throughout your generations, and put on the fringe of each border a cord of blue. It shall be to you for a fringe, that you may see it and remember all Yahweh's commandments and do them, and that you don't follow your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to play the prostitute — so that you may remember and do all my commandments and be holy to your God. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
32 While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him. 35 Yahweh said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside of the camp.” 36 All the congregation brought him outside of the camp, and stoned him to death with stones, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 37 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them that they should make themselves fringes on the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the fringe of each border a cord of blue. 39 It shall be to you for a fringe, that you may see it, and remember all Yahweh’s commandments, and do them; and that you don’t follow your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to play the prostitute; 40 so that you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. 41 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am Yahweh your God.”
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).