Numbers 28:1-8: a reflection

1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘See that you present my offering, my food for my offerings made by fire, as a pleasant aroma to me, in their due season.’ 3You shall tell them, ‘This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: male lambs a year old without defect, two day by day, for a continual burnt offering. 4You shall offer the one lamb in the morning, and you shall offer the other lamb at evening, 5with one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering, mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil. 6It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. 7Its drink offering shall be the fourth part of a hin for each lamb. You shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD in the holy place. 8The other lamb you shall offer at evening. As the meal offering of the morning, and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to the LORD.

Among the offerings God commanded was the continual burnt offering, and it had a particular rhythm: one lamb offered in the morning and another at evening, day after day, without fail. Every single day was to begin and end with an offering to God, the morning lamb as the day opened, the evening lamb as it closed. The whole of each day was bracketed by devotion to God.

Notice the rhythm this established. Not a single weekly act of worship, but a daily, twice-daily turning to God, morning and evening, that framed every day. The day began with an offering and ended with one, so that God was the first thing and the last thing, the bookends of each day. Devotion to God was woven into the daily rhythm, the opening and closing of every day given to him.

There is a pattern here worth taking into our own lives. Though we do not offer lambs, the rhythm of beginning and ending each day with God is a good and steadying one. To turn to God first thing in the morning, offering the day to him before it fills with its demands, and to turn to him again at evening, closing the day in his presence, is to bracket our days with devotion, as the continual offering did. Begin your days with God and end them with him. Let the morning and the evening be given to him, so that he is the first and the last of each day, and your whole day is held between them.

Lord, you commanded a continual offering morning and evening, so that each day began and ended in devotion to you, the whole day bracketed by worship. Teach me that rhythm. Help me turn to you first thing in the morning, offering my day to you before it fills with its demands, and to turn to you again at evening, closing the day in your presence. Let the morning and the evening be given to you, so that you are the first and the last of each day, and my whole day is held between them.