The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah. His offering was one silver plate … one silver sprinkling bowl … finest flour mixed with olive oil … one gold dish … incense; one young bull, one ram and one male lamb … one male goat … oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs … This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab. Numbers 7:12-17
Children love repetition. They want the same stories read every night, the same songs and the same coloured cup for their drink. However, as they grow up repetition becomes boring and by the time they are young adults they are looking for the latest fashion, fresh ideas and new adventures.
Reading this chapter in Numbers though, you sense God loves repetition. Each tribe brought exactly the same offering and God had his scribe write down each item twelve times!
From God’s perspective, every item was important and worth recording because it was a gift given freely from a group of people who were expressing their devotion to God in the early days of their relationship. Later the Lord would say about this time: “I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown” (Jeremiah 2:2-3).
Likewise, God delights in every offering and sacrifice that we make for him. Perhaps not those made out of duty, but those given in love from a grateful heart are precious to him.
Constable in his Commentary writes: “Where people are conscious of the blessing of God in their lives, they will give spontaneously—and keep on giving. Finance in the church is directly related to faith and consecration.”
