Numbers 29

At the end of Romans 13, Paul writes, “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

Do you know what the time is? People may over-drink to amuse themselves. People may over-amuse themselves with entertainment and sensuality in order to forget. But doesn't everyone know that unlimited partying only leads to sickness and death?

“Mr. Bailey,” asks a man at the bar tenderly to his friend George Bailey, “Why do you drink so much? Go home, Mr. Bailey.”

In Proverbs 31, a mother pleads with her son who should be a great man, “What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

But how does a person wake up? One way is to see that God is the Lord of time, and to know that a Day of Judgment is coming.

Jesus died in connection with the feast of Passover, the first of the feasts in the Jewish calendar.

Jesus rose from the dead in connection with the feast of firstfruits, the next feast.

The Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, the feast of Weeks, the great beginning of a harvest.

These events, the fulfillment of Passover, Firstfruits, and Pentecost in the death and resurrection of Jesus and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the church, were the beginning of the final era of history. Now, Peter says, writing in the first century in 1 Peter 4:7, “The end of all things is at hand.” When Peter preached at Pentecost, he quoted from Joel 2:28-32, which begins with the future time marker “afterward.” But Peter says instead, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” Joel's “afterward” is Peter's “last days.” See also Hebrews 1 and 2 Timothy 3.

The person who lives to entertain himself with sensuality or trivial pursuits needs to get a better sense of God's timing. The ordering of the biblical Jewish festivals give us one of the best ways to do that.

Passover, Firstfruits, and Pentecost have already come. One day the trumpet will sound.

In Numbers 28 and 29, the Israelites were told of the sacrifices to be offered in connection with each festival. Christ has offered the perfect sacrifice that has secured our life in the age of resurrection. We need to wake up to God's timing. Paul says in Romans 13:11, “Our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

One day the trumpet will sound.

What should we do now? Ephesians 4:13 says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

We don't need to slay animals. We need to do what Hebrews 13:15-16 tells us: “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” We need to do what the Lord instructs through Paul in Romans 12: “By the mercies of God, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Once the trumpet sounds, the Day of Atonement will be swiftly here. Only the perfection of the Lord's sacrifice will carry us through that day. By faith in Christ, we have been justified. By the gift of the Holy Spirit we have the fruits that flow from His righteousness.

What remains after that? We will tabernacle with the Lord forever. He lived below for a few years. We will dwell with Him in the new heavens and the new earth forever. It is fitting that in the time of Old Testament preparation that this final festival would be so full of sacrifice and celebration. This was one of God's pictures of eternal joy and fullness.

We need to wake up to God's timing. One day, the prophet says in Joel 2:31, “The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.”

Come soon, Lord Jesus. We are awake to Your voice. We will praise You. We will follow You.