I’m following a reading plan as part of my daily devotionals this year. It takes me through the entire Bible in one year. Normally, there are chapters in the Old Testament, Psalms, and New Testament each day. Right now, I’m trudging (forgive me, Lord) through the book of Numbers, where it talks a lot about the sacrifices the Israelites were required to make at different times. There are very specific instructions and they could not waiver from them. The animals that were offered as a sacrifice had to be the best of their flocks and herds, without defects.
This got me to thinking about, for example, the lamb community. If lambs are at all like us, they must have a pecking order. “Hey, look at Sammy over there. He’s so perfect! All the ewes think he’s so adorable. I wish I was like him. Yeah, Joey is nice, too, but he has that bum leg. You hardly notice it, and he is really cute.”
I’m thinking, I’d rather be Joey back in those days! Sammy’s days are numbered with all the sacrifices. Okay, maybe he could end up as mutton or leg of lamb, but maybe he will just be used to make a lot of nice wool shepherds robes! I would gladly be the lamb with defects. In fact, we are like sheep without a shepherd. We have defects. Thankfully, for us, Jesus would end up replacing the sacrificial animals and become the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world. He saved us from our sins and became our Great Shepherd.
Numbers 28:11 (NLT) - “On the first day of each month, present an extra burnt offering to the LORD of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year old lambs, all with no defects.”