Topical Bible: Daily offering: Figurative

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The concept of the "daily offering" in the Bible extends beyond its literal practice in the Old Testament to embody a rich tapestry of figurative meanings, particularly in the context of Christian spiritual life. The daily offering, or "tamid" in Hebrew, originally referred to the continual burnt offering instituted by God for the Israelites, as described in Exodus 29:38-42 and Numbers 28:3-8. These offerings were made every morning and evening, symbolizing a perpetual dedication to God and a constant reminder of His presence and provision.

In a figurative sense, the daily offering can be understood as a metaphor for the believer's continual devotion and surrender to God. Romans 12:1 exhorts believers to "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship." Here, the Apostle Paul draws on the imagery of the sacrificial system to illustrate the believer's call to a life of ongoing, daily commitment to God. This spiritual act of worship is not confined to specific times or rituals but is a continuous, living offering of oneself to the Lord.

The daily offering also symbolizes the believer's need for regular spiritual nourishment and renewal. Just as the Israelites depended on the daily sacrifices to maintain their covenant relationship with God, Christians are encouraged to engage in daily practices of prayer, reading Scripture, and seeking God's presence. Jesus, in teaching His disciples to pray, included the petition for "daily bread" (Matthew 6:11), which can be understood as a request for both physical sustenance and spiritual nourishment.

Furthermore, the concept of the daily offering can be seen in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate fulfillment of all sacrifices. Hebrews 7:27 states, "Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself." Christ's once-for-all sacrifice on the cross is the culmination of the daily offerings, providing eternal redemption and access to God for all who believe.

In the life of the believer, the figurative daily offering is also reflected in the call to take up one's cross daily and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). This daily act of self-denial and discipleship is a spiritual offering that aligns the believer's life with the sacrificial love and obedience exemplified by Jesus.

The daily offering, therefore, serves as a powerful symbol of the Christian's ongoing relationship with God, characterized by continual worship, spiritual renewal, and a life of sacrificial love and service. Through this figurative understanding, believers are reminded of their daily dependence on God's grace and their call to live as living sacrifices in response to His mercy.

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John 1:29,36
The next day John sees Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.
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1 Peter 1:19
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
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Library

An Unalterable Law
... EVERYWHERE under the old figurative dispensation, blood was sure to ... have all of us
to take the offering which has ... that dwelleth in us must be daily and hourly ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 60 1914/an unalterable law.htm

Caution against Imprudent Zeal in Preaching the Gospel.
... to their weakness and prejudice, and by offering the truth ... bears the stamp of Christ's
figurative manner of ... Be like acute money-changers; adding daily to the ...
/.../section 183 caution against imprudent.htm

Utterances of the Prophet Isaiah Regarding the Resurrection of the ...
... is not repaired by nourishment as by a daily remedy ... For, in the manner of prophecy,
figurative and literal ... they shall bring from all nations an offering to the ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 21 utterances of the prophet.htm

Give us Today Our Needful Bread
... or as Luke has it, Give us daily our Needful ... He has forgotten His teaching now enjoins
the offering of intercession ... perhaps simply be told in a figurative sense ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origen on prayer/chapter xvii give us today.htm

Meditation viii. Institution of the Holy Eucharist.
... no more than a symbolical and figurative rite) to ... returning thanks either after
receiving our daily food, or ... did I see Melchisedech, when offering the bread ...
/.../meditation viii institution of the.htm

Entire Sanctification in Prophecy.
... of holiness, though their language is often highly figurative. ... find in the facts
of our daily experience that ... offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness ...
/.../clark/the theology of holiness/chapter v entire sanctification in.htm

On the Baptism of Christ.
... for mourning we bring the due offering with funeral ... water; for the Law, and those
daily sprinklings of ... apparel; teaching us by the figurative illustration that ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/on the baptism of christ.htm

The Prophet Joel.
... This comparison is quite suitable to figurative locusts, to ... that the meat-offering
and drink-offering, which, in ... any man should rob thee of thy daily food, thou ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet joel.htm

Letter cii. (AD 409. )
... of the ages, when one kind of offering is known ... If, however, the story is figurative,
be pleased to ... as they can, when they see themselves daily becoming fewer ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter cii a d 409.htm

Matt. vi. 1
... which art in Heaven," but, "our Father," offering up his ... us, but the offenses, whereby
we offend daily, we consider ... the verb is used in a figurative sense.--R ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xix matt vi 1.htm