Later to be known as - the regular burnt offering - or even just - the regular - this text lays the foundation of the sacrificial system: the morning and evening sacrifice that is to be made each and every day, Shabbat included, as a point and time of meeting between HaShem and the people.

Abravanel: Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508CE), Statesman and biblical commentator; born in Lisbon, died in Venice; wrote commentaries on the whole of the Hebrew Scriptures

Sarna comments that the importance of the daily offering grew through time. It heads the list of public offerings in B'Midbar 28-29, and its re-instatement after the return from Babylon preceeded even the construction of the Second Temple. Its suspension by the Selucid king Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 BCE was regarded as a disaster. Prophesied by Daniel (8:11-12, 11:31, 12:11) and recorded by the Maccabees (1 Maccabees 1:41-45), the Mishnah includes this as one of the five disasters that occurred on and are still remembered on the fast of 17^th Tammuz (m. Ta'anit 4:6). The memory was still so current in Yeshua's time that He was able to re-prophecy about the "abomination of desolation" (Matthew 24:15).

Abraham Ibn Ezra: (1089-1167), born in Tudela, Spain; died in the South of France after wandering all around the shores of the Mediterranean and England; a philosopher, astronomer, doctor, poet and linguist; wrote a Hebrew grammar and a commentary on the Bible

Rav Sha'ul encouraged the early believers to continue in the same way. "In everything give thanks, for this is what G-d wants from you who are united with the Messiah Yeshua" (1 Thessalonians 5:18, CJB); thanksgiving was to be a major part of worship: "Always give thanks for everything to G-d the Father in the name of our L-rd Yeshua the Messiah" (Ephesians 5:20, CJB), "as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude to G-d in your hearts" (Colossians 3:16, CJB). Just as in the Amidah - stanzas of petition surrounded by praise and thanksgiving - our prayer is to be a blend of thanks for what G-d has already done and requests for His continued involvement in our lives: "First of all, then, I counsel that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made ... this is what G-d, our deliverer, regards as good; this is what meets His approval" (1 Timothy 2:13, CJB). Indeed, Sha'ul continues: "That is, everything you do or say, do in the name of the L-rd Yeshua, giving thanks through Him to G-d the Father" (Colossians 3:17, CJB).

In our busy lives, constantly under pressure and on the run from one thing to another, we need to maintain a healthy balance between thanksgiving and requests. We need to avoid the somewhat prevalent "I/We" focus that is to be found in much modern worship music; sometimes these songs talk more about us than about G-d and concentrate on our feelings rather than on praise of G-d. Instead of asking G-d to give us a nice feeling when we think about Him, we should devote ourselves to truly worshiping Him and let our feelings catch up later. G-d is to be worshipped at all times and places, even when our feelings would forbid it: "Don't worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to G-d by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving" (Philippians 4:6, CJB).

Further Study: Colossians 4:2; Psalm 55:17-19(16-18); Isaiah 63:7

Application: Have you become too focussed on yourself during prayer? Are your conversations with G-d more about you than about Him? What not start a change by coming before G-d just to thank Him twice a day - morning and evening - to revolutionise your prayer life.

© Jonathan Allen, 2009