Numbers Chapter 29
The Sacrificial System (Continued)
A. Offerings related to the seasonal feasts (continued from Numbers 28).
1. (Numbers 29:1–6) Offerings at the Feast of Trumpets.
“And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets. You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish. Their grain offering shall be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, to make atonement for you; besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.”
The Feast of Trumpets, also called Yom Teruah, marked the beginning of the civil new year in Israel and was celebrated on the first day of the seventh month, Tishri. This feast was distinct from the religious new year, which began in the spring with Passover. The blowing of the trumpets announced a solemn assembly before God, calling the people to repentance and preparation for the coming Day of Atonement. The trumpet blasts symbolized both warning and awakening, reminding Israel of God’s sovereignty and calling them to remember His covenant faithfulness.
The prescribed offerings included one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs, all without blemish. These animals represented purity, dedication, and the necessity of atonement for sin. The accompanying grain and drink offerings, measured precisely, reflected the completeness of the people’s devotion. The sin offering of one goat emphasized the continual need for cleansing from sin even among a covenant people.
This day foreshadowed prophetically the future regathering of Israel and the call to repentance that will precede the return of Christ. In the prophetic calendar, the Feast of Trumpets is often associated with the Rapture of the Church and the awakening of Israel to her Messiah, corresponding to the “trump of God” spoken of in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, which says, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”
2. (Numbers 29:7–11) Offerings on the Day of Atonement.
“On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls; you shall not do any work. You shall present a burnt offering to the Lord as a sweet aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. Be sure they are without blemish. Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the sin offering for atonement, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.”
a. You shall afflict your souls: The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was the most solemn day of the year, marked by fasting, prayer, and self-examination. To “afflict the soul” meant to humble oneself before God, to mourn for sin, and to acknowledge personal and national guilt. It was not a day of rejoicing but of repentance, symbolizing the cleansing of the entire nation.
The offerings commanded for this day were in addition to the special sin offering described in Leviticus 16, where the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to sprinkle blood upon the mercy seat. The burnt offering here signified total dedication to God, the grain offering represented thanksgiving and sustenance provided by Him, and the sin offering illustrated the substitutionary death required for forgiveness.
The emphasis on “without blemish” underscores God’s demand for holiness. Only a perfect sacrifice could be acceptable to Him, prefiguring the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:12 declares, “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”
The Day of Atonement pointed forward to the future national repentance and cleansing of Israel prophesied in Zechariah 12:10, which says, “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” In that day, the prophetic fulfillment of Yom Kippur will come as Israel recognizes her Messiah and receives full restoration under His new covenant.
The Sacrificial System (Continued)
A. Offerings related to the seasonal feasts (continued from Numbers 28).
3. (Numbers 29:12–39) Offerings at the Feast of Tabernacles.
(Numbers 29:12–39)
“And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days. You shall present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a sweet aroma to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year. They shall be without blemish. Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams, and one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
On the second day present twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.
On the third day present eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
On the fourth day present ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year, without blemish, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
On the fifth day present nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
On the sixth day present eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
On the seventh day present seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
On the eighth day you shall have a sacred assembly. You shall do no customary work. You shall present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a sweet aroma to the Lord: one bull, one ram, seven lambs in their first year without blemish, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
These you shall present to the Lord at your appointed feasts (besides your vowed offerings and your freewill offerings) as your burnt offerings and your grain offerings, as your drink offerings and your peace offerings.”
a. “Thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs”:
This was the prescribed offering for the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, as stated in Numbers 29:13. Each subsequent day saw a reduction of one bull, with the number of rams and lambs remaining constant, symbolizing both abundance and divine order. On the second day, twelve young bulls were to be offered (Numbers 29:17), then eleven bulls on the third day (Numbers 29:20), ten on the fourth day (Numbers 29:23), nine on the fifth day (Numbers 29:26), eight on the sixth day (Numbers 29:29), and seven on the seventh day (Numbers 29:32). On the eighth day, a solemn assembly concluded the feast, with only one bull, one ram, and seven lambs being offered (Numbers 29:35).
The decreasing number of bulls over the seven days totaled seventy, a number representing the nations of the world. This symbolized the universal scope of God’s redemptive plan, showing that the Feast of Tabernacles pointed not only to Israel’s joy but also to the future millennial reign of Christ when all nations will worship the Lord in Jerusalem, as prophesied in Zechariah 14:16, which says, “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.”
b. “These you shall present to the Lord at your appointed feasts”:
This command summed up the entire sacrificial cycle. The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was a joyous commemoration of God’s faithfulness during Israel’s forty years in the wilderness, when they lived in temporary shelters and depended daily on His provision. By offering so many animals and costly sacrifices, the people demonstrated gratitude for the Lord’s abundant blessings.
This feast celebrated God’s provision and pointed prophetically toward the future kingdom age, when the Messiah will dwell among His people in peace and glory. John 1:14 connects this theme to Christ’s first coming, declaring, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” literally meaning “tabernacled among us.” In the Millennium, the ultimate fulfillment of this feast will occur as Christ reigns on earth and all nations come to Jerusalem to honor Him.
The repetition of the phrase “without blemish” underscores the holy perfection God required in every sacrifice. These offerings collectively reflected the joy, gratitude, and consecration of God’s people, illustrating that worship must always be both sincere and costly.
B. The Obedience of Israel
1. (Numbers 29:40a) Moses tells the children of Israel the words of the Lord.
“So Moses told the children of Israel everything.”
a. “So Moses told the children of Israel everything”:
This short but powerful statement demonstrates Moses’ faithfulness in his duty as the mediator between God and His people. As Israel stood on the threshold of the Promised Land, they were reminded once again of the central importance of sacrifice in their relationship with God. Though they were about to enter a land flowing with milk and honey, they were not to forget that their fellowship with God was based on atonement through blood. Promised Land people must never lose sight of the truth that sin separates man from God, and that only through substitutionary sacrifice can access to God be maintained.
The phrase also emphasizes Moses’ consistency and obedience. Throughout his leadership, he faithfully declared all that the Lord commanded without addition or omission. This quality of obedience and completeness was essential for Israel’s spiritual health, as the next generation would soon have to live out the commands Moses had delivered.
2. (Numbers 29:40b) A costly obedience.
“Just as the Lord commanded Moses.”
a. “Just as the Lord commanded”:
This expression reveals not only Israel’s obedience but also the weight of that obedience. Carrying out the commands given in Numbers 28–29 required a massive and continual sacrificial system. Each year, according to these instructions, the priests would offer no fewer than 1,086 lambs, 113 bulls, 32 rams, over a ton of fine flour, and approximately 1,000 bottles’ worth of oil and wine. These offerings represented a tremendous investment of resources, time, and labor.
The obedience of Israel was not symbolic or convenient—it was costly. Every animal represented not only the value of life but the recognition that sin demanded death and that God’s holiness required blood to atone for transgression. Yet, in these offerings, Israel expressed faith that God would accept their sacrifices as temporary coverings for sin.
i. The most prominent animal of sacrifice was the lamb:
Throughout the entire sacrificial system, the lamb was central. It was the daily offering and the focal point of the Passover. This recurring image was prophetic of the ultimate Lamb to come, Jesus Christ. John 1:29 records John the Baptist’s declaration: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Every sacrificed lamb pointed toward this one perfect Lamb whose blood would finally satisfy divine justice once and for all.
b. “Just as the Lord commanded”:
This phrase also acknowledges the diligence of the priests and Levites who labored continually to perform the required sacrifices. Their service was unending, day after day, year after year, reminding Israel of both the seriousness of sin and the holiness of God. Each offering was costly to the nation and to the people who gave it, yet none could ultimately cleanse sin or provide eternal redemption.
i. In the days of Jesus, historical records note that 255,600 Passover lambs were sacrificed at one Passover:
This staggering number, mentioned by Josephus, illustrates the immense scale of Israel’s sacrificial devotion. Every lamb slain was a reminder of the penalty of sin and the need for substitution. The blood of these countless animals ran through the Temple courts, symbolizing the depth of human guilt and the holiness of God.
ii. Yet significantly, none of these sacrifices were enough:
Hebrews 10:4 declares, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” All of Israel’s sacrifices were temporary shadows pointing to the perfect sacrifice that was to come. When Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, was crucified, His sacrifice fulfilled every type and shadow established in the Law. Hebrews 10:10 says, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Thus, what Israel could never achieve through centuries of obedient and costly offerings, Christ accomplished in one act of perfect obedience. His atoning death satisfied God’s wrath, removed sin’s penalty, and opened the way for eternal fellowship between God and man.
