Journal Through the Bible: Week 25 Monday

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Numbers chapter 29

This is a continuation from the previous chapter. God commanded Moses to give instructions to the younger generation for the required offerings and feasts.

Does God issue any commands in this chapter?

• The command to tell these things to this generation was given in the first verse of the previous chapter.
•  Moses was commanded to teach them about the Feast of Trumpets which was to take place on the first day of the seventh month with a holy convocation and no work. Burnt offerings of one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs, plus the meat offering and the sin offering of a goat were to made over and above the usual sacrifices that were made on the first day of each month and those continual offerings given each day.
• The tenth day of the seventh month was to be the Feast of Atonement. There was to be a holy convocation and no servile work done except a repeat of the burnt offerings, meat offering, and sin offering like what was offered on the day of the Feast of Trumpets and over and above the daily burnt offerings, meat offerings, and drink offerings.
• The fifteenth day of the seventh month was to be the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles which lasted for 7 days. Many animals were sacrificed during this time. Day 1: 13 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, with their meat and drink offerings for the burnt offerings, 1 goat kid for the sin offering, and the usual daily offerings. Day 2: 12 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, with their meat and drink offerings for the burnt offerings, 1 goat kid for the sin offering, and the usual daily offerings. Day 3: 11 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, with their meat and drink offerings, 1 goat for the sin offering, and the continual daily offerings. Day 4: 10 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, with their meat and drink offerings, 1 goat kid for a sin offering, and the continual daily offerings. Day 5: 9 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, with their meat and drink offerings, 1 goat for the sin offering, and the continual daily offerings. Day 6: 8 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, with their meat and drink offerings, 1 goat for a sin offering, and the continual daily offerings. Day 7: 7 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, with their meat and drink offerings, 1 goat for a sin offering, and the usual daily offerings. Day 8: they were to have a worship service and no work was to be done except to sacrifice 1 bull, 1 ram, 7 lambs with their meat and drink offerings, 1 goat for the sin offering, and the daily continual offerings.
• Besides these feasts and offerings there were vow offerings, free will offerings, and peace offerings

Does God make any promises?

• The implied promise for obedience done with a repentant heart was acceptance.

Does this chapter teach anything about Jesus?

• All of these feasts and offerings teach about the propitiatory work of Jesus on the cross. The fact that the offerings were constant shows that man is constantly a sinner. He cannot do good. All his righteousness is as filthy rags. But Jesus is the constant atonement. His sacrifice was made once but it was sufficient to last throughout eternity for those who will repent and accept it. There was much blood shed in these sacrifices but it was only a picture of the redemptive work of Christ.

Does this chapter teach anything about yet-future events?

• Only in a negative way. There will be no sacrificing of animals throughout eternity like is stated here, although there will probably be sacrifices before Jesus sets up His earthly kingdom because prior to that time many will not yet believe upon the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. The perfect atoning sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient and God will not require a daily sacrifice before His altar in the eternal State. Jesus is our sacrifice and He is our altar. Sin was laid upon Him. Hebrews 9:28 says that when Jesus was on the earth the first time He carried the sins of the believers but when He comes the second time He will not have any sins upon Him, nor will we have sins attributed to us either because Jesus atoned for them. God says that when they were forgiven He put them as far away from us as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). So in the future, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world will appear without sin and those who are His children will also fully enjoy being forgiven and without sin. There is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12) and that includes the the above-named animals, too.