Numbers 28

Numbers 28: Various types of offerings

Synopsis

In this chapter, Numbers switches gears and goes back into detail about some rules and regulations that the LORD is handing down to the Israelites. There is a very good chance that these rules are all reiterations of rules that have already been handed down to Moses, but, as always, I’m presenting them as they are in the chapter, instead of just saying “refer to Exodus chapter X.”

• Daily Offerings
  • Every day, the Israelites were to present two offerings to the LORD, one in the morning, and one at twilight. I think these are offerings on behalf of the entire nation, rather than offerings that every individual family were to present, but that’s not stated explicitly in the text. At each of the two offerings, they were to offer:
    • A burnt offering of a year-old lamb, without defect.
    • A grain offering, consisting of of 2 litres of fine flour mixed with 1 litre of oil from pressed olives.
    • A drink offering, consisting of of a litre of “fermented drink” (verse 7), which, I’m assuming, would have been wine.
• Sabbath Offerings
  • On the Sabbath, in addition to the daily offering, they were to offer two additional lambs, as burnt offerings, along with the extra grain and drink offerings to go with them.
• Monthly Offerings
  • On the first of every month—which, by the Israelite calendar, would have been at the “new moon” (verse 14)—they were to offer more offerings:
    • Burnt offerings, consisting of two young bulls, one ram, and seven year-old male lambs. Of course, all of the animals were to be without defect.
    • Grain offerings, for each animal, consisting of: 6.5 litres of fine flour (mixed with oil) for each bull; 4.5 litres of fine flour (mixed with oil) for the ram; 2 litres of fine flour (mixed with oil) for each lamb.
    • Drink offerings, for each animal, consisting of: 2 litres of wine for each bull; 1.2 litres of wine for the ram; 1 litre of wine for each lamb.
• The Passover
  • On the fourteenth day of the first month, the Israelites were to begin their celebration of the Passover by holding a “sacred assembly” (verse 18), and doing no work. (I may or may not have mentioned this—I’ve probably mentioned it ad nauseum—but Passover was originated in Exodus 12, when the LORD was killing the first-born in every household, but “passed over” the Israelite houses.) On the fifteenth day, the Israelites were to have a festival.
  • For seven days, they were to eat bread made without yeast, and on the seventh day, they were to have another sacred assembly, and do no work.
  • Each day of the festival, they were to offer the following, in addition to the normal daily offering:
    • Burnt offerings, consisting of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male year-old lambs, all without defect.
    • Grain offerings, for each animal, consisting of: 6.5 litres of fine flour (mixed with oil) for each bull; 4.5 litres of fine flour (mixed with oil) for the ram; 2 litres of fine flour (mixed with oil) for each lamb.
• Feast of Weeks
  • On the “day of firstfruits” (verse 26), the Israelites were to have a sacred assembly, and do no work.
  • In addition to the regular daily/monthly offerings, they were to offer the following:
    • Burnt offerings, consisting of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male year-old lambs, all without defect.
    • Grain offerings, for each animal, consisting of: 6.5 litres of fine flour (mixed with oil) for each bull; 4.5 litres of fine flour (mixed with oil) for the ram; 2 litres of fine flour (mixed with oil) for each lamb.

Thoughts

I don’t have too much to say about these rules, especially since they’re probably all covered elsewhere. Some of these Old Testament books have a habit of switching back and forth between action, censuses, and listings of rules, regulations, and laws. I think God is reminding the Israelites of these rules before they go in to take possession of the Promised Land.