Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Numbers 29
Numbers 29:1“On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets,
This verse establishes the Feast of Trumpets, a day of rest and special assembly that marked the beginning of a month of significant spiritual observances.Numbers 29:7And on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and afflict yourselves. You shall do no work,
Here, God commands the Day of Atonement, the most solemn day of the year, where the people were to practice self-denial and offer sacrifices for the forgiveness of the nation's sins.Numbers 29:12"On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days."
This verse kicks off the joyful, week-long Feast of Tabernacles, a celebration of God's provision and presence with His people during their time in the wilderness.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Divine Calendar for a New Nation
The Israelites are camped on the plains of Moab, on the very edge of the Promised Land. After forty years of wandering, Moses is giving the new generation final instructions from God. This chapter follows the regulations for daily, weekly, and other monthly offerings found in Numbers 28, creating a complete calendar for Israel's worship life. The focus here is on the seventh month, which was the pinnacle of their religious year.
The Sacred Seventh Month
The seventh month was uniquely significant, containing three major appointed feasts. It was a time of national reflection, repentance, and celebration. This chapter functions as a detailed guide for the priests and the people, ensuring that their worship during this critical period would be orderly and pleasing to God. The sheer volume of sacrifices underscores the holiness of God and the importance of these gatherings.
Offerings for the Autumn Feasts
In Numbers 29, God lays out the specific requirements for three major feasts that all occur in the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. The scene is one of divine instruction, where Moses receives and relays the precise number and type of animal sacrifices that will define the nation's corporate worship. This list is a blueprint for how a holy people are to approach their holy God.
The Feast of Trumpets (Numbers 29:1-6)
1 “On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets,
2 And you shall offer a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish;
3 And you shall offer a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old;
4 And you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish;
5 And one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
6 besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offering, according to the rule for them, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.
Commentary:
On the first day of the seventh month, Israel was to rest, blow trumpets, and offer special sacrifices to mark the occasion.
The Day of Atonement (Numbers 29:7-11)
7 And on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and afflict yourselves. You shall do no work,
8 But you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; without blemish,
9 And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days.
10 And on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and afflict yourselves. You shall do no work,
11 "And on the second day you shall offer a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord: a bull from the herd, a ram, and seven male lambs a year old without blemish,"
Commentary:
On the tenth day, the nation was to fast and offer sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins.
The Feast of Tabernacles (Numbers 29:12-34)
12 "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days."
13 And you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish.
14 And their grain offering shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, and its drink offering shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin.
15 And one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
16 "One male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering."
17 "And on the second day you shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish, and six lambs and a ram, which shall be without blemish."
18 And their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the ordinance.
19 but you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; without blemish;
20 then you shall offer one bull from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish.
21 And on the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish;
22 "And one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering."
23 "But on the fourth day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for the camp; you shall purify it as you purified the sin offering, and the burnt offering with it."
24 their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities;
25 "On the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work,"
26 "On the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish;"
27 and their grain offering 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,
28 And 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,
29 And on the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
30 with their grain offering 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,
31 You shall offer them in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, they shall be without blemish with their drink offerings.
32 And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work.
33 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days.
34 and you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish.
Commentary:
Beginning on the fifteenth day, Israel celebrated God's provision for a full week with a massive number of joyful offerings.
The Final Assembly and Summary (Numbers 29:35-40)
35 On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall not do any ordinary work,
36 But you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old;
37 Their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, as prescribed.
38 "Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly."
39 These you shall offer to the Lord at your appointed feasts, in addition to your vow offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.”
40 Thus you shall do to the bull, according to each day, for seven days, as the sin offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the drink offering.
Commentary:
The festival season ends with a final day of worship, and a reminder that these offerings are in addition to daily and personal ones.
Core Truths in Israel's Worship
The Rhythm of Worship
God establishes a clear calendar for worship, creating a rhythm of life centered on Him. These appointed times ensured that the entire nation would regularly pause their ordinary work to remember, repent, and rejoice together before the Lord.
The Necessity of Atonement
The constant presence of sin offerings, especially on the Day of Atonement, served as a powerful reminder of humanity's separation from a holy God. These sacrifices taught that sin must be dealt with through a life given in substitution, pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.
Generosity and Joy in Celebration
The sheer number of animals offered during the Feast of Tabernacles demonstrates that worship should be generous and wholehearted. This joyful festival, coming right after the solemn Day of Atonement, shows that forgiveness leads to exuberant celebration of God's goodness.
Living Out the Principles of Worship
This detailed system highlights the seriousness of sin and the high cost of forgiveness. It should make you incredibly grateful for Jesus, whose one sacrifice on the cross fulfilled all these requirements forever (Hebrews 10:10). It also teaches us the principles of giving our best to God and setting aside specific times to focus on Him.
These required national gatherings remind you that faith is a public matter. God designed His people to come together for corporate worship, encouragement, and celebration (Numbers 29:1, 7, 12). Prioritizing gathering with your church community reflects this biblical pattern of setting aside special times to focus on God together.
You can learn from the rhythm of Israel's calendar. Just as they had the Day of Atonement followed by the Feast of Tabernacles, you can set aside regular time for self-examination and confession, acknowledging your need for God's grace. This then frees you to live in the daily joy of your salvation, celebrating God's constant faithfulness and provision in your life.
God's Blueprint for Approaching Him
Numbers 29 reveals that God desires a structured and intentional relationship with His people, marked by rhythms of repentance and celebration. The detailed sacrifices underscore the holiness of God and the seriousness of sin, making it clear that a way must be made to bridge that gap. This chapter is God's invitation for the community to draw near, not haphazardly, but through the gracious system He himself has provided.
What This Means for Us Today
The ancient feasts were a shadow pointing to the reality found in Jesus. The trumpet call announces the King, the atonement secures our forgiveness, and the final feast celebrates God dwelling with us forever through His Spirit. This chapter invites us to see our worship not as a random activity, but as a joyful participation in God's great story of redemption.
- How can I establish a more intentional rhythm of worship and rest in my life?
- In what ways does the sacrifice of Jesus give me confidence to approach God without fear?
- How can I better celebrate God's daily faithfulness and provision, like a personal Feast of Tabernacles?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter details the daily, Sabbath, and monthly offerings, providing the baseline of worship upon which the special feasts of chapter 29 are added.
Following the laws on public worship, this chapter addresses the laws concerning personal vows, which are mentioned as distinct from the required offerings in Numbers 29:39.
Connections Across Scripture
This chapter provides another comprehensive list of the appointed feasts, offering a complementary perspective on their purpose and observance.
This New Testament chapter explains how the entire Old Testament sacrificial system, including these feasts, served as a shadow pointing to the perfect and final sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Jesus attends the Feast of Tabernacles in this chapter, using its symbols and traditions to declare that He is the source of 'living water,' fulfilling the feast's deeper meaning.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think God was so specific about the number and type of animals for each sacrifice? What does this precision teach us about how He views worship?
- The seventh month was a period of intense spiritual focus for Israel. What can we learn from their calendar about creating seasons of intentional spiritual focus in our own lives?
- Numbers 29:39 mentions that these required offerings were separate from personal 'vow offerings and your freewill offerings.' How does this distinction between required corporate worship and personal, voluntary worship apply to our lives today?
Glossary
events
Feast of Trumpets
An appointed feast on the first day of the seventh month, marked by trumpet blasts, to call the people to attention and worship.
Day of Atonement
The most solemn holy day, where the high priest made sacrifices to cover the sins of the entire nation for the year.
Feast of Tabernacles
A week-long joyful festival celebrating God's provision for Israel during their 40 years in the wilderness.
theological concepts
Burnt Offering
A sacrifice completely consumed by fire, symbolizing total surrender and devotion to God.
Sin Offering
A sacrifice made to atone for unintentional sins, restoring the relationship between the worshiper and God.
Atonement
The act of covering sin through a substitutionary sacrifice, which repairs the relationship between God and humanity.
Holy Convocation
A sacred assembly or gathering of God's people, called for a specific purpose of worship or rest.