Thy Strong Word — Numbers 29: The Calendar of Sacrifice, Part 2

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“On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation.” The sacred calendar continues with the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths. The sheer number of sacrifices during Booths is staggering, reaching its climax on the seventh day before tapering on the eighth. In this chapter, we see Israel’s entire year oriented around worship and atonement. These feasts find their fulfillment in Christ, who is our trumpet call, our atonement, and the one who tabernacles among us.

The Rev. Steven Theiss, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Numbers 29.

The Book of Numbers is far more than an ancient census report. It is the story of a people learning to trust God in the wilderness, and failing, and finding grace anyway.

In this series, host Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors walk through the Old Testament book of Numbers chapter by chapter. We follow Israel from Sinai toward the Promised Land, through grumbling and rebellion, fiery serpents and a talking donkey, faithless spies and faithful priests. The journey is hard, the failures are many, and God remains faithful to a faithless people.

These ancient accounts point us to Christ. The bronze serpent lifted on a pole points to the cross. The rock struck for water points to the one struck for us. The high priest whose death frees the manslayer points to the Great High Priest whose death sets us free forever. Join us as we discover that the wilderness has more to teach us than we ever expected.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Through the mission gifts of people like you, LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

Numbers 29

Offerings for the Feast of Trumpets

[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, for a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; [3] also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram, [4] and one tenth for each of the seven lambs; [5] with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you; [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.

Offerings for the Day of Atonement

[7] “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: see that they are without blemish. [9] And 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, [10] a tenth for each of the seven lambs: [11] also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the sin offering of atonement, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

Offerings for the Feast of Booths

[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 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, [15] and a tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; [16] also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.

[17] “On the second day twelve bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, [18] with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; [19] also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

[20] “On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, [21] with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; [22] also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

[23] “On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, [24] with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; [25] also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.

[26] “On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, [27] with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; [28] also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

[29] “On the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, [30] with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; [31] also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offerings.

[32] “On the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, [33] with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; [34] also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

[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, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish, [37] and the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; [38] also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

[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] So Moses told the people of Israel everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved.