Numbers 28: 1 –31
The New Israel Team
28 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time.’ 3 “And you shall say to them, ‘This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs in their first year without blemish, day by day, as a regular burnt offering. 4 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, the other lamb you shall offer in the evening, 5 and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil. 6 It is a regular burnt offering which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord. 7 And its drink offering shall be one-fourth of a hin for each lamb; in a holy place you shall pour out the drink to the Lord as an offering. 8 The other lamb you shall offer in the evening; as the morning grain offering and its drink offering, you shall offer it as an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord. 9 ‘And on the Sabbath day two lambs in their first year, without blemish, and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, with its drink offering— 10 this is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering. 11 At the beginnings of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish; 12 three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull; two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram; 13 and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with oil, as a grain offering for each lamb, as a burnt offering of sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord. 14 Their drink offering shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, one-third of a hin for a ram, and one-fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering for each month throughout the months of the year. 15 Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering to the Lord shall be offered, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. 16 On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the Lord. 17 And on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast; unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days. 18 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. 19 And you shall present an offering made by fire as a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. Be sure they are without blemish. 20 Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah you shall offer for a bull, and two-tenths for a ram; 21 you shall offer one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs; 22 also one goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you. 23 You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering. 24 In this manner you shall offer the food of the offering made by fire daily for seven days, as a sweet aroma to the Lord; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. 25 And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. 26 Also on the day of the first fruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. 27 You shall present a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, 28 with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram, 29 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; 30 also one kid of the goats, to make atonement for you. 31 Be sure they are without blemish. You shall present them with their drink offerings, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering.
The National Basketball League has displayed some interesting player action. For quite an amount of years the Western Conference has been very competitive and many of the teams in this conference dominated the Eastern Conference teams. The leading team in the East was the Cleveland Cavaliers. A few teams such as the Boston Celtics give the Cavaliers competition but for many years they came up short in knocking them off the top ladder. In 2018 though it looked like the Eastern power team was on its decline. In an amazing trade scramble they totally re-organized and re-galvanized their team to put them back on the top.
The NBA trade deadline took place and while the Cleveland Cavaliers looked to be sitting pat, Twitter was busy announcing a number of huge trades for the Cavs that has completely remade their roster. While there are still fears that LeBron James probably the best player in the league will leave town this summer, the Cavaliers have done everything that they can to win another NBA title before he does. Here is a look at the four monster trades that the Cavaliers made to completely redesign their entire starting roster. Starting with the biggest trade of the day, the Cleveland Cavaliers have cut ties with Isaiah Thomas, the player that they brought in from the Boston Celtics in the trade for Kyrie Irving. While the Cavs also got a nice draft pick formerly belonging to the Brooklyn Nets, Thomas has struggled since returning from injury and also caused some behind-the-scenes turmoil after a huge blowup in a meeting with Kevin Love a notable all star on Cleveland.
In a smart move the Cavaliers traded Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye to the Los Angeles Lakers for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance. This will gave the Cavaliers two players they can control the contracts of and eliminates Thomas, whose contract expires at the end of this season. Up next was a big trade that brings guard Rodney Hood to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-way trade. Utah will send Rodney Hood to the Cavaliers and Joe Johnson to the Sacramento Kings. The Kings will send George Hill to the Cavaliers. The Cavs will send Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose to the Jazz and Iman Shumpert to the Kings. This will fill the hole left by the departure of Isaiah Thomas. George Hill will immediately step in as the starting point guard with Jordan Clarkson as his backup. Rodney Hood will also play a role in the guard positions, which is necessary based on the next trade.
When Dwyane Wade rejoined LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers, it looked like the two were planning on repeating the success they had with the Miami Heat. However, Wade was unable to step in as a starter and ended up thriving as the force running the second team. That has now ended. Dyane was informed that his role with the Cavaliers would be limited at best. They agreed to his request that he would like to finish out his career with the Miami Heat which was accomplished. With these huge NBA trade deadline moves, the Cleveland Cavaliers have rebuilt their roster.
With these new moves, George Hill will replace Isaiah Thomas in the starting lineup alongside J.R. Smith, while Jordan Clarkson will back him up and Rodney Hood will play second-team. The frontcourt will still see LeBron James, Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love manning the court, but the backcourt just went from old and aging to young and promising.
I am sure that you have been thinking as to why I would bring this information up. Well, if you have been studying along with us in the book of Numbers then you understand that the Israelites have also come up with a new team. All the people and the leadership has died in the Wilderness. Now they have been replace with an entire new starting lineup
Joshua has replaced Moses. Eleazar has replaced his dad Aaron as the High Priest. All the soldiers that were mustered back in chapter 1 have also died in the Wilderness due to their sin of rebellion against the promises of our Holy Adoni Yahweh God.
Like the Cavaliers who went from a mid level class team to the NBA finals we will see that the new Israel team will be dominant in victories against all its competition.
There could have been no better place for these chapters on Israel’s response to Yahweh than here. It follows the sin at Baal Peor, the death of Zelophehad through sin, and the death of Moses through a failure in his dedication to Yahweh, and it follows them with a call to continually renew their dedication, and with a promise of continual forgiveness and purification.
This purifying and dedication of the new Israel parallels the call for the purification and dedication of the old Israel in 5-10. There it was necessary if they were to consider entering into Yahweh’s land; here it is seen to be gloriously fulfilled in the new Israel.
We understand that above all this call as we read in this chapter for such offerings is a proclamation of the prosperous future that would be theirs on possession of the land. It follows the capture of huge amounts of cattle from Gilead and Bashan (Deuteronomy 2.35), together with land which would be settled on, in which they would already have found vineyards, cereal crops and olive trees, so that first fruits would be produced as never before. From now on these ceremonies were to be conducted in their full glory, because at least some tribes were already prospering. This would have begun to happen very rapidly. Having taken the land of Sihon and the Amorites Reuben and Gad had decided that they wanted it, an event which probably preceded the defeat of Bashan (Manasseh’s desire comes in later). The process of at first temporary possession and settlement was no doubt initially quite complicated, but we can be sure that it happened quickly. Yahweh had indicated from the very beginning that this was land to be possessed (Deuteronomy 2.31).
But it also underlines the certainty of the prosperity that would be theirs once all were in the land, for it reveals the offerings that they were to continually make once they were settled there. It is only the prosperous who could bring their offerings in such abundance as this. It was thus very much a message of hope and encouragement.
The primary emphasis is on the whole burnt offering, the offering that ‘goes up’, in these cases offered on behalf of the whole people (Leviticus 1-2), the offering indicating wholehearted dedication, and thanksgiving and tribute, while also being under laid by a recognition of the need for atonement. And it is continually accompanied by the necessary offering for the purification of sin. While therefore sin would trouble even the best of them, even a Moses, it was pointing out that it could be dealt with for the nation as a whole and put behind their backs because of the gracious provision God had made for them, as they continually rededicated themselves to Him at all their feasts. That is the message of what now follows. As in the stories of the numbering of Israel, of the daughters of Zelophehad and of the appointment of Joshua, these chapters are filled with hope and expectancy as they look to the future.
Thus what is mentioned here concentrates on Israel’s dedication, tribute, worship and atonement as a people? In its quantities it magnifies all of these in readiness for the grand assault. The Lord Is ready to put in His new team.
To us these feasts of Israel may appear a little boring, but they were not so to Israel. If we think so let us consider our own feast as we gather at the Lord’s Table. Do we find that boring? Is Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter boring to you? If so, then I am sorry for you. If we do little more needs to be said. To the people of Israel, to whom every one of their feasts had a meaning and significance, they spoke with a loud voice (and they blew their trumpets at them - 10.10). And the depth of offerings now required spoke even louder of a renewed and deeper dedication and a glorious future of prosperity and blessing.
We should note that these offerings described here were not the personal offerings described elsewhere (e.g. Leviticus 1-7). They were very much a part of the continual activity of the priests on behalf of the people. They were the backbone of the nation’s offerings. Apart from in chapter 30 dealing with oaths (where they are assumed rather than mentioned) there is no thought here of the myriad of personal offerings that would be offered to Yahweh. Those have been dealt with in detail in chapter 15 and in Leviticus 1-7. Here concentration is on the nation as a whole making their regular offerings through their representatives. This permanent determination to be dedicated to Yahweh as expressed in these chapters was equally as important to their moving forward as the numbering on the mobilization of the army and the Levites in chapter 26. Without it the invasion could not take place.
There now follow information concerning the various feasts with emphasis on the regular priestly offerings.
The first offerings described, the continual daily offerings, underpin all the others. It is emphasized that all the others will be offered as well as these. Every day, morning and late-afternoon (‘between the evenings’), the continual whole burnt offerings were to be offered to Yahweh. These each consisted of the offering of a he-lamb of the first year, accompanied by grain and drink offerings. They were an offering by fire to Yahweh, and would rise to Him, when offered on behalf of an obedient people, as a pleasing odor.
In addition it will be emphasized throughout what follows, that the festal offerings were additional to this daily offering, which had precedence. They were also additional to the special offerings which related to each particular feast.
28 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time.’
This verse introduces the next two chapters which describe the pleasing offerings made to Yahweh, each in its due season, whether daily, weekly, monthly or at the particular feasts. The offerings made by fire were probably to be seen as ascending to Yahweh in the smoke of the offering which contained within it the essence of the offering. And it arose as something pleasing to Yahweh.
3 “And you shall say to them, ‘This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs in their first year without blemish, day by day, as a regular burnt offering. 4 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, the other lamb you shall offer in the evening, 5 and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil.
Each daily offering, morning and late afternoon/early evening, would be of a he-lamb, a year old and without blemish, together with its accompanying offerings. It was to be seen as a continual whole burnt offering, a constant renewal of Israel’s dedication and gratitude to Yahweh, and means of atonement. And it was to be a year old and without blemish. It was day by day a continual reminder both to God and His people of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12.5) which had revealed our Great God Yahweh as their Deliverer, and themselves as in need of mercy and protection. But the Passover lambs had also been a sign of faith as their blood was smeared on the doorposts and lintel. So every day these offerings, when offered in true faith on behalf of a believing people, said that in His judgments Yahweh would pass over them and they would be protected from all harm through the shed blood applied to the sides of the altar. But they were not to be partaken of, for their emphasis was on wholehearted response to God.
We too should look to Christ our Passover, offered for us once for all, and claim protection under His shed blood daily. Though He was offered once for all, we must come continually day by day to receive the continuing benefits of His death. If we walk in His light then the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, will go on cleansing us from all sin (1 John 1.7).
With it would be offered a measure of milled grain mingled with olive oil, as described. This grain offering, offered with the whole burnt offering, was an offering to Yahweh of what they had produced in response to His goodness in sending rain. It was a dedication of their labors and a thanksgiving offering, and a reminder to Him of their continuing need for rain in its season. For this offering continued throughout the year, summer and winter alike,
6 It is a regular burnt offering which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.
Here it is confirmed that this offering of he-lambs and grain was one that was ordained on Mount Sinai (compare Exodus 29.38-42), to represent a continual dedication of Israel before God.
7 And its drink offering shall be one-fourth of a hin for each lamb; in a holy place you shall pour out the drink to the Lord as an offering.
It was also to be offered with a drink offering of strong drink (matured wine?) which was to be poured out in the Holy Place. Thus within this offering were all the major benefits which they received from God. It represented their flocks and herds, their grain and fruit and the fruit of the vineyards that would be theirs once they were in the land.
8 The other lamb you shall offer in the evening; as the morning grain offering and its drink offering, you shall offer it as an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.
The ‘evening’ offering was to be offered in the same way as the morning offering. So each part of each day in the life of Israel was dedicated to Yahweh, and atoned for, as they offered their thanksgiving for all His provision.
This continual offering is a reminder to us that we too should come daily to God, morning and evening, yielding ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice (Romans 12.1-2) and offering our continual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving (Hebrews 13.15; 1 Peter 2.5).
Prior to this chapter in Numbers the descriptions of offerings at the feast have been limited. Before this it was only at the feast of Sevens (a one day feast celebrating harvest) that mention had been made of a multiplicity of offerings, one young ox bull, two rams, seven lambs for a whole burnt offering, one goat as a purification for sin offering and two lambs as peace offerings (Leviticus 23.18). Thus it would seem probable that what was here mentioned in such abundance, mainly based on that one series offering in the year, may not have described previous practice, but have been a huge expansion, demonstrating that because through their conquests they were now to be blessed with so much more in the way of herds and flocks, more would be expected of their offerings. It was one more encouragement on the way to possessing the land and drew their attention to that blessing. Those who had freely received should now be able freely to give and note the even greater abundance that was in store for them in the land of milk and honey.
We may not today make offerings such as these, but we also on each seventh day, and at the beginning of each month (as well as daily), should recognize that all our time belongs to God, and that we should rededicate ourselves and make the best use of our time for His glory (Ephesians 5.16). For one day time will cease and then what will matter will be what we accomplished for Him with what we had.
9 ‘And on the Sabbath day two lambs in their first year, without blemish, and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, with its drink offering— 10 this is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering.
Every seventh day was a Sabbath. Each such seventh day was a holy day, for it had been appointed by Yahweh as a day of rest on which no work must be done, both as a reminder of His work in creation (Exodus 20.11) and in His work of deliverance from servitude in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5.15). His day. It evidenced the fact that all time was in His hands.
So on this holy day two extra year old he-lambs without blemish were to be offered, together with their grain and drink offerings, an act of double dedication because of the holiness of the day. And on this day all who lived in the camp and all who would later live in the land must abstain from all work on the Sabbath day, from the highest to the lowest, as they contemplated the wonder of His ways, and His constant provision, and rededicated themselves to Him (Isaiah 58.13-14). We may sometimes see the Sabbath restrictions as tiresome. To the weary slaves and servants it would be seen as heaven sent. In Israel none could compel them to work on that day.
The lesson for us is that every seventh day (it does not finally matter which day we choose as long as we are consistent - Romans 14.5-6), it can be helpful for us too to make our renewed dedication to God and bring Him our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, although Paul stresses that some prefer to do this every day (Romans 14.5).
11 ‘At the beginnings of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish; 12 three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull; two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram; 13 and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with oil, as a grain offering for each lamb, as a burnt offering of sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.
Two young ox bulls, one ram and seven he-lambs were to be offered up as whole burnt offerings, offerings that ‘went up’, together with suitable grain offerings depending on the level of offering. These male animals and grain offerings represented the source of their herds and flocks and the abundance of grain as provided to them by Yahweh. And they rose as a pleasing odor to Yahweh, an offering made to Him by fire. They would celebrate the possessions that would be theirs once Yahweh had given them the land (and the possessions that they had already received as a result of their present victories).
14 Their drink offering shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, one-third of a hin for a ram, and one-fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering for each month throughout the months of the year.
With them were offered their drink offerings, again graded according to the level of the offerings.
15 Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering to the Lord shall be offered, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
And as well as these offerings of dedication, tribute, thanksgiving and atonement, a he-goat was to be offered as purification for sin offering for it was necessary that the people be purified, and the camp be purified, continually if Yahweh was to dwell among them (15.24-26). All this was offered over and above the continual daily whole burnt offering with its drink offering.
Information is now given about the offerings at the set feasts of Israel. There were three major feasts to which all the men of Israel of over twenty (the congregation of Israel) were expected to come: the feast of Passover and unleavened bread, the feast of first fruits or sevens or harvest, and the feast of tabernacles or ingathering (see Exodus 23.14-17; 34.23; Deuteronomy 16.16). Two of these, the first and the last, were seven day feasts, (to each of which was connected an extra day which was different from the seven). And then there were two extra one day feasts in the sacred seventh month. On every day of those feasts significant offerings were to be made to Yahweh. These were over and above the continual daily whole burnt offerings, the Sabbath whole burnt offerings and the new moon whole burnt offerings. The day of the full moon (the fifteenth day, fourteen days after the new moon day) was also a solemn Sabbath in the first and seventh months. The seven day feasts commenced and ended the cycle of feasts, occurring on the first and the seventh months, except that the day for sacrificing the Passover preceded the first seven day feast and the eighth day of Tabernacles came the day after the second seven day feast.
The main feasts in the first half of the cycle began on the tenth day of the first month with the setting aside of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12.3). The main feast in the second half of the cycle began with the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of the seventh month. Each was a day of preparation. So the whole was carefully balanced.
It will be noted from this point on that Unleavened Bread and First fruits (with their offerings of two young ox bulls, a ram and seven he-lambs per day of each), and Blowing of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement (although with only one young ox bull, a ram and seven he-lambs at each) all follow the same general pattern, while maintaining their distinctive features. While at the feast of Tabernacles seventy young bulls, fourteen (seven times two) rams and ninety eight (seven times seven times two) he-lambs were offered during the feast. These were all extra to the continual daily offerings, the Sabbath offerings and the new moon offerings.
From the eighth to the twelfth month there were no feasts, although some were added in later centuries, for in these months there were no significant harvests. But it will be noted that the two seven day feasts, and Passover or Atonement, occurred six ‘monthly’, and while the former were agricultural feasts, neither of the latter are ever said to be so. Yet even the former were given a new significance, along with the other feasts, in terms of Israel’s salvation history, with Passover and Unleavened Bread celebrating the deliverance from Egypt, and Tabernacles celebrating that deliverance in terms of their dwelling in tents in the wilderness period (Leviticus 23.42-43).
Here the assumption is made that the details of the Passover sacrifices are known. But the Passover sacrifices were not whole burnt offerings. They could be partaken of. The concern is therefore with the priestly offerings on behalf of Israel for the whole nation throughout the feast of Unleavened Bread. Other offerings are dealt with elsewhere. In the future the term Passover would come to include the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ezekiel 45.21) so that in the New Testament ‘the Feast of the Passover’ could mean the whole eight days of the feast, but at this stage the two, while conjoined, were seen separately.
16 ‘On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the Lord.
The actual Passover was sacrificed on the fourteenth day of the first month. It was the month of Abib (Exodus 13.4; Deuteronomy 16.1), which later became Nisan (around March/April). On that day the Passover lamb (or goat - Exodus 12.5 - although the lamb seems to have been preferred) was sacrificed ready for the feast that night after sunset which would be on the fifteenth day of the month.
This feast was a yearly reminder of their great deliverance from Egypt, and of how when Yahweh had exacted His vengeance on the firstborn sons of Egypt, their sons had been spared because of the protecting hand of Yahweh, and the shed blood of the Passover lambs sprinkled on their doorposts (see Exodus 12).
For us it is a reminder of Christ our Passover Who was sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5.7), the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world (John 1.29).
17 And on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast; unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days.
This was then followed by the feast of unleavened bread commencing on the morning of the fifteenth day, and lasting for seven days. During this period many offerings would be offered, including peace offerings of various kinds. But this passage deals only with the central offerings made by the priests on behalf of the people. During the feast only unleavened bread could be eaten.
At these great feasts all the men of Israel (at least) were to be present, and as daily they assembled around the Sanctuary they would see the smoke of the offerings rising to the heavens again and again, and their hearts were to respond and also go upwards in loving dedication to Yahweh and His covenant and recognition of His mercy.
The fact that only unleavened bread was to be found in all their tents in the camp, and, when they arrived and were settled in the land, in all their houses throughout the land, was to be a reminder of the haste with which they had fled from Egypt (Exodus 13.8; Deuteronomy 16.3), and a permanent reminder that nothing corrupt must be allowed in their lives. Not all would be at the feasts, but all must put away unleavened bread.
18 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.
The first day of the feast (the fifteenth day) was a ‘holy convocation (calling together)’. It was a kind of Sabbath although without the full restrictions of the seven day Sabbath. But on it no servile work must be performed.
19 And you shall present an offering made by fire as a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. Be sure they are without blemish.
Each day of the seven day feast whole burnt offerings would be made of two young ox bulls, one ram and seven he-lambs. Thus during the seven days fourteen young ox bulls, seven rams, and seven times seven he-lambs. This gave thanks for the mighty ox, the productive rams and the he-lambs that were the result of that productivity. But with that thanksgiving was to be a wholehearted dedication to Yahweh as they recognized what they owed Him.
20 Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah you shall offer for a bull, and two-tenths for a ram; 21 you shall offer one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs;
With each of those offerings came the offerings of grain mingled with oil, the two products which were the basic stuff of life, were proportioned according to the level of the sacrifice. Yahweh had given it to them through their labors and they brought a portion back to Him.
22 also one goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you.
But it could never be forgotten that in all their enthusiasm expressed in other offerings they were also a sinful nation and on every feast day, the goat of the purification for sin offering, a reminder of those goats offered yearly on the great Day of Atonement. Its blood would be applied to the horns of the altar, with the remainder thrown at its base. The whole aim was to draw Yahweh’s attention to it, and to call on Him to accept it for atonement and forgiveness (15.25-28), in order to purify them and to maintain the purity of that holy place.
23 You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering.
All these were to be offered as well as the continual daily offerings which were for a continual daily offering up to God in dedication and worship.
24 In this manner you shall offer the food of the offering made by fire daily for seven days, as a sweet aroma to the Lord; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
So this was the way that for seven days throughout the feast of unleavened bread they should make their offerings as a pleasing odor to Yahweh, offering the food of their offering made by fire and consumed in the flames, as a pleasing odor to Yahweh. Yahweh was fed, not literally, but by the flames of their dedication. And again it is emphasized that they were additional to the continual daily offering, with its drink offerings.
25 And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.
Like the first day, the seventh also would be a holy convocation, and no servile work of any kind was to be done on it. Thus in this period of seven days there would regularly be three days of rest, the first, the seventh and the seven day Sabbath. Peace and rest and contemplation of Him were at the heart of all that Yahweh had come to bring. For the servants among them this would be a double blessing.
26 ‘Also on the day of the first fruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.
The feast of first fruits, or sevens, or harvest, was a day when a new grain offering was offered to Yahweh, the first fruits of their labors (Exodus 23.16) and of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34.22), a contribution offering of two loaves of milled grain baked with leaven ( a rare case of leaven being allowed) and presented with the listed offerings (Leviticus 23.11). No leaven could be offered by fire to Yahweh, but leaven was permitted as a part of the offering from their labors in a contribution offering which could be partaken of by the priests. And this too was a day of holy convocation (calling together) in which no servile work could be done. This feast especially celebrated the gathering in of the wheat harvest.
27 You shall present a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, 28 with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram, 29 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; 30 also one kid of the goats, to make atonement for you.
During that day the priests would offer their two young ox bulls, their ram and their seven he-lambs, representing the gratitude, dedication and worship of the whole of Israel. And again the men of Israel, gathered with any who had come with them round the Sanctuary, would see the smoke of the offerings rising again and again, and their hearts were to be full of praise and worship as they rededicated themselves to Yahweh and the covenant.
31 Be sure they are without blemish. You shall present them with their drink offerings, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering.
And this was as well as the continual daily whole burnt offerings with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, offered without blemish.
