Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Numbers 29:1-6
Chapter 29 The Feasts of the Seventh Month.
The seventh moon period contained within itself parallel ceremonies to those which took place in the first three moon periods. Each began with a special day, Passover and Atonement, these were then followed by a seven day feast, Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles, and both concluded with a special one day feast, Firstfruits and the Eighth Day. This confirms how special the seventh month was. Once in the land (and already in Gilead and Bashan) it would be a time when the harvesting for the year was all completed and they awaited the hoped for coming rains. This last may well have been part of the reason for this concentration of feasts. If Israel was to be blessed with rain they must be fully right with Yahweh. Certainly Tabernacles later became a festival associated with the cry for rain.
The sacred seventh month would commence with the feast of the blowing of trumpets. This was the audible celebration of the introduction of this sacred month, the month in which on its tenth day yearly atonement would be made before the very Ark itself on the Day of Atonement, and on its fifteenth day the final celebration of the agricultural year, the celebration of the ingathering of summerfruits and grapes, and of all the harvests, at the Feast of Tabernacles, would be entered into and enjoyed (see Deuteronomy 16:13 which stresses the rejoicing). The day of trumpets announced the holiness of the month and called on Yahweh to recognise the wholehearted response of His people. It would then be followed by the annual atonement ceremony and the concluding ceremony over eight days of full rejoicing for the abundance of harvests received, both of flocks and herds, and grain and fruits.
When later, long after entry into the land, this became the first month of the year, the trumpets would celebrate the entry of the new year. But in these early days of recognition of the wonder of Yahweh's coming provision the celebration was of the sacred seventh month of atonement and blessing.
Feast of the Blowing of Trumpets (Numbers 29:1).
a In the seventh month the first day of the month (the new moon day) to be a holy convocation, a day of no servile work and of the blowing of trumpets (Numbers 29:1).
b Whole burnt offerings of one young ox bull and a ram and seven he-lambs to be offered as a pleasing odour to Yahweh (Numbers 29:2).
c The varied grain offerings to be offered with the whole burnt offerings (Numbers 29:3).
b A he-goat to be offered as a purification for sin offering to make atonement (Numbers 29:5).
a This to be besides the new moon whole burnt offering with its grain offering, and the continual daily whole burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings, for a pleasing odour, an offering made by fire to Yahweh (Numbers 29:6).
‘And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no servile work. It is a day of blowing of trumpets to you.'
So on the first day of the seventh month the trumpets would be blown by the sons of Aaron the Priest (Numbers 10:8). Yet it was not the only time the trumpets were blown. They were to be blown on this ‘day of gladness', but they were also to be blown over the offerings offered at their set feasts, and on new moon days and over their peace offerings as a memorial to Yahweh their God (Numbers 10:10). The trumpets drew everyone's attention, and especially Yahweh's attention (looking from the people's point of view) to the fact that this sacred month had now dawned at the end of another hopefully successful agricultural round, when atonement would be made for all Israel for another year.
‘And you shall offer a whole burnt offering for a pleasing odour to Yahweh, one young ox bull, one ram, seven he-lambs a year old without blemish; and their grain offering, milled grain mingled with oil, three tenth parts for the ox bull, two tenth parts for the ram, and one tenth part for every lamb of the seven lambs; and one he-goat for a purification for sin offering, to make atonement for you,'
Again we have a munificent offering. And it was even more munificent because on it would also be offered the continual daily offerings and the new moon offerings. Thus were offered three young ox bulls, two rams, fourteen he-lambs, together with their accompanying offerings, and the two he-lambs of the daily offering. And if it was also a Sabbath, the Sabbath offerings would be offered as well.
‘Besides the whole burnt offering of the new moon, and its grain offering, and the continual whole burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink-offerings, according to their ordinance, for a pleasing odour, an offering made by fire to Yahweh.'
On this day offerings were multiplied. The special day offerings, the new moon offerings and the continual daily offerings. And all this was a pleasing odour to Yahweh and an offering made by fire to Him.