Numbers 28:16-25

D. OFFERINGS FOR THE PASSOVER AND UNLEAVENED BREAD vv. 16-25

TEXT

Numbers 28:16. And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the Lord. 17. And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. 18. In the first day shall be a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein: 19. But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto the Lord; two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall be unto you without blemish. 20. And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: three tenth deals shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram; 21. A several tenth deal shalt thou offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs: 22. And one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you. 23. Ye shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering. 24. After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord: it shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering. 25. And on the seventh day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 28:16. And 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. There shall be a holy convocation on the first day; you shall do no hard work on it. 19. And you shall offer a sacrifice by fire for a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, and one ram, and seven lambs one year old, having no defects. 20. And their meal offering shall be of flour mixed with oil: three tenths of a measure for a bull, and two-tenths of a measure for a ram; 21. one-tenth of a measure you shall offer for a lamb, for each of the seven lambs; 22. and one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you. 23. You shall offer these in addition to the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering. 24. And this is the procedure for the daily offering throughout the seven days, the provision of the sacrifice by fire, of a sweet aroma to the Lord: it shall be offered with its drink offering, in addition to the continual offering. 25. And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no hard work.

COMMENTARY

The Feast of the Passover was the first of the three great annual feasts in Israel, commemorating that great occasion when the Lord visited death upon the oppressing Egyptians-' homes while sparing Israel's firstborn (see Exodus 11; Exodus 12:1-14). Historically, it was by far the most significant feast in the calendar, bringing back rich memories to those who had participated, and recalling a sacred past to those who had not. The people needed no other evidence of God's favor, although there were many such incidents; but the circumstances of Jehovah's visit upon a slave people in bringing them triumphantly out of a land of slavery and oppression called the attention of the world to their high estate. This general had caused terror in the heart of Balak, and he prefaced his plea to Balaam by alluding to Israel's recent escape, (Numbers 22:11), and the full account was still being cited when the Israelites approached Jericho forty years later when Rahab referred to the hand of God in the nation's destiny, (Joshua 2:9). So, two weeks after each year began, the memorable event was celebrated. In the proper sense, the observance was not a feast, but the conclusion of a fast, ending in the holy evening meal.

Continuing directly from the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread obtained for seven days. Because the Israelites left Egypt in haste, it was not sensible to wait for a leavening agent to produce the favored light bread; consequently, all leavening was removed from the house. For the following seven days, Israel continued to eat unleavened bread, since there would have been no time to set the bread while on the move from Egypt.
The sacrifices for the seven days of this feast were the same as those for each new moon, from the 15th until the 21st days of Abib. There was no special sacrifice on the Passover itself.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

525.

Name the three great feasts which the Israelites observed annually.

526.

Give the essential meaning of the passover.

527.

Why should the Passover hold such fascinating significance for Israel?

528.

What relationship was there between the historical Passover and the use of unleavened bread?

529.

Why did the Israelites use unleavened bread while eating the Passover lamb?

530.

Give the significance of the seven-day period for the feast of Unleavened Bread.