Numbers 29:1-6

F. OFFERINGS FOR THE FEAST OF THE TRUMPETS (Numbers 29:1-6)

TEXT

Numbers 29:1. And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. 2. And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savor unto the Lord; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish: 3. and their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a lamb, 4. And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: 5. And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you: 6. Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 29:1. In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no hard work: it is a day to you for blowing the horn. 2. And you shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet aroma to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven yearling lambs without defect. 3. 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, and one-tenth of a measure for one lamb, 4. and one-tenth of a measure for each lamb through the seven lambs: 5. one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you. 6. besides the burnt offering of the month and its grain offering, and the daily burnt offering, and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their provisions, for a sweet aroma, a sacrifice made with fire to the Lord.

COMMENTARY

The Israelites used two calendars to govern the year. The religious year began with the month Abib, and was the month in which the Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread occurred. The civil year began in the seventh month of the seventh year, the month of Tishri, and included the Feast of the Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of the Tabernacles. The Feast of the Trumpets announced the beginning of the civil year, and received its name from the traditional practice of sounding the Shopharim, or rams-' horns, which were blown on numerous occasions. The horns themselves were used in commemoration of the delivery of Isaac on Mt. Moriah when the ram was offered in his stead (Genesis 22:13).

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

536.

Explain the chronological relationship of the two calendars of the Israelite people.

537.

What feasts occurred in the first month of the civil year?

538.

Which feasts occurred in the first month of the religious year?

539.

Identify the shopharim, and tell for what they were used.

540.

Of what were the shopharim symbolic?