The feast of tabernacles
October 19, 2020
Commentary
Types of offerings continued:
Feast of Trumpets – first day of the 7th month – 1 bull, 1 ram, 7 lambs, 1 goat (vv. 1-6).Day of Atonement – 10th day of 7th month – 1 bull, 1 ram, 7 lambs, 1 goat (vv. 7-11).Feast of Booths – 15th to 22nd days of 7th month – priest offered over 200 sacrifices (vv. 12-39)As believers today, we can learn the following practical lessons from these offerings:
All of them are fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:1-18). The blood of animals can never take away sin (vv. 1-4), but the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin (I John 1:7).The nation could not have functioned without the ministry of the priests. They represented the people before God and offered the sacrifices that He required; but today, Jesus Christ is the believer’s high priest in heaven.These sacrifices were very expensive. The people gave God something of value by sacrificing animals. If God’s people who were under the law could do this, how much more should we give, we who have experienced the grace of God. The best gift, of course is ourselves.The people gathered together to celebrate and worship. There is an extra benefit and blessing to be gained from worshiping with other believers (Heb. 10:25).The normal daily routine was suspended during this time and no hard work was done. It takes time to worship, and setting aside time before worship allows attitudes to be corrected; after worship allows for reflection.
Application
We hear a lot today about “praise and worship.” Much of the emphasis seems to me to be on the type of music you sing, the repetition of the words, and the movements you make (such as raising your hands, etc). I need to keep in mind that it is not so much what happens on the outside, as what takes place on the inside that is important. Then, I need to honestly evaluate the effect it makes on my daily life as a result of this time spent with Him.
Numbers 29:1– 40 (NET)
1 “‘On the first day of the seventh month, you are to hold a holy assembly. You must not do your ordinary work, for it is a day of blowing trumpets for you. 2 You must offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs one year old without blemish.
3 “‘Their grain offering is to be of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil, three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths of an ephah for the ram, 4 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, 5 with one male goat for a purification offering to make an atonement for you; 6 this is in addition to the monthly burnt offering and its grain offering, and the daily burnt offering with its grain offering and their drink offerings as prescribed, as a sweet aroma, a sacrifice made by fire to the Lord.
7 “‘On the tenth day of this seventh month you are to have a holy assembly. You must humble yourselves; you must not do any work on it. 8 But you must offer a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs one year old, all of them without blemish. 9 Their grain offerings must be of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil, three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, 10 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, 11 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the purification offering for atonement and the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and their drink offerings.
12 “‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you are to have a holy assembly; you must do no ordinary work, and you must keep a festival to the Lord for seven days. 13 You must offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs each one year old, all of them without blemish. 14 Their grain offerings must be of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil, three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths of an ephah for each of the two rams, 15 and one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs, 16 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.
17 “‘On the second day you must offer twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 18 and their grain offerings and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 19 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and their drink offerings.
20 “‘On the third day you must offer eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 21 and their grain offerings and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 22 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.
23 “‘On the fourth day you must offer ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 24 and their grain offerings and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 25 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.
26 “‘On the fifth day you must offer nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 27 and their grain offerings and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 28 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.
29 “‘On the sixth day you must offer eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 30 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 31 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.
32 “‘On the seventh day you must offer seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 33 and their grain offerings and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 34 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.
35 “‘On the eighth day you are to have a holy assembly; you must do no ordinary work on it. 36 But you must offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, one bull, one ram, seven lambs one year old, all of them without blemish, 37 and with their grain offerings and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 38 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering.
39 “‘These things you must present to the Lord at your appointed times, in addition to your vows and your freewill offerings, as your burnt offerings, your grain offerings, your drink offerings, and your peace offerings.’” 40 (30:1) So Moses told the Israelites everything, just as the Lord had commanded him.
Illustration: Tony Evans Limiting Worship
Tony Evans says, “If you limit worship to where you are, the minute you leave that place of worship you will leave your attitude of worship behind like a crumpled-up church bulletin.” (Tony Evans).