The Daily Offerings
These two chapters contain information about Israel’s ritual...
- These two chapters contain information about Israel’s ritual calendar, including a list of required daily, weekly, and monthly offerings and a list of annual religious events. Thus Israel was instructed to worship God “properly and in order” (1 Cor 14:40). The annual cycle of sacrifices involved a tremendous investment of animals, grain, oil, and wine. Israel marked these special days by stopping their normal work, a kind of sacrifice that recognized the importance of these holy days. This annual cycle included eight different occasions for worship, all of which recalled Israel’s relationship with the Lord. Each worship event included a different combination of burnt, grain, liquid, and/or sin offerings.
- For details on the grain and liquid offerings, see Num 15:1–16. For explanations of the different types of offerings, see Lev 1:1–7:38. For a description of Israel’s festivals, see Lev 23:1–44. For the New Testament perspective on the Old Testament sacrificial system, see John 1:29; Rom 12:1; Heb 9:9–15; 10:1–2; 1 Pet 2:5.
The Lord accepted special gifts (cp. 15:3) as...
The Lord accepted special gifts (cp. 15:3) as a pleasing aroma, a figurative expression describing God’s acceptance and enjoyment of these gifts (see also Gen 8:21; Lev 1:9; Eph 5:2; Phil 4:18). Offerings were made at appointed times according to specific instructions (see Num 28:3–29:39).
1Then the LORD said to Moses, 2“Command the Israelites and say to them: See that you present to Me at its appointed time the food for My food offerings, as a pleasing aroma to Me.
The daily offering was the foundation of the...
- The daily offering was the foundation of the sacrificial system. Its practice was instituted at Mount Sinai (see Exod 29:38–46).
- alcoholic drink: Cp. Num 6:3; Lev 10:9; Deut 14:26.
3And tell them that this is the food offering you are to present to the LORD as a regular burnt offering each day: two unblemished year-old male lambs. 4Offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight,† 5along with a tenth of an ephah of fine flour† as a grain offering, mixed with a quarter hin of oil from pressed olives.†
6This is a regular burnt offering established at Mount Sinai as a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. 7The drink offering accompanying each lamb shall be a quarter hin. Pour out the offering of fermented drink to the LORD in the sanctuary area. 8And offer the second lamb at twilight, with the same grain offering and drink offering as in the morning. It is a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
The Sabbath Offerings
Special days called for additional offerings. The Sabbath...
Special days called for additional offerings. The Sabbath day required a sacrifice over and above the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering. Other passages highlight the importance of the Sabbath (e.g., Exod 20:8–11; Lev 23:3; Deut 5:12–15).
9On the Sabbath day, present two unblemished year-old male lambs, accompanied by a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour† mixed with oil, as well as a drink offering.
10This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
The Monthly Offerings
The offering of the first day of each...
The offering of the first day of each month—the New Moon—called for the sacrifice of bulls, rams, and lambs as burnt offerings, along with a male goat as a sin offering.
11At the beginning of every month, you are to present to the LORD a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 12along with three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour† mixed with oil as a grain offering with each bull, two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with the ram, 13and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with each lamb. This is a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.
14Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine† with each bull, a third of a hin† with the ram, and a quarter hin with each lamb. This is the monthly burnt offering to be made at each new moon throughout the year.
15In addition to the regular burnt offering with its drink offering, one male goat is to be presented to the LORD as a sin offering.
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread
(Exodus 12:14–28; Leviticus 23:4–8; Deuteronomy 16:1–8)
The Passover, followed by the Festival of Unleavened...
The Passover, followed by the Festival of Unleavened Bread, was the first of five great annual festivals; it was held in early spring (March~April). The Passover required no public sacrifices—it was a family occasion celebrated at home (see also 9:1–4; Exod 12:1–13:10; Lev 23:5–8; Deut 16:1–8). This festival played a special role in the background of the Last Supper (see Matt 26:17–19, 26–27; Mark 14:12; John 11:55; 12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14, 31; cp. 1 Cor 5:7).
16The fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD’s Passover. 17On the fifteenth day of this month, there shall be a feast; for seven days unleavened bread is to be eaten.
18On the first day there is to be a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work. 19Present to the LORD a food offering, a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished. 20The grain offering shall consist of fine flour mixed with oil; offer three-tenths of an ephah with each bull, two-tenths of an ephah with the ram, 21and a tenth of an ephah with each of the seven lambs. 22Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you.
23You are to present these in addition to the regular morning burnt offering. 24Offer the same food each day for seven days as a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It is to be offered with its drink offering and the regular burnt offering.
25On the seventh day you shall hold a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work.
The Feast of Weeks
The Festival of Harvest was later called the...
The Festival of Harvest was later called the Festival of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1); see also Lev 23:15–22. It celebrated the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest in early summer (May~June). The Greek name Pentecost means “fiftieth day” (i.e., after Passover; see Acts 20:16; 1 Cor 16:8).
26On the day of firstfruits, when you present an offering of new grain to the LORD during the Feast of Weeks,† you are to hold a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work.
27Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old as a pleasing aroma to the LORD, 28together with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil—three-tenths of an ephah with each bull, two-tenths of an ephah with the ram, 29and a tenth of an ephah with each of the seven lambs.
30Include one male goat to make atonement for you. 31Offer them with their drink offerings in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. The animals must be unblemished.