Numbers 29:2, commentary and pictures

Numbers 29:2 appoints the offering for the first day of the seventh month, a yearly Sabbath and holy convocation marked by the blowing of trumpets when servile work was prohibited and the people gathered. For that day it prescribes a burnt offering for a sweet savour to the Lord of one young bull, one ram, and seven unblemished lambs of the first year. It is one of the additional special offerings for annual sabbaths, feasts, Sabbaths and new moons, added to the daily sanctuary service as part of the regular yearly cycle of Levitical ministration. This work belongs to the first grand division of the earthly ministration, the continual daily service in the holy place by the Levitical priesthood besides the morning and evening burnt offering, distinct from the yearly work of the high priest alone in the most holy place for the cleansing of the sanctuary, and it is the example and shadow of Christ's more excellent ministry in the true tabernacle in heaven. The morning and evening sacrifices were offered for the whole congregation every day of the year and were never omitted for any other offerings, so the continual comprehends the entire ordained earthly service, which as a type of the heavenly sanctuary finds its solution in and through the sanctuary.

Feast Day and Offering

The ordinance belongs to the first day of the seventh month, which was a yearly Sabbath and holy convocation marked by the blowing of trumpets. That same day was the New Year's Day, on which servile work was prohibited and the people gathered for holy convocation. For that day various offerings were to be brought to the Lord, and this verse specifies one of them.

It is a burnt offering for a sweet savour to the Lord. It consists of one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish. It stands among the special offerings appointed for the annual feasts, contributing its part to what Israel was to bring on that day.

Place in Sanctuary Service

The verse provides one of the additional or special offerings appointed for annual sabbaths, holy days and feasts, as well as for Sabbaths and new moons, added to the daily sanctuary service. These added offerings formed part of the regular ministration of the earthly sanctuary throughout the year and belonged to the yearly cycle of Levitical service. They stood alongside the daily offerings and the particular offerings of individuals through the year.

This special work belongs to the first grand division of the earthly ministration, the daily service accomplished continually in the holy place or first apartment by the Levitical priesthood. It means an additional appointed burnt offering besides the regular morning and evening burnt offering, besides the burning of sweet incense when the lamps were lighted, and besides the particular offerings of individuals. It is distinct from the second grand division, the yearly work of the high priest alone in the most holy place for the sins of the people and for the cleansing of the sanctuary. That holy-place ministration going forward continually through the year is the example and shadow of Christ's more excellent ministry in the true tabernacle in heaven.

It is part of the continual burnt offering, since the morning and evening sacrifices were offered for the entire congregation every day of the year and were never omitted because of any other offerings. In Numbers 28 and 29 the offering is about sixteen times called the continual burnt offering. The continual comprehends the entire ordained service of the earthly sanctuary, including showbread, lamps, incense, and the high priest bearing judgment. Because the earthly sanctuary with all its appointments and services is a type or figure of the heavenly sanctuary, the term applies with equal force above. After the wilderness sanctuary was established, nothing pertaining to sin and its cleansing lacked its solution in and through the sanctuary before the first advent.

The offerings in Numbers 29 associated with the tenth day of the seventh month have no specified timing in relation to the high priest's work in the most holy place and could have been offered after that work. Their presence therefore does not establish that they came before the cleansing of the sanctuary. The chapter commands a great number of burnt offerings, and the wine of the drink-offering was always poured out upon such burnt offerings and not drunk freely by priests and worshipers. That multitude of burnt offerings explains why wine is mentioned so often in connection with the sanctuary service.