The 28th chapter of Numbers lists the sacrifices that were required on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Two male lambs were offered each and every day. Then each Sabbath, an additional two male lambs were offered. On the first day of each month, they sacrificed an additional two bulls, one ram, seven male lambs, and one male goat.
The 28th and 29th chapters combine to list the sacrifices that were required on an annual basis. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Israelites were required to bring two bulls, one ram, seven male lambs, and one male goat. That is a total of eleven animals. The requirement during the Feast of Weeks was the same, a total of eleven animals. On Rosh Hashanah the requirement was only one bull, along with one ram, seven male lambs, and one male goat, a total of ten animals. Then on the Day of Atonement they also brought 10 animals.
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month they began a feast where the required offerings were much more numerous. On the first day alone, they had to bring thirteen bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs, and one goat. That was a total of 30 animals just on the first day, almost triple the number of animals that were needed for the other feasts.
Num. 29:17 ¶ ‘Then on the second day: twelve bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish;
Look at the number “twelve”. They had to bring thirteen bulls on the first day, but only twelve on the second day. Other than that, the requirements on the second day were the same as the first day.
Num. 29:18 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the legal judgment;
Num. 29:19 and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and their drink offerings.
Don’t miss the word “sin”. Part of this massive offering was an animal that was specifically a sin offering to atone for their sins.
Num. 29:20 ¶ ‘Then on the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish;
Notice the number “eleven”. The number of bulls that were needed went down one more on the third day, while the number of rams and lambs stayed the same.
Num. 29:21 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the legal judgment;
Num. 29:22 and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
Once again, we see that a goat offering was required as a sin offering.
This pattern will continue through the rest of the passage. Each day the number of required bulls went down by one, but a goat was also required as a sin offering.
Num. 29:23 ¶ ‘Then on the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish;
Num. 29:24 their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the legal judgment;
Num. 29:25 and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.
Num. 29:26 ¶ ‘Then on the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish;
Num. 29:27 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the legal judgment;
Num. 29:28 and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
Num. 29:29 ¶ ‘Then on the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish;
Num. 29:30 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the legal judgment;
Num. 29:31 and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offerings.
Num. 29:32 ¶ ‘Then on the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish;
Num. 29:33 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the legal judgment;
Num. 29:34 and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.
On the first day they brought 30 animals. On the second they brought 29. On the third they brought 28. The number kept decreasing by one each day. Over seven days of this feast, the Israelites offered 189 animals. This was a massive number compared to all the other feasts.
The Bible does not specify why the offerings at this feast were so numerous compared to other feasts. This feast took place at the end of the harvest year, so perhaps it was a way to express thanks for the abundance they had recently finished harvesting.
Num. 29:35 ¶ ‘On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly; you shall do no laborious work.
Num. 29:36 But you shall bring near a burnt offering, an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to Yahweh: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs one year old without blemish;
Num. 29:37 their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram and for the lambs, by their number according to the legal judgment;
Num. 29:38 and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
On the eighth day they only needed to offer ten animals. That made a total of 199 animals over the eight days of this feast.
Num. 29:39 ¶ ‘You shall offer these to Yahweh at your appointed times, besides your votive offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings and for your grain offerings and for your drink offerings and for your peace offerings.’”
Don’t miss the word “besides”. The 199 animals were in addition to everything else that was required on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. They were also in addition to any sacrifices the Israelites voluntarily offered throughout the year.
Num. 29:40 And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel according to all that Yahweh had commanded Moses.
The magnitude of the sacrifices that were offered in the last festival of the year mirrors the magnitude of the sacrifice of Christ. All through the Old Testament time period, the Israelites offered animal after animal as atonement for sins. However, those sacrifices were not able to perfect those who offered them (see Hebrews 10).
In contrast, Jesus was the greatest and ultimate sacrifice. His sacrifice was greater than all the animal sacrifices combined. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus was so great, it atoned for the sins of the whole world.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”