Numbers 28:11-15

C. OFFERINGS FOR THE NEW MOON vv. 11-15
TEXT

Numbers 28:11. And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot; 12. And three tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one ram; 13. And a several tenth deal of flour mingled with oil for a meat offering unto one lamb; for a burnt offering of a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord. 14. And their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine unto a bullock, and the third part of a hin unto a ram, and a fourth part of a hin unto a lamb: this is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year. 15. And one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the Lord shall be offered, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 28:11. At the beginning of each of your months you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, seven yearling lambs without defect, 12. and three-tenths of a measure of flour as a meal offering, mixed with oil, for one bull; and two tenths of a measure of flour as a meal offering mixed with oil, for one ram: 13. and one-tenth of a measure of flour, mixed with oil, as a meal offering for every lamb, as a burnt offering of a sweet aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord. 14. And their drink offerings shall be one-half hin of wine for a bull, and one-third of a hin for a ram, and one-fourth hin for a lamb: this is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year. 15. Also one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord; it shall be offered besides the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

COMMENTARY

The new moon inaugurated each month, and the event was celebrated by another special offering. Rather than the lambs alone, which had been specified for the previous offerings, on this occasion the animals were bulls and rams, in addition to seven supplementary lambs. Then was added a shaggy goat, as at Leviticus 4:23, although in fact the goat may have been first in the sequence of the offering (see Exodus 29:10-14). As instituted, the new moon was not a feast day; however, practices associated with such days began to attach to the new moon: it was a time used for presenting yearly thank-offerings (1 Samuel 20:6; 1 Samuel 20:29); common trading was stopped (Amos 8:5); the people came to the prophets for teaching (2 Kings 4:23); and, the prophets themselves speak of the time as festive (Isaiah 1:13; Hosea 2:13; Ezekiel 46:1).

The true purpose of the day was to bring in remembrance before God those sins committed during the month for which pardon had not been received, and to renew their life-covenant with the Lord through the burnt offering. Blowing the silver trumpets proclaimed the congregation of the people (see Numbers 10:10) to bring the prayers of the people unto the Lord through the sacrifices, and to invoke His merciful pardon and a renewal of His grace. Thus the people were regularly and often reminded that their very lives were spared by such grace, and that to take such kindness for granted would be a mark of impiety and ingratitude.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

521.

Examine the Hebrew calendar in a good Bible dictionary and see how the months and the new moons coincided.

522.

Compute the number of animals which would be used in the monthly sacrifices over a period of one year, using twelve months as a basis.

523.

What practices became attached to the offerings of the new moon? Were they commanded?

524.

Exactly what was the Lord proposing to accomplish through the establishment of the monthly offerings?