Numbers 29:1-11 - Heralding the Day of Atonement

Numbers 29:1-11

Offerings at the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23–25)

1 ‘And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets. 2 You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the LORD: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish. 3 Their grain offering shall be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, 4 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; 5 also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, to make atonement for you; 6 besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

Offerings on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26–32)

7 On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls; you shall not do any work. 8 You shall present a burnt offering to the LORD as a sweet aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. Be sure they are without blemish. 9 Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, 10 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; 11 also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the sin offering for atonement, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

The feast of trumpets led to the heralding of the feast of the day of atonement just over three months later.  When the trumpets were blown work was stopped and offerings of sweet aromas were lifted up to the LORD, reminiscent of our prayers lifted as offerings from ourselves as living sacrifices as we rest in the work of Christ and cease laboring (Romans 10:3-4, Hebrews 4:10) on our own, as if we could ever make sufficient atonement for our deliverance from sin’s just penalty!  Then on the Day of Atonement, a holy sacred assembly would be held, again trusting God’s work and not our own as all efforts were stopped and worship through sacrifice again ensued.  This sacrifice had to be spotless in perfection.  We realize, however, that no animal offered to God is ever completely perfect for the outward appearance down to  the smallest cell, and so no animal sacrifice has ever fully atoned for sin.  This yearly sacrifice that was ordained for Israel therefore was a portent (Hebrews 8:5, 6) of what was to come (Galatians 3:23-24, Colossians 2:16-17) in the Son of God (Hebrews 10:4, 10) who is the perfect and completely holy Lamb of God Himself.  The (2 Corinthians 6:2) day of atonement, of our salvation, has arrived at last through the perfect sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, Lord of lords and Sovereign of all kings, our deliverance is now!  Blow the trumpet of the gospel message and hear it in response to cease from your works in futile efforts to earn Heaven and trust His atoning work of sacrifice as our Great High Priest who alone ministers peace with God (Romans 5:1) through the shedding of His lifeblood (Romans 3:25, 5:9, Colossians 1:14, 20, Hebrews 9:22, 10:10) for all who come by faith through repentance (Mark 1:14-15, Acts 20:21, Hebrews 6:1, Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9) to Him.  Herald day of eternal Atonement of the gospel!