Bible Commentaries
Numbers 28

Verses 1-31

Amounts for the yearly offerings (28:1-29:40)

As the time drew near for the Israelites to settle in their new land, Moses stressed the need for constant devotion to God through the various sacrifices and festivals. First there were to be daily burnt offerings and cereal offerings, morning and evening. The fire on the altar was never to go out (28:1-8; see notes on Leviticus 6:8-13,Leviticus 6:19-23).

Besides this daily offering there was an identical weekly offering every Sabbath (9-10). Also there was an offering at the beginning of each month, when a sin offering was added to the usual burnt offering and cereal offering (11-15). These daily, weekly and monthly sacrifices emphasized the importance of regular communication with God, in whose presence the people dwelt. They were not to restrict their religious exercises to the annual festivals.

Even in the annual festivals, sacrifices had a prominent place. (For details of the annual festivals see Leviticus 23:1-44.) Again, these sacrifices were in addition to the usual daily, weekly and monthly sacrifices. The new year festival of Passover, since it had its own sacrificial ritual, did not include any of the standard sacrifices, but the Feast of Unleavened Bread that followed had daily sacrifices (16-25). Identical sacrifices were offered at the Feast of Harvest Firstfruits seven weeks later (26-31).

Quantities are then given for the sacrifices offered at the mid-year festivals. First came the Day of Trumpets (29:1-6). Ten days later was the Day of Atonement (7-11), and a further five days later the Feast of Tabernacles (GNB: Festival of Shelters). The number of sacrifices at this feast was greater than at any other, though the number decreased a little each day (12-38).
All these requirements were concerned solely with the official religious services. Individuals could voluntarily make additional sacrifices as expressions of their devotion (39-40).