Chapter Twenty-Eight
Daily Offerings
The next two chapters revisit, and in some cases supplement, the instructions for the various offerings and sacrifices required by God. With the time for them to enter the Promised Land being near, these passages also serve as reminders to the importance of the sacrifices that will be required when they enter.
28:1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel and say to them, ‘My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.’ 3 And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering. 4 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; 5 also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil. 6 It is a regular burnt offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. 7 Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD. 8 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight. Like the grain offering of the morning, and like its drink offering, you shall offer it as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
God tells Moses to remind the people the importance to maintain the schedule of sacrifices. The term “food offerings” (Hebrew ‘iš·šǎ’)[1] is a general term that can refer to nearly every sacrifice offered by fire.[2] This comprehensive list of offerings begins with those sacrifices that are required daily. Two male lambs are to be sacrificed every day as a burnt offering, one in the morning and the other just before the sun goes down. Along with each sacrifice there is to be a grain offering, and a drink offering.[3] These offerings bring a pleasing aroma to YHWH.
Offerings on the Sabbath
28:9 “On the Sabbath day, two male lambs a year old without blemish, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering: 10 this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
The next series of sacrifices mentioned are those required weekly on the Sabbath day. Two male lambs along with one grain offering and one drink offering are to be given as a burnt offering on the Sabbath in addition to the regular daily offerings.
It is important to note the accumulative nature of these requirements. The chapter began with the daily sacrifices followed by those required every Sabbath, which are in addition to those required each day. If a festival day occurs on a Sabbath, then the offerings required for that day, plus the Sabbath offerings and the daily offerings would also be required.
Monthly Offerings
28:11 “At the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; 12 also three tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull, and two tenths of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram; 13 and a tenth of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for every lamb; for a burnt offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. 14 Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, a third of a hin for a ram, and a quarter of a 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 regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
At the beginning of each month (Hebrew ‘ḥō’·ḏěš’,[4] meaning “new moon,” or month), they were to offer two bulls, one ram and seven male lambs as a burnt offering. Along with one grain offering consisting of three tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with oil and one drink offering of a half a hin of wine for each bull; one grain offering of two tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with oil and one drink offering of a third of a hin of wine for the ram; and one grain offering of one tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with oil and one drink offering of a quarter of hin of wine for each lamb. On that day they were also required to sacrifice one male goat as a sin offering in addition to the other sacrifices.
Offerings for the Feast of Unleavened Bread
28:16 “On the fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD’s Passover, 17 and on the fifteenth day of this month is a feast. Seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. 18 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, 19 but offer a food offering, a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; see that they are without blemish; 20 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths of an ephah shall you offer for a bull, and two tenths for a ram; 21 a tenth shall you offer for each of the seven lambs; 22 also one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you. 23 You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering. 24 In the same way you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. 25 And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work.
The spring festivals of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are the first of the annual events listed. Beginning with the instructions to celebrate Passover on the 14th day of the first month of the religious year (see Exodus 12:1-28, 43-50 and Leviticus 23:4-8 regarding the celebration of Passover).[5] On the following day (the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread) there is to be a holy gathering with no ordinary work to be done except for the offerings. On each day of the seven-day festival, two bulls, one ram and seven male lambs are to be sacrificed as a burnt offering along with the appropriate grain offerings (same as what was required for the monthly offerings). Plus, on each day, one male goat was to be sacrificed as a sin offering for their atonement. Again, these were to be offered in addition to the regular daily burnt, grain, and drink offerings. On the seventh day of the feast was to be another holy assembly and again no ordinary work was to be done.
Offerings for the Feast of Weeks
28:26 “On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, 27 but offer a burnt offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; 28 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths for one ram, 29 a tenth for each of the seven lambs; 30 with one male goat, to make atonement for you. 31 Besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall offer them and their drink offering. See that they are without blemish.
The term ‘firstfruits’ (Hebrew ‘bik·kû·rîm’)[6] is primarily used to describe the first gathering of a harvest, referring typically to the best portion. The festival known as the Feast of Firstfruits in the Springtime occurs during the barley harvest (the third festival of the seven annual feasts known as the Mosaic festivals).[7] However, the reference to firstfruits in verse 26 pertains to the later wheat harvest in the late Spring or early Summer referred to as the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. On that day there was to be a holy assembly and no ordinary work done. Also, on that day, two bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs were to be sacrificed as a burnt offering and one male goat to make atonement for them (presumably as a sin offering). Along with the same amount of grain offerings and drink offerings required for the monthly offerings and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 801.
[2] See commentary under Exodus 29:15-18.
[3] See Overview of Offerings after Leviticus chapter seven.
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 2320.
[5] See also Considerations under Exodus 12:28 regarding the two calendars.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 1061.
[7] See God's Appointed Times Prophetic Overview after Leviticus chapter 23 commentary.