Numbers 29:22

And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.

Numbers 29:22 (KJV)

Context

Numbers 29 gives the offerings for the appointed feasts of Israel. This verse belongs to the Feast of Tabernacles, also called Booths, a week-long celebration in the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. On the second day of the feast, the people were to present one male goat as a sin offering. This was added to the regular daily burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

The phrase “beside the continual burnt offering” shows that the feast offerings were extra. They did not replace the daily sacrifices. Every morning and evening, a burnt offering was made throughout the year. The feast days added more offerings on top of that constant worship.

Meaning

The goat was a sin offering. In ancient Israel, sin offerings made atonement for the sins of the people. The animal bore the penalty that the people deserved, and its blood was shed for forgiveness. This offering showed that the people recognised their sin and their need to be made clean before God.

The burnt offering was entirely consumed by fire. It symbolised complete surrender and devotion to God. The grain offering, called a meat offering in the King James Version, presented flour, oil, and frankincense. It dedicated daily provision and labour to God. The drink offering poured out wine, picturing the outpouring of life and blessing before the Lord.

Together these offerings formed a complete act of worship. They included confession of sin, total dedication, thanksgiving for daily bread, and joy expressed in pouring out. The order and detail of the instructions show that God cares about how His people worship Him.

Biblical connections

The sin offering points to Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:26 teaches that Christ appeared once to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. The repeated animal offerings could only cover sin temporarily, but Christ’s sacrifice is perfect and final. He takes away not only open sins but also the sins of our holy things, the failures that cling even to our worship.

The continual burnt offering also has a New Testament echo. Romans 12:1 calls believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. This is not an animal on an altar but a life given daily in devotion.

Application

Believers no longer offer animal sacrifices, but the principles remain. Sin is serious, and every believer needs to confess sin and receive God’s forgiveness through Christ. Regular devotion is also necessary. Just as the daily burnt offering never stopped, so a Christian’s surrender to God should be constant, not only at special times.

The feast offerings teach that times of heightened worship still require attention to atonement. Even in celebration, the people brought a sin offering. Joy and confession belong together. A believer can rejoice in God’s goodness while still acknowledging personal weakness and need for grace.

The grain and drink offerings remind us to dedicate our daily work, resources, and very lives to God. Nothing is too small to offer. Our labour, our money, and our energy can all be given as worship.

Reflection

This verse calls for honest self-examination. Do we treat sin lightly, or do we bring it to the cross? Do we maintain a continual offering of devotion, or do we only serve God during special seasons? The sacrificial system is fulfilled in Christ, but the heart behind it remains. Worship that pleases God includes confession, dedication, gratitude, and joy, all grounded in His grace.