And one tenth deale for one lambe thorowout the seuen lambes: Numbers 29:4 (KJV)
Numbers is the third book of the Pentateuch and records Israel’s journey through the wilderness after their deliverance from Egypt. It contains a mixture of narrative history, laws, and detailed regulations that God gave to His people. Chapter 29 outlines the specific sacrifices required for the appointed festivals, and verse 4 focuses on the offering prescribed for the first day of the seventh month, the Festival of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah).
The verse commands that “one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the Lord shall be offered, beside the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.” The sin offering of a young goat was required to atone for unintentional sins committed by individuals or the community. In the Old Testament sacrificial system such offerings served as a means of seeking forgiveness and restoring fellowship with God. The goat symbolically bore the people’s guilt, its blood covering the sin and providing a tangible expression of repentance.
Alongside the sin offering, the passage mentions the continual burnt offering and its accompanying drink offering. The continual burnt offering was a daily lamb sacrifice on the altar, representing total surrender and ongoing devotion to the Lord. Its regular performance underscored the perpetual need for a right relationship with God and the continual worship that should characterize the life of Israel.
Both the sin offering and the continual burnt offering carried forward‑looking significance. They prefigured the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, who offered Himself once for all as the final sin offering. In fulfilling the requirements of the law, Christ provides eternal forgiveness to all who trust in Him.
In summary, Numbers 29:4 details the specific offerings required on the Festival of Trumpets, highlighting themes of atonement, repentance, and continual devotion. It also points to the greater fulfillment of these sacrificial types in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who alone secures lasting reconciliation with God.
