What is the meaning of Numbers 28:22? Include • The instruction begins with the word “Include,” signaling that this male goat is not optional but an integral part of the daily sacrificial schedule (compare the comprehensive daily requirements in Numbers 28:3–8). • God adds this offering on top of the regular burnt offerings, showing that fellowship with Him requires both continual worship and continual cleansing (Leviticus 6:12–13; Romans 12:1). One male goat • Specifying “one” highlights God’s precision; He prescribes exactly what He wants, teaching Israel—and us—that worship is not left to human improvisation (Exodus 25:40; Hebrews 8:5). • Choosing a “male goat” recalls earlier sin offerings for leaders and the congregation (Leviticus 4:23, 28). The animal’s vigor and symbolic substitution underscore the seriousness of sin (Isaiah 53:6). As a sin offering • The sin offering (Hebrew concept of ḥaṭṭāʾt) deals with unintentional sins and ritual impurity, restoring covenant relationship (Leviticus 4:2, 20). • Blood from the goat would be applied to the altar, visually teaching that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). • This provision anticipates the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, “who offered Himself without blemish to God” (Hebrews 9:14). To make atonement • “Atonement” refers to covering or reconciling; the sacrifice turns aside God’s righteous wrath (Leviticus 17:11; Romans 3:25). • The ongoing need for atonement in Israel’s calendar pointed forward to the Day of Atonement and ultimately to Calvary (Leviticus 16:30; 1 John 2:2). • God Himself provides the means and declares it effective, assuring His people that guilt is truly dealt with (Psalm 32:1–2). For you • The phrase personalizes the offer: God’s remedy is applied individually and corporately (Numbers 15:25; 1 Peter 2:24). • Israel could rest in God’s provision rather than their own merit, prefiguring salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). • The pronoun reminds believers today to appropriate Christ’s sacrifice personally: “The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). summary Numbers 28:22 underscores God’s unchanging demand for holiness and His gracious provision to meet that demand. By requiring one male goat as a sin offering, the Lord taught Israel that sin is real, atonement is necessary, and He Himself supplies the acceptable substitute. Every daily sacrifice looked forward to the perfect Lamb of God, whose blood fully atones “for you.” |
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