What is the meaning of Numbers 28:30?

Include

- “Include” shows this goat is not optional; it is an explicit part of the required offerings for the Day of Firstfruits (see Numbers 28:26–31).

- God Himself sets the terms of worship; we do not add or subtract (Deuteronomy 12:32; Matthew 15:9).

- Every detail in His commands points forward to His redemptive plan (Colossians 2:16-17).

---

one male goat

- A single, specific animal underscores the singular sufficiency of the sacrifice (Leviticus 4:23-24).

- A male goat was commonly used for sin offerings (Leviticus 16:5; Ezra 8:35), prepping hearts to recognize the ultimate “one sacrifice for sins forever” in Christ (Hebrews 10:12).

- The goat had to be without defect (Leviticus 22:19-20), reflecting the blameless Substitute who would come (1 Peter 1:19).

---

to make atonement

- “Atonement” means a covering of sin, restoring fellowship between a holy God and sinful people (Leviticus 17:11).

- Blood is central: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).

- These repeated sacrifices prepared Israel to grasp the depth of sin’s cost and look forward to the once-for-all atonement accomplished at the cross (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2).

---

for you

- The offering was personal; God’s people needed cleansing just as surely as the priesthood did (Leviticus 16:17).

- Substitution is at the heart of the gospel: the innocent in place of the guilty (Isaiah 53:5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

- By obeying this command Israel acknowledged, “We cannot approach God on our own terms; we need His appointed sacrifice” (Hebrews 4:14-16).

---

summary

Numbers 28:30 reminds us that God requires a divinely appointed, flawless substitute to cover sin. The single male goat points ahead to the singular, perfect sacrifice of Christ, whose blood alone makes lasting atonement for us.