What is the meaning of Numbers 29:26? On the fifth day Numbers 29 sets out a decreasing sequence of sacrifices for the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-36). By day five the nation is halfway through the seven-day celebration. • Day one began with thirteen bulls, and the count drops by one each day (Numbers 29:12-32). • The steady decline pictures the completeness of the atonement that God provides—each daily offering moves His people closer to rest (Hebrews 10:1-4). • Five often signals grace in Scripture; the fifth day’s offerings stand as a fresh reminder that Israel lives under God’s undeserved favor (Exodus 34:6-7; Romans 5:20-21). you are to present The command is personal and corporate: “you” refers to the whole congregation acting through the priests (Numbers 29:1-2). • Worship is never optional; God prescribes how He is to be approached (Leviticus 1:1-2; John 4:23-24). • The word “present” echoes Paul’s call: “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). Israel’s literal offerings foreshadow the believer’s whole-life surrender. • Obedience in sacrificial worship acknowledged God’s kingship and kept the covenant relationship vibrant (Deuteronomy 10:12-13; 1 Peter 2:5). nine bulls Bulls were the costliest animals, symbolizing strength and leadership (Psalm 22:12; Isaiah 34:7). • Their number drops from ten on day four to nine on day five, highlighting both God’s orderly plan and the sufficiency of His provision. • Corporate sin required a bull (Leviticus 4:13-21); the daily bulls at Tabernacles covered the nation’s collective guilt, pointing forward to Christ who “offered Himself once for all” (Hebrews 9:13-14). two rams Rams often served as burnt offerings of total consecration (Exodus 29:15-18). • The consistent pair throughout the week (Numbers 29:17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35) underscores unwavering dedication. • The ram God provided for Abraham (Genesis 22:13) prefigures substitutionary atonement; every Tabernacles ram reminded Israel that God Himself supplies what He demands. and fourteen male lambs a year old Year-old lambs were in their prime, meeting the highest standard (Exodus 12:5). • Fourteen (twice seven) signifies fullness and completeness. Each day the same number of lambs was offered, stressing that God’s redemptive work is thorough (Revelation 5:6-10). • John the Baptist’s cry, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), gathers all these lambs into one perfect sacrifice. all unblemished Perfection was mandatory (Leviticus 22:19-21). • Blemished sacrifices would deny God’s holiness and cheapen worship (Malachi 1:8). • Christ fulfilled this requirement absolutely: He was “a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21). • Believers are now called to pursue practical holiness, offering God lives that reflect the purity of the once-for-all Lamb (Ephesians 5:25-27; Hebrews 10:14). summary Numbers 29:26 describes the exact offerings for the fifth day of Tabernacles: nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen spotless year-old lambs. Each detail—timing, action, quantity, and quality—reveals God’s orderly grace, the necessity of obedient worship, and the foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, the flawless and ultimate sacrifice who fulfills every ritual with perfect, saving finality. |
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