The seventh month belongs to the Lord

29:1 “‘On the first day of the seventh month, you are to hold a holy assembly. You must not do your ordinary work, for it is a day of blowing trumpets for you. 29:2 You must offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs one year old without blemish. 29:3 “‘Their grain offering is to be of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil, three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths of an ephah for the ram, 29:4 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, 29:5 with one male goat for a purification offering to make an atonement for you; 29:6 this is in addition to the monthly burnt offering and its grain offering, and the daily burnt offering with its grain offering and their drink offerings as prescribed, as a sweet aroma, a sacrifice made by fire to the Lord. 29:7 “‘On the tenth day of this seventh month you are to have a holy assembly. You must humble yourselves; you must not do any work on it. 29:8 But you must offer a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs one year old, all of them without blemish. 29:9 Their grain offering must be of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil, three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, 29:10 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, 29:11 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the purification offering for atonement and the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and their drink offerings. 29:12 “‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you are to have a holy assembly; you must do no ordinary work, and you must keep a festival to the Lord for seven days. 29:13 You must offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs each one year old, all of them without blemish. 29:14 Their grain offering must be of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil, three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths of an ephah for each of the two rams, 29:15 and one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs, 29:16 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering. 29:17 “‘On the second day you must offer twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 29:18 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:19 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and their drink offerings. 29:20 “‘On the third day you must offer eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 29:21 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:22 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering. 29:23 “‘On the fourth day you must offer ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 29:24 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:25 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering. 29:26 “‘On the fifth day you must offer nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 29:27 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:28 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering. 29:29 “‘On the sixth day you must offer eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 29:30 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:31 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering. 29:32 “‘On the seventh day you must offer seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs one year old, all without blemish, 29:33 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:34 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering. 29:35 “‘On the eighth day you are to have a holy assembly; you must do no ordinary work on it. 29:36 But you must offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, one bull, one ram, seven lambs one year old, all of them without blemish, 29:37 and with their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, according to their number as prescribed, 29:38 along with one male goat for a purification offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its grain offering and its drink offering. 29:39 “‘These things you must present to the Lord at your appointed times, in addition to your vows and your freewill offerings, as your burnt offerings, your grain offerings, your drink offerings, and your peace offerings.’” 29:40 (30:1) So Moses told the Israelites everything, just as the Lord had commanded him.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

God ordered Israel’s seventh month with holy assemblies, trumpet blowing, self-humbling, and repeated sacrifices. The people were to stop ordinary work, humble themselves before the Lord, and keep the appointed feasts exactly as he commanded.

This passage gives the sacred calendar for the seventh month. On the first day, Israel was to gather in a holy assembly and hear the trumpet blast. On the tenth day, they were to humble themselves and do no work. From the fifteenth day, they were to keep the Feast of Booths for seven days, and then gather again on the eighth day.

Each feast required burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, and purification offerings. The text repeats that these were offered in addition to the regular daily and monthly sacrifices. The special feasts were added to ordinary worship, not set against it.

The passage also shows that worship was not left to human invention. God set the times, the actions, and the offerings. Moses told Israel everything just as the Lord commanded.

• God appoints sacred times for his people.
• Holy assemblies require rest from ordinary work.
• The Day of Atonement includes humbling and atonement.
• Festival joy does not remove the need for cleansing.
• God’s people must worship in the way he commands.
• The repeated sacrifices show order, seriousness, and dependence on God’s provision.

• You must hold a holy assembly.
• You must not do your ordinary work.
• You must humble yourselves.
• You must keep the festival to the Lord for seven days.
• You must present the offerings at the appointed times.
• The offerings are in addition to the regular sacrifices.

This chapter belongs to the Mosaic covenant, where Israel’s life was shaped by God’s holy calendar and sacrificial worship. The repeated need for atonement shows that sinful people can only draw near to a holy God through sacrifice and mediation. The Day of Atonement especially points to the need for fuller cleansing, which is ultimately fulfilled in Christ. The Feast of Booths also reflects God’s care for his people as they live in dependence on him.

Believers should learn to treat worship as serious and God-given, not self-made. We should welcome seasons of repentance and seasons of joy, but always remember that cleansing before God is necessary. This passage also reminds us that God may call his people to set aside normal work for sacred purposes. For the church, the Old Testament calendar is not directly binding, but its lessons about holiness, order, and reverence still stand.

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