Sunday Sermonette: My eyes glaze over

Numbers 28 is basically a repetition of previous instructions to make temple offerings. I haven't gone back to compare everything, but it does seem to be very interested in adding substantial quantities of wine and olive oil to the formulas. It also emphasizes how much God loves the smell of burning meat. Remember, however, that it is only the abdominal fat and offal that is burned. The priests get to keep the meat and hides, along with the other swag. In the first reference to wine it is to be "poured out" in the sanctuary but I strongly suspect it wound up being poured down the throats of the priests. 

The priesthood is kind of like Jim and Tammy Fae Baker, Jimmy Swaggart, Jerry Falwell and that crowd: your first and foremost religious duty is to give them money.

28 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Make sure that you present to me at the appointed time my food offerings, as an aroma pleasing to me.’ ³ Say to them: ‘This is the food offering you are to present to the Lord: two lambs a year old without defect, as a regular burnt offering each day. ⁴ Offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight, ⁵ together with a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah^[a] of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin^[b] of oil from pressed olives. ⁶ This is the regular burnt offering instituted at Mount Sinai as a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord. ⁷ The accompanying drink offering is to be a quarter of a hin of fermented drink with each lamb. Pour out the drink offering to the Lord at the sanctuary. ⁸ Offer the second lamb at twilight, along with the same kind of grain offering and drink offering that you offer in the morning. This is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

Sabbath Offerings

⁹ “‘On the Sabbath day, make an offering of two lambs a year old without defect, together with its drink offering and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah^[c] of the finest flour mixed with olive oil. ¹⁰ This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

Monthly Offerings

¹¹ “‘On the first of every month, present to the Lord a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. ¹² With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah^[d] of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; ¹³ and with each lamb, a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil. This is for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord. ¹⁴ With each bull there is to be a drink offering of half a hin^[e] of wine; with the ram, a third of a hin^[f]; and with each lamb, a quarter of a hin. This is the monthly burnt offering to be made at each new moon during the year. ¹⁵ Besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering, one male goat is to be presented to the Lord as a sin offering.^[g]

The Passover

¹⁶ “‘On the fourteenth day of the first month the Lord’s Passover is to be held. ¹⁷ On the fifteenth day of this month there is to be a festival; for seven days eat bread made without yeast. ¹⁸ On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. ¹⁹ Present to the Lord a food offering consisting of a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. ²⁰ With each bull offer a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; ²¹ and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. ²² Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. ²³ Offer these in addition to the regular morning burnt offering. ²⁴ In this way present the food offering every day for seven days as an aroma pleasing to the Lord; it is to be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. ²⁵ On the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.

The Festival of Weeks

²⁶ “‘On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the Lord an offering of new grain during the Festival of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. ²⁷ Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. ²⁸ With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; ²⁹ and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. ³⁰ Include one male goat to make atonement for you. ³¹ Offer these together with their drink offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Be sure the animals are without defect.

Footnotes

1. Numbers 28:5 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms; also in verses 13, 21 and 29
2. Numbers 28:5 That is, about 1 quart or about 1 liter; also in verses 7 and 14
3. Numbers 28:9 That is, probably about 7 pounds or about 3.2 kilograms; also in verses 12, 20 and 28
4. Numbers 28:12 That is, probably about 11 pounds or about 5 kilograms; also in verses 20 and 28
5. Numbers 28:14 That is, about 2 quarts or about 1.9 liters
6. Numbers 28:14 That is, about 1 1/3 quarts or about 1.3 liters
7. Numbers 28:15 Or purification offering; also in verse 22