Numbers 29
1“On the first day of the seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly, and you must not do any regular work. This will be a day for you to sound the trumpets. 2As a pleasing aroma to the LORD, you are to present a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 3together with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil—three-tenths of an ephah with the bull, two-tenths of an ephah with the ram, 4and a tenth of an ephah with each of the seven male lambs. 5Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. 6These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings with their prescribed grain offerings and drink offerings. They are a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. 7On the tenth day of this seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly, and you shall humble yourselves; you must not do any work. 8Present as a pleasing aroma to the LORD a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 9together with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil—three-tenths of an ephah with the bull, two-tenths of an ephah with the ram, 10and a tenth of an ephah with each of the seven lambs. 11Include one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offerings. 12On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work, and you shall observe a feast to the LORD for seven days. 13As a pleasing aroma to the LORD, you are to present an offering made by fire, a burnt offering of thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 14along with the grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil with each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths of an ephah with each of the two rams, 15and a tenth of an ephah with each of the fourteen lambs. 16Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 17On the second day you are to present twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 18along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 19Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 20On the third day you are to present eleven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 21along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 22Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 23On the fourth day you are to present ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 24along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 25Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 26On the fifth day you are to present nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 27along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 28Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 29On the sixth day you are to present eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 30along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 31Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 32On the seventh day you are to present seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 33along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 34Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 35On the eighth day you are to hold a solemn assembly; you must not do any regular work. 36As a pleasing aroma to the LORD, you are to present an offering made by fire, a burnt offering of one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 37along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 38Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 39You are to present these offerings to the LORD at your appointed times, in addition to your vow and freewill offerings, whether burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, or peace offerings.” 40So Moses spoke all this to the Israelites just as the LORD had commanded him.
Life is short. Where are you going?
You just read God’s own words, and one day every one of us will stand before Him. “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). This life will be over sooner than you think — do you know where you are going when it is?
The Bible says, “Man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). If you died today, would you be ready?
Are you a good person?
Most of us think we are. But God doesn’t measure us against other people — He measures us by His Law. Look honestly at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3–17):
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make for yourself an idol.
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
- Honor your father and mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness.
- You shall not covet.
Have you ever told a lie — even a small one? Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours? Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word? Have you ever wanted what belongs to someone else? Jesus said that anyone who looks with lust “has already committed adultery … in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), and the Bible says “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15).
If we’re honest, we have all broken God’s Law — and “whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). “There is no one righteous, not even one … there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10–12).
That leaves every one of us guilty before a holy God. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and “whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). This is why our world is full of tragedy — and without Christ, every life ends in the greatest tragedy of all.
But God made a way
“God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus lived the perfect life we never could, and on the cross He took the punishment we deserved: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Three days later He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
It’s like standing guilty in court when the judge steps down and pays your fine himself. Forgiveness is a free gift — you can’t earn it: “It is by grace you have been saved through faith … it is the gift of God, not by works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” Jesus — John 10:10
What will you do with Jesus?
“Repent and believe in the gospel!” (Mark 1:15). Turn from your sin, and put your trust in Jesus alone — “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Don’t put it off — “now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
And when you turn to Him, you won’t be met with a frown — you’ll be met with a celebration. Jesus said, “there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). God says, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). He is “mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness … He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). Like the father who ran to embrace his lost son, He is waiting with open arms — and heaven throws a party when you come home (Luke 15:20–24).
If you died today, where would you spend eternity? Today you can be forgiven, made new, and have real, abundant life — now and forever.
Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain.