Ella 
Read the Daily Bible Verse – Numbers 29:31 To Strengthen Your Spiritual Journey.
The Context of Numbers 29:31 KJV
To fully understand the meaning of Numbers 29:31, we must first look at the context of the chapter and the surrounding verses.
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Old Testament. It records the journey of the Israelites from Mount Sinai to the Promised Land. Along the way, God gave Moses laws, instructions, and regulations for worship. One of the main focuses of the book is on offerings and feasts that the Israelites were to keep.
Numbers 29 talks about the seventh month in the Hebrew calendar. This month was very special. It included several holy feasts such as:
- The Feast of Trumpets (1st day),
- The Day of Atonement (10th day),
- And the Feast of Tabernacles (beginning on the 15th day).
These feasts were times of celebration, remembrance, and worship. God commanded the people to bring specific offerings to the tabernacle during these feasts. These offerings included burnt offerings, grain offerings (called “meat offerings” in the KJV), drink offerings, and sin offerings.
The verse Numbers 29:31 is part of the instructions for the Feast of Tabernacles. On each day of this seven-day feast, the Israelites were to offer different sacrifices. Verses 12–38 outline the specific offerings for each day.
By the time we reach verse 31, we are reading about the fifth day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Each day, the number of bullocks (male cattle) offered would decrease by one, while the number of rams, lambs, and the goat for a sin offering remained the same.
Let us now look at the verse itself.
Numbers 29:31 (KJV)
“And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.”
This short verse may seem simple at first. But there is great spiritual meaning behind each part of it.
To better understand the verse, let us break it into parts:
“And one goat for a sin offering;”
“beside the continual burnt offering,”
“his meat offering, and his drink offering.”
Each part has a rich meaning that teaches us about God’s plan and His relationship with His people.
Numbers 29:31 Meaning
1. “And one goat for a sin offering”
The sin offering was a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. Even during times of joy and celebration, God required the people to recognize their sinfulness and need for atonement.
The goat was symbolic. Goats were often used in sin offerings (Leviticus 4:23-28; Leviticus 16:9). This offering reminded the people that even though they were celebrating, they still needed forgiveness.
The use of one goat shows the personal aspect of sin. Each individual had a responsibility to keep their life pure. Even in group worship, God sees each heart.
This reminds us that sin is serious. Even during feasts, we must not forget our need for God’s mercy and cleansing.
2. “Beside the continual burnt offering”
The continual burnt offering refers to the daily sacrifices made every morning and evening (see Exodus 29:38-42). These were never to stop.
These offerings represented the people’s constant devotion to God. The fire on the altar was to never go out (Leviticus 6:13). It symbolized ongoing worship and commitment.
The sin offering of the goat in Numbers 29:31 was in addition to this regular worship. This tells us that special feasts did not replace daily obedience. The Israelites were to continue their daily walk with God, even during special holidays.
3. “His meat offering, and his drink offering.”
The meat offering (today we’d say grain offering) was an offering of flour, oil, and frankincense (Leviticus 2). It was a gift of thanksgiving to God for His provision.
The drink offering was often wine poured out as an act of worship (Exodus 29:40). It symbolized joy and celebration in God’s presence.
Both of these offerings showed the gratitude of the people. While the sin offering dealt with guilt, the meat and drink offerings expressed thankfulness and fellowship with God.
So, this verse shows a balance in worship: sorrow for sin, regular devotion, and joyful thankfulness.
Numbers 29:31 Application in Life
What can we learn from this Old Testament verse in our lives today? Though we no longer bring animal sacrifices, the spiritual lessons are still relevant.
1. Acknowledge Your Sin
The sin offering reminds us that we are not perfect. Even in our best moments, we still fall short. During celebrations like weddings, birthdays, holidays, and other special events, it is easy to forget about sin. But Numbers 29:31 reminds us that we always need to keep our hearts pure.
As Christians, we believe that Jesus is our perfect sin offering (Hebrews 10:10-14). We no longer bring goats, but we must still come to God with repentant hearts. We must confess our sins and ask for His forgiveness.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9).
2. Keep Your Daily Devotion to God
The continual burnt offering teaches us to stay faithful in our daily relationship with God. We should not only worship during church services or special holidays. We need to pray, read the Bible, and walk with God every day.
God wants consistent love, not just temporary attention. The fire on the altar was never to go out. Likewise, our hearts should always burn with love for God.
“Be fervent in spirit; serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11).
3. Be Thankful and Joyful
The grain and drink offerings point to gratitude and joy. God doesn’t just want us to ask for forgiveness; He wants us to be thankful for His blessings. Even when life is hard, we can still thank God for His grace.
Let your life be an offering of thanksgiving to God. Sing praises. Share with others. Give generously. Live with joy.
“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
4. Worship in Spirit and Truth
In the New Testament, Jesus told the woman at the well that God seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Numbers 29:31 shows us that worship includes:
- Repentance (sin offering),
- Faithfulness (daily burnt offering),
- Gratitude (meat offering),
- And Joy (drink offering).
This is a complete picture of true worship. It comes from the heart. It is not just a ceremony. True worship means loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Conclusion
Numbers 29:31 may look like a simple verse about sacrifices, but it teaches us deep truths about God’s character and how we are to live.
Let us summarize what we learned:
The goat for a sin offering reminds us to confess our sins and seek God’s mercy.
The continual burnt offering shows the importance of regular, faithful devotion.
The meat and drink offerings teach us to be thankful and joyful in worship.
Even though we no longer follow the Old Testament sacrificial system, we still worship the same God. And He still desires our hearts, our lives, and our praise.
In Jesus, we find the fulfillment of all these offerings. He is our sin offering, our burnt offering, our meat and drink offering. He gave His life completely for us. Let us now give our lives completely to Him.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)
Amen.
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