Numbers 29 details the specific sacrifices and offerings required for three major autumn festivals in ancient Israel: the Festival of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), all in the 7th month of the Jewish calendar. That would be in our spring. Suffice it to say, a lot of animal sacrifices and a lot of blood. Again, I’m glad we don’t live under the old covenant. We have the blood of Jesus to forgive our sins.
Numbers 30 is about God requring the people to keep vows. Numbers 30:2If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” It then gives many situation involving wows of women, wives, husbands, and widows. Of course, God expects us to keep any vows we make, especially vows made to God. Jesus points out that our word should be sufficient: “Let you yes be yes and your no be no” (Matthew 5:37). Neither Jesus or the Law of Moses condemned the swearing in making oaths. They simply warned against not keeping those oaths.
Numbers 31: Israel slaughters the Midianite men, 5 Midianite kings, and capture their women as part of God’s vengeance on Midian. Interestingly, they kill Balaam who is apparently living in Midian at the time. The last time we saw him he was in Moab. Moses criticized Israel b/c they had spared the women since it was the women who contributed to the sin at Peor, so they killed the women who had had sex but spared the virgins. The booty of the Midianite victory was divided.
Numbers 32: Moses allows the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half tribe of Manasseh to settle east of the Jordan River but only if they will cross over the Jordan and help the other tribes conquer the Canaanites in the land given to each tribe. The 2 1/2 tribes did cross over and fight as Moses commanded.
Numbers 33 gives the names of many of the places Israel traveled during the 40 years in the wilderness. They were told to drive out all the Canaanites in Canaan and destroy the Canaanite idols. They were warned that the Canaanites would become a thorn to them if they did not drive them, which is exactly what happened in the book of Judges.
