Satchmo the Israelite (Reprise)
Numbers 29: 1-6

This section seems to be a rehashing of Leviticus 23:23-25.  I'm sure you remember our discussion of it vividly back from February of 2010- but just in case you don't, you can reread about it here.  It didn't take long:

http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2010/02/satchmo-israelite-leviticus-23-23-25.html

Moses gives a little more detail about the food offerings here but there's little other difference.  I guess what's interesting to ponder here is audience.  I guess this section is more to revitalize their ceremony that had died sometime during all  of their wandering.

A new generation of followers would need to be reminded of the ritual -and learn all the cool jazz tunes.

I bet they had a mean rendition of When the Saints go Marching In.

Burn After Reading
Numbers 28: 26-31

More sacrifice instruction.  Yippee.

So on the "Day of firstfruits" (I'm not sure if this is a calendar day celebrated collectively or just the day when crops are gathered) when they make a grain offering during the Festival of Weeks they get a day off from work and are to hold a sacred assembly.

Then there's to be a burnt offering- two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs.  There is also to be a grain offering with each animal offered.  Once again there is to be a goat offered for atonement in addition to drink offerings.  And of course the animals must be defect-free.

OK, this alone sounds like quite a bit to keep straight- but when you attach it to all of the other offerings that have been discussed in this chapter- daily offerings, Sabbath offerings, monthly offerings and Passover offerings- how were they ever able to keep it all straight?  I'm guessing they didn't have calendar options on their iphones.

I guess it's likely that keeping up with all the particulars (and likely performing the actual sacrifices too) was the responsibility of the priests and they would have been trained for such tasks- and it would have been their profession- so there would be plenty of time to learn it all.  Also, they probably didn't have a lot of Beatles lyrics or other random trivia bouncing around in their heads to fill up that memory space.

Even so, it seems like this is an amazingly complex process.  Is that part of the deal- is God showing His power by making them jump through hoops that would be next to impossible to get right? Am I simply underestimating these people?  Whichever the case- it doesn't exactly make for riveting reading.