Offerings and Vows
YHWH determined it was time again for Israel to consider how they would serve Him in the land He was about to give them.
The Book of Numbers was aptly named bemidbar in Hebrew, for it bore witness to Israel’s experiences “in the wilderness.” Numbers 1:1-25:11 bore witness to the experience of the generation which YHWH delivered from Egypt: preparation of the camp and Tabernacle for entry into Canaan, persistence in rebellion, its condemnation, and the fulfillment of that condemnation.
A new census had been taken in Numbers 26:1-65: overall, the number of Israelites remained mostly constant despite all the consequences of Israel’s various rebellions, and, save for Moses, Caleb, and Joshua, all those from the generation YHWH delivered from Egypt had died. The next generation had arisen, and much of Numbers 27:1-36:13 would feature their preparation to enter the land of Canaan, and all the more so for the legislation YHWH gave in Numbers 28:1-30:16.
YHWH commanded the Israelites regarding the schedule of His offerings they would present before Him in Numbers 28:1-29:40. The instruction began with the expected daily offerings every morning and evening (Numbers 28:1-8), then the weekly Sabbath offerings (Numbers 28:9-10), followed by the monthly offerings to be presented on the first day of every month (Numbers 28:11-15), and finally the offerings which should be presented at each of the major annual festivals: Passover (Numbers 28:16-25), the Feast of Weeks, or the “Day of the First Fruits” (Numbers 28:26-31), the Feast of Trumpets (Numbers 29:1-6), the Day of Atonement (Numbers 29:7-11), and the Feast of Booths (Numbers 29:12-39). Moses faithfully instructed Israel in all these matters as YHWH commanded Him (Numbers 29:40).
Some of the instruction will find parallels with material in Leviticus, but nowhere else was the focus primarily on the offerings which should be presented before YHWH as in Numbers 28:1-29:40. While the offerings would no doubt actually be handled by the Levites and offered by the priests, this legislation seems to want to emphasize how the offerings themselves would be coming from the people. With the offering of two lambs daily, an additional two lambs weekly, two bulls, a ram, and seven more lambs monthly, and all the offerings at the festivals, especially the seventy bulls, fourteen rams, and ninety-eight lambs offered over the seven days of the Feast of Booths, along with the grain, oil, and drink offerings which were expected along with all these offerings, what YHWH was expecting went well beyond what any given household or tribe could easily manage. The whole nation of Israel could manage these offerings, however, and in the process would maintain their share in YHWH and jointly participate in life in Him.
Moses then provided YHWH’s legislation regarding vows to the leaders of the tribes of the Israelites in Numbers 30:1-16. The tribal leaders of Israel were supposed to have been executed on account of the matter of Baal of Peor according to Numbers 25:4, and the lack of their participation in the census of Numbers 26:1-65 was quite noticeable. Perhaps the command had been carried out and a new set of leaders had been appointed; regardless, these would be the next generation of leaders after those who had originally led and counted Israel in Numbers 1:1-54. YHWH had already provided legislation regarding appropriate valuations and offerings related to things vowed, or dedicated, to YHWH in Leviticus 27:1-33; this legislation would focus on binding oaths and pledges.
The basic, foundational legislation regarding vows was set forth in Numbers 30:2: a man who made a vow to YHWH or took an oath binding them in an obligation must not break his word but do whatever he promised. While there should be little doubt many Israelites would make vows and would not make good on them (cf. Hosea 10:4), if there is any commandment YHWH gave to Israel which the Israelites held fast to even beyond what we would consider appropriate, it was the command to uphold their vows. The Gibeonites induced Israelites to make a vow to them under false pretenses; Israel nevertheless honored the terms of their oath (cf. Joshua 9:1-27). Jephthah the Gileadite would offer his daughter as a burnt offering before YHWH because he had vowed to thus offer whoever met him after successfully defeating the Ammonites (cf. Judges 11:29-40). We today find these examples, particularly the latter, very troubling, and for understandable reasons. However we might feel about them, their witness underscores how seriously Israelites were willing to take the vows and oaths they uttered before God.
In Numbers 30:3-15, Moses provided instruction to the tribal leaders of Israel regarding vows which women might take. He spoke of the situation of a daughter living in her father’s house (Numbers 30:3-5), a woman who marries while under a vow or a pledge (Numbers 30:6-8), the vow of a widow or a divorced woman (Numbers 30:9), and the vow of a married woman (Numbers 30:10-15). If a woman who was divorced or widowed made a vow, she would need to keep it intact, consistent with the legislation for men (Numbers 30:9; cf. Numbers 30:2). But a young unmarried woman’s vow would only hold and stand if her father heard it and did not object; likewise for the woman already married or about to be married in terms of her husband (Numbers 30:3-14). If the father or husband heard the vow or pledge, or heard about the vow or pledge, and overruled the woman, then the vow would be nullified and YHWH would release her from it (Numbers 30:3-14). If the husband attempted to nullify the vow after he heard it without critique, he would bear the iniquity for the transgression (Numbers 30:15). The narrator confirmed these as the statutes YHWH commanded Moses regarding vows in the household (Numbers 30:16).
Ancient Israel was a patriarchal society, and this legislation regarding vows reflects this patriarchal framework. This legislation regarding vows could, and historically has, been used to consider women as inferior, requiring the endorsement and validation of men in order for their word to have standing and value. Yet this kind of interpretation does not well reflect the evidence and situation provided. Note how a divorced or widowed woman’s vows or oaths stand just like a man’s according to Numbers 30:9. Furthermore, even in the cases of daughters in their father’s household or wives in their husband’s household, the vow or pledge of the woman stands unless the father or husband explicitly speaks up and nullifies it. This legislation has more to do with responsibility than integrity or standing before God: since the father or husband would prove the ultimately responsible party for whatever his daughter or wife would vow or pledge, he is given the authority to nullify. It is patriarchal, but nevertheless consistently patriarchal. We should not justify any degradation of women on the basis of this legislation regarding vows in Numbers 30:1-16.
Why would YHWH bring up the matter of vows in this particular context and situation? We cannot know for certain, but it might well have something to do with the nature of the observances and festivals described in Numbers 28:1-29:40. Hannah, after all, vowed to dedicate her firstborn son to YHWH during their annual visit before YHWH at His Tabernacle (cf. 1 Samuel 1:1-20). Certainly, vows uttered in a private or household context would still be bound by this legislation, but we can also understand how many such vows might well be made while in the presence of God at His chosen location during these special events.
Yet, for that matter, why did YHWH even bring up the offerings and their schedule in Numbers 28:1-29:40? Again, we cannot know for certain, but it seems consistent with YHWH’s purpose to prepare this new generation to arise and enter the land of Canaan to possess it. YHWH would thus set forth in advance all the offerings which the people should be prepared to make when they arrive in the land and enjoy its blessings. The priests and Levites might be the ones actually handling all these offerings, but the offerings would come from the people themselves. Many of those offerings would be given in their absence; but they were expected to come before YHWH during many of the festivals, and in so doing share in the communal life of the people of Israel and YHWH their God.
Thus YHWH gave Israel commands regarding offerings and vows and how they should be handled once they entered Canaan in Numbers 28:1-30:16. As Christians, it is not for us to offer up animal and grain offerings, but should offer up ourselves and our continual devotion to God as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1); our yes should be yes and our no, no, for we should be people of our word and do what we say we will do (cf. Matthew 5:33-37, James 5:12). But we have been redeemed as the people of God to share in the communal life of the people of God in Christ and in Christ through the Spirit (e.g. Ephesians 2:1-4:3). May we faithfully serve God in Christ through the Spirit and obtain eternal life in Him!
Ethan R. Longhenry
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