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two "wave loaves" and their accompanying sacrifices prescribed in Leviticus 23:7-21.^47
This concluded the first festive cycle in the year.
The second cycle of feasts took place in the seventh or sacred month - seven being the
sacred number, and that of the covenant. It began with new moon's day when, besides
the daily, and the ordinary new moon's offerings, special festive sacrifices were brought
(Numbers 29:1-6). Then on the 10th of that month was the "Day of Atonement," while
on the 15th commenced the feast of tabernacles, which lasted seven days, and was
followed by an octave. All these feasts had their appropriate sacrifices.^48
The laws as to sacrifices appropriately close with directions about "vows" (Numbers
30). In all the ordinances connected with the sacred seasons, the attentive reader will
mark the symbolical significance attaching to the number seven - alike in the feasts
themselves, in their number, their sacrifices, and in that of the days appointed for holy
convocation. Indeed, the whole arrangement of time was ordered on the same principle,
ascending from the Sabbath of days, to the Sabbath of weeks, of months, of years, and
finally to the Sabbath of Sabbatic years, which was the year of Jubilee. And thus all
time pointed forward and upward to the "Sabbatism," or sacred rest, that remaineth for
"the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9).
- All that has hitherto been described occurred before the expedition against Midian,
by which Israel was "avenged" for the great sin into which they had by treachery been
seduced. That expedition which was accompanied by Phinehas, whose zeal had
formerly stayed the plague (Numbers 25:7, 8), was not only completely successful, but
executed all the Divine directions given. The Midianites seem to have been taken by
surprise, and made no resistance. The five kings of Midian, or rather the five chieftains
of their various tribes (comp. Numbers 25:15), all of whom seem to have been
tributaries of Sihon (comp. Joshua 13:21), were killed, as well as the great bulk of the
population, and "their cities," and "tent-villages" (erroneously rendered in the
Authorised Version "goodly castles") "burnt with fire." Besides a large number of
prisoners, immense booty was taken. To show their gratitude for the marvelous
preservation of the people, who had probably surprised their enemies in one of their
wild licentious orgies, the princes offered as an "oblation" to the sanctuary all the
golden ornaments taken from the Midianites. The value of these amounted, according to
the present standard of money, to considerably upwards of 25,000l.
The destruction of the power of Midian, who might have harassed them from the east,
secured to Israel the quiet possession of the district east of Jordan, which their arms had
already conquered. All along, from the river Arnon in the south, which divided Israel
from Moab, to the river Jabbok and far beyond it, the land of Gilead^49 and of Bashan,
their borders were safe from hostile attacks.
(^)