Tishrei 16 – Sukkot, Day 2 – The Offerings

Tishrei 16, 5787; from sunset September 26, 2026, to sunset September 27, 2026

(The sixteenth day of the seventh month)

Today in the Bible, we want to remember the animals that were sacrificed to the LORD. Though it may be hard for us to understand in our day, they were an integral part of God’s self-prescribed worship system. Their lives were dedicated to the LORD.

Bring Your Offerings

In the 29th chapter of Numbers, God reveals a listing of sacrifices for observing His Holy Days. The sacrifices for the Feast of Sukkot are, by far, the most extensive. In this series, each day we’ll focus on a different facet of the sacrifices. Today, we’ll take a look at the “kid of the goats.”

The kid of the goats is a male goat that is designated as a sin offering (“chatta’ah”). Chatta’ah comes from a root word meaning, “to miss the mark.” Obeying God’s Word is “the mark.” Sin is missing the mark. This offering serves to remove ritual impurities which build up over time. It’s not just for the people, it’s for the sanctuary as well, which requires periodic purification to restore Israel’s covenantal closeness to God. This sacrifice is a daily part of the Sukkot offerings — every day of this festival requires purification.

A goat, by nature, is a bit of a stubborn creature; making it a fitting symbol for the stubbornness of mankind. Sacrificing this animal is symbolic of removing what separates us from God. This offering ensures that the rejoicing and joy commanded at this festival is not obstructed. Though it is often overlooked, the kid of the goat is an integral part of the Feast. It symbolizes God’s mercy in allowing impurity to be removed through substitution, rather than punishment.

Below are the requirements for the second day of Sukkot.

On the second day present twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings. – Numbers 29:17-19 (NKJ)