Exodus 29:38 Meaning and Explanation
“Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Once the altar is sanctified, continual worship begins with two first-year lambs every day. The command establishes a durable rhythm beyond the exceptional week of consecration. Morning and evening, Israel's priests will present the appointed offerings before the LORD at the place where He promises to meet His people.
God appoints two first-year lambs to be offered on the altar every day as Israel's continual burnt offering before Him.
The Context of Exodus 29:38
Seven days of sin offerings cleanse and sanctify the altar until it is most holy. Verse 38 then introduces what will be offered there continually: two lambs of the first year each day. Verse 39 assigns one to morning and one to evening. Flour mixed with beaten oil and a drink offering of wine accompany the lambs. The evening offering follows the morning pattern and rises as a sweet savour to the LORD. Verse 42 names this a continual burnt offering throughout Israel's generations at the tabernacle door, where God will meet and speak. The chapter culminates in His promise to dwell among Israel as the LORD who delivered them from Egypt.
What Does Exodus 29:38 Mean?
The transition from seven-day consecration to 'day by day continually' distinguishes inauguration from ongoing service. The altar is prepared once through the appointed sequence, then receives a repeated rhythm of offerings. Two lambs set the daily pattern, with later verses dividing them between morning and evening. Israel's worship is sustained through ordinary faithfulness after the public beginning. Continual does not mean careless repetition. Each day requires suitable animals, prepared accompaniments, priestly labor, fire, timing, and attention to the LORD's command.
The lambs are first-year animals, a qualification that places the ongoing offering under the same divine specificity seen throughout the chapter. The verse does not authorize substituting whatever is abundant or delaying until worship feels convenient. Yet the repeated command is also a generous covenant gift. It orders every day around approach to God and connects successive generations through a stable practice. Israel's relationship with the LORD includes dependable covenant worship that begins and ends daily life under His presence.
John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God, and the New Testament presents His sacrifice as decisive and sufficient. Christian worship therefore does not continue Israel's daily lamb offerings. This fulfillment honors the continual ordinance as part of God's saving witness and invites believers into regular gratitude for Christ. Exodus 29:38 also challenges event-centered faith. A dramatic beginning needs daily prayer, Scripture, mercy, shared worship, and obedience. These practices do not repeat Christ's sacrifice; they form a life that continually receives and responds to His grace.
Bible Verses Related to Exodus 29:38
“And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them. And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it. Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy. Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.”
- Exodus 29:35-38
“The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even: And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering. And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.”
- Exodus 29:39-41
“This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.”
- Exodus 29:42-43
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
- John 1:29
Where Exodus 29:38 Echoes in Scripture
Numbers 28:3-4 repeats the continual burnt offering of two first-year lambs each day, assigning one to morning and the other to evening. The later law clearly confirms the stable daily rhythm established at the altar's consecration and carries it forward within Israel's covenant worship.
How to Apply Exodus 29:38 Today
Build simple daily rhythms that can survive changing emotion and schedule. Choose realistic times for prayer, Scripture, gratitude, and care for neighbors, then review the pattern when life changes. Communities should plan staffing and supplies for recurring worship without exhausting the same volunteers. Rotation, rest, training, and backup coverage protect continuity. Avoid measuring faithfulness only by attendance at large events. Quiet repeated service matters. At the same time, do not let routine become mindless; name the purpose, remain attentive to people, and receive each day as fresh grace through Christ.
Reflection & Prayer
What daily and sustainable practice keeps our whole life responsive to God's presence after special moments have fully passed? We might pray: 'Lamb of God, anchor our days in Your finished work, renew our gratitude, and make ordinary obedience faithful.'