FAQ

Actually, in those chapters to which you refer, Israel does not offer sacrifices even ONCE! There is one (Exo 18:12), but it is offered by Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, who came to visit. And Jethro, as we recall from the beginning of the Book of Exodus, had an abundance of livestock.

Of course, Israel also brought a flock with them, but not one large enough to feed themselves (there were, after all, 600,000 men, not counting women and children!); moreover, Israel departed from Egypt in order to offer sacrifices to God, and it was precisely for this purpose that they took their livestock with them. This sacrifice would later become the EVENT of establishing the Covenant with God (ch. 24). Sacrifices would only become the norm when Israel began a settled life in the Promised Land.

And two further considerations. Firstly, you may not realize that a sacrifice is always a SHARED meal between man and God: the offerer would take certain parts of the offered sacrifice back with him and eat them. Secondly, the purpose of Israel's entire long journey through the wilderness was to learn to trust in God; it is God who sustains His people in the wilderness, and not Israel themselves.