Holy Festivals

Introduction

Having just concluded the gift giving season, most of us got some things we wanted, needed, and at least appreciated. While we appreciate whatever gift we may receive, we all have received those special gifts. These gifts which may not have been costly but sentimental—gifts which were special in and of themselves—gifts which touched our heart and brought us great joy. These special gifts are kept in a special place. They receive a place of prominence in our hearts and our memories. Some of us have a number of sentimental gifts. We don’t want to part with them. We have no intention of getting rid of them. We can even tell you who gave us what gift and perhaps the occasion of certain gifts.

What happens when we receive a special gift and we lose sight of where that gift came from? We forget the giver and act as if the gift was always there or even worse that the gift was supposed to be given. Such an attitude flies in the face of thankfulness. Having an attitude of thankfulness even for the slightest favor helps us to focus on how much we have indeed been given. Having a regular time in which we are encouraged to be thankful is to our benefit. A holiday such as Thanksgiving is beneficial.

God seems to have understood the validity of regular times of remembering what he had done for his people. In Leviticus 23—25, several festivals are given. These special days were to be observed on a regular basis and each festival was to remind the people of what God had done. God understood that his people might forget him and his mercy. He knew that some would begin to perceive that their own might and strength had brought them what they had. Interestingly, we have our own celebrations which coincide with these festivals. Times of remembering what God has done for us. Let us celebrate today, God’s mercy and kindness. Today is to be a day in which we realign ourselves with God and remember what he has done for us.

The Feasts

In chapter 23 there are three major feasts mentioned with a couple of additional celebrations meant to point to God’s goodness. The Passover is mentioned in verses 4—14. Also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This occurred in the first month which is our April. It was a feast which remembered what God had done in setting the people free from Egyptian bondage. This annual feast lasted eight days. During this feast the people ate unleavened bread only. On the second day of the feast, a sheaf of barley was brought to the priest which was presented as a wave offering along with burnt offerings thanking God for his provision of the first harvest.

The second feast is verses 15—22 and is known as the Feast of Weeks. It is also known as the Feast of Harvest and in the New Testament as Pentecost. This feast was celebrated fifty days after the offering of firstfruits during Passover. It was a one-day celebration. An offering of new grain was given during this feast. There were also numerous animal sacrifices as well. It was in connection with this feast that God tells the farmers not to harvest everything in their fields. They are to leave the edges of the field for the poor. This was to be a time of great joy for the people.

The third great feast was the Feast of Tabernacles. It was an eight day celebration taking place in the seventh month which is our October. On the first day of the seventh month was to be a sacred assembly known as the Feast of Trumpets. The blowing of the trumpet announced that work was to end and the month was beginning in which several religious observances were to take place. On the tenth day of the seventh month was the Day of Atonement. With proper sacrifices the people were assured of forgiveness of sins. The Feast of Tabernacles marked the end of the harvest season and it was a time of great celebration. This feast is also called the Feast of Ingathering. During this 8 day celebration the people would live in booths made from the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches, and willows from river banks. This was a time in which they reenacted living in tents en route from Egypt to Canaan.

In addition to these annual feasts, in chapter 25 God gives two other requirements for his people. Every seven years, the people are to not plant their fields. This was to give rest to the land. Every fifty years, the Israelites were to celebrate the year of Jubilee. After the seventh time of observing the Sabbath Year, i.e., 49 years, the fiftieth year was also to be a year in which fields were not planted. Additionally, all property was to be returned to the original owner or his family. Any slaves were to be set free. In this way, the land was to be seen as God’s gift to his people and there was not to be extreme wealth gained at the expense of another.

The Purpose of the Observances

Why did God want these festivals, the Sabbath Year, and the Year of Jubilee kept? Did God believe that all people needed a vacation and so he ordained two weeks every year for time off? We have already stated one of the reasons for these observances—to realize the kindness of God. Leviticus 25:2 reminded the people that the land they were going to live in was a gift. The giver can specify how the gift was to be used. God gives gifts specifying how to use the gift. God wanted his people to recognize that the gift of the land, the escape from Egypt, the traveling to the promised land, and the harvest were all from God. Instead of one day for giving thanks, God called on his people to give thanks for specific things throughout the year. Each feast was a celebration of what God had done. Each feast recalled God’s care; his intervention; his providence; his kindness and mercy. Each observance was a time to stop from labors and routine and reflect on God. No less is needed today.

We are a busy, busy people. There isn’t much time it seems for reflection. We take for granted too often what we have and where we are. We attribute success to hard work and the sweat of our brow. Too often we fail to realize that we are stewards of God’s good gifts. Just as God wanted his people to stop and give thanks, so we as God’s people need to find regular times to stop and give thanks. God has been so good to us. This isn’t a comment on economics; it is a comment on the character of God.

But there is a second reason for these festivals. They were rooted in history. Each festival was a time to not only recall the kindness of God but the specific events of the past which gave definition to the feast. The Passover remembered God’s provision of escape from slavery; the Feast of Weeks remembered God’s provision and how he had provided for them; the Feast of Tabernacles remembered the journey from Egypt to the promised land. The feasts had meaning in what God had done. There was a connection to the past which allowed the present to make sense. These annual feasts allowed God’s people to rehearse how much God had blessed them.

This is what the Lord’s Supper is about. It is a rehearsal of what God has done for us. Some celebrate Christmas with a view toward what God has done. They celebrate the birth of Jesus. We can be thankful for such a rehearsal. Some celebrate Easter with a view toward the resurrection. They celebrate what God has done. We can be thankful for such a rehearsal. Some celebrate Thanksgiving with a view toward the provision of God. They celebrate what God has done. We can be thankful for such a rehearsal. Some celebrate the anniversary of their baptism. They celebrate what God has done. We can be thankful for such a rehearsal.

In the past two weeks, I have read a number of bulletin articles criticizing those who would celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. Why? Do we not understand the importance of rehearsing what God has done for us? Even Jesus celebrated a manmade feast in John 10—the Feast of Lights. This was not a God ordained feast but derived from the second century B.C. While I am not endorsing celebrating Christmas as the birth of Christ, for some it is a rehearsal of God’s entrance into the world. This is good. God wanted his people to remember what he had done—to celebrate his generosity and to not forget what he had done in the past. Neither should we.

Follow Jesus

If you’d like to respond to this message or learn more about following Jesus, please reach out.