Leviticus 23

Leviticus 23:1-44

Leviticus 23:1-44; Leviticus 24:1-23; Leviticus 25:1-553. Sacred Seasons (Leviticus 23:1-44; Leviticus 24:1-23; Leviticus 25:1-55) Every religion has its feasts and festivals. They are necessary to its existence. They keep alive its memories. We are so prone to forget what we do not see. There is religious enthusiasm in numbers. We are justified alone; we are sanctified together.

Judaism and Christianity are no exceptions to this religious tendency. God would have His people know that there is such a thing as the consecration of time. Of course, all time is sacred and belongs to God, and that is the reason why the number “ seven” is so often mentioned in these chapters: the seventh day of the week, the seventh week, the seventh month, the seventh year, and seven sevens of years. Time is probably the hardest thing we are called upon to give to God. The sacrifice of time is the crown of all the sacrifices. It is easier to give money and things than to give time.

Many who think it wrong to steal money do not have any conscientious scruples about stealing time from God. Will a man rob God? Yet we rob Him of time-time for devotion, for family worship, for service. Do we take vacations for the building up of the Christian life and for prayer? We have national holidays, why not religious holidays? Is Christ less than Washington or Lincoln?

Is Calvary less than Bunker Hill? Is Christmas day less than the Fourth of July? Fraternal orders, for example, have their conclaves. Why should not Christians have their conferences? This is the thought contained in that hymn: Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in endless praise; Take my intellect, and use Every power as Thou shalt chooseThe setting apart of certain time for God is a prevention of covetousness, and shows that a man really believes that he does not live by bread alone, and that “ a man’ s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). (a) The Names of the Sacred Seasons They are called “ set times,” rather than feasts, for some, like the Day of Atonement, for example, were days of mourning. A “ feast” was sometimes a “ fast.” Not always are we led by still waters and in green pastures. We have shadows as well as sunshine, but all ends in a perfect day, the Sabbath of God. These “ set times” are also called “ feasts.” The dance and joy are connected therewith. Six of these feasts are for joy; one for mourning, thus indicating the characteristic of all true religion. Christianity was born in a song. The command is “ rejoice evermore,” not “ weep evermore.” These sacred times were called “ holy convocations.” They were not to be idle days, but busy days-busy with God and the things of God. They are called “my feasts.” What a contrast is suggested by the words of Jesus, “ The feasts of the Jews.” These sacred times are occasions through which God speaks to the soul and by which He arouses and assembles His people. We are usually so busy that God has no time to speak to us. We need to “ give ourselves,” or as we may say, “ take leisure, a vacation, for prayer.”

Leviticus 23:3

Leviticus 23:3(b) The Order of the Sacred Seasons The Sabbath (Leviticus 23:3) First comes the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:3): first, because to this end all things were tending and because the man who does not observe the Sabbath will not obey any other of God’ s laws. He will have no appreciation of God’ s goodness and purpose, for the Sabbath is an emblem of a God satisfied with the magnificent preparation He has made for man. The primary thought of the Sabbath is that of a memorial. Every returning Sabbath is a reminder of God’ s care and kindness for man, and not His tiredness because of creation. The man who neglects the observance of the Sabbath thereby indicates that he has no interest in the past and no part in the future, for the Sabbath is prophetic and looks forward to the future home which God is preparing, just as it is historic and looks backward to the magnificent home which God did prepare for man (Genesis 2:1-25; Genesis 3:1-24). The Sabbath should be kept nationally, and a curse was pronounced upon Israel for not keeping it. Indeed, it was for this reason that the nation was cast out, and the land has lain barren for so many centuries. No nation can long endure that ignores the Sabbath day. The Sabbath is to be kept individually also. Emphatic are the words “ in all thy dwellings,” thereby indicating that every home should bear upon it the stamp of Sabbath keeping. God pity the home, the state, the nation that has no recognition of the Sabbath day. The Sabbath is a blessing. It was made for man.

Leviticus 23:4-8

Leviticus 23:4-8 The Passover (Leviticus 23:5-8) Second, the Passover (Leviticus 23:5-8), celebrating the redemption from Egyptian bondage. This feast was to be kept perpetually. It is remarkable to note that the Jews always celebrated events and not men. The annual celebration of this Passover would give occasion for those participating in it to explain to their children the meaning of this service. The Lord’ s Supper is a memorial of our redemption, just as the Passover is a memorial of Israel’ s redemption.

Leviticus 23:9-14

Leviticus 23:9-14; Leviticus 23:22 The Feast of the Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14; Leviticus 23:22) Third, the Feast of the Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14; Leviticus 23:22). This was to be observed while they were “ in the land” (not while they were in the wilderness) and indicated God’ s proprietorship of the land. It also typified Christ’ s resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20), and ours. It was held on the first day of the week, “ the morrow after the Sabbath.” It was on this day, the morrow after the Sabbath, that Christ arose from the dead (cf. Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1).

Leviticus 23:16-21

Leviticus 23:16-21 The Feast of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:16-21) Fourth, the Feast of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:16-21), which was observed fifty days after the Feast of the Firstfruits. This was another first day of the week (cf. Leviticus 23:15), the eighth day, the morrow after the Sabbath. The offering of the two loaves in which leaven was allowed is emphatic here because it represents, not Christ, nor the Holy Spirit, but the Church. Pentecost was the birthday of the Church.

Leviticus 23:22

Leviticus 23:9-14; Leviticus 23:22 The Feast of the Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14; Leviticus 23:22) Third, the Feast of the Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14; Leviticus 23:22). This was to be observed while they were “ in the land” (not while they were in the wilderness) and indicated God’ s proprietorship of the land. It also typified Christ’ s resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20), and ours. It was held on the first day of the week, “ the morrow after the Sabbath.” It was on this day, the morrow after the Sabbath, that Christ arose from the dead (cf. Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1).

Leviticus 23:23-25

Leviticus 23:23-25 The Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25) Fifth, the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25), which commemorated either the creation, which is supposed to have been finished at this time of the year, or the Law at Sinai. At any rate, it was to remind the people of the seriousness of what was to follow, namely, the Day of Atonement, which came nine days later. It was the herald of an approaching day. So will it be with the rapture of God’ s people when the trump of God shall sound, the dead in Christ shall rise, the living believers shall be changed, and together the raised dead and the changed living shall meet the Lord in the air (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17). It is said that the Jews filled the time between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement with more good deeds than at any other time of the year. The blowing of the trumpets indicated the beginning of the Jewish New Year which was the beginning of the seventh month. This does not mean that trumpets were not blown on other occasions (for at the introduction of almost every new event there was a blowing of trumpets), but that this was particularly true of this season of the year.

Leviticus 23:33-36

Leviticus 23:33-36 The Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-36) Sixth, the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-36). This feast was to commemorate the time when the children of Israel lived in tents during their wilderness journey. It is called the “ feast of booths.”