Deuteronomy 23

Deuteronomy 23:1

Lend to the Poor

It is not about how the poor have become so poor, but it is about the attitude of the rich, to test their feelings of compassion and mercy. God expects us to open our hands freely and lend generously. In Christianity, as a whole, there is hardly any knowledge of heavenly blessings. God loves the joyful giver; we may pass on our riches which the Lord has given us. Rich Christians, that is, those who know their spiritual riches and live in them and live up to them, do not lend from others, but lend to others. Thus there will be equality (2 Corinthians 8:13-14).

Those who know their spiritual riches have as sinful a heart as those who do not know them. The arguments not to give come from a sinful heart (Deuteronomy 15:9). A hardened heart holds its hand closed. Excuses are sought to avoid the obligation to give to our poor brothers and sisters (cf. James 2:16). He who has a hardened heart shows that he does not trust the Lord in the promise of blessing which He has given.

When the rich man closes his heart (1 John 3:17), he charges sin upon himself, for which he will be called to account. The poor man shall call to the LORD when he has dealings with a man with a hardened heart. Calling to the Lord is to “draw near … to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). There is help. In Him the poor finds a Friend Who hears his cry and does not put to shame.

The thought that borrowing just before the seventh year is equal to giving away should not prevent one from generously meeting the needs of another. Loaning, or giving, must be done with understanding and insight into the situation in which the other person finds himself. The LORD does not give the instruction to lend, or give, at will, but “sufficient for his need [in] whatever he lacks” (Deuteronomy 15:8).

If rich Christians do not look after poor Christians and enjoy their wealth among themselves, they are acting unworthy of sonship. The Lord Jesus speaks about lending even to enemies (Luke 6:35). He makes it clear there that it is for sons to give and not to demand, thereby resembling their Father. They afford themselves the luxury of giving. Where demands are made, we are faced with poor believers.

Giving is God’s great feature. He wants us to follow Him in this as good sons who resemble their Father. We are encouraged to give with mildness and not reluctantly. “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). He who gives may count on His blessing, both materially and spiritually (Isaiah 58:10-11; Proverbs 3:10; Proverbs 28:27). Solomon may have thought of this word of Moses when he wrote down his proverb: “There is one who scatters, and [yet] increases all the more; And there is one who withholds what is justly due, [and yet it results] only in want” (Proverbs 11:24).

Deuteronomy 15:11 seems to contradict Deuteronomy 15:4. The contradiction is in appearance alone. In Deuteronomy 15:4 it is God’s intention, in which He gives the rich the responsibility to ensure that there will be no poor. In Deuteronomy 15:11 it is a prophecy from the all-knowing God Who knows that by unfaithfulness, or to try the rich, there will always be poor (cf. Mark 14:7).

Deuteronomy 23:2

Lend to the Poor

It is not about how the poor have become so poor, but it is about the attitude of the rich, to test their feelings of compassion and mercy. God expects us to open our hands freely and lend generously. In Christianity, as a whole, there is hardly any knowledge of heavenly blessings. God loves the joyful giver; we may pass on our riches which the Lord has given us. Rich Christians, that is, those who know their spiritual riches and live in them and live up to them, do not lend from others, but lend to others. Thus there will be equality (2 Corinthians 8:13-14).

Those who know their spiritual riches have as sinful a heart as those who do not know them. The arguments not to give come from a sinful heart (Deuteronomy 15:9). A hardened heart holds its hand closed. Excuses are sought to avoid the obligation to give to our poor brothers and sisters (cf. James 2:16). He who has a hardened heart shows that he does not trust the Lord in the promise of blessing which He has given.

When the rich man closes his heart (1 John 3:17), he charges sin upon himself, for which he will be called to account. The poor man shall call to the LORD when he has dealings with a man with a hardened heart. Calling to the Lord is to “draw near … to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). There is help. In Him the poor finds a Friend Who hears his cry and does not put to shame.

The thought that borrowing just before the seventh year is equal to giving away should not prevent one from generously meeting the needs of another. Loaning, or giving, must be done with understanding and insight into the situation in which the other person finds himself. The LORD does not give the instruction to lend, or give, at will, but “sufficient for his need [in] whatever he lacks” (Deuteronomy 15:8).

If rich Christians do not look after poor Christians and enjoy their wealth among themselves, they are acting unworthy of sonship. The Lord Jesus speaks about lending even to enemies (Luke 6:35). He makes it clear there that it is for sons to give and not to demand, thereby resembling their Father. They afford themselves the luxury of giving. Where demands are made, we are faced with poor believers.

Giving is God’s great feature. He wants us to follow Him in this as good sons who resemble their Father. We are encouraged to give with mildness and not reluctantly. “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). He who gives may count on His blessing, both materially and spiritually (Isaiah 58:10-11; Proverbs 3:10; Proverbs 28:27). Solomon may have thought of this word of Moses when he wrote down his proverb: “There is one who scatters, and [yet] increases all the more; And there is one who withholds what is justly due, [and yet it results] only in want” (Proverbs 11:24).

Deuteronomy 15:11 seems to contradict Deuteronomy 15:4. The contradiction is in appearance alone. In Deuteronomy 15:4 it is God’s intention, in which He gives the rich the responsibility to ensure that there will be no poor. In Deuteronomy 15:11 it is a prophecy from the all-knowing God Who knows that by unfaithfulness, or to try the rich, there will always be poor (cf. Mark 14:7).

Deuteronomy 23:3

Lend to the Poor

It is not about how the poor have become so poor, but it is about the attitude of the rich, to test their feelings of compassion and mercy. God expects us to open our hands freely and lend generously. In Christianity, as a whole, there is hardly any knowledge of heavenly blessings. God loves the joyful giver; we may pass on our riches which the Lord has given us. Rich Christians, that is, those who know their spiritual riches and live in them and live up to them, do not lend from others, but lend to others. Thus there will be equality (2 Corinthians 8:13-14).

Those who know their spiritual riches have as sinful a heart as those who do not know them. The arguments not to give come from a sinful heart (Deuteronomy 15:9). A hardened heart holds its hand closed. Excuses are sought to avoid the obligation to give to our poor brothers and sisters (cf. James 2:16). He who has a hardened heart shows that he does not trust the Lord in the promise of blessing which He has given.

When the rich man closes his heart (1 John 3:17), he charges sin upon himself, for which he will be called to account. The poor man shall call to the LORD when he has dealings with a man with a hardened heart. Calling to the Lord is to “draw near … to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). There is help. In Him the poor finds a Friend Who hears his cry and does not put to shame.

The thought that borrowing just before the seventh year is equal to giving away should not prevent one from generously meeting the needs of another. Loaning, or giving, must be done with understanding and insight into the situation in which the other person finds himself. The LORD does not give the instruction to lend, or give, at will, but “sufficient for his need [in] whatever he lacks” (Deuteronomy 15:8).

If rich Christians do not look after poor Christians and enjoy their wealth among themselves, they are acting unworthy of sonship. The Lord Jesus speaks about lending even to enemies (Luke 6:35). He makes it clear there that it is for sons to give and not to demand, thereby resembling their Father. They afford themselves the luxury of giving. Where demands are made, we are faced with poor believers.

Giving is God’s great feature. He wants us to follow Him in this as good sons who resemble their Father. We are encouraged to give with mildness and not reluctantly. “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). He who gives may count on His blessing, both materially and spiritually (Isaiah 58:10-11; Proverbs 3:10; Proverbs 28:27). Solomon may have thought of this word of Moses when he wrote down his proverb: “There is one who scatters, and [yet] increases all the more; And there is one who withholds what is justly due, [and yet it results] only in want” (Proverbs 11:24).

Deuteronomy 15:11 seems to contradict Deuteronomy 15:4. The contradiction is in appearance alone. In Deuteronomy 15:4 it is God’s intention, in which He gives the rich the responsibility to ensure that there will be no poor. In Deuteronomy 15:11 it is a prophecy from the all-knowing God Who knows that by unfaithfulness, or to try the rich, there will always be poor (cf. Mark 14:7).

Deuteronomy 23:4

Lend to the Poor

It is not about how the poor have become so poor, but it is about the attitude of the rich, to test their feelings of compassion and mercy. God expects us to open our hands freely and lend generously. In Christianity, as a whole, there is hardly any knowledge of heavenly blessings. God loves the joyful giver; we may pass on our riches which the Lord has given us. Rich Christians, that is, those who know their spiritual riches and live in them and live up to them, do not lend from others, but lend to others. Thus there will be equality (2 Corinthians 8:13-14).

Those who know their spiritual riches have as sinful a heart as those who do not know them. The arguments not to give come from a sinful heart (Deuteronomy 15:9). A hardened heart holds its hand closed. Excuses are sought to avoid the obligation to give to our poor brothers and sisters (cf. James 2:16). He who has a hardened heart shows that he does not trust the Lord in the promise of blessing which He has given.

When the rich man closes his heart (1 John 3:17), he charges sin upon himself, for which he will be called to account. The poor man shall call to the LORD when he has dealings with a man with a hardened heart. Calling to the Lord is to “draw near … to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). There is help. In Him the poor finds a Friend Who hears his cry and does not put to shame.

The thought that borrowing just before the seventh year is equal to giving away should not prevent one from generously meeting the needs of another. Loaning, or giving, must be done with understanding and insight into the situation in which the other person finds himself. The LORD does not give the instruction to lend, or give, at will, but “sufficient for his need [in] whatever he lacks” (Deuteronomy 15:8).

If rich Christians do not look after poor Christians and enjoy their wealth among themselves, they are acting unworthy of sonship. The Lord Jesus speaks about lending even to enemies (Luke 6:35). He makes it clear there that it is for sons to give and not to demand, thereby resembling their Father. They afford themselves the luxury of giving. Where demands are made, we are faced with poor believers.

Giving is God’s great feature. He wants us to follow Him in this as good sons who resemble their Father. We are encouraged to give with mildness and not reluctantly. “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). He who gives may count on His blessing, both materially and spiritually (Isaiah 58:10-11; Proverbs 3:10; Proverbs 28:27). Solomon may have thought of this word of Moses when he wrote down his proverb: “There is one who scatters, and [yet] increases all the more; And there is one who withholds what is justly due, [and yet it results] only in want” (Proverbs 11:24).

Deuteronomy 15:11 seems to contradict Deuteronomy 15:4. The contradiction is in appearance alone. In Deuteronomy 15:4 it is God’s intention, in which He gives the rich the responsibility to ensure that there will be no poor. In Deuteronomy 15:11 it is a prophecy from the all-knowing God Who knows that by unfaithfulness, or to try the rich, there will always be poor (cf. Mark 14:7).

Deuteronomy 23:5

Lend to the Poor

It is not about how the poor have become so poor, but it is about the attitude of the rich, to test their feelings of compassion and mercy. God expects us to open our hands freely and lend generously. In Christianity, as a whole, there is hardly any knowledge of heavenly blessings. God loves the joyful giver; we may pass on our riches which the Lord has given us. Rich Christians, that is, those who know their spiritual riches and live in them and live up to them, do not lend from others, but lend to others. Thus there will be equality (2 Corinthians 8:13-14).

Those who know their spiritual riches have as sinful a heart as those who do not know them. The arguments not to give come from a sinful heart (Deuteronomy 15:9). A hardened heart holds its hand closed. Excuses are sought to avoid the obligation to give to our poor brothers and sisters (cf. James 2:16). He who has a hardened heart shows that he does not trust the Lord in the promise of blessing which He has given.

When the rich man closes his heart (1 John 3:17), he charges sin upon himself, for which he will be called to account. The poor man shall call to the LORD when he has dealings with a man with a hardened heart. Calling to the Lord is to “draw near … to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). There is help. In Him the poor finds a Friend Who hears his cry and does not put to shame.

The thought that borrowing just before the seventh year is equal to giving away should not prevent one from generously meeting the needs of another. Loaning, or giving, must be done with understanding and insight into the situation in which the other person finds himself. The LORD does not give the instruction to lend, or give, at will, but “sufficient for his need [in] whatever he lacks” (Deuteronomy 15:8).

If rich Christians do not look after poor Christians and enjoy their wealth among themselves, they are acting unworthy of sonship. The Lord Jesus speaks about lending even to enemies (Luke 6:35). He makes it clear there that it is for sons to give and not to demand, thereby resembling their Father. They afford themselves the luxury of giving. Where demands are made, we are faced with poor believers.

Giving is God’s great feature. He wants us to follow Him in this as good sons who resemble their Father. We are encouraged to give with mildness and not reluctantly. “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). He who gives may count on His blessing, both materially and spiritually (Isaiah 58:10-11; Proverbs 3:10; Proverbs 28:27). Solomon may have thought of this word of Moses when he wrote down his proverb: “There is one who scatters, and [yet] increases all the more; And there is one who withholds what is justly due, [and yet it results] only in want” (Proverbs 11:24).

Deuteronomy 15:11 seems to contradict Deuteronomy 15:4. The contradiction is in appearance alone. In Deuteronomy 15:4 it is God’s intention, in which He gives the rich the responsibility to ensure that there will be no poor. In Deuteronomy 15:11 it is a prophecy from the all-knowing God Who knows that by unfaithfulness, or to try the rich, there will always be poor (cf. Mark 14:7).

Deuteronomy 23:6

Setting Free of Slaves

A person who is unable to pay his debt can sell himself as a slave to the creditor. If the amount of his debt makes it necessary for him to work as a slave for at least six years, he must be released in the seventh year. That year of release is not the same as the year of remission, but the year of his slave ministry.

The provision to release slaves in the seventh year makes it clear that God wants to see His people as a free people. He wants to guarantee them that freedom, even if they have lost it through their own fault. The starting point for that freedom is obedience of the master to this provision of God. Through the act of setting free he can show that his heart is attuned to God’s heart and he can interpret God’s heart.

This section is similar to the section in Exodus that is also about a Hebrew slave (Exodus 21:1-11). However, the relationship between the two parts shows that, from a spiritual point of view, there are two different applications. In Exodus 21 the Hebrew slave is a type of the Lord Jesus. The wife and children of the slave are a picture of the church and the individual believers.

Here it is about a male slave and a female slave. There is no mention of a woman and children of the slave. Here it is written in Deuteronomy 15:13-14 that the slave who is set free gets all kinds of gifts from his master, although he can also stay voluntarily out of love for his master. The emphasis here, however, is not on the attitude of the slave, but on the mind of the master. This is about doing good to the brother, whether he is a debtor (Deuteronomy 15:1-6), a poor person (Deuteronomy 15:7-11), or a slave (Deuteronomy 15:12-18).

The slave is released in the seventh year and must be set free with full hands. What he receives depends on the appreciation the master has of the blessing with which the LORD has blessed him. Through the slave, the master has earned much. If he had had to hire a man for all the work the slave did, it would have cost him twice as much.

It can already be difficult for us to forgive a brother who is morally committed to us. We do it, but sometimes with a grumbling heart. To set him free with full hands requires even more spiritual mindedness. Such an attitude can only be there if we realize ourselves that we have received everything we have from the Lord. That will make us grateful, and that thankfulness will bring us to this action in imitation of how the Lord has acted with us. We used to be slaves in Egypt ourselves. When the people leave Egypt, they are also overloaded with gifts. That’s how God does it.

There is gratitude not only to God, but also to the slave who has served faithfully. The benefit the master has derived from this, he may reflect in what he gives to the slave. What or how much it should be, is left to the master.

Paul tells Philemon not only to forgive Onesimus, but to set him free and overload him with all the Christian love of his heart (Philemon 1:15-17). In so doing, he will fill the hands of Onesimus and win him and bind him forever to himself.

Deuteronomy 23:7

Setting Free of Slaves

A person who is unable to pay his debt can sell himself as a slave to the creditor. If the amount of his debt makes it necessary for him to work as a slave for at least six years, he must be released in the seventh year. That year of release is not the same as the year of remission, but the year of his slave ministry.

The provision to release slaves in the seventh year makes it clear that God wants to see His people as a free people. He wants to guarantee them that freedom, even if they have lost it through their own fault. The starting point for that freedom is obedience of the master to this provision of God. Through the act of setting free he can show that his heart is attuned to God’s heart and he can interpret God’s heart.

This section is similar to the section in Exodus that is also about a Hebrew slave (Exodus 21:1-11). However, the relationship between the two parts shows that, from a spiritual point of view, there are two different applications. In Exodus 21 the Hebrew slave is a type of the Lord Jesus. The wife and children of the slave are a picture of the church and the individual believers.

Here it is about a male slave and a female slave. There is no mention of a woman and children of the slave. Here it is written in Deuteronomy 15:13-14 that the slave who is set free gets all kinds of gifts from his master, although he can also stay voluntarily out of love for his master. The emphasis here, however, is not on the attitude of the slave, but on the mind of the master. This is about doing good to the brother, whether he is a debtor (Deuteronomy 15:1-6), a poor person (Deuteronomy 15:7-11), or a slave (Deuteronomy 15:12-18).

The slave is released in the seventh year and must be set free with full hands. What he receives depends on the appreciation the master has of the blessing with which the LORD has blessed him. Through the slave, the master has earned much. If he had had to hire a man for all the work the slave did, it would have cost him twice as much.

It can already be difficult for us to forgive a brother who is morally committed to us. We do it, but sometimes with a grumbling heart. To set him free with full hands requires even more spiritual mindedness. Such an attitude can only be there if we realize ourselves that we have received everything we have from the Lord. That will make us grateful, and that thankfulness will bring us to this action in imitation of how the Lord has acted with us. We used to be slaves in Egypt ourselves. When the people leave Egypt, they are also overloaded with gifts. That’s how God does it.

There is gratitude not only to God, but also to the slave who has served faithfully. The benefit the master has derived from this, he may reflect in what he gives to the slave. What or how much it should be, is left to the master.

Paul tells Philemon not only to forgive Onesimus, but to set him free and overload him with all the Christian love of his heart (Philemon 1:15-17). In so doing, he will fill the hands of Onesimus and win him and bind him forever to himself.

Deuteronomy 23:8

Setting Free of Slaves

A person who is unable to pay his debt can sell himself as a slave to the creditor. If the amount of his debt makes it necessary for him to work as a slave for at least six years, he must be released in the seventh year. That year of release is not the same as the year of remission, but the year of his slave ministry.

The provision to release slaves in the seventh year makes it clear that God wants to see His people as a free people. He wants to guarantee them that freedom, even if they have lost it through their own fault. The starting point for that freedom is obedience of the master to this provision of God. Through the act of setting free he can show that his heart is attuned to God’s heart and he can interpret God’s heart.

This section is similar to the section in Exodus that is also about a Hebrew slave (Exodus 21:1-11). However, the relationship between the two parts shows that, from a spiritual point of view, there are two different applications. In Exodus 21 the Hebrew slave is a type of the Lord Jesus. The wife and children of the slave are a picture of the church and the individual believers.

Here it is about a male slave and a female slave. There is no mention of a woman and children of the slave. Here it is written in Deuteronomy 15:13-14 that the slave who is set free gets all kinds of gifts from his master, although he can also stay voluntarily out of love for his master. The emphasis here, however, is not on the attitude of the slave, but on the mind of the master. This is about doing good to the brother, whether he is a debtor (Deuteronomy 15:1-6), a poor person (Deuteronomy 15:7-11), or a slave (Deuteronomy 15:12-18).

The slave is released in the seventh year and must be set free with full hands. What he receives depends on the appreciation the master has of the blessing with which the LORD has blessed him. Through the slave, the master has earned much. If he had had to hire a man for all the work the slave did, it would have cost him twice as much.

It can already be difficult for us to forgive a brother who is morally committed to us. We do it, but sometimes with a grumbling heart. To set him free with full hands requires even more spiritual mindedness. Such an attitude can only be there if we realize ourselves that we have received everything we have from the Lord. That will make us grateful, and that thankfulness will bring us to this action in imitation of how the Lord has acted with us. We used to be slaves in Egypt ourselves. When the people leave Egypt, they are also overloaded with gifts. That’s how God does it.

There is gratitude not only to God, but also to the slave who has served faithfully. The benefit the master has derived from this, he may reflect in what he gives to the slave. What or how much it should be, is left to the master.

Paul tells Philemon not only to forgive Onesimus, but to set him free and overload him with all the Christian love of his heart (Philemon 1:15-17). In so doing, he will fill the hands of Onesimus and win him and bind him forever to himself.

Deuteronomy 23:9

Setting Free of Slaves

A person who is unable to pay his debt can sell himself as a slave to the creditor. If the amount of his debt makes it necessary for him to work as a slave for at least six years, he must be released in the seventh year. That year of release is not the same as the year of remission, but the year of his slave ministry.

The provision to release slaves in the seventh year makes it clear that God wants to see His people as a free people. He wants to guarantee them that freedom, even if they have lost it through their own fault. The starting point for that freedom is obedience of the master to this provision of God. Through the act of setting free he can show that his heart is attuned to God’s heart and he can interpret God’s heart.

This section is similar to the section in Exodus that is also about a Hebrew slave (Exodus 21:1-11). However, the relationship between the two parts shows that, from a spiritual point of view, there are two different applications. In Exodus 21 the Hebrew slave is a type of the Lord Jesus. The wife and children of the slave are a picture of the church and the individual believers.

Here it is about a male slave and a female slave. There is no mention of a woman and children of the slave. Here it is written in Deuteronomy 15:13-14 that the slave who is set free gets all kinds of gifts from his master, although he can also stay voluntarily out of love for his master. The emphasis here, however, is not on the attitude of the slave, but on the mind of the master. This is about doing good to the brother, whether he is a debtor (Deuteronomy 15:1-6), a poor person (Deuteronomy 15:7-11), or a slave (Deuteronomy 15:12-18).

The slave is released in the seventh year and must be set free with full hands. What he receives depends on the appreciation the master has of the blessing with which the LORD has blessed him. Through the slave, the master has earned much. If he had had to hire a man for all the work the slave did, it would have cost him twice as much.

It can already be difficult for us to forgive a brother who is morally committed to us. We do it, but sometimes with a grumbling heart. To set him free with full hands requires even more spiritual mindedness. Such an attitude can only be there if we realize ourselves that we have received everything we have from the Lord. That will make us grateful, and that thankfulness will bring us to this action in imitation of how the Lord has acted with us. We used to be slaves in Egypt ourselves. When the people leave Egypt, they are also overloaded with gifts. That’s how God does it.

There is gratitude not only to God, but also to the slave who has served faithfully. The benefit the master has derived from this, he may reflect in what he gives to the slave. What or how much it should be, is left to the master.

Paul tells Philemon not only to forgive Onesimus, but to set him free and overload him with all the Christian love of his heart (Philemon 1:15-17). In so doing, he will fill the hands of Onesimus and win him and bind him forever to himself.

Deuteronomy 23:10

Setting Free of Slaves

A person who is unable to pay his debt can sell himself as a slave to the creditor. If the amount of his debt makes it necessary for him to work as a slave for at least six years, he must be released in the seventh year. That year of release is not the same as the year of remission, but the year of his slave ministry.

The provision to release slaves in the seventh year makes it clear that God wants to see His people as a free people. He wants to guarantee them that freedom, even if they have lost it through their own fault. The starting point for that freedom is obedience of the master to this provision of God. Through the act of setting free he can show that his heart is attuned to God’s heart and he can interpret God’s heart.

This section is similar to the section in Exodus that is also about a Hebrew slave (Exodus 21:1-11). However, the relationship between the two parts shows that, from a spiritual point of view, there are two different applications. In Exodus 21 the Hebrew slave is a type of the Lord Jesus. The wife and children of the slave are a picture of the church and the individual believers.

Here it is about a male slave and a female slave. There is no mention of a woman and children of the slave. Here it is written in Deuteronomy 15:13-14 that the slave who is set free gets all kinds of gifts from his master, although he can also stay voluntarily out of love for his master. The emphasis here, however, is not on the attitude of the slave, but on the mind of the master. This is about doing good to the brother, whether he is a debtor (Deuteronomy 15:1-6), a poor person (Deuteronomy 15:7-11), or a slave (Deuteronomy 15:12-18).

The slave is released in the seventh year and must be set free with full hands. What he receives depends on the appreciation the master has of the blessing with which the LORD has blessed him. Through the slave, the master has earned much. If he had had to hire a man for all the work the slave did, it would have cost him twice as much.

It can already be difficult for us to forgive a brother who is morally committed to us. We do it, but sometimes with a grumbling heart. To set him free with full hands requires even more spiritual mindedness. Such an attitude can only be there if we realize ourselves that we have received everything we have from the Lord. That will make us grateful, and that thankfulness will bring us to this action in imitation of how the Lord has acted with us. We used to be slaves in Egypt ourselves. When the people leave Egypt, they are also overloaded with gifts. That’s how God does it.

There is gratitude not only to God, but also to the slave who has served faithfully. The benefit the master has derived from this, he may reflect in what he gives to the slave. What or how much it should be, is left to the master.

Paul tells Philemon not only to forgive Onesimus, but to set him free and overload him with all the Christian love of his heart (Philemon 1:15-17). In so doing, he will fill the hands of Onesimus and win him and bind him forever to himself.

Deuteronomy 23:11

Setting Free of Slaves

A person who is unable to pay his debt can sell himself as a slave to the creditor. If the amount of his debt makes it necessary for him to work as a slave for at least six years, he must be released in the seventh year. That year of release is not the same as the year of remission, but the year of his slave ministry.

The provision to release slaves in the seventh year makes it clear that God wants to see His people as a free people. He wants to guarantee them that freedom, even if they have lost it through their own fault. The starting point for that freedom is obedience of the master to this provision of God. Through the act of setting free he can show that his heart is attuned to God’s heart and he can interpret God’s heart.

This section is similar to the section in Exodus that is also about a Hebrew slave (Exodus 21:1-11). However, the relationship between the two parts shows that, from a spiritual point of view, there are two different applications. In Exodus 21 the Hebrew slave is a type of the Lord Jesus. The wife and children of the slave are a picture of the church and the individual believers.

Here it is about a male slave and a female slave. There is no mention of a woman and children of the slave. Here it is written in Deuteronomy 15:13-14 that the slave who is set free gets all kinds of gifts from his master, although he can also stay voluntarily out of love for his master. The emphasis here, however, is not on the attitude of the slave, but on the mind of the master. This is about doing good to the brother, whether he is a debtor (Deuteronomy 15:1-6), a poor person (Deuteronomy 15:7-11), or a slave (Deuteronomy 15:12-18).

The slave is released in the seventh year and must be set free with full hands. What he receives depends on the appreciation the master has of the blessing with which the LORD has blessed him. Through the slave, the master has earned much. If he had had to hire a man for all the work the slave did, it would have cost him twice as much.

It can already be difficult for us to forgive a brother who is morally committed to us. We do it, but sometimes with a grumbling heart. To set him free with full hands requires even more spiritual mindedness. Such an attitude can only be there if we realize ourselves that we have received everything we have from the Lord. That will make us grateful, and that thankfulness will bring us to this action in imitation of how the Lord has acted with us. We used to be slaves in Egypt ourselves. When the people leave Egypt, they are also overloaded with gifts. That’s how God does it.

There is gratitude not only to God, but also to the slave who has served faithfully. The benefit the master has derived from this, he may reflect in what he gives to the slave. What or how much it should be, is left to the master.

Paul tells Philemon not only to forgive Onesimus, but to set him free and overload him with all the Christian love of his heart (Philemon 1:15-17). In so doing, he will fill the hands of Onesimus and win him and bind him forever to himself.

Deuteronomy 23:12

Setting Free of Slaves

A person who is unable to pay his debt can sell himself as a slave to the creditor. If the amount of his debt makes it necessary for him to work as a slave for at least six years, he must be released in the seventh year. That year of release is not the same as the year of remission, but the year of his slave ministry.

The provision to release slaves in the seventh year makes it clear that God wants to see His people as a free people. He wants to guarantee them that freedom, even if they have lost it through their own fault. The starting point for that freedom is obedience of the master to this provision of God. Through the act of setting free he can show that his heart is attuned to God’s heart and he can interpret God’s heart.

This section is similar to the section in Exodus that is also about a Hebrew slave (Exodus 21:1-11). However, the relationship between the two parts shows that, from a spiritual point of view, there are two different applications. In Exodus 21 the Hebrew slave is a type of the Lord Jesus. The wife and children of the slave are a picture of the church and the individual believers.

Here it is about a male slave and a female slave. There is no mention of a woman and children of the slave. Here it is written in Deuteronomy 15:13-14 that the slave who is set free gets all kinds of gifts from his master, although he can also stay voluntarily out of love for his master. The emphasis here, however, is not on the attitude of the slave, but on the mind of the master. This is about doing good to the brother, whether he is a debtor (Deuteronomy 15:1-6), a poor person (Deuteronomy 15:7-11), or a slave (Deuteronomy 15:12-18).

The slave is released in the seventh year and must be set free with full hands. What he receives depends on the appreciation the master has of the blessing with which the LORD has blessed him. Through the slave, the master has earned much. If he had had to hire a man for all the work the slave did, it would have cost him twice as much.

It can already be difficult for us to forgive a brother who is morally committed to us. We do it, but sometimes with a grumbling heart. To set him free with full hands requires even more spiritual mindedness. Such an attitude can only be there if we realize ourselves that we have received everything we have from the Lord. That will make us grateful, and that thankfulness will bring us to this action in imitation of how the Lord has acted with us. We used to be slaves in Egypt ourselves. When the people leave Egypt, they are also overloaded with gifts. That’s how God does it.

There is gratitude not only to God, but also to the slave who has served faithfully. The benefit the master has derived from this, he may reflect in what he gives to the slave. What or how much it should be, is left to the master.

Paul tells Philemon not only to forgive Onesimus, but to set him free and overload him with all the Christian love of his heart (Philemon 1:15-17). In so doing, he will fill the hands of Onesimus and win him and bind him forever to himself.

Deuteronomy 23:13

Firstborn of the Herd and of the Flock

This section is a transitional section to the next chapter. The firstborn of the cattle must be sanctified and eaten, year after year, before the LORD. They are the food for the sons of God, with whom Deuteronomy 14 begins. Sons are also firstborn. They are redeemed by a lamb and sanctified to God (Exodus 13:1-16).

The firstborn speaks of strength (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 105:36). In this God struck down the Egyptians when He smote the all the firstborn. When people boast of their strength, they are always set aside. God cannot begin anything with them and must even judge them. Firstborn sons who have been hiding behind the blood of the Lamb are not only freed by God from judgment, but He wants to possess them for Himself (Ephesians 1:5). With God, every son has the character of a firstborn son. This is also how He calls Israel (Exodus 4:22).

The Lord Jesus is the Firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29). We have become sons through Him (Hebrews 2:10-12). The whole church consists of firstborn sons (Hebrews 12:23). Thus they resemble Him, they are conformed to Him. The title ‘Firstborn’ indicates an order of precedence, a place above others. His unique, incomparable Person is expressed in another name, the name ‘Only Begotten’.

The firstborn must be taken from the herd and the flock. These animals are a type of the Lord Jesus. In general, oxen and sheep are the food for sons. But the firstborn oxen and sheep are a special kind of food. They are sanctified before the LORD. This aspect is added here in connection with the place He has chosen to dwell there.

In Numbers it says that only priests may eat this near the sanctuary and after it has been sacrificed (Numbers 18:17-18). Here in Deuteronomy it is not about priests or sacrificing, here God expects the whole people to be a priesthood and that they all enjoy before God the blessing He has given.

We may eat of the blessings together with others, but we must never forget to involve God. He wants His share of sons who go into the sanctuary to honor Him. When there is talk of ‘children’, the emphasis is more on the care and love we receive from God, on Who God is for us. When there is talk of ‘sons’, the emphasis is more on what we are for God.

Firstborn animals that are deficient may not be brought to Jerusalem. They can be eaten at home. The norms for the fellowship of the church – the place where the Lord Jesus is in the midst – are different from home. This has to do with other responsibilities. In the church believers come as ‘wise men’ (1 Corinthians 10:15) to honor the Lord. At home, the children also have their input in honoring the Lord, without there being any insight or ‘wisdom’ of the Lord’s things, for example, because of their age. The levels are different. In this way, children’s songs can be sung in the family, which for believers, when they come together as a church, would not be suitable.

Deuteronomy 23:14

Firstborn of the Herd and of the Flock

This section is a transitional section to the next chapter. The firstborn of the cattle must be sanctified and eaten, year after year, before the LORD. They are the food for the sons of God, with whom Deuteronomy 14 begins. Sons are also firstborn. They are redeemed by a lamb and sanctified to God (Exodus 13:1-16).

The firstborn speaks of strength (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 105:36). In this God struck down the Egyptians when He smote the all the firstborn. When people boast of their strength, they are always set aside. God cannot begin anything with them and must even judge them. Firstborn sons who have been hiding behind the blood of the Lamb are not only freed by God from judgment, but He wants to possess them for Himself (Ephesians 1:5). With God, every son has the character of a firstborn son. This is also how He calls Israel (Exodus 4:22).

The Lord Jesus is the Firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29). We have become sons through Him (Hebrews 2:10-12). The whole church consists of firstborn sons (Hebrews 12:23). Thus they resemble Him, they are conformed to Him. The title ‘Firstborn’ indicates an order of precedence, a place above others. His unique, incomparable Person is expressed in another name, the name ‘Only Begotten’.

The firstborn must be taken from the herd and the flock. These animals are a type of the Lord Jesus. In general, oxen and sheep are the food for sons. But the firstborn oxen and sheep are a special kind of food. They are sanctified before the LORD. This aspect is added here in connection with the place He has chosen to dwell there.

In Numbers it says that only priests may eat this near the sanctuary and after it has been sacrificed (Numbers 18:17-18). Here in Deuteronomy it is not about priests or sacrificing, here God expects the whole people to be a priesthood and that they all enjoy before God the blessing He has given.

We may eat of the blessings together with others, but we must never forget to involve God. He wants His share of sons who go into the sanctuary to honor Him. When there is talk of ‘children’, the emphasis is more on the care and love we receive from God, on Who God is for us. When there is talk of ‘sons’, the emphasis is more on what we are for God.

Firstborn animals that are deficient may not be brought to Jerusalem. They can be eaten at home. The norms for the fellowship of the church – the place where the Lord Jesus is in the midst – are different from home. This has to do with other responsibilities. In the church believers come as ‘wise men’ (1 Corinthians 10:15) to honor the Lord. At home, the children also have their input in honoring the Lord, without there being any insight or ‘wisdom’ of the Lord’s things, for example, because of their age. The levels are different. In this way, children’s songs can be sung in the family, which for believers, when they come together as a church, would not be suitable.

Deuteronomy 23:15

Firstborn of the Herd and of the Flock

This section is a transitional section to the next chapter. The firstborn of the cattle must be sanctified and eaten, year after year, before the LORD. They are the food for the sons of God, with whom Deuteronomy 14 begins. Sons are also firstborn. They are redeemed by a lamb and sanctified to God (Exodus 13:1-16).

The firstborn speaks of strength (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 105:36). In this God struck down the Egyptians when He smote the all the firstborn. When people boast of their strength, they are always set aside. God cannot begin anything with them and must even judge them. Firstborn sons who have been hiding behind the blood of the Lamb are not only freed by God from judgment, but He wants to possess them for Himself (Ephesians 1:5). With God, every son has the character of a firstborn son. This is also how He calls Israel (Exodus 4:22).

The Lord Jesus is the Firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29). We have become sons through Him (Hebrews 2:10-12). The whole church consists of firstborn sons (Hebrews 12:23). Thus they resemble Him, they are conformed to Him. The title ‘Firstborn’ indicates an order of precedence, a place above others. His unique, incomparable Person is expressed in another name, the name ‘Only Begotten’.

The firstborn must be taken from the herd and the flock. These animals are a type of the Lord Jesus. In general, oxen and sheep are the food for sons. But the firstborn oxen and sheep are a special kind of food. They are sanctified before the LORD. This aspect is added here in connection with the place He has chosen to dwell there.

In Numbers it says that only priests may eat this near the sanctuary and after it has been sacrificed (Numbers 18:17-18). Here in Deuteronomy it is not about priests or sacrificing, here God expects the whole people to be a priesthood and that they all enjoy before God the blessing He has given.

We may eat of the blessings together with others, but we must never forget to involve God. He wants His share of sons who go into the sanctuary to honor Him. When there is talk of ‘children’, the emphasis is more on the care and love we receive from God, on Who God is for us. When there is talk of ‘sons’, the emphasis is more on what we are for God.

Firstborn animals that are deficient may not be brought to Jerusalem. They can be eaten at home. The norms for the fellowship of the church – the place where the Lord Jesus is in the midst – are different from home. This has to do with other responsibilities. In the church believers come as ‘wise men’ (1 Corinthians 10:15) to honor the Lord. At home, the children also have their input in honoring the Lord, without there being any insight or ‘wisdom’ of the Lord’s things, for example, because of their age. The levels are different. In this way, children’s songs can be sung in the family, which for believers, when they come together as a church, would not be suitable.

Deuteronomy 23:16

Firstborn of the Herd and of the Flock

This section is a transitional section to the next chapter. The firstborn of the cattle must be sanctified and eaten, year after year, before the LORD. They are the food for the sons of God, with whom Deuteronomy 14 begins. Sons are also firstborn. They are redeemed by a lamb and sanctified to God (Exodus 13:1-16).

The firstborn speaks of strength (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 105:36). In this God struck down the Egyptians when He smote the all the firstborn. When people boast of their strength, they are always set aside. God cannot begin anything with them and must even judge them. Firstborn sons who have been hiding behind the blood of the Lamb are not only freed by God from judgment, but He wants to possess them for Himself (Ephesians 1:5). With God, every son has the character of a firstborn son. This is also how He calls Israel (Exodus 4:22).

The Lord Jesus is the Firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29). We have become sons through Him (Hebrews 2:10-12). The whole church consists of firstborn sons (Hebrews 12:23). Thus they resemble Him, they are conformed to Him. The title ‘Firstborn’ indicates an order of precedence, a place above others. His unique, incomparable Person is expressed in another name, the name ‘Only Begotten’.

The firstborn must be taken from the herd and the flock. These animals are a type of the Lord Jesus. In general, oxen and sheep are the food for sons. But the firstborn oxen and sheep are a special kind of food. They are sanctified before the LORD. This aspect is added here in connection with the place He has chosen to dwell there.

In Numbers it says that only priests may eat this near the sanctuary and after it has been sacrificed (Numbers 18:17-18). Here in Deuteronomy it is not about priests or sacrificing, here God expects the whole people to be a priesthood and that they all enjoy before God the blessing He has given.

We may eat of the blessings together with others, but we must never forget to involve God. He wants His share of sons who go into the sanctuary to honor Him. When there is talk of ‘children’, the emphasis is more on the care and love we receive from God, on Who God is for us. When there is talk of ‘sons’, the emphasis is more on what we are for God.

Firstborn animals that are deficient may not be brought to Jerusalem. They can be eaten at home. The norms for the fellowship of the church – the place where the Lord Jesus is in the midst – are different from home. This has to do with other responsibilities. In the church believers come as ‘wise men’ (1 Corinthians 10:15) to honor the Lord. At home, the children also have their input in honoring the Lord, without there being any insight or ‘wisdom’ of the Lord’s things, for example, because of their age. The levels are different. In this way, children’s songs can be sung in the family, which for believers, when they come together as a church, would not be suitable.

Deuteronomy 23:17

Firstborn of the Herd and of the Flock

This section is a transitional section to the next chapter. The firstborn of the cattle must be sanctified and eaten, year after year, before the LORD. They are the food for the sons of God, with whom Deuteronomy 14 begins. Sons are also firstborn. They are redeemed by a lamb and sanctified to God (Exodus 13:1-16).

The firstborn speaks of strength (Psalms 78:51; Psalms 105:36). In this God struck down the Egyptians when He smote the all the firstborn. When people boast of their strength, they are always set aside. God cannot begin anything with them and must even judge them. Firstborn sons who have been hiding behind the blood of the Lamb are not only freed by God from judgment, but He wants to possess them for Himself (Ephesians 1:5). With God, every son has the character of a firstborn son. This is also how He calls Israel (Exodus 4:22).

The Lord Jesus is the Firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29). We have become sons through Him (Hebrews 2:10-12). The whole church consists of firstborn sons (Hebrews 12:23). Thus they resemble Him, they are conformed to Him. The title ‘Firstborn’ indicates an order of precedence, a place above others. His unique, incomparable Person is expressed in another name, the name ‘Only Begotten’.

The firstborn must be taken from the herd and the flock. These animals are a type of the Lord Jesus. In general, oxen and sheep are the food for sons. But the firstborn oxen and sheep are a special kind of food. They are sanctified before the LORD. This aspect is added here in connection with the place He has chosen to dwell there.

In Numbers it says that only priests may eat this near the sanctuary and after it has been sacrificed (Numbers 18:17-18). Here in Deuteronomy it is not about priests or sacrificing, here God expects the whole people to be a priesthood and that they all enjoy before God the blessing He has given.

We may eat of the blessings together with others, but we must never forget to involve God. He wants His share of sons who go into the sanctuary to honor Him. When there is talk of ‘children’, the emphasis is more on the care and love we receive from God, on Who God is for us. When there is talk of ‘sons’, the emphasis is more on what we are for God.

Firstborn animals that are deficient may not be brought to Jerusalem. They can be eaten at home. The norms for the fellowship of the church – the place where the Lord Jesus is in the midst – are different from home. This has to do with other responsibilities. In the church believers come as ‘wise men’ (1 Corinthians 10:15) to honor the Lord. At home, the children also have their input in honoring the Lord, without there being any insight or ‘wisdom’ of the Lord’s things, for example, because of their age. The levels are different. In this way, children’s songs can be sung in the family, which for believers, when they come together as a church, would not be suitable.

Deuteronomy 23:19

Introduction

With Deuteronomy 16:1-17 of this chapter, the section that started in Deuteronomy 12:1 is closed. It is its climax. This is not about the priests, but about the people in connection with the place the LORD has chosen to make His Name dwell. From Deuteronomy 16:18 onwards the constitutional aspect of the life in the land is discussed more, and this is directly correlated with the LORD’s dwelling place. They have to find that place.

The significance of the place is underscored by the obligation for all men to go there, three times a year, to celebrate there before the LORD. These feasts occur four times in the books of Moses. This does not happen as a mere repetition, but in accordance with the character of each of those books.

1. In Exodus 23 and Exodus 34 the feasts are mentioned a. in connection with the laws God has given Moses (Exodus 23) and b. in the covenant confirmation after the history with the golden calf when God acts in grace toward His people (Exodus 34). The feasts are connected with the covenant.

2. In Leviticus 23, the three feasts are called ‘appointed times’. They are in the priest’s book. The feasts are an opportunity to bring offerings during a holy convocation. There we also see the feasts in their prophetic context. They refer to time periods in God’s plan with His people.

3. In Numbers 28-29 the feasts are spoken about to the people in the wilderness, on their way to the land. God asserts His rights over the people. He calls the sacrifices on the occasion of these feasts, “My offering” (Numbers 28:2). That is to show what God desires for Himself. That is beautiful, especially in a wilderness situation.

4. In Deuteronomy 16 the feasts are connected with the place where God dwells. The whole people come together, not at the entrance of the tent of meeting as in Leviticus and Numbers, but in Jerusalem, near the temple.

Our meetings have characteristics of Leviticus. In our meetings with the brothers and sisters we express the unity of God’s people. It also knows the characteristics of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy everything is in the singular. It is not primarily about doing this together with all the other Israelites, but about a personal meeting with the LORD at that place. Thus, when we come together, we corporately, but also personally, bring our sacrifices of praise and thanks to God. God sees the heart of each of His own.

The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread belong together, it is a unity. The Feast of the first fruits is part of the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of the first fruits always is in the week of unleavened bread. Seven weeks later, in the third month, the Feast of Weeks is celebrated. In the seventh month, also three feasts are celebrated. So the three great feasts are in the first, third and seventh month.

These feasts are linked to the harvest. The Feast of the first fruits is celebrated when the barley harvest has ripened. Then comes, seven weeks later, the wheat harvest. Then the Feast of Weeks is celebrated with the first fruits of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22) in the form of the two loaves of bread. The next stage of the harvest is the wine harvest. Finally, the olives are harvested.

When the entire harvest has been harvested, the Feast of Booths is celebrated, the feast of the entire collection. Then the harvest has already been processed: the pressing of the grapes and the threshing of the wheat has taken place. From the very beginning to the final phase, from the first to the seventh month, are the harvest months. The feasts mark the beginning and the end of it: “Also [you shall observe] the Feast of the Harvest [of] the first fruits of your labors [from] what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in [the fruit of] your labors from the field” (Exodus 23:16).

Passover and Unleavened Bread

“Abib” means ‘green ears’. That speaks of a new beginning, it is as it were Spring. It starts with the sacrifice of the Passover. This is mentioned six times in the Bible and every time from a different point of view, i.e. aligned with the character of the book in which it is mentioned.

1. In Exodus 12 the Passover is called for the first time, there the feast is kept for the first time (Exodus 12:11). All subsequent times it will be a feast of remembrance, but the first time it will be the reality of salvation. It is the first feast mentioned in connection with entering the land. In Egypt it is celebrated in the houses. In the land, and that is what it is about in this book, it may only be celebrated in the place where the LORD dwells.

What once happened in the houses of the Israelites takes place in the land in connection with the house of God, the temple. It represents the central idea that God’s intention was to save a people in the midst of which He can dwell. He has not only freed a people from judgment, but done so with a purpose. This purpose is presented here, while we think back to what we can call ‘the birth’ of God’s people.

2. In Leviticus 23, the Passover is the starting point for achieving the sabbatical rest (Leviticus 23:1-5). The Passover is the beginning of the months (Exodus 12:2). In the prophetic application of Leviticus 23, the sabbath refers to the time when God can rest in all the creation.

3. In Numbers 9 the Passover gives strength to traverse the wilderness and reach the end of the journey (Numbers 9:1-14).

4. In Deuteronomy 16 it is related to the land and the meeting with the LORD (Deuteronomy 16:1-2; 2 Chronicles 30:1-5; 2 Chronicles 35:1; 16-19; Ezra 6:19).

5. In Joshua 5 the people entered the land and the Passover serves as a retrospective to the starting point (Joshua 5:10-11).

6. In 1 Corinthians 5 it is said that Christ is the Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7b).

Our feast as Christians is only one feast. That one feast is when we gather around the Lord. All feasts, the feast character, are expressed par excellence in the worship meeting. Christian holidays do not occur in the Bible.

Unfortunately, in the course of Israel’s history, both the Passover and the Feast of Booths have increasingly lost their significance for the people of God. At the end of their history, when King Josiah celebrates the Passover, it appears that the meaning of the Passover has been lost since the days of Samuel: “There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet” (2 Chronicles 35:18a). For the Feast of Booths this is true even since the days of Joshua (Nehemiah 8:18).

The Passover is “to the LORD”, that is to say, in His presence, with Him (Deuteronomy 16:1-2). He desires that His people should come to Him. Thus the Lord Jesus speaks of “My guest room” (Mark 14:14), a room where He and His disciples will celebrate the Passover. The LORD fervently desires that they should celebrate for Him and bring Him what is due to Him, a rich sacrifice service of burnt offerings and sacrifices of thanksgiving. It is said here to the individual Israelite.

This section begins with “bread of affliction” (or “bread of misery”) in Deuteronomy 16:3 and ends with “altogether joyful” in Deuteronomy 16:15. When we come to Him, we do not only speak of the glories of the Lord Jesus, but also of our affliction or misery. We must not forget that, or think it is something inferior. At the end of his life, the great apostle Paul, who spoke of so many blessings, speaks of himself as the greatest of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). And the chapter on worship in this book, Deuteronomy 26, also speaks about that (Deuteronomy 26:5-8). We never must forget where we come from.

There is no exalted level without the ‘bread of affliction associated with it. We see this also in Ephesians 1 where we read about sonship, but connected with “the redemption through His blood” and “the forgiveness of our trespasses” (Ephesians 1:5-7). This is the “Paschal aspect” of the Lord’s Day when we gather as a church to celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table.

Passover is what God was for me, how He turned away judgment and delivered me from Egypt and brought me into the land. The Lord’s Supper has to do with the Lord Jesus’ request to remember Him in what He has done. In the Lord’s Supper we remember Him Who is the Lamb and has surrendered Himself in accordance with the will of the Father. The Lord also wants this remembrance not only to take place at His Supper, but “all the days of your life” (Deuteronomy 16:3). We must never forget that He redeemed us at the expense of Himself and made us His property.

The period of “seven days” (Deuteronomy 16:4) represents our whole life. Throughout our lives there may be present “in all your territory”, that is in all areas of life, nothing unleavened, that is something of sin. I have to think about that at the place where the Lord Jesus dwells. Nothing that defiles thoughts and hearts should be allowed throughout the land. That’s why we always have to add that ‘bread of affliction. This will lead us to be impressed by our salvation over and over again, and not to resorting to old feelings.

The Passover may not be celebrated at one’s own discretion or at a place of one’s own choice (Deuteronomy 16:5). The first letter to the Corinthians is the only one addressed in the full sense of the word to a local church (1 Corinthians 1:1-2). In that letter is written about the celebration of the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 10:14-17; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). This celebration is part of the local revelation of the body of Christ. There believers come together, not just in their own cities, but based on the oneness of the church. There He is in the middle.

We celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the houses. We may live, seven days, on from the Passover. This period is at the same time also a preparation for the next Passover.

The place where the LORD dwells is a wonderful point of attraction for the whole people. This is in the heart of Hezekiah. He sends out the invitation to all twelve tribes (2 Chronicles 30:1). The whole people must be welcome in that place. Some of them come to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:11). Then he can celebrate, even though many have not come.

The Passover is celebrated at the end of the day, at sunset (Deuteronomy 16:6). It symbolizes that the death of the Lord Jesus is a conclusion. The old is past. The evil powers have been defeated. The liberation is a fact.

In Deuteronomy 16:7 it seems as if the people return to their tents after eating the Passover. Nevertheless, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is part of it all. On the last day there is a solemn assembly (Deuteronomy 16:8). Then the feast is over, i.e. after seven days, and the people return to their tents (2 Chronicles 30:21; 2 Chronicles 35:17).

Deuteronomy 23:20

Introduction

With Deuteronomy 16:1-17 of this chapter, the section that started in Deuteronomy 12:1 is closed. It is its climax. This is not about the priests, but about the people in connection with the place the LORD has chosen to make His Name dwell. From Deuteronomy 16:18 onwards the constitutional aspect of the life in the land is discussed more, and this is directly correlated with the LORD’s dwelling place. They have to find that place.

The significance of the place is underscored by the obligation for all men to go there, three times a year, to celebrate there before the LORD. These feasts occur four times in the books of Moses. This does not happen as a mere repetition, but in accordance with the character of each of those books.

1. In Exodus 23 and Exodus 34 the feasts are mentioned a. in connection with the laws God has given Moses (Exodus 23) and b. in the covenant confirmation after the history with the golden calf when God acts in grace toward His people (Exodus 34). The feasts are connected with the covenant.

2. In Leviticus 23, the three feasts are called ‘appointed times’. They are in the priest’s book. The feasts are an opportunity to bring offerings during a holy convocation. There we also see the feasts in their prophetic context. They refer to time periods in God’s plan with His people.

3. In Numbers 28-29 the feasts are spoken about to the people in the wilderness, on their way to the land. God asserts His rights over the people. He calls the sacrifices on the occasion of these feasts, “My offering” (Numbers 28:2). That is to show what God desires for Himself. That is beautiful, especially in a wilderness situation.

4. In Deuteronomy 16 the feasts are connected with the place where God dwells. The whole people come together, not at the entrance of the tent of meeting as in Leviticus and Numbers, but in Jerusalem, near the temple.

Our meetings have characteristics of Leviticus. In our meetings with the brothers and sisters we express the unity of God’s people. It also knows the characteristics of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy everything is in the singular. It is not primarily about doing this together with all the other Israelites, but about a personal meeting with the LORD at that place. Thus, when we come together, we corporately, but also personally, bring our sacrifices of praise and thanks to God. God sees the heart of each of His own.

The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread belong together, it is a unity. The Feast of the first fruits is part of the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of the first fruits always is in the week of unleavened bread. Seven weeks later, in the third month, the Feast of Weeks is celebrated. In the seventh month, also three feasts are celebrated. So the three great feasts are in the first, third and seventh month.

These feasts are linked to the harvest. The Feast of the first fruits is celebrated when the barley harvest has ripened. Then comes, seven weeks later, the wheat harvest. Then the Feast of Weeks is celebrated with the first fruits of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22) in the form of the two loaves of bread. The next stage of the harvest is the wine harvest. Finally, the olives are harvested.

When the entire harvest has been harvested, the Feast of Booths is celebrated, the feast of the entire collection. Then the harvest has already been processed: the pressing of the grapes and the threshing of the wheat has taken place. From the very beginning to the final phase, from the first to the seventh month, are the harvest months. The feasts mark the beginning and the end of it: “Also [you shall observe] the Feast of the Harvest [of] the first fruits of your labors [from] what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in [the fruit of] your labors from the field” (Exodus 23:16).

Passover and Unleavened Bread

“Abib” means ‘green ears’. That speaks of a new beginning, it is as it were Spring. It starts with the sacrifice of the Passover. This is mentioned six times in the Bible and every time from a different point of view, i.e. aligned with the character of the book in which it is mentioned.

1. In Exodus 12 the Passover is called for the first time, there the feast is kept for the first time (Exodus 12:11). All subsequent times it will be a feast of remembrance, but the first time it will be the reality of salvation. It is the first feast mentioned in connection with entering the land. In Egypt it is celebrated in the houses. In the land, and that is what it is about in this book, it may only be celebrated in the place where the LORD dwells.

What once happened in the houses of the Israelites takes place in the land in connection with the house of God, the temple. It represents the central idea that God’s intention was to save a people in the midst of which He can dwell. He has not only freed a people from judgment, but done so with a purpose. This purpose is presented here, while we think back to what we can call ‘the birth’ of God’s people.

2. In Leviticus 23, the Passover is the starting point for achieving the sabbatical rest (Leviticus 23:1-5). The Passover is the beginning of the months (Exodus 12:2). In the prophetic application of Leviticus 23, the sabbath refers to the time when God can rest in all the creation.

3. In Numbers 9 the Passover gives strength to traverse the wilderness and reach the end of the journey (Numbers 9:1-14).

4. In Deuteronomy 16 it is related to the land and the meeting with the LORD (Deuteronomy 16:1-2; 2 Chronicles 30:1-5; 2 Chronicles 35:1; 16-19; Ezra 6:19).

5. In Joshua 5 the people entered the land and the Passover serves as a retrospective to the starting point (Joshua 5:10-11).

6. In 1 Corinthians 5 it is said that Christ is the Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7b).

Our feast as Christians is only one feast. That one feast is when we gather around the Lord. All feasts, the feast character, are expressed par excellence in the worship meeting. Christian holidays do not occur in the Bible.

Unfortunately, in the course of Israel’s history, both the Passover and the Feast of Booths have increasingly lost their significance for the people of God. At the end of their history, when King Josiah celebrates the Passover, it appears that the meaning of the Passover has been lost since the days of Samuel: “There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet” (2 Chronicles 35:18a). For the Feast of Booths this is true even since the days of Joshua (Nehemiah 8:18).

The Passover is “to the LORD”, that is to say, in His presence, with Him (Deuteronomy 16:1-2). He desires that His people should come to Him. Thus the Lord Jesus speaks of “My guest room” (Mark 14:14), a room where He and His disciples will celebrate the Passover. The LORD fervently desires that they should celebrate for Him and bring Him what is due to Him, a rich sacrifice service of burnt offerings and sacrifices of thanksgiving. It is said here to the individual Israelite.

This section begins with “bread of affliction” (or “bread of misery”) in Deuteronomy 16:3 and ends with “altogether joyful” in Deuteronomy 16:15. When we come to Him, we do not only speak of the glories of the Lord Jesus, but also of our affliction or misery. We must not forget that, or think it is something inferior. At the end of his life, the great apostle Paul, who spoke of so many blessings, speaks of himself as the greatest of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). And the chapter on worship in this book, Deuteronomy 26, also speaks about that (Deuteronomy 26:5-8). We never must forget where we come from.

There is no exalted level without the ‘bread of affliction associated with it. We see this also in Ephesians 1 where we read about sonship, but connected with “the redemption through His blood” and “the forgiveness of our trespasses” (Ephesians 1:5-7). This is the “Paschal aspect” of the Lord’s Day when we gather as a church to celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table.

Passover is what God was for me, how He turned away judgment and delivered me from Egypt and brought me into the land. The Lord’s Supper has to do with the Lord Jesus’ request to remember Him in what He has done. In the Lord’s Supper we remember Him Who is the Lamb and has surrendered Himself in accordance with the will of the Father. The Lord also wants this remembrance not only to take place at His Supper, but “all the days of your life” (Deuteronomy 16:3). We must never forget that He redeemed us at the expense of Himself and made us His property.

The period of “seven days” (Deuteronomy 16:4) represents our whole life. Throughout our lives there may be present “in all your territory”, that is in all areas of life, nothing unleavened, that is something of sin. I have to think about that at the place where the Lord Jesus dwells. Nothing that defiles thoughts and hearts should be allowed throughout the land. That’s why we always have to add that ‘bread of affliction. This will lead us to be impressed by our salvation over and over again, and not to resorting to old feelings.

The Passover may not be celebrated at one’s own discretion or at a place of one’s own choice (Deuteronomy 16:5). The first letter to the Corinthians is the only one addressed in the full sense of the word to a local church (1 Corinthians 1:1-2). In that letter is written about the celebration of the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 10:14-17; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). This celebration is part of the local revelation of the body of Christ. There believers come together, not just in their own cities, but based on the oneness of the church. There He is in the middle.

We celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the houses. We may live, seven days, on from the Passover. This period is at the same time also a preparation for the next Passover.

The place where the LORD dwells is a wonderful point of attraction for the whole people. This is in the heart of Hezekiah. He sends out the invitation to all twelve tribes (2 Chronicles 30:1). The whole people must be welcome in that place. Some of them come to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:11). Then he can celebrate, even though many have not come.

The Passover is celebrated at the end of the day, at sunset (Deuteronomy 16:6). It symbolizes that the death of the Lord Jesus is a conclusion. The old is past. The evil powers have been defeated. The liberation is a fact.

In Deuteronomy 16:7 it seems as if the people return to their tents after eating the Passover. Nevertheless, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is part of it all. On the last day there is a solemn assembly (Deuteronomy 16:8). Then the feast is over, i.e. after seven days, and the people return to their tents (2 Chronicles 30:21; 2 Chronicles 35:17).

Deuteronomy 23:21

Introduction

With Deuteronomy 16:1-17 of this chapter, the section that started in Deuteronomy 12:1 is closed. It is its climax. This is not about the priests, but about the people in connection with the place the LORD has chosen to make His Name dwell. From Deuteronomy 16:18 onwards the constitutional aspect of the life in the land is discussed more, and this is directly correlated with the LORD’s dwelling place. They have to find that place.

The significance of the place is underscored by the obligation for all men to go there, three times a year, to celebrate there before the LORD. These feasts occur four times in the books of Moses. This does not happen as a mere repetition, but in accordance with the character of each of those books.

1. In Exodus 23 and Exodus 34 the feasts are mentioned a. in connection with the laws God has given Moses (Exodus 23) and b. in the covenant confirmation after the history with the golden calf when God acts in grace toward His people (Exodus 34). The feasts are connected with the covenant.

2. In Leviticus 23, the three feasts are called ‘appointed times’. They are in the priest’s book. The feasts are an opportunity to bring offerings during a holy convocation. There we also see the feasts in their prophetic context. They refer to time periods in God’s plan with His people.

3. In Numbers 28-29 the feasts are spoken about to the people in the wilderness, on their way to the land. God asserts His rights over the people. He calls the sacrifices on the occasion of these feasts, “My offering” (Numbers 28:2). That is to show what God desires for Himself. That is beautiful, especially in a wilderness situation.

4. In Deuteronomy 16 the feasts are connected with the place where God dwells. The whole people come together, not at the entrance of the tent of meeting as in Leviticus and Numbers, but in Jerusalem, near the temple.

Our meetings have characteristics of Leviticus. In our meetings with the brothers and sisters we express the unity of God’s people. It also knows the characteristics of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy everything is in the singular. It is not primarily about doing this together with all the other Israelites, but about a personal meeting with the LORD at that place. Thus, when we come together, we corporately, but also personally, bring our sacrifices of praise and thanks to God. God sees the heart of each of His own.

The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread belong together, it is a unity. The Feast of the first fruits is part of the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of the first fruits always is in the week of unleavened bread. Seven weeks later, in the third month, the Feast of Weeks is celebrated. In the seventh month, also three feasts are celebrated. So the three great feasts are in the first, third and seventh month.

These feasts are linked to the harvest. The Feast of the first fruits is celebrated when the barley harvest has ripened. Then comes, seven weeks later, the wheat harvest. Then the Feast of Weeks is celebrated with the first fruits of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22) in the form of the two loaves of bread. The next stage of the harvest is the wine harvest. Finally, the olives are harvested.

When the entire harvest has been harvested, the Feast of Booths is celebrated, the feast of the entire collection. Then the harvest has already been processed: the pressing of the grapes and the threshing of the wheat has taken place. From the very beginning to the final phase, from the first to the seventh month, are the harvest months. The feasts mark the beginning and the end of it: “Also [you shall observe] the Feast of the Harvest [of] the first fruits of your labors [from] what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in [the fruit of] your labors from the field” (Exodus 23:16).

Passover and Unleavened Bread

“Abib” means ‘green ears’. That speaks of a new beginning, it is as it were Spring. It starts with the sacrifice of the Passover. This is mentioned six times in the Bible and every time from a different point of view, i.e. aligned with the character of the book in which it is mentioned.

1. In Exodus 12 the Passover is called for the first time, there the feast is kept for the first time (Exodus 12:11). All subsequent times it will be a feast of remembrance, but the first time it will be the reality of salvation. It is the first feast mentioned in connection with entering the land. In Egypt it is celebrated in the houses. In the land, and that is what it is about in this book, it may only be celebrated in the place where the LORD dwells.

What once happened in the houses of the Israelites takes place in the land in connection with the house of God, the temple. It represents the central idea that God’s intention was to save a people in the midst of which He can dwell. He has not only freed a people from judgment, but done so with a purpose. This purpose is presented here, while we think back to what we can call ‘the birth’ of God’s people.

2. In Leviticus 23, the Passover is the starting point for achieving the sabbatical rest (Leviticus 23:1-5). The Passover is the beginning of the months (Exodus 12:2). In the prophetic application of Leviticus 23, the sabbath refers to the time when God can rest in all the creation.

3. In Numbers 9 the Passover gives strength to traverse the wilderness and reach the end of the journey (Numbers 9:1-14).

4. In Deuteronomy 16 it is related to the land and the meeting with the LORD (Deuteronomy 16:1-2; 2 Chronicles 30:1-5; 2 Chronicles 35:1; 16-19; Ezra 6:19).

5. In Joshua 5 the people entered the land and the Passover serves as a retrospective to the starting point (Joshua 5:10-11).

6. In 1 Corinthians 5 it is said that Christ is the Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7b).

Our feast as Christians is only one feast. That one feast is when we gather around the Lord. All feasts, the feast character, are expressed par excellence in the worship meeting. Christian holidays do not occur in the Bible.

Unfortunately, in the course of Israel’s history, both the Passover and the Feast of Booths have increasingly lost their significance for the people of God. At the end of their history, when King Josiah celebrates the Passover, it appears that the meaning of the Passover has been lost since the days of Samuel: “There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet” (2 Chronicles 35:18a). For the Feast of Booths this is true even since the days of Joshua (Nehemiah 8:18).

The Passover is “to the LORD”, that is to say, in His presence, with Him (Deuteronomy 16:1-2). He desires that His people should come to Him. Thus the Lord Jesus speaks of “My guest room” (Mark 14:14), a room where He and His disciples will celebrate the Passover. The LORD fervently desires that they should celebrate for Him and bring Him what is due to Him, a rich sacrifice service of burnt offerings and sacrifices of thanksgiving. It is said here to the individual Israelite.

This section begins with “bread of affliction” (or “bread of misery”) in Deuteronomy 16:3 and ends with “altogether joyful” in Deuteronomy 16:15. When we come to Him, we do not only speak of the glories of the Lord Jesus, but also of our affliction or misery. We must not forget that, or think it is something inferior. At the end of his life, the great apostle Paul, who spoke of so many blessings, speaks of himself as the greatest of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). And the chapter on worship in this book, Deuteronomy 26, also speaks about that (Deuteronomy 26:5-8). We never must forget where we come from.

There is no exalted level without the ‘bread of affliction associated with it. We see this also in Ephesians 1 where we read about sonship, but connected with “the redemption through His blood” and “the forgiveness of our trespasses” (Ephesians 1:5-7). This is the “Paschal aspect” of the Lord’s Day when we gather as a church to celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table.

Passover is what God was for me, how He turned away judgment and delivered me from Egypt and brought me into the land. The Lord’s Supper has to do with the Lord Jesus’ request to remember Him in what He has done. In the Lord’s Supper we remember Him Who is the Lamb and has surrendered Himself in accordance with the will of the Father. The Lord also wants this remembrance not only to take place at His Supper, but “all the days of your life” (Deuteronomy 16:3). We must never forget that He redeemed us at the expense of Himself and made us His property.

The period of “seven days” (Deuteronomy 16:4) represents our whole life. Throughout our lives there may be present “in all your territory”, that is in all areas of life, nothing unleavened, that is something of sin. I have to think about that at the place where the Lord Jesus dwells. Nothing that defiles thoughts and hearts should be allowed throughout the land. That’s why we always have to add that ‘bread of affliction. This will lead us to be impressed by our salvation over and over again, and not to resorting to old feelings.

The Passover may not be celebrated at one’s own discretion or at a place of one’s own choice (Deuteronomy 16:5). The first letter to the Corinthians is the only one addressed in the full sense of the word to a local church (1 Corinthians 1:1-2). In that letter is written about the celebration of the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 10:14-17; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). This celebration is part of the local revelation of the body of Christ. There believers come together, not just in their own cities, but based on the oneness of the church. There He is in the middle.

We celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the houses. We may live, seven days, on from the Passover. This period is at the same time also a preparation for the next Passover.

The place where the LORD dwells is a wonderful point of attraction for the whole people. This is in the heart of Hezekiah. He sends out the invitation to all twelve tribes (2 Chronicles 30:1). The whole people must be welcome in that place. Some of them come to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:11). Then he can celebrate, even though many have not come.

The Passover is celebrated at the end of the day, at sunset (Deuteronomy 16:6). It symbolizes that the death of the Lord Jesus is a conclusion. The old is past. The evil powers have been defeated. The liberation is a fact.

In Deuteronomy 16:7 it seems as if the people return to their tents after eating the Passover. Nevertheless, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is part of it all. On the last day there is a solemn assembly (Deuteronomy 16:8). Then the feast is over, i.e. after seven days, and the people return to their tents (2 Chronicles 30:21; 2 Chronicles 35:17).

Deuteronomy 23:22

Introduction

With Deuteronomy 16:1-17 of this chapter, the section that started in Deuteronomy 12:1 is closed. It is its climax. This is not about the priests, but about the people in connection with the place the LORD has chosen to make His Name dwell. From Deuteronomy 16:18 onwards the constitutional aspect of the life in the land is discussed more, and this is directly correlated with the LORD’s dwelling place. They have to find that place.

The significance of the place is underscored by the obligation for all men to go there, three times a year, to celebrate there before the LORD. These feasts occur four times in the books of Moses. This does not happen as a mere repetition, but in accordance with the character of each of those books.

1. In Exodus 23 and Exodus 34 the feasts are mentioned a. in connection with the laws God has given Moses (Exodus 23) and b. in the covenant confirmation after the history with the golden calf when God acts in grace toward His people (Exodus 34). The feasts are connected with the covenant.

2. In Leviticus 23, the three feasts are called ‘appointed times’. They are in the priest’s book. The feasts are an opportunity to bring offerings during a holy convocation. There we also see the feasts in their prophetic context. They refer to time periods in God’s plan with His people.

3. In Numbers 28-29 the feasts are spoken about to the people in the wilderness, on their way to the land. God asserts His rights over the people. He calls the sacrifices on the occasion of these feasts, “My offering” (Numbers 28:2). That is to show what God desires for Himself. That is beautiful, especially in a wilderness situation.

4. In Deuteronomy 16 the feasts are connected with the place where God dwells. The whole people come together, not at the entrance of the tent of meeting as in Leviticus and Numbers, but in Jerusalem, near the temple.

Our meetings have characteristics of Leviticus. In our meetings with the brothers and sisters we express the unity of God’s people. It also knows the characteristics of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy everything is in the singular. It is not primarily about doing this together with all the other Israelites, but about a personal meeting with the LORD at that place. Thus, when we come together, we corporately, but also personally, bring our sacrifices of praise and thanks to God. God sees the heart of each of His own.

The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread belong together, it is a unity. The Feast of the first fruits is part of the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of the first fruits always is in the week of unleavened bread. Seven weeks later, in the third month, the Feast of Weeks is celebrated. In the seventh month, also three feasts are celebrated. So the three great feasts are in the first, third and seventh month.

These feasts are linked to the harvest. The Feast of the first fruits is celebrated when the barley harvest has ripened. Then comes, seven weeks later, the wheat harvest. Then the Feast of Weeks is celebrated with the first fruits of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22) in the form of the two loaves of bread. The next stage of the harvest is the wine harvest. Finally, the olives are harvested.

When the entire harvest has been harvested, the Feast of Booths is celebrated, the feast of the entire collection. Then the harvest has already been processed: the pressing of the grapes and the threshing of the wheat has taken place. From the very beginning to the final phase, from the first to the seventh month, are the harvest months. The feasts mark the beginning and the end of it: “Also [you shall observe] the Feast of the Harvest [of] the first fruits of your labors [from] what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in [the fruit of] your labors from the field” (Exodus 23:16).

Passover and Unleavened Bread

“Abib” means ‘green ears’. That speaks of a new beginning, it is as it were Spring. It starts with the sacrifice of the Passover. This is mentioned six times in the Bible and every time from a different point of view, i.e. aligned with the character of the book in which it is mentioned.

1. In Exodus 12 the Passover is called for the first time, there the feast is kept for the first time (Exodus 12:11). All subsequent times it will be a feast of remembrance, but the first time it will be the reality of salvation. It is the first feast mentioned in connection with entering the land. In Egypt it is celebrated in the houses. In the land, and that is what it is about in this book, it may only be celebrated in the place where the LORD dwells.

What once happened in the houses of the Israelites takes place in the land in connection with the house of God, the temple. It represents the central idea that God’s intention was to save a people in the midst of which He can dwell. He has not only freed a people from judgment, but done so with a purpose. This purpose is presented here, while we think back to what we can call ‘the birth’ of God’s people.

2. In Leviticus 23, the Passover is the starting point for achieving the sabbatical rest (Leviticus 23:1-5). The Passover is the beginning of the months (Exodus 12:2). In the prophetic application of Leviticus 23, the sabbath refers to the time when God can rest in all the creation.

3. In Numbers 9 the Passover gives strength to traverse the wilderness and reach the end of the journey (Numbers 9:1-14).

4. In Deuteronomy 16 it is related to the land and the meeting with the LORD (Deuteronomy 16:1-2; 2 Chronicles 30:1-5; 2 Chronicles 35:1; 16-19; Ezra 6:19).

5. In Joshua 5 the people entered the land and the Passover serves as a retrospective to the starting point (Joshua 5:10-11).

6. In 1 Corinthians 5 it is said that Christ is the Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7b).

Our feast as Christians is only one feast. That one feast is when we gather around the Lord. All feasts, the feast character, are expressed par excellence in the worship meeting. Christian holidays do not occur in the Bible.

Unfortunately, in the course of Israel’s history, both the Passover and the Feast of Booths have increasingly lost their significance for the people of God. At the end of their history, when King Josiah celebrates the Passover, it appears that the meaning of the Passover has been lost since the days of Samuel: “There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet” (2 Chronicles 35:18a). For the Feast of Booths this is true even since the days of Joshua (Nehemiah 8:18).

The Passover is “to the LORD”, that is to say, in His presence, with Him (Deuteronomy 16:1-2). He desires that His people should come to Him. Thus the Lord Jesus speaks of “My guest room” (Mark 14:14), a room where He and His disciples will celebrate the Passover. The LORD fervently desires that they should celebrate for Him and bring Him what is due to Him, a rich sacrifice service of burnt offerings and sacrifices of thanksgiving. It is said here to the individual Israelite.

This section begins with “bread of affliction” (or “bread of misery”) in Deuteronomy 16:3 and ends with “altogether joyful” in Deuteronomy 16:15. When we come to Him, we do not only speak of the glories of the Lord Jesus, but also of our affliction or misery. We must not forget that, or think it is something inferior. At the end of his life, the great apostle Paul, who spoke of so many blessings, speaks of himself as the greatest of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). And the chapter on worship in this book, Deuteronomy 26, also speaks about that (Deuteronomy 26:5-8). We never must forget where we come from.

There is no exalted level without the ‘bread of affliction associated with it. We see this also in Ephesians 1 where we read about sonship, but connected with “the redemption through His blood” and “the forgiveness of our trespasses” (Ephesians 1:5-7). This is the “Paschal aspect” of the Lord’s Day when we gather as a church to celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table.

Passover is what God was for me, how He turned away judgment and delivered me from Egypt and brought me into the land. The Lord’s Supper has to do with the Lord Jesus’ request to remember Him in what He has done. In the Lord’s Supper we remember Him Who is the Lamb and has surrendered Himself in accordance with the will of the Father. The Lord also wants this remembrance not only to take place at His Supper, but “all the days of your life” (Deuteronomy 16:3). We must never forget that He redeemed us at the expense of Himself and made us His property.

The period of “seven days” (Deuteronomy 16:4) represents our whole life. Throughout our lives there may be present “in all your territory”, that is in all areas of life, nothing unleavened, that is something of sin. I have to think about that at the place where the Lord Jesus dwells. Nothing that defiles thoughts and hearts should be allowed throughout the land. That’s why we always have to add that ‘bread of affliction. This will lead us to be impressed by our salvation over and over again, and not to resorting to old feelings.

The Passover may not be celebrated at one’s own discretion or at a place of one’s own choice (Deuteronomy 16:5). The first letter to the Corinthians is the only one addressed in the full sense of the word to a local church (1 Corinthians 1:1-2). In that letter is written about the celebration of the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 10:14-17; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). This celebration is part of the local revelation of the body of Christ. There believers come together, not just in their own cities, but based on the oneness of the church. There He is in the middle.

We celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the houses. We may live, seven days, on from the Passover. This period is at the same time also a preparation for the next Passover.

The place where the LORD dwells is a wonderful point of attraction for the whole people. This is in the heart of Hezekiah. He sends out the invitation to all twelve tribes (2 Chronicles 30:1). The whole people must be welcome in that place. Some of them come to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:11). Then he can celebrate, even though many have not come.

The Passover is celebrated at the end of the day, at sunset (Deuteronomy 16:6). It symbolizes that the death of the Lord Jesus is a conclusion. The old is past. The evil powers have been defeated. The liberation is a fact.

In Deuteronomy 16:7 it seems as if the people return to their tents after eating the Passover. Nevertheless, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is part of it all. On the last day there is a solemn assembly (Deuteronomy 16:8). Then the feast is over, i.e. after seven days, and the people return to their tents (2 Chronicles 30:21; 2 Chronicles 35:17).

Deuteronomy 23:23

Introduction

With Deuteronomy 16:1-17 of this chapter, the section that started in Deuteronomy 12:1 is closed. It is its climax. This is not about the priests, but about the people in connection with the place the LORD has chosen to make His Name dwell. From Deuteronomy 16:18 onwards the constitutional aspect of the life in the land is discussed more, and this is directly correlated with the LORD’s dwelling place. They have to find that place.

The significance of the place is underscored by the obligation for all men to go there, three times a year, to celebrate there before the LORD. These feasts occur four times in the books of Moses. This does not happen as a mere repetition, but in accordance with the character of each of those books.

1. In Exodus 23 and Exodus 34 the feasts are mentioned a. in connection with the laws God has given Moses (Exodus 23) and b. in the covenant confirmation after the history with the golden calf when God acts in grace toward His people (Exodus 34). The feasts are connected with the covenant.

2. In Leviticus 23, the three feasts are called ‘appointed times’. They are in the priest’s book. The feasts are an opportunity to bring offerings during a holy convocation. There we also see the feasts in their prophetic context. They refer to time periods in God’s plan with His people.

3. In Numbers 28-29 the feasts are spoken about to the people in the wilderness, on their way to the land. God asserts His rights over the people. He calls the sacrifices on the occasion of these feasts, “My offering” (Numbers 28:2). That is to show what God desires for Himself. That is beautiful, especially in a wilderness situation.

4. In Deuteronomy 16 the feasts are connected with the place where God dwells. The whole people come together, not at the entrance of the tent of meeting as in Leviticus and Numbers, but in Jerusalem, near the temple.

Our meetings have characteristics of Leviticus. In our meetings with the brothers and sisters we express the unity of God’s people. It also knows the characteristics of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy everything is in the singular. It is not primarily about doing this together with all the other Israelites, but about a personal meeting with the LORD at that place. Thus, when we come together, we corporately, but also personally, bring our sacrifices of praise and thanks to God. God sees the heart of each of His own.

The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread belong together, it is a unity. The Feast of the first fruits is part of the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of the first fruits always is in the week of unleavened bread. Seven weeks later, in the third month, the Feast of Weeks is celebrated. In the seventh month, also three feasts are celebrated. So the three great feasts are in the first, third and seventh month.

These feasts are linked to the harvest. The Feast of the first fruits is celebrated when the barley harvest has ripened. Then comes, seven weeks later, the wheat harvest. Then the Feast of Weeks is celebrated with the first fruits of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22) in the form of the two loaves of bread. The next stage of the harvest is the wine harvest. Finally, the olives are harvested.

When the entire harvest has been harvested, the Feast of Booths is celebrated, the feast of the entire collection. Then the harvest has already been processed: the pressing of the grapes and the threshing of the wheat has taken place. From the very beginning to the final phase, from the first to the seventh month, are the harvest months. The feasts mark the beginning and the end of it: “Also [you shall observe] the Feast of the Harvest [of] the first fruits of your labors [from] what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in [the fruit of] your labors from the field” (Exodus 23:16).

Passover and Unleavened Bread

“Abib” means ‘green ears’. That speaks of a new beginning, it is as it were Spring. It starts with the sacrifice of the Passover. This is mentioned six times in the Bible and every time from a different point of view, i.e. aligned with the character of the book in which it is mentioned.

1. In Exodus 12 the Passover is called for the first time, there the feast is kept for the first time (Exodus 12:11). All subsequent times it will be a feast of remembrance, but the first time it will be the reality of salvation. It is the first feast mentioned in connection with entering the land. In Egypt it is celebrated in the houses. In the land, and that is what it is about in this book, it may only be celebrated in the place where the LORD dwells.

What once happened in the houses of the Israelites takes place in the land in connection with the house of God, the temple. It represents the central idea that God’s intention was to save a people in the midst of which He can dwell. He has not only freed a people from judgment, but done so with a purpose. This purpose is presented here, while we think back to what we can call ‘the birth’ of God’s people.

2. In Leviticus 23, the Passover is the starting point for achieving the sabbatical rest (Leviticus 23:1-5). The Passover is the beginning of the months (Exodus 12:2). In the prophetic application of Leviticus 23, the sabbath refers to the time when God can rest in all the creation.

3. In Numbers 9 the Passover gives strength to traverse the wilderness and reach the end of the journey (Numbers 9:1-14).

4. In Deuteronomy 16 it is related to the land and the meeting with the LORD (Deuteronomy 16:1-2; 2 Chronicles 30:1-5; 2 Chronicles 35:1; 16-19; Ezra 6:19).

5. In Joshua 5 the people entered the land and the Passover serves as a retrospective to the starting point (Joshua 5:10-11).

6. In 1 Corinthians 5 it is said that Christ is the Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7b).

Our feast as Christians is only one feast. That one feast is when we gather around the Lord. All feasts, the feast character, are expressed par excellence in the worship meeting. Christian holidays do not occur in the Bible.

Unfortunately, in the course of Israel’s history, both the Passover and the Feast of Booths have increasingly lost their significance for the people of God. At the end of their history, when King Josiah celebrates the Passover, it appears that the meaning of the Passover has been lost since the days of Samuel: “There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet” (2 Chronicles 35:18a). For the Feast of Booths this is true even since the days of Joshua (Nehemiah 8:18).

The Passover is “to the LORD”, that is to say, in His presence, with Him (Deuteronomy 16:1-2). He desires that His people should come to Him. Thus the Lord Jesus speaks of “My guest room” (Mark 14:14), a room where He and His disciples will celebrate the Passover. The LORD fervently desires that they should celebrate for Him and bring Him what is due to Him, a rich sacrifice service of burnt offerings and sacrifices of thanksgiving. It is said here to the individual Israelite.

This section begins with “bread of affliction” (or “bread of misery”) in Deuteronomy 16:3 and ends with “altogether joyful” in Deuteronomy 16:15. When we come to Him, we do not only speak of the glories of the Lord Jesus, but also of our affliction or misery. We must not forget that, or think it is something inferior. At the end of his life, the great apostle Paul, who spoke of so many blessings, speaks of himself as the greatest of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). And the chapter on worship in this book, Deuteronomy 26, also speaks about that (Deuteronomy 26:5-8). We never must forget where we come from.

There is no exalted level without the ‘bread of affliction associated with it. We see this also in Ephesians 1 where we read about sonship, but connected with “the redemption through His blood” and “the forgiveness of our trespasses” (Ephesians 1:5-7). This is the “Paschal aspect” of the Lord’s Day when we gather as a church to celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table.

Passover is what God was for me, how He turned away judgment and delivered me from Egypt and brought me into the land. The Lord’s Supper has to do with the Lord Jesus’ request to remember Him in what He has done. In the Lord’s Supper we remember Him Who is the Lamb and has surrendered Himself in accordance with the will of the Father. The Lord also wants this remembrance not only to take place at His Supper, but “all the days of your life” (Deuteronomy 16:3). We must never forget that He redeemed us at the expense of Himself and made us His property.

The period of “seven days” (Deuteronomy 16:4) represents our whole life. Throughout our lives there may be present “in all your territory”, that is in all areas of life, nothing unleavened, that is something of sin. I have to think about that at the place where the Lord Jesus dwells. Nothing that defiles thoughts and hearts should be allowed throughout the land. That’s why we always have to add that ‘bread of affliction. This will lead us to be impressed by our salvation over and over again, and not to resorting to old feelings.

The Passover may not be celebrated at one’s own discretion or at a place of one’s own choice (Deuteronomy 16:5). The first letter to the Corinthians is the only one addressed in the full sense of the word to a local church (1 Corinthians 1:1-2). In that letter is written about the celebration of the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 10:14-17; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). This celebration is part of the local revelation of the body of Christ. There believers come together, not just in their own cities, but based on the oneness of the church. There He is in the middle.

We celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the houses. We may live, seven days, on from the Passover. This period is at the same time also a preparation for the next Passover.

The place where the LORD dwells is a wonderful point of attraction for the whole people. This is in the heart of Hezekiah. He sends out the invitation to all twelve tribes (2 Chronicles 30:1). The whole people must be welcome in that place. Some of them come to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:11). Then he can celebrate, even though many have not come.

The Passover is celebrated at the end of the day, at sunset (Deuteronomy 16:6). It symbolizes that the death of the Lord Jesus is a conclusion. The old is past. The evil powers have been defeated. The liberation is a fact.

In Deuteronomy 16:7 it seems as if the people return to their tents after eating the Passover. Nevertheless, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is part of it all. On the last day there is a solemn assembly (Deuteronomy 16:8). Then the feast is over, i.e. after seven days, and the people return to their tents (2 Chronicles 30:21; 2 Chronicles 35:17).

Deuteronomy 23:24

Introduction

With Deuteronomy 16:1-17 of this chapter, the section that started in Deuteronomy 12:1 is closed. It is its climax. This is not about the priests, but about the people in connection with the place the LORD has chosen to make His Name dwell. From Deuteronomy 16:18 onwards the constitutional aspect of the life in the land is discussed more, and this is directly correlated with the LORD’s dwelling place. They have to find that place.

The significance of the place is underscored by the obligation for all men to go there, three times a year, to celebrate there before the LORD. These feasts occur four times in the books of Moses. This does not happen as a mere repetition, but in accordance with the character of each of those books.

1. In Exodus 23 and Exodus 34 the feasts are mentioned a. in connection with the laws God has given Moses (Exodus 23) and b. in the covenant confirmation after the history with the golden calf when God acts in grace toward His people (Exodus 34). The feasts are connected with the covenant.

2. In Leviticus 23, the three feasts are called ‘appointed times’. They are in the priest’s book. The feasts are an opportunity to bring offerings during a holy convocation. There we also see the feasts in their prophetic context. They refer to time periods in God’s plan with His people.

3. In Numbers 28-29 the feasts are spoken about to the people in the wilderness, on their way to the land. God asserts His rights over the people. He calls the sacrifices on the occasion of these feasts, “My offering” (Numbers 28:2). That is to show what God desires for Himself. That is beautiful, especially in a wilderness situation.

4. In Deuteronomy 16 the feasts are connected with the place where God dwells. The whole people come together, not at the entrance of the tent of meeting as in Leviticus and Numbers, but in Jerusalem, near the temple.

Our meetings have characteristics of Leviticus. In our meetings with the brothers and sisters we express the unity of God’s people. It also knows the characteristics of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy everything is in the singular. It is not primarily about doing this together with all the other Israelites, but about a personal meeting with the LORD at that place. Thus, when we come together, we corporately, but also personally, bring our sacrifices of praise and thanks to God. God sees the heart of each of His own.

The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread belong together, it is a unity. The Feast of the first fruits is part of the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of the first fruits always is in the week of unleavened bread. Seven weeks later, in the third month, the Feast of Weeks is celebrated. In the seventh month, also three feasts are celebrated. So the three great feasts are in the first, third and seventh month.

These feasts are linked to the harvest. The Feast of the first fruits is celebrated when the barley harvest has ripened. Then comes, seven weeks later, the wheat harvest. Then the Feast of Weeks is celebrated with the first fruits of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22) in the form of the two loaves of bread. The next stage of the harvest is the wine harvest. Finally, the olives are harvested.

When the entire harvest has been harvested, the Feast of Booths is celebrated, the feast of the entire collection. Then the harvest has already been processed: the pressing of the grapes and the threshing of the wheat has taken place. From the very beginning to the final phase, from the first to the seventh month, are the harvest months. The feasts mark the beginning and the end of it: “Also [you shall observe] the Feast of the Harvest [of] the first fruits of your labors [from] what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in [the fruit of] your labors from the field” (Exodus 23:16).

Passover and Unleavened Bread

“Abib” means ‘green ears’. That speaks of a new beginning, it is as it were Spring. It starts with the sacrifice of the Passover. This is mentioned six times in the Bible and every time from a different point of view, i.e. aligned with the character of the book in which it is mentioned.

1. In Exodus 12 the Passover is called for the first time, there the feast is kept for the first time (Exodus 12:11). All subsequent times it will be a feast of remembrance, but the first time it will be the reality of salvation. It is the first feast mentioned in connection with entering the land. In Egypt it is celebrated in the houses. In the land, and that is what it is about in this book, it may only be celebrated in the place where the LORD dwells.

What once happened in the houses of the Israelites takes place in the land in connection with the house of God, the temple. It represents the central idea that God’s intention was to save a people in the midst of which He can dwell. He has not only freed a people from judgment, but done so with a purpose. This purpose is presented here, while we think back to what we can call ‘the birth’ of God’s people.

2. In Leviticus 23, the Passover is the starting point for achieving the sabbatical rest (Leviticus 23:1-5). The Passover is the beginning of the months (Exodus 12:2). In the prophetic application of Leviticus 23, the sabbath refers to the time when God can rest in all the creation.

3. In Numbers 9 the Passover gives strength to traverse the wilderness and reach the end of the journey (Numbers 9:1-14).

4. In Deuteronomy 16 it is related to the land and the meeting with the LORD (Deuteronomy 16:1-2; 2 Chronicles 30:1-5; 2 Chronicles 35:1; 16-19; Ezra 6:19).

5. In Joshua 5 the people entered the land and the Passover serves as a retrospective to the starting point (Joshua 5:10-11).

6. In 1 Corinthians 5 it is said that Christ is the Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7b).

Our feast as Christians is only one feast. That one feast is when we gather around the Lord. All feasts, the feast character, are expressed par excellence in the worship meeting. Christian holidays do not occur in the Bible.

Unfortunately, in the course of Israel’s history, both the Passover and the Feast of Booths have increasingly lost their significance for the people of God. At the end of their history, when King Josiah celebrates the Passover, it appears that the meaning of the Passover has been lost since the days of Samuel: “There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet” (2 Chronicles 35:18a). For the Feast of Booths this is true even since the days of Joshua (Nehemiah 8:18).

The Passover is “to the LORD”, that is to say, in His presence, with Him (Deuteronomy 16:1-2). He desires that His people should come to Him. Thus the Lord Jesus speaks of “My guest room” (Mark 14:14), a room where He and His disciples will celebrate the Passover. The LORD fervently desires that they should celebrate for Him and bring Him what is due to Him, a rich sacrifice service of burnt offerings and sacrifices of thanksgiving. It is said here to the individual Israelite.

This section begins with “bread of affliction” (or “bread of misery”) in Deuteronomy 16:3 and ends with “altogether joyful” in Deuteronomy 16:15. When we come to Him, we do not only speak of the glories of the Lord Jesus, but also of our affliction or misery. We must not forget that, or think it is something inferior. At the end of his life, the great apostle Paul, who spoke of so many blessings, speaks of himself as the greatest of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). And the chapter on worship in this book, Deuteronomy 26, also speaks about that (Deuteronomy 26:5-8). We never must forget where we come from.

There is no exalted level without the ‘bread of affliction associated with it. We see this also in Ephesians 1 where we read about sonship, but connected with “the redemption through His blood” and “the forgiveness of our trespasses” (Ephesians 1:5-7). This is the “Paschal aspect” of the Lord’s Day when we gather as a church to celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table.

Passover is what God was for me, how He turned away judgment and delivered me from Egypt and brought me into the land. The Lord’s Supper has to do with the Lord Jesus’ request to remember Him in what He has done. In the Lord’s Supper we remember Him Who is the Lamb and has surrendered Himself in accordance with the will of the Father. The Lord also wants this remembrance not only to take place at His Supper, but “all the days of your life” (Deuteronomy 16:3). We must never forget that He redeemed us at the expense of Himself and made us His property.

The period of “seven days” (Deuteronomy 16:4) represents our whole life. Throughout our lives there may be present “in all your territory”, that is in all areas of life, nothing unleavened, that is something of sin. I have to think about that at the place where the Lord Jesus dwells. Nothing that defiles thoughts and hearts should be allowed throughout the land. That’s why we always have to add that ‘bread of affliction. This will lead us to be impressed by our salvation over and over again, and not to resorting to old feelings.

The Passover may not be celebrated at one’s own discretion or at a place of one’s own choice (Deuteronomy 16:5). The first letter to the Corinthians is the only one addressed in the full sense of the word to a local church (1 Corinthians 1:1-2). In that letter is written about the celebration of the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 10:14-17; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). This celebration is part of the local revelation of the body of Christ. There believers come together, not just in their own cities, but based on the oneness of the church. There He is in the middle.

We celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the houses. We may live, seven days, on from the Passover. This period is at the same time also a preparation for the next Passover.

The place where the LORD dwells is a wonderful point of attraction for the whole people. This is in the heart of Hezekiah. He sends out the invitation to all twelve tribes (2 Chronicles 30:1). The whole people must be welcome in that place. Some of them come to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:11). Then he can celebrate, even though many have not come.

The Passover is celebrated at the end of the day, at sunset (Deuteronomy 16:6). It symbolizes that the death of the Lord Jesus is a conclusion. The old is past. The evil powers have been defeated. The liberation is a fact.

In Deuteronomy 16:7 it seems as if the people return to their tents after eating the Passover. Nevertheless, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is part of it all. On the last day there is a solemn assembly (Deuteronomy 16:8). Then the feast is over, i.e. after seven days, and the people return to their tents (2 Chronicles 30:21; 2 Chronicles 35:17).

Deuteronomy 23:25

Introduction

With Deuteronomy 16:1-17 of this chapter, the section that started in Deuteronomy 12:1 is closed. It is its climax. This is not about the priests, but about the people in connection with the place the LORD has chosen to make His Name dwell. From Deuteronomy 16:18 onwards the constitutional aspect of the life in the land is discussed more, and this is directly correlated with the LORD’s dwelling place. They have to find that place.

The significance of the place is underscored by the obligation for all men to go there, three times a year, to celebrate there before the LORD. These feasts occur four times in the books of Moses. This does not happen as a mere repetition, but in accordance with the character of each of those books.

1. In Exodus 23 and Exodus 34 the feasts are mentioned a. in connection with the laws God has given Moses (Exodus 23) and b. in the covenant confirmation after the history with the golden calf when God acts in grace toward His people (Exodus 34). The feasts are connected with the covenant.

2. In Leviticus 23, the three feasts are called ‘appointed times’. They are in the priest’s book. The feasts are an opportunity to bring offerings during a holy convocation. There we also see the feasts in their prophetic context. They refer to time periods in God’s plan with His people.

3. In Numbers 28-29 the feasts are spoken about to the people in the wilderness, on their way to the land. God asserts His rights over the people. He calls the sacrifices on the occasion of these feasts, “My offering” (Numbers 28:2). That is to show what God desires for Himself. That is beautiful, especially in a wilderness situation.

4. In Deuteronomy 16 the feasts are connected with the place where God dwells. The whole people come together, not at the entrance of the tent of meeting as in Leviticus and Numbers, but in Jerusalem, near the temple.

Our meetings have characteristics of Leviticus. In our meetings with the brothers and sisters we express the unity of God’s people. It also knows the characteristics of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy everything is in the singular. It is not primarily about doing this together with all the other Israelites, but about a personal meeting with the LORD at that place. Thus, when we come together, we corporately, but also personally, bring our sacrifices of praise and thanks to God. God sees the heart of each of His own.

The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread belong together, it is a unity. The Feast of the first fruits is part of the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of the first fruits always is in the week of unleavened bread. Seven weeks later, in the third month, the Feast of Weeks is celebrated. In the seventh month, also three feasts are celebrated. So the three great feasts are in the first, third and seventh month.

These feasts are linked to the harvest. The Feast of the first fruits is celebrated when the barley harvest has ripened. Then comes, seven weeks later, the wheat harvest. Then the Feast of Weeks is celebrated with the first fruits of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22) in the form of the two loaves of bread. The next stage of the harvest is the wine harvest. Finally, the olives are harvested.

When the entire harvest has been harvested, the Feast of Booths is celebrated, the feast of the entire collection. Then the harvest has already been processed: the pressing of the grapes and the threshing of the wheat has taken place. From the very beginning to the final phase, from the first to the seventh month, are the harvest months. The feasts mark the beginning and the end of it: “Also [you shall observe] the Feast of the Harvest [of] the first fruits of your labors [from] what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in [the fruit of] your labors from the field” (Exodus 23:16).

Passover and Unleavened Bread

“Abib” means ‘green ears’. That speaks of a new beginning, it is as it were Spring. It starts with the sacrifice of the Passover. This is mentioned six times in the Bible and every time from a different point of view, i.e. aligned with the character of the book in which it is mentioned.

1. In Exodus 12 the Passover is called for the first time, there the feast is kept for the first time (Exodus 12:11). All subsequent times it will be a feast of remembrance, but the first time it will be the reality of salvation. It is the first feast mentioned in connection with entering the land. In Egypt it is celebrated in the houses. In the land, and that is what it is about in this book, it may only be celebrated in the place where the LORD dwells.

What once happened in the houses of the Israelites takes place in the land in connection with the house of God, the temple. It represents the central idea that God’s intention was to save a people in the midst of which He can dwell. He has not only freed a people from judgment, but done so with a purpose. This purpose is presented here, while we think back to what we can call ‘the birth’ of God’s people.

2. In Leviticus 23, the Passover is the starting point for achieving the sabbatical rest (Leviticus 23:1-5). The Passover is the beginning of the months (Exodus 12:2). In the prophetic application of Leviticus 23, the sabbath refers to the time when God can rest in all the creation.

3. In Numbers 9 the Passover gives strength to traverse the wilderness and reach the end of the journey (Numbers 9:1-14).

4. In Deuteronomy 16 it is related to the land and the meeting with the LORD (Deuteronomy 16:1-2; 2 Chronicles 30:1-5; 2 Chronicles 35:1; 16-19; Ezra 6:19).

5. In Joshua 5 the people entered the land and the Passover serves as a retrospective to the starting point (Joshua 5:10-11).

6. In 1 Corinthians 5 it is said that Christ is the Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7b).

Our feast as Christians is only one feast. That one feast is when we gather around the Lord. All feasts, the feast character, are expressed par excellence in the worship meeting. Christian holidays do not occur in the Bible.

Unfortunately, in the course of Israel’s history, both the Passover and the Feast of Booths have increasingly lost their significance for the people of God. At the end of their history, when King Josiah celebrates the Passover, it appears that the meaning of the Passover has been lost since the days of Samuel: “There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet” (2 Chronicles 35:18a). For the Feast of Booths this is true even since the days of Joshua (Nehemiah 8:18).

The Passover is “to the LORD”, that is to say, in His presence, with Him (Deuteronomy 16:1-2). He desires that His people should come to Him. Thus the Lord Jesus speaks of “My guest room” (Mark 14:14), a room where He and His disciples will celebrate the Passover. The LORD fervently desires that they should celebrate for Him and bring Him what is due to Him, a rich sacrifice service of burnt offerings and sacrifices of thanksgiving. It is said here to the individual Israelite.

This section begins with “bread of affliction” (or “bread of misery”) in Deuteronomy 16:3 and ends with “altogether joyful” in Deuteronomy 16:15. When we come to Him, we do not only speak of the glories of the Lord Jesus, but also of our affliction or misery. We must not forget that, or think it is something inferior. At the end of his life, the great apostle Paul, who spoke of so many blessings, speaks of himself as the greatest of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). And the chapter on worship in this book, Deuteronomy 26, also speaks about that (Deuteronomy 26:5-8). We never must forget where we come from.

There is no exalted level without the ‘bread of affliction associated with it. We see this also in Ephesians 1 where we read about sonship, but connected with “the redemption through His blood” and “the forgiveness of our trespasses” (Ephesians 1:5-7). This is the “Paschal aspect” of the Lord’s Day when we gather as a church to celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table.

Passover is what God was for me, how He turned away judgment and delivered me from Egypt and brought me into the land. The Lord’s Supper has to do with the Lord Jesus’ request to remember Him in what He has done. In the Lord’s Supper we remember Him Who is the Lamb and has surrendered Himself in accordance with the will of the Father. The Lord also wants this remembrance not only to take place at His Supper, but “all the days of your life” (Deuteronomy 16:3). We must never forget that He redeemed us at the expense of Himself and made us His property.

The period of “seven days” (Deuteronomy 16:4) represents our whole life. Throughout our lives there may be present “in all your territory”, that is in all areas of life, nothing unleavened, that is something of sin. I have to think about that at the place where the Lord Jesus dwells. Nothing that defiles thoughts and hearts should be allowed throughout the land. That’s why we always have to add that ‘bread of affliction. This will lead us to be impressed by our salvation over and over again, and not to resorting to old feelings.

The Passover may not be celebrated at one’s own discretion or at a place of one’s own choice (Deuteronomy 16:5). The first letter to the Corinthians is the only one addressed in the full sense of the word to a local church (1 Corinthians 1:1-2). In that letter is written about the celebration of the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 10:14-17; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). This celebration is part of the local revelation of the body of Christ. There believers come together, not just in their own cities, but based on the oneness of the church. There He is in the middle.

We celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the houses. We may live, seven days, on from the Passover. This period is at the same time also a preparation for the next Passover.

The place where the LORD dwells is a wonderful point of attraction for the whole people. This is in the heart of Hezekiah. He sends out the invitation to all twelve tribes (2 Chronicles 30:1). The whole people must be welcome in that place. Some of them come to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:11). Then he can celebrate, even though many have not come.

The Passover is celebrated at the end of the day, at sunset (Deuteronomy 16:6). It symbolizes that the death of the Lord Jesus is a conclusion. The old is past. The evil powers have been defeated. The liberation is a fact.

In Deuteronomy 16:7 it seems as if the people return to their tents after eating the Passover. Nevertheless, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is part of it all. On the last day there is a solemn assembly (Deuteronomy 16:8). Then the feast is over, i.e. after seven days, and the people return to their tents (2 Chronicles 30:21; 2 Chronicles 35:17).