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The Lord prescribes feasts for his people to remember, rejoice in, and remind one another of his saving acts in the past and the future. These physical celebrations help us grasp by faith God’s spiritual provision and promises.
Traditions. Holidays. Anniversaries. Celebrations.
Are you a fan?
A pastor friend of mine is regularly letting our pastors prayer group know of anniversaries that his church is celebrating. Not wedding anniversaries, but ministry anniversaries. It might be an anniversary of the church’s ministry, or an anniversary of his pastoral leadership at the church. It sometimes catches me off-guard. We occasionally do the same thing. A couple of years ago, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of this church (previously “Community Life Church,” now “Sovereign Grace Church” and soon to be “mmmmmmmmm mmmmmmm church”. Come back or tune in next week to learn our new name.)
But, as we look at the subject of the feasts in the Old Testament, somehow these ministry anniversaries seem more on appropriate. We should have times (i.e. parties) of remembrance and rejoicing in what God has done and is doing in and among his people.
Today, we are going to look at three specific feasts in the book of Deuteronomy in our series, “God: the center of it all.”
I hope you’ll appreciate with me how God prescribes these very physical, tangible celebrations to help us walk by faith.
The Lord prescribes feasts for his people to remember, rejoice in, and remind one another of his saving acts in the past and the future. These physical celebrations help us grasp by faith God’s spiritual provision and promises.
We’ll approach the feasts by looking at:
Let’s turn to our passage in Deuteronomy 16 and take a look at the three feasts that Moses chooses to remind the Israelites of before they enter into the Promised Land. Before we read this somewhat long passage, I want you to give a few clues to help you listen.
There are quite a few other passages in the Books of Moses that deal with these same feasts. If you’re interested, you could read about them at length in Exodus 12-13, 23, or 34, or Leviticus 23, or Numbers 28-29.
But, here in Deuteronomy 16, Moses discusses the three feasts which warranted a trip to “the place that the LORD will choose, to make his name dwell there.” These are the three feasts that ended up including a trip to Jerusalem, at least by all the males in Israel.
Some of the other passages that deal with these feasts give more detailed instructions about how many animals are to be slaughtered, or more specific details for how and when the sacrifices are to be administered.
Here in Deuteronomy, Moses is going to focus more on the reasons—the “why” of the sacrifices. What are they supposed to communicate to the Israelites. What is the attitudes they should have during the feasts? So, as I read through vv. 1-17, listen for the “why” questions as well as for the words that describe the atmosphere of these feasts.
Deuteronomy 16:1–17 (ESV)
Moses gives them instructions for four separate feasts, though Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread get combined since they are together. There are some interesting historical details about agricultural feasts from this time period and how these feasts could be repurposing some of those pagan festivals for Israel. You could explore those through a commentary, Bible Dictionary, or some other source.
So, the Feasts we’ll look at are:
We are perhaps the most familiar with the Passover Feast because of its significance in the story of Israel’s history as well as its Christological focus in the New Teatment.
Passover is specifically a remembrance of the slaying of the firstborn in Egypt as the final plague that God used to convince Pharaoh to let Israel depart. God passed over the homes of the Israelites who put the blood of the lamb on their doorpost.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread may be less familiar. But it is described in Exodus 13, and is a reminder of how Israel had to leave quickly and eat unleavened bread for 7 days as they departed Egypt. This was a seven day festival that took place on the 15th-21st of the first month in Israel. This would be around April-May in our calendar.
As verse nine states, the Feast of Weeks takes place seven weeks after the Feast of Unleavened bread. Counted another way, this feast is 50 days after the Feast of Unleavened bread, which gave this feast the name “Pentecost” in later times.
This feast is also known as the Feast of Harvest in Exodus 23:16 or the Day of First Fruits in Numbers 28:26. Eventually in Israel’s history, this feast became associated with the giving of the Law at Sinai. This comes from Exodus 19.
Exodus 19:1 (ESV) — On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.
The Feast of Weeks would be in late Spring or Early Summer (likely in late May or June by our Calendar).
This could also be called the Feast of Tabernacles or the Festival of Ingathering. It took place from the 15th-22nd of the 7th month in Israel, which would be around the beginning of October by our calendar.
The Israelites (all the males at a minimum) were required to go to Jerusalem for a 7 day feast. They were to live in tents as a reminder of their wandering through the wilderness after they were delivered from Egypt.
Leviticus 23:42–43 (ESV) — You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
This feast was kept throughout the history of Israel. It was a time of rejoicing at the end of the year when all the labors in the field were completed.
Before we read through Deuteronomy 16, I encouraged you to look and listen for the purposes or “why” of the feasts, as well as words that captured the atmosphere.
These are the four words I wanted you to hone in on:
Each of these feasts was an occasion to remember God’s deliverance in some specific way.
In the Feast of Unleavened Bread:
In the Feast of weeks:
We already read from Leviticus about what they were to remember in the Feast of Booths:
Leviticus 23:42–43 (ESV) — You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
The Lord knows that we need help bringing his works of deliverance to mind. He doesn’t just tell us to remember; he gives us very physical expressions—festivals and feasts—to remind us of what he has done for us.
The second purpose of the feasts is rejoicing. God wants us to rejoice in what he has done for us. Though there are certainly some somber aspects of these feasts (God calls for “solemn assemblies in several cases). the overarching atmosphere for these feasts is that of rejoicing.
For the Feast of Weeks:
For the Feast of Booths:
Notice how inclusive this rejoicing is intended to be. It was to include one’s family, the Levites who did not have an inheritance of land, sojourners in the land, as well as orphans and widows. it was an occasion for lavish generosity and celebration.
This is a great reminder for us in our day to include a broader array of individuals in our celebrations, hospitality, and vacations. I’d be curious what ideas you have for ways we can share our blessings with others. This is generosity in relationship and community.
We actually looked briefly at this passage a few weeks ago when we discussed the tithe. There are several reminders to give at these feasts to support the levites and others in the community that were dependent on support
This sounds a lot like “remember,” but I’m actually trying to get at a different idea. Not only do we need to remember what God has done but we need to remind one another of God’s commands and promises for today and the future.
This isn’t directly commanded in this passage, but is implied. There are some hints of this in vs. 15.
We also see a reminder in vs. 12
So, we’ve looked at how God uses the Feasts in the Old Testament. He wants us to remember, rejoice, give, and remind others of his commands and promises.
One of the ways God uses these feasts in the story of redemption is to have them point to future deliverance in Christ. Now, let’s turn our attention to how each of these Feasts pointed to a greater deliverance in Jesus, the Lord of the Feasts.
Perhaps the clearest connection between the feasts and Christ comes in the transformation of the Passover Feast Jesus had with his disciples into the Last Supper.
Mark 14:12 (ESV) — And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
Let that phrase sink in. “when they sacrificed the passover Lamb.” The feast first commanded as Israel was being delivered from Egypt 1500 years earlier is about to be celebrated for the last time before an epochal shift in salvation history. The Son of God himself is eating the Passover Lamb with his disciples.
Mark 14:22–25 (ESV) — And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
For the first time in human history, the true purpose of the Passover Lamb is made clear. It wasn’t just a lamb sacrificed to rescue the firstborn in Israelite families enslaved in Egypt. It is the Son of God giving up his life to save all those who put their faith in him. He offers himself as a substitute for his enemies—the wicked, the undeserving, the ones who deny or betray him.
The Passover Meal can never be limited back to its original scope. It is no longer just about Israel. It’s no longer limited to the deliverance out of bondage in Egypt.
1 Corinthians 5:7–8 (ESV) — … For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Not only is Jesus the true meaning of the Passover Feast, he is also at the center of the Feast of Weeks.
As we said earlier, the main point of the Feast of Weeks was a celebration of Harvest. However, we also mentioned that Jewish tradition places some emphasis on this feast being around the time of the Giving of Law at Sinai (Ex. 19:1).
This double emphasis of harvest and law-giving paints a vivid picture in the book of Acts. Just as there was wind and fire at the giving of the Law to Israel at Sinai three months after the first Passover, now there is wind and fire at the sending of the Holy Spirit to Jews and Gentiles three months after Jesus the Passover Lamb was sacrificed.
Certainly too the prophets regarded as almost identical Yahweh’s two New Covenant promises, ‘I will put my Spirit in you’ and ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts’, since what the Spirit does when he enters our hearts is to write God’s law there, as Paul clearly taught.
- John R. W. Stott, The Message of Acts, The Bible Speaks Today, p. 62.
Jesus as the First Fruits of the resurrection from the dead in the Feast of Unleavened bread now ushers in a harvest of 3,000 souls at Pentecost.
Just as Israel was to rejoice and give thanks to God for his provision of wheat at the Feast of Weeks, now we are compelled to rejoice and give thanks to God for the harvest of souls which only he can bring.
Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship would be inconceivable, even impossible. There can be no life without the life-giver, no understanding without the Spirit of truth, no fellowship without the unity of the Spirit, no Christlikeness of character apart from his fruit, and no effective witness without his power. As a body without breath is a corpse, so the church without the Spirit is dead
- John R. W. Stott, The Message of Acts, The Bible Speaks Today, p. 60.
Though I had thought of Jesus as the Passover Lamb, and I’ve considered the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, I don’t believe I had given much thought before to our final Feast with regard to Jesus.
Let’s see how Jesus is the Lord of the Feast of Booths.
For the Feast of Booths, let’s turn in our Bibles to John 7.
John 7:2 (ESV) — Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand.
There is then some discussion between Jesus and his brothers about whether or not he will go up publicly to the feast. It’s an interesting dialogue between Jesus and his brothers with mystery and intrigue, but we won’t go into that now. Eventually, Jesus does go up to the Feast. This is likely getting near to the end of Jesus’ ministry. We are not chronilogically to his final Passover Feast which we’ve already read about from the Gospel of Mark.
John 7:14–16 (ESV) — About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.
Remember that the Feast of Booths is a seven-day feast. Jesus came up quietly in the middle of the feast and began teaching. There is growing tension between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders, and some in the crowd know it. As things progress, we read vs. 31.
John 7:31 (ESV) — Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
The Chief Priests and Pharisees are increasingly concerned and send officers to arrest him (v. 32). Events are about to turn a direction even they don’t anticipate.
Before we get to what Jesus says next, we should learn a bit more about how the Feast of Booths was practiced in Jesus’ day. Remember, we are around 1500 years removed from the initial instructions from Moses. That is 1500 years of traditions added to and placed upon the commands from Leviticus or Deuteronomy.
In first century Jerusalem, there were two aspects of the Feast that may or may not have been practiced in early Jewish life.
There was a ceremony of water-pouring and there were lots of lights. To set the stage, I’ll read a longish quote from D.A. Carson in his excellent Pillar Commentary on the Gospel of John.
On the seven days of the Feast, a golden flagon was filled with water from the pool of Siloam and was carried in a procession led by the High Priest back to the temple. As the procession approached the watergate on the south side of the inner court three blasts from the šôp̄ār—a trumpet connected with joyful occasions—were sounded. While the pilgrims watched, the priests processed around the altar with the flagon, the temple choir singing the Hallel (Pss. 113–118). When the choir reached Psalm 118, every male pilgrim shook a lûlāḇ (willow and myrtle twigs tied with palm) in his right hand, while his left raised a piece of citrus fruit (a sign of the ingathered harvest), and all cried ‘Give thanks to the LORD!’ three times. The water was offered to God at the time of the morning sacrifice, along with the daily drink-offering (of wine). The wine and the water were poured into their respective silver bowls, and then poured out before the LORD. Moreover, these ceremonies of the Feast of Tabernacles were related in Jewish thought both to the LORD’s provision of water in the desert and to the LORD’s pouring out of the Spirit in the last days. Pouring at the Feast of Tabernacles refers symbolically to the messianic age in which a stream from the sacred rock would flow over the whole earth.
- D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, pp. 321–322.
We are not exactly sure how long this ceremony had been part of the Feast, but it likely goes back to just after the exile. So, for hundreds of years, this has been one of the ceremonies. Each day, the High Priest leads this procession of water-pouring, looking for backward to God’s provision in the desert wandering, and looking forward to a time when the Messiah would come and pour out the Holy Spirit.
Now lets look at vs. 37.
John 7:37–38 (ESV) — On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
This is a “mic drop” moment for Jesus. It seems clear to everyone involved what he is claiming. The people wonder. The officers return to the Chief Priests empty handed saying, “no one every spoke like this man!”
It is likely that John 8:12 is still within the context of the Feast. Let’s let Carson paint this scene for us as well.
‘Men of piety and good works’ danced through the night, holding burning torches in their hands and singing songs and praises. The Levitical orchestras cut loose, and some sources attest that this went on every night of the Feast of Tabernacles, with the light from the temple area shedding its glow all over Jerusalem. In this context Jesus declares to the people, I am the light of the world.
- D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, p. 337.
John, of course, is a master craftsman writing his Gospel. His whole goal is to convince us that Jesus is the Messiah and that we should believe in him. He writes in 8:12:
John 8:12 (ESV) — Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
So Jesus takes two of the profound themes of the Feast of Booths of his day and invites us to see himself as the source, the emphasis, the point. It is no longer about reflecting on living in tents in the wilderness. It is about Jesus, the one who provided water from the Rock in the wilderness. It is about Jesus, the one who led them by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. It is about Jesus, the one who offers the true drink from which they will never thirst again, and the light which will lead them out of spiritual darkness into everlasting light.
Do you believe in THIS Jesus? Will you believe?
For the Christian, this isn’t really an end to feasting. We not only feast on bread and wine (or steak or pulled pork or cheesecake), but on Christ Himself. We are not limited to three pilgrimages to Israel per year. We are invited regularly to feast on Christ through the Lord’s Table, and we ultimately look forward to an even greater Feast than any we could imagine.
Revelation 19:6–9 (ESV) — Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
How would you suggest we put into practice a sermon on the Feasts? Well, we really should have had the Lord’s Supper ready today for a feast. That will happen soon.
I have one practical exhortation and one spiritual one.
First, don’t despise the tangible, earthly, physical nature of feasting together. God knows that we are flesh and bone, and gives us helpful ways to worship him through eating together and enjoying his good provision.
So, create opportunities and occasions to set aside special time for feasting together in order to Remember, Rejoice, and Remind one another of God’s faithfulness in the past and his promises for the future. Enjoy good earthly food and excellent earthly drink with a heart longing for true food and true drink which is Christ himself. Use these occasions to remind your children and your spouse, and your neighbor, the fatherless, the widow, and the sojourner of the steadfast love of the Lord that endures forever.
Second, hear and respond to Jesus’ invitation. He invites you to come to him.
Are you not yet a believer? Believe on him. He is the fulfillment and author of the joy and peace and and purpose that you so strongly desire and for which you so tirelessly strive. No other god can satisfy.
Do you already believe? See Jesus as the fulfillment of all God’s promises, and praise him as the true King that he is. Remember that even the grievous trials and tribulations of this life are simply momentary and light afflictions that will lead us to an eternal weight of glory. Drink deeply from the fountains of his mercy, forgiveness, grace, and love.
Cling to God’s Promises for a future of complete joy.
Say with the Psalmist:
See what Isaiah saw:
Respond to the final invitation in Revelation:
Let us feast on our Savior.
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