Feasting With God
Leviticus 23
Lesson 10
I. Introduction
A. The Gregorian Calendar
1. The Big Sleep
a) British subjects went to bed on September 2, 1752 and woke up on September 14.
b) On that day, the British government officially switched from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar.
c) In order to account for the differences between the calendars, 11 days had to be added.
2. The History of the Modern Calendar.
a) Caesar ordered the changed to get the calendar back in step with nature (The Roman calendar had 355 days).
b) Caesar’s calendar erred from the solar calendar by 11.5 minutes each year (1 day every 128 years).
c) In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII adjusted the Julian calendar to our modern system of counting years. It errs from the solar calendar by 26 seconds per year (1 day every 3,323 years).
B. The Importance of Calendars.
1. There are of utmost importance to the modern world.
2. The Jews had a different view of the calendar.
a) Their calendar was based on the phases of the moon.
b) God gave them festivals to coincide with their calendar.
c) The festivals tied the history of the nation to the rhythm of the seasons.
d) Their calendar was a tool for the present, a tie to the past, and a view of the future.
3. In Leviticus 23, seven regular feasts (Plus A Onetime) are mentioned.
a) The Feast’s purpose – Commemorative, Instructive, Prophetic
b) Each had a fulfillment in Christ and the church.
c) Tonight Eight Festivals and their importance to us.
II. The Seven Festivals
A. The Sabbath – Rest for God’s People
1. This was the only festival that was observed more than once per year.
a) It was a day each week set aside for the rest and refreshment of the Jews.
b) It has its roots in the creation itself – Genesis 2:1-3.
c) It reminded the Jews that God was the creator and they were stewards of His creation.
d) The Sabbath was a covenant day between God and His people – Exodus 31:12-17
e) It was never intended for the Gentile world – Psalm 147:19-20
2. The Relevance of the Sabbath to the Christian.
a) The Lord’s Day is not the Christians Sabbath.
b) However the principle of a weekly day aside by the Lord is certainly seen in the Lord’s Day assembly – Acts 20:7
c) The shadow of the Sabbath is seen in the rest it offers.
d) Matthew 11:28-30 – The burdened find rest in Christ
e) Revelation 14:13 – The faithful in Christ find eternal rest.
B. Passover – Release of God’s People
1. The Jew’s feast of deliverance.
a) Established in Exodus 12 as the innocent lamb died in place of the firstborn through the application of blood by faith.
b) To reject God’s instruction (the blood offering) was to accept judgment and death.
c) Not only did the sacrifice of the lamb saved the firstborn from death, it provided nutrition for the journey ahead.
d) Passover also signified the beginning of the Jews religious year, marking a new beginning.
2. The Relevance for the Christian
a) 1 Corinthians 5:7 – “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”
b) The Passover lamb was to be a male in its prime without spot or blemish. Jesus was without spot or blemish – 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:22, 1 John 3:5
c) Thus Christ become our substitute for sin – 1 John 2:2, 4:10
d) Through Christ, the Living Word, we find strength and nutrition for our journey through life – Philippians 4:13, 1 Timothy 4:6
e) Christ bring a new leash on life to those that are cleansed by Him – 2 Corinthians 5:17
C. The Feast of Unleavened Bread – Removal of Sin
1. The Jew’s Feast of Purging
a) Biblically speaking, leaven was associated with the influence of sin – 1 Corinthians 5:7, Matthew 16:6-12, Galatians 5:9
b) The Jews were to remove all traces of leaven from their houses – Exodus 12:15-20
c) This would bring about ceremonial purity of the nation.
2. The Relevance for the Christian
a) Being a new creation in Christ, we are to purge our old ways, that is, remove the leaven from our lives – 1 Peter 4:1-5
b) We are to remove the leaven of malice and wickedness and replace it with the unleavened bread of truth – 1 Corinthians 5:8
c) We are to remove the leaven of hypocrisy – Luke 12:1
d) We are to remove the leaven of false teaching – Galatians 5:7-9
e) We are to remove the leaven of Herod (pride, worldliness, and indifference) – Mark 8:15
f) We are to remove the leaven of the Sadducees (unbelief) – Matthew 16:6
D. The Feast of First Fruits – The Resurrection of God’s Land
1. The Feast of First Fruits
a) On the third day after the feast of unleavened bread (Remember the first and last days of the feast were considered “Sabbath Days or rest days”).
b) It was a token that the first and best belonged to God.
c) It was to be done before the Israelites harvested for themselves – Exodus 23:19, Proverbs 3:9
d) It was a wave offering (barley) that was to be accompanied with a burnt lamb offering (12).
e) It was a reminder that God has restored the land once occupied by the family of Abraham and Jacob.
2. The Relevance for the Christian
a) The resurrection of Christ is seen in this feast.
b) 1 Corinthians 15:20 – “But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
c) The resurrection of Christ’s faithful are also seen.
d) 1 Corinthians 15:23 – “…Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.”
e) In this festival we see God’s acceptance of His Son (The Sheaf) – Matthew 17:5
f) We also see the acceptance of God’s faithful – Ephesians 1:6
E. The Feast of Pentecost – Replacing With the New
1. The Feast of Pentecost
a) Occurred seven weeks after Passover Sabbath on the first day of the week.
b) The offering would come from a new crop of the land, that is from wheat and containing leaven (2 loaves).
c) The purpose of the feasts was three-fold.
a. Remembrance of God’s provision.
b. Rejoicing for the New Land
c. Reflecting of those with need.
2. The Relevance for the Christian.
a) Seen in Acts 2 – The fiftieth day after the resurrection of Jesus.
b) A New Covenant would be ushered in.
c) A newfound reason to rejoice (Salvation in Christ) – Acts 8:39
d) A new and different priesthood – 1 Peter 2:9-10
e) A newly found spiritual nation for all – Acts 10.
F. The Feasts of Trumpets – Reaching People
1. The use of trumpets in the Old Testament – Numbers 10:1-10
a) To announce war.
b) To gather the people in order to move the camp.
c) To announce a special time or feasts.
2. The Feast of Trumpets.
a) Signified the Jewish New Year (civic) – Rosh Hashanah.
b) Prelude to the Day of Atonement and Feasts of Tabernacles.
c) On this day, Ezra read the law to the restored people of Israel – Nehemiah 8:2
3. The Relevance to the Christian.
a) There are two fulfillments of this feast.
b) The gospel going forth into all the world – Acts 1:8-9, Colossians 1:6, 23
c) The return of Christ to judge the world – 1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16
G. The Day of Atonement – Repentance and Redemption of God’s People
1. Afflicted People – Chapter 16
a) The people were to fast, pray, and confess sins.
b) The sins of the people were atoned for by the work of the High Priests
2. The New Testament Relevance
a) Through our affliction – Humility, repentance and confession.
b) Through the redeeming work of Christ (Our High Priest).
c) We are redeemed by His blood – Ephesians 1:7
H. The Feast of Tabernacles – Rejoicing in the Lord
1. The Joyous Feast of the Jews
a) The feast served as a reminder of God bringing the people into the lads of Canaan for a permanent dwelling place.
b) The feast occurred at the end of the annual harvest.
c) The joy of deliverance from Egypt and sin (Atonement).
2. The Relevance to Christians
a) We are reminded that we are pilgrims in this world – 1 Peter 2:11, Hebrews 11:13
b) We are the harvest of God – Revelation 14:15-16
c) We will rejoice at the harvest of God – Matthew 25:23
III. Conclusion
A. Feasts and the Jewish Calendar
1. Reminder of God’s goodness and blessing.
a) Weekly rest.
b) Freedom, purification, resurrection, renewal, redemption, rejoicing.
2. Christian and the Feasts.
a) A weekly reminder of God’s goodness.
b) Freedom from sin in Christ, purified with Christ, resurrection of Christ.
c) The New Covenant and redemption.
d) The reward for faithfulness.
B. Invitation
