Leviticus 23 "The Holy Feasts"

Having set forth the requirements for maintaining the holiness of the priests

and of the sacrifices in chapters 21-22,

Moses now turns to the feasts of Yahweh.

The liturgical calendar of Israel was to structure life before the LORD.

Like the rest of life in the ancient world,

the agricultural cycle of planting and harvesting sets the tone for worship as well.

The various feasts of Israel were timed to coordinate with the harvest,

in order that they might bring their firstfruits and their tithes to the LORD.

Here we have a chronological description of the Lord's appointed feasts,

which were to be a sacred assemblies-or holy convocations.

Numbers 28:11-15 adds the "new moon" in the section describing the sacrificial calendar,

but since it was not a feast, it is not included here or in Deuteronomy 16.

The New Moon festival would become important in later Jewish worship

(Cf. Amos 8:5, Is. 1:13-14, 2 Kings 4:22-23)

In verse 3 we are reminded of the Sabbath.

Verse 38 makes it clear that the Sabbath is not itself one of the feasts,

but it is a day of holy assembly.

The name "sabbath" is not unique to Israel.

The Babylonian shabattu was the fifteenth day of the month,

but was not a day of rest.

But God transforms the idea of Sabbath in his covenant.

Man's seventh day partakes of the divine seventh-day rest,

thus becoming an eschatological sign

that Israel was called to enter God's rest.

The rhythm of work and rest in the Hebrew calendar is unique in the ANE.

As we will see in chapter 25, the prohibition of work is not absolute.

It is especially the ordinary work of the other six days that is forbidden.

The activities expressly prohibited in the Pentateuch were:

plowing and harvesting (Ex. 34:21)

Gathering manna (Ex. 16:16-30)

Baking and boiling (Ex. 16:23)

Lighting a fire (Ex. 35:3)

Gathering wood (Num. 15:32-36)-probably in order to sell to others.

The nature of the Sabbath assembly is not clear from the Pentateuch.

The language of "holy convocation" suggests that some sort of meeting was held,

but the only statement of what was done on the Sabbath

comes in Numbers 28, which simply gives the prescribed Sabbath offerings.

Verse four, however, starts the description of the appointed feasts.

The Passover is the first of feasts (4-8)

Notice first how the Passover is transformed from a domestic meal in Exodus 12

to a sacred feast in Exodus 13 and Leviticus 23.

In Exodus 12, the Passover lamb is slaughtered simply as a meal.

In Numbers 28 and Deuteronomy 16, we are moving toward the sacrificial meal.

(Eventually the priests will take over the job of slaughtering the sacrifices).

The Passover is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,

seven days where Israel would eat bread made from the fresh barley harvest,

but without yeast.

The Second feast has to do with the harvest (9-22).

This has two parts, but the absence of another "And the LORD spoke to Moses"

suggests that this was seen as one feast in two parts.

The Israelites were to bring the first part of the harvest to Yahweh,

which they could do at the feast of Unleavened Bread.

The "sabbath" spoken of here would be the Passover,

and the day after the Sabbath would be the second day of Unleavened Bread.

From the presentation of the firstfruits they were to count 50 days,

and on the day after the seventh Sabbath,

they were to celebrate the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost.

Notice that the Passover (or rather, Unleavened Bread) is a seven-day feast.

Passover ends with Israel still in bondage.

It is the feast that points to the future deliverance of Israel.

But the firstfruits of the harvest are to be brought during Passover

Since Exodus 19:1 says that the giving of the Law came in the third month after Passover,

Jewish tradition has related Pentecost to the giving of the Law.

(After the destruction of the Temple, and the harvest character was lost,

it became exclusively devoted to the law).

The last three feasts all were to take place in the seventh month.

The Feast of Trumpets was the first day of the seventh month (23-25).

This was the shophar, the ram's horn-to be distinguished from trumpets.

(See Num. 29:2-6, and Ezek. 45:18)

The blowing of trumpets signaled the coming judgment of God.

The Day of Atonement was the tenth day of the seventh month (26-32)

Here, as in Lev. 25:9, the word atonement is plural (kippurim),

suggesting complete atonement.

This is the only prescribed fast day in the OT,

and here it is explicitly stated that their sabbath rest

is to be from evening to evening.

The Feast of Booths was from the fifteenth to the twenty-second (33-43).

Exodus 23:16 and 34:22 refer to this as the Feast of Ingathering,

and give no date for it,

but Leviticus, Numbers 29:12-34 and Dt. 16:13-15 give more detail.

It is to conclude with a festive assembly on the eighth day.

(See also Ezekiel 45:25 and Neh. 8:18, and 1 Kings 8:65)

It is often called simply "the feast"

(1 Kings 8:2, 65; 12:32; 2 Chron. 7:8-9; Neh 8:14; John 7:37)

Verses 37-38 make it clear that these various feasts in no way alter Israel's Sabbath obligations.

Verses 39-43 contain further instructions, perhaps included after the first draft of Leviticus had been written.

What about feasts today?

Colossians 2 makes it clear that the Sabbaths, new moons and feasts of the OT

were shadows of Christ

V. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear, the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith, and reverence, singing of psalms with grace in the heart; as also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ, are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God: beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner.

24. Joel 2:12; Est. 4:16; Matt. 9:15; Acts 14:23

25. Exod. 15:1-21; Psa. 107:1-43; Neh. 12:27-43; Est. 9:20-22

Special times of fasting include Acts 14:23 where the elders are ordained with prayer and fasting

Special times of thanksgiving include Ex. 15:1-21 (celebration after the Red Sea), Neh. 12:27-43 (the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem), and Esther 9:20-22 (the institution of the feast of Purim)

We do not follow the OT calendar. The one NT feast is the Lord's Day. But the church may (and indeed should) have special seasons of fasting and feasting.