Southern Christian University

James A. Turner

THE THREE ANNUAL FEASTS

Introduction:

Primary references: Ex.12, 34:18-25; Lev.23:4-21, 33-44; Nu.28:16-31, 29:12-39; Deut.16:1-17.

1. All of the males were to appear before Jehovah three times a year. They were to assemble at the place that God had appointed, and they were to have with them the things needed for proper observance of the feast.

Deut.16:16-17:"Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which he shall choose, in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles; and they shall not appear before Jehovah empty: every man shall give as he is able, according

to the blessing of Jehovah thy God which he hath given thee."

2. God's providence was promised:

Ex. 34:24:"For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders; neither shall any man desire thy lands, when thou goest up to appear before Jehovah thy God three times in the year."

THE PASSOVER, OR THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

A. Things about the first:

1 They kept the first Passover in Egypt.

2. It was instituted before the event that it was to commemorate.

3. Each household was to put up a one year old male lamb that was without blemish on the tenth day of the month. The whole assembly of Israel was to kill their lambs in the evening of the fourteenth day (Ex.12:3-6).

4. They were to take of the blood and put it on the side-post and lintels of their houses (Ex.12:7).

5. They were to roast the lamb and eat of it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (Ex.12:8-10).

6. They ate the first Passover in haste, with their loins girded, with their shoes on their feet, and their staffs in their hands (Ex.12:11).

7. God said,"and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt (Exl2:13)."

B. Three fold design of the feast:

1. It commemorated God's passing over them and giving them deliverance (Ex.12:14-15).

2. The feast was a divinely appointed means of instruction for future generations.

Ex.12:26-27: "And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' then tell them, 'It is the

Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses

of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians."

3. It was typical of Christ the Lamb of God (Isa.53:7; in.1:29; ICor.5:7).

(a) The lamb was without blemish II Cor.5:21).

I Pet.1:19; Heb.7:26;

(b) Not a bone of the lamb was to be broken (Ex.12:46; Jn.19:36).

(c) It was killed by the congregation at even, and so was Christ (Ex.12:6; Matt.27:20; Acts3:17-18; Matt.27:45-54).

(d) The lamb was for their physical salvation, and Christ was given for our spiritual salvation (Jn.1:29, 3:16; I Cor.5:7).

(e) Its blood procured their physical salvation after they applied it to the side post and lintels of their houses (Ex.12:7, 13).

Christ's blood procures our spiritual salvation when it

is applied (Rom.6:3-7; I Pet.1:18-19; Eph.1:7; Rev 7:14, 22:14).

C. Christ instituted the Lord's Supper at the last Passover that he kept with his apostles (Matt.26:17-30; Mk.14:12-26; Lu.22:7-23; Jn.18:28-32).

1. It, like the Passover, was instituted before the occurrence of the event that it was to commemorate.

2. We would not observe it today if Christ had not died on the cross just like Israel would not have kept the Passover if God had not given them deliverance.

D. Why the two names?

1. Passover- God spared the first born in their houses.

2. Feast of Unleavened Bread - because it began on the day after the Passover and lasted seven days.

(a) Lamb killed on the fourteenth of their first month Abib (our April), and they were to eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first (Ex.12:18-20, 34:18).

(b) The first and seventh days were to be holy convocations (Lev.23:6-8).

(c) The unleavened bread and bitter herbs were to remind them of the days of affection in Egypt (Deut.16:3-4).

THE FEAST OF WEEKS, THE DAY OF THE FIRST FRUITS, HARVEST, AND THE FEAST OF PENTECOST

A. Why the different names?

1. Weeks - They were to number seven weeks from the time they put the sickle to the standing grain and then on

the day after the seventh Sabbath they observed this feast.

Deut.16:9-10: "Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: from

the time thou beginnest to put the sickle to the standing grain shalt thou begin to number seven weeks. And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto Jehovah thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thy hand, which thou shalt give, according as-, Jehovah thy God blesseth thee."

Lev.23:15-16: "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave - offering: seven Sabbaths shall there be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meal - offering unto Jehovah."

2. Day of First Fruits - They were to offer a wave offering of the first fruits of the wheat harvest.

Ex.34:22: "And thou shalt observe the feasts of weeks, even of the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end."

Lev.23:9-10:"When ye are come into the land, which I gave you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring the sheaf of the first- fruits of your harvest unto the priest:

and he shall wave the sheaf before Jehovah, to be accepted for you on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it."

Lev.23:14: "And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched grain, nor fresh ears, until this self same day, until ye have brought the oblation of your God."

3. Harvest - The feast had to do with the consecration of the harvest of the small grain.

4. Pentecost - It is not called by this name in the Old Testament. Of this matter McGarvey says, "But the fact

that it occurred on the fiftieth day, gave it, in later ages, under the prevalence of the Greek language, the

name of Pentecost, which is a Greek adjective, meaning fiftieth." The Pictorial Bible Dictionary on this point reads, "The name "Pentecost," meaning "50th", originated from the fact that there was an interval of 50 days between the two. The feast lasted a single day (Deut.16:91-11), and marked the completion of the wheat harvest."

B. What was the purpose of this feast?

1. Surely it was intended to cultivate in their hearts sentiments of gratitude to the bountiful giver of the harvest.

2. McGarvey says that it was the day on which the law was given on Mount Sinai, and The Pulpit Commentary says that

the ancient Christian Fathers suggested that it commemorated the giving of the Law.

C. Other important things relative to this feast:

1. The first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ at least marked the beginning of the kingdom of Christ and the inauguration of the New Testament (Acts 2:1-42).

2. It looks like the offering of the first fruits at this

feast was typical of the first fruits of the kingdom of Christ (Jas.1:18; Rom.11:16).

3. They were to have a holy convocation on the first day, and make free will offerings, and rejoice before Jehovah.

Deut. 16:10-11:"And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto Jehovah thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thy hand, which thou shalt give, according as Jehovah thy God blesseth thee: and thou shalt rejoice before Jehovah thy God, thou, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are in the midst of thee, in the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there."

4. Note that Lev.23:15-16 reads, “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave- offering; seven Sabbaths shall there be complete: even unto the marrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days: and ye shall offer a new meal offering unto Jehovah”.

This would make the feast come on the first day of the week.

THE FEAST OF INGATHERING, OR TABERNACLES.

A. The meaning of the two names:

1. It came after they had completed their harvest in every respect.

Deut.16:13-14:"Thou shalt keep the feast of tabernacles seven days, after thou hast gathered in from thy threshing-floor and from thy winepress, and thou shalt rejoice in thy feast thou, and thou son, and thy daughter, and thy man servant and thy maid servant, and the Levite, and the fatherless, and widow that are within thy gates."

2. It was called the feasts of tabernacles because they lived in tabernacles or booths made of branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees and willows of the brook.

Lev.23:40-42: "And ye shall take unto you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook, and ye shall rejoice before Jehovah your God seven days ------ Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are home - born in Israel shall dwell in booths."

B. What was the purpose of this feast?

1. It surely was intended to cultivate a joyous and thankful spirit on the part of all the people.

Deut.16:15: "Seven days shalt thou keep a feast unto Jehovah

thy God in the place which Jehovah shall choose; because Jehovah thy God will bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thy hands, and thou shalt be altogether joyful."

(a). We preachers may give people the wrong impressions

by saying, "If we still lived under the Law we would have to go to Jerusalem three times per year to keep the feasts."

(b). It was intended to be a very joyous occasion

2. The Feast of Tabernacles commemorated their sojourn in the wilderness.

Lev.23:43: "That your generations may know that I made the children, of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt."

3. The feast may be typical of our lot as Christians. (I Pet.2:11; Heb.11:15-16, 13:14).

Conclusion:

1. We should profit by the instruction (Rom. 15:4; I Cor.10:11).

2. Considering the amount of time and material resources that they spent in spiritual activities should impress us. Combine the regular Sabbath, the daily activity of the tabernacle worship, and the three feasts we have studied about, plus the Feasts of Trumpets, and the Feast of the Day of Atonement – etc., and we can readily see that much of their time was spent in spiritual service.

3. God wants us to give much spiritual service:

(a). Rom. 12:1-2; I Pet. 2:5; Heb. 13:15-16.

(b). Many Christians are not giving enough of their time and material things in spiritual service.

4. Let us consider and be admonished: Does God require less, or

more of us today?