The Book Of LEVITICUS
Leviticus 27:34 "These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for
the children of Israel in mount Sinai."
In this chapter God once again turns His attention to the seven feasts that were first described in Exodus:
1. Passover 2. Unleavened bread 3. Firstfruits 4. Harvest (a.k.a. Pentecost in the NT) 5. Trumpets 6. Atonement 7. Tabernacles According to the Moody Bible Commentary, the first three feasts occurred together in a period of eight days in the spring of each year. They were collectively known as the Passover. (v.4-14) The feast of Harvest, which later became known by its Greek name, Pentecost, occurred fifty days after the conclusion of the Passover, at the beginning of summer. (v.15-22) (In Greek, the word “Pentecost” means “the fiftieth day”.) The last three feasts were celebrated together over a period of three weeks in the seventh month of the year, and these became collectively known as the Feast of Tabernacles. (v.23-44) As noted in my earlier commentary in Exodus, these feasts were instituted by God for two reasons: 1) that the Israelites will always remember where they came from, Who it was that delivered them from their bondage in Egypt, and Who it is that is continuing to provide and care for them; and 2) that they might have a strong, central bond of community and fellowship not only with one another, but also with the Lord their God. No other nation in the promised land celebrates these feasts, and this is another way that the children of Israel are set apart as a chosen people who serve and worship the one, true God. Verses 1-3: The Lord begins this passage by once again emphasizing the Sabbath. It is a holy day, a day of rest, a time to focus entirely on God. The other six days of the week are for labor and toil, but the seventh is for rest. (Exodus 20:8-9, 23:12, 31:15, Leviticus 19:3, Deuteronomy 5:13-14, Luke 13:14) It, along with the feasts described in this passage, is a “holy convocation”, a phrase that appears eleven times in this chapter. (v.2-4, 7-8, 21, 24, 27, 35-37) (Exodus 12:16) The Hebrew word used here for “convocation” is “miqrâ” which means “something called out; a public meeting; a sacred assembly”, according to Strong’s concordance. The Sabbath and these seven feasts are to be holy assemblies of the Israelites, a time of gathering together to worship God, to thank Him for all that He has done for His people, and to remember where they came from. Verses 4-8: The Passover, celebrated on the fourteenth day of Abib (Exodus 13:4), is mentioned first because it’s the most important of all the feasts. (v.5) (Exodus 12:11, 13, Numbers 28:16, Deuteronomy 16:1, Joshua 5:10) It reminds the children of Israel of their slavery and toil in Egypt before God delivered them. They escaped His wrath because of the blood of the sacrificial lamb on their doorposts. God, in His great mercy, heard their cry and freed them from their bondage, calling them out to be His chosen people. For us today, the Passover was a foreshadowing of Christ’s death on the cross. We escape God’s wrath by accepting Jesus’ shed blood as the payment for our sins. We are freed from the slavery of sin and its primary consequence: death. The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is for the New Testament believer what the Passover was for the Israelites. It’s a holy convocation of remembrance of God’s salvation and deliverance. The feast of unleavened bread begins on the fifteenth day of Abib, and it continues for one week. (v.6) (Exodus 12:18) The Israelites are to do no laborious work in those seven days except for what is necessary for the preparation of the feast. (v.7) Per the instructions in Exodus 12, they are to also remove all leaven from their houses before the start of the Passover and this feast. What was not mentioned in Exodus but is stipulated here is a burnt offering that is to be done every day that week. (v.8) “The presentation of an offering that was totally burned symbolized the obliteration of one’s own self-centered nature. Believers today should consider that Christ, as their Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), has been sacrificed for a similar purpose for them (Romans 6:6).” Verses 9-14: The feast of firstfruits. On the second day of the feast of unleavened bread (v.11) the first grain sheaf of the harvest is to be brought to the priest for a wave offering. (Exodus 23:19, 34:26) This is followed by a burnt, meat, and drink offering. (v.12-13) The feast of firstfruits is to celebrate God’s provision and blessings upon His people. Verse 14 makes it clear that no other food is be eaten until all four offerings have been completed. The purpose of this command is twofold: 1) it demonstrates that God is to come first in the lives of His chosen people; and 2) it prepares the hearts of the people for the coming week of communal worship and celebration of all that God has done for them. Verses 15-22: The feast of weeks, or Pentecost. This, too, is a thanksgiving celebration of all that God has provided for the Israelites. It takes place seven weeks (v.15-16) after the first day of the feast of firstfruits, which equals a span of fifty days, hence the name “Pentecost”. Like the feast of firstfruits, this celebration lasts only one day, and it also begins with burnt, meat, and drink offerings. But a key difference with this feast is the initial wave offering of two loaves of bread baked with leaven. (v.17) The bread represents the results of the grain of God’s providence. And whereas the feasts of the Passover and unleavened bread specifically called for the elimination of all yeast, the feast of Pentecost allows for it. The burnt offering, too, is different in that seven male lambs and a bullock are sacrificed rather than just one lamb for the feast of firstfruits. There is also a command in verse 19 for a sin offering and a peace offering. Before there can be peace and fellowship with God there must be confession of one’s sin and a request of forgiveness. This is another reminder that the condition of one’s heart must first be right before there can be proper thanksgiving and a receiving of God’s blessing. Verse 22 reminds the people to leave some of their crops, as well as the gleanings, for the poor. (Leviticus 19:9-10, Deuteronomy 24:19, Ruth 2:2, 15) God is gracious and kind, ensuring that no one is excluded from these feasts. Verses 23-25: The festival of trumpets. This is a day of rest, same as the Sabbath, except that this holiday is the first day of the seventh month. The Israelites are to blow trumpets which will signal to the people to gather together for a holy assembly. (Numbers 10:10, 29:1) In the post-exilic period that followed their return from captivity in Babylon, the children of Israel celebrated this day as the first of the new year, what Jews today refer to as Rosh Hashana. The “…offering made by fire unto the Lord…” (v.25) most likely refers to a burnt offering. At this time in the history of the ANE, trumpets are used to signal celebrations and other important events as well as a call to war. Believers today look forward to the sound of the trumpet that will herald the second coming of Christ. Trumpets will also signal the judgment and wrath of God at certain times throughout the tribulation. (Revelation 8:2, 6[xxiv]) This festival and the gathering of the people was for the purpose of preparing them for the Day of Atonement that is described in the next few verses. Verses 26-32: The Day of Atonement. This is to be observed on the tenth day of the seventh month (Leviticus 25:9, Numbers 29:7), starting at sundown on the ninth day and ending at sundown on the tenth. Like the festival of trumpets, this day is a Sabbath, a day of rest, but it’s not a celebratory atmosphere like the other holidays and feasts described in this chapter. The phrase “…afflict your souls…”, or a variation of thereof, is used three times in these seven verses. (v.27, 29, 32) (Isaiah 22:12, Jeremiah 31:9, Ezekiel 7:16) To afflict one’s soul means to be genuinely humble and sorrowful for one’s sin and to seek forgiveness. Because the specifics of this day are already laid out in chapter 16, there’s not much detail given here. However, God does repeat the command that no work is to be done on this day (v.28, 31), and any Israelite that disobeys this statute is to be permanently exiled. (v.29) He expects His people to regard this day as holy and sacred, and their entire focus should be on Him alone. Verses 33-36, 39-43: The feast of tabernacles (a.k.a. feast of booths). Following the day of atonement, this celebration and memorial is to begin on the fifteenth day and last for one week. (Exodus 23:16, Numbers 29:12, Deuteronomy 16:13, Ezra 3:4, Nehemiah 8:14, Zechariah 14:16, John 7:2) The Israelites are to construct temporary shelters, or booths, in which they will dwell for the whole week. (v.40-43) As with the feast of unleavened bread, there is to be a burnt sacrifice offered to the Lord on each day. (v.36) All the congregation is to assemble on the first day and the eighth day to praise and worship God. (v.35-36) The purpose of this festival is a memorial to future generations of their ancestors’ life in Egypt before God delivered them, as well as their sojourn in the desert leading up to their arrival in the promised land. (v.43) (Exodus 13:14, Deuteronomy 31:13, Psalm 78:5) This is the reason for the temporary booths which are constructed of palm branches, willows, and other native trees. Believers today look forward to the second coming of Christ when we will finally receive our eternal home in heaven. We will exchange the temporary shelter of this life for a permanent mansion on a street paved with gold. Verses 37-38, 44: These “…feasts of the Lord…” are to be observed and celebrated in addition to all the other sabbath days, sacrifices and offerings that are commanded in the law. (v.38) (Numbers 29:39) Each of these feasts is a sacred assembly that requires the presence of the whole congregation. By properly and obediently observing these holidays, the Israelites will gain a true sense of community and family bond with one another as well as maintaining a close and proper walk the Lord their God. This will also show the pagan nations around them that the children of Israel are a people called out and separated by God for His holy purpose.
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