Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in
the year: You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat
unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the
month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me
empty); and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have
sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when
you have gathered in [the fruit of] your labors from the field. Exodus
23:14-16 NKJV
Feast of
Unleavened Bread
Feast of Harvest
or Pentecost
Feast of
Ingathering, Tabernacles or Sukkot
These are the only Feasts for which the men
of Israel were to appear before the Lord God at the Temple when it was still in
existence. There were other festivals, convocations, or statues that God
indicated that have been called by a “feast” name including Passover; Trumpets,
also known as Rosh Hashanah; Day of Atonement, called Yom Kippur; and the Feast
(convocation) of Sacred Assembly, which occurs after the Feast of Tabernacles.
 |
| Grain Harvest in Israel |
The next festival to occur is the Feast of
Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Ingathering since it is at the end of
the harvest season. Another significance to this Festival is to remind the Jews
of their exodus from Egypt—how God cared for and provided for them as they
lived in little make-shift dwellings for forty years. Jews typically make
little shelters at their homes where they eat meals, entertain family and
friends and maybe even sleep there. The festival begins of the fifteenth day of
the seventh month, Tishri. The beginning of its observation is only five days
after the end of Yom Kippur, so this festival begins on October 6th
and ends on October 12th this year.
Are these Feasts or Festivals only for
Jews? No. They are part of the Christian heritage and were celebrated by Jesus
as noted in the Gospels and then by the disciples in the book of Acts. How each
person chooses to commemorate these Festivals is up to them. Do you feel called
to celebrate these Jewish Feasts?
Prayer
~ Lord God, I praise You for your plan of Festivals. They provide opportunities
to corporately and individually worship You…to seek to know You more fully…and
to grow in obedience to You. May all that I do in this coming year please You.
Daily
Bible Reading: Luke 1; John 1
If you are following this daily Bible
reading plan, you will note that we have finished reading the entire Old
Testament and beginning today we are starting the New Testament. Congratulate
yourself if you are up to date on this reading plan! Well done! I am proud of
myself for getting through the OT!
©
2017 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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