CELEBRATION OF GOD'S GOODNESS

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DATE:
Friday, October 26, 2018.

TOPIC:
Celebration of God's Goodness

BIBLE READING:
Leviticus 23: 1-22

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Qs. 2,7. See Questions HERE.

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DISCUSSION:

A list of holy seasons in the Israelite religious calendar is presented, ranging from Sabbath to the great celebrations of the Passover and Pentecost. The weekly Sabbath followed the pattern of God's rest from work of creation. It was time when all work ceased and the period of time recognized as the Lord's own day. In the New Testament, the first day of the week, commemorating Christ's resurrection, replaced the Jewish Sabbath as a regular period for Christian worship. It is also a time of instruction and fellowship. How much time do you devote to worship, fellowship and rest each Sunday? Our use of Sundays should not be primarily to catch up with domestic chores.

The most important of the annual festivals was the Passover. It commemorated the deliverance of the enslaved Israelites from Egypt by a mighty act of divine redemption (see Exodus 12: 11b-17). Like the Hebrew Passover, the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion focuses on the sacrificial lamb that brings redemption and spiritual security through shedding of blood.

The presentation of first fruits is given prominence here (vs. 9-14). The Lord gave the land and prospered the harvest. He must therefore be acknowledged. The feast of weeks is also called the Feast of Harvest, and linked with first fruits (v. 17). See also Exodus 23:16. The New Testament calls it Pentecost because it is celebrated fifty days after the Unleavened Bread (Acts 2:1).

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So then:

Meditate on the significance of the celebration in today's passage.

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Prayer:

Give thanks to God for His provision and saving acts in creation, passover and harvest observances.