DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- IT'S PARTY TIME

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – IT'S PARTY TIME!

"And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, "The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts." (Leviticus 23:1-2)

God loves a party. When He commanded the children of Israel to have feasts, He proclaimed that they were His feasts. He wanted to meet with His people in these special gatherings.

In America, we have special days set aside for celebration, like Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, and others. God designated special convocations – National Days of Celebration. The first was the Sabbath – the day of rest – to be done every seven days. Next on the list are the Passover meal on the 14^th day of the first month each year, followed the next day by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Fifty days later came the Feast of Weeks, which we know as Pentecost. Then came the Feast of Firstfruits at the beginning of the harvest, when they were to bring some of the initial produce of their reaping.

The last National Holy Days were celebrated in the seventh month as three special days. First was the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the seventh month, followed on the 10^th day of the seventh month by the Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur. On the 15^th day of the seventh month was the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. This was at the end of the harvest when the fruit of the land had been gathered (see vs.39).

The purpose of the Feasts was to keep their focus on God. The Sabbath each week was a time of rest, reminding them that God rested from His labors on the seventh day. And so it was with the rest of the feasts. All the males were commanded to appear before the Lord GOD for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, reminding them of the exodus from Egypt when they departed with unleavened bread; at the Feast of Harvest, celebrating the first-fruits of their labor; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year after the harvest was completed (Exodus 23:14-17) – times of thanksgiving to God for His provision.

We do not celebrated these Feasts as Israel did, but we do need to keep God central in our focus. Observance of the day of rest each week when we come together as the Church is a holy assembly. Celebrating Passover and Easter important dates in our spiritual lives remembering Christ's death and Resurrection. And continual thankfulness for God provision – the Feasts of Harvest and Ingathering – help us keep our God-focus.

God loves feasts. Someday we will gather for a great feast in Heaven called The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. But every day with Jesus is feast day. It's party time!

Love, Dad