Three times a year
you shall celebrate a feast to Me.
Exodus 23:14
I remember the first time that I studied these feasts. I wonder how many modern believers understand the blessing they have of reading the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament? I linger through the pages of the Torah, history, poems, and prophets. I linger, and I search, for what they have to show me about my Christ.
The Word of God is an amazing thing. The words of the Book simply and plainly lay out clear instructions to us and then those who are faithful to follow those clear instructions will be led by God into the very arms of His Son. Once in the arms of His Son the veil is removed and the wisdom and knowledge of our God that is allowed us in and through Him gives us insight into the Scriptures that literally floods our soul with life.
As we read through the common sense precepts and statutes that God commanded His people to observe we find tucked in Exodus 23 the three feasts that are in fact a picture of the coming Christ and the redemption of the world. We will look at these feast in greater detail in Exodus 34 and then again in Leviticus 23.
These feasts would bring the heads of the households of all Israel together three times a year. Three times a year they were commanded to come to the place of the ark of the covenant.
The first feast would be the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Every year the people would be called to come together and remember the Passover. They would come and they would remember their deliverance by the hand of their mighty God. They would remember that it was the blood of the Lamb that spared them from the wrath of the death angel.
Then they would come again for the Feast of the Harvest. The feast that would celebrate their fruit of the fields and finally the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year. Three times a year the people of God would come together, remember their deliverance, and give God thanks for His faithfulness.
These feast have more to them, but I don’t want to jump ahead. I want you to continue with me until we get to Exodus 34 and Leviticus 23 and as we look at these feasts again in the light of the revealed Christ… it’s absolutely breathtaking.
Trust me. Just keep following Him. Follow what you know and He will reveal more of Himself to you as you go.
Come with me and see for yourself.
Oh Father,
How very good You are. You have never left Your people in the dark about your purpose and your plan. You have always given us all the light we need to keep following You. You reveal Your truth to us as we need it. You show us the next step as we in faith take the first. You lead us into Your embrace one step at a time, precept upon precept, and Scripture upon Scripture. I will keep following the Way. I will keep following You. Thank you for never leaving me in the dark. The Light is always there if I will just get me out the way so I can see it.
My Jesus it is in Your name I pray,
Amen