Let’s Celebrate!

Read Leviticus 23:1–25:55

1. The Lord said to Moses,
2. “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as official days for holy assembly
3. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the Lord’s Sabbath day. . . .
4. In addition to the Sabbath, these are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the official days for holy assembly that are to be celebrated at their proper times each year.
5. The Lord’s Passover begins at sundown on the fourteenth day of the first month.
6. On the next day, the fifteenth day of the month, you must begin celebrating the Festival of Unleavened Bread. This festival to the Lord continues for seven days.” Leviticus 23:1-6

What is your favorite holiday or time of year? What do you do to prepare for it? What are some of the ways that you observe it? How do you feel after the holiday has passed?

Here, through Moses, God provides more instructions for everyday life through the establishment of feasts, seasons, and festivals. There are seven annual “holidays” plus the Sabbath year and the Year of Jubilee. God also presents rules for honoring him in the Tabernacle and for maintaining justice. God says that observing these holidays will make a big difference.

We can learn other, more specific lessons from these chapters as well: giving God the “firstfruits” of our labors; not using God’s name in vain; and having mercy on others (Jubilee). Consider all this a priority check.

Feasts played a major role in God’s plan for Israel (Leviticus 23:1-44). These feasts were different from those of any other nation, because being ordained by God, they were times of celebrating with him, not times of moral depravity, drunkenness, or indulgence. God wanted to set aside special days for the people to come together for rest and refreshment, and to remember with thanksgiving all he had done for them. They celebrated God’s goodness.

Much can be learned about people by observing what and how they celebrate. Consider your holidays and the traditions you observe. What do they say about your values? How do you celebrate? When do you take time to rest, refresh yourself, and remember God? Include in your calendar feasts and traditions that celebrate God’s goodness, rejoice in your fellowship with other believers, and honor the Lord.