Exodus 21-23

January 24

Exodus 21-23

God gave the Israelites three festivals each year when the people were to gather for worship. The Feast of Unleavened Bread also known as Passover was a time to celebrate God’s deliverance of the Israelites from captivity in Egypt. An unblemished lamb was slaughtered and eaten to remind the Israelites that the Angel of Death passed over them when the tenth plague came upon Egypt. All yeast, which represented sin, was to be removed from all the Jewish homes. The Feast of Harvest, also known as the Feast of Booths, celebrated the harvest of wheat and was held 50 days after Passover. It became known as Pentecost. The giving of the law on Mt. Sinai was celebrated on this day. The Feast of the Ingathering came in the fall of the year after the harvest. This became known as the Feast of Booths as they remembered their 40 years of wandering and God’s provision and protection.

Jesus sat with His disciples at the Passover meal and told them as they shared in the meal together; "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. “I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." (Mark 14:22-26, NIV) Jesus redefined the Passover. Through His blood we receive eternal life. The bread of the meal represented His body broken for us. The wine represented his blood, shed for us.

Pentecost was redefined when the Holy Spirit came upon those gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Harvest. The first harvest for the Kingdom of God occurred as the Holy Spirit came upon them, Peter defined the moment, and 3,000 people became followers of Christ and were saved. As we continue to read Exodus, we see that in Exodus 32:28 3,000 people died after the Golden Calf fiasco.

The Feast of the Ingathering or Booths used light and water imagery to remind the people of God’s leadership and provision as they wandered through the desert. Jesus went to the celebration of the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem; "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." (John 7:37-39, NIV)

The Old Testament law and festivals were fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the sending of the Holy Spirit. This does not eliminate our need to worship. We should be worshiping with all of our hearts as we remember God’s faithfulness to us. No one was to appear before God with empty hands. He wants us to give Him ourselves. God wants the best, the first fruits of who we are. Are you sacrificing to God today?