Monday - Leviticus 23 – What is a Feast?

Well, what is not a feast? Famine or fasting is certainly not a feast. Neither is a feast an average or daily routine. In modern terms, we might call it a party, a holiday or a celebration. God called these occasions "feasts" and He instructed the Jews to observe 7 different feasts annually.  Here they are by title: Passover (Leviticus 23:4-5), Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6-8), First-fruits (Leviticus 23:9-14), Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-21), Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah (Leviticus 23:23-25), Atonement or Yom Kippur (Leviticus 23:26-32) & Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-44).

Clearly there is a great emphasis on the purpose and focus of a feasts. The same God who commanded feasts also condemned gluttony. Of course, the feasts were not just about eating. In fact, the word is really much more general than that. Feasts were meetings; appointments; assemblies. They were festive events associated with historically noteworthy happenings ... quite literally, they were spiritual festivals.

Each one of the seven annual feasts parallels with Messianic occasions. The first coming of Christ appears to fit perfectly with the first four feasts, while the last three fit more with His second advent... an event that we still await. I know, the atmosphere in this dispensation is supposed to be one of liberty, simplicity and heart... not ritual and restriction, but, sometimes love is at its best when it is intentional, organized and scheduled.