At least eight times in Leviticus 23 these special days are called “feasts of the Lord.” Or singularly, a “feast unto the Lord!”

One of the Hebrew nouns for “feast” is spelled “chag” and implies both a time of gathering together and a time of festivity, joyfulness! The other noun so used is “moed,” also indicating a time or season for man to meet and worship his God! For communion, fellowship, harmony! (The first noun emphasizing the activity itself, the second emphasizing the time of year itself.)

God is literally in Leviticus 23 instituting/ordaining the annual “calendar” for Israel. “Worship cycles” one might call these Events!

These annual Meetings are: “Passover,” then “Unleavened Bread,” then “Firstfruits” (all in the Spring of the year). Followed (after an interval of fifty days) by the “Feast of Weeks” also called “Pentecost”… then later (in the Fall of the year) come the Feasts of “Trumpets,” the revered “Day of Atonement” and the final feast of “Tabernacles!”

Each is heavily loaded with spiritual meaning, with much beautiful typology!

But back to the first Paragraph above … “the Feasts of the Lord.” Not man’s idea, any of these. The Lord’s “doings” totally!

Way back in the Garden of Eden this tendency of the Lord’s was apparent … going down in the “cool of the day” to fellowship with His creation, with Adam and Eve.

Now officially, God instructs Israel to seven times a year (that number being used purposely, very meaningfully) come together and spend time in His Presence! (At three of those Feasts attendance was mandatory, required of all Jewish men … Passover and Pentecost and Tabernacles. Involving for many of them a long trip to Jerusalem!)

Yes, these are the Lord’s Feasts!

Much as we now called Sunday, the first day of the week, “the Lord’s Day!”

But look at this please.

When Jesus came to earth (via the Virgin Birth) the leadership of Israel, priests and judges) had so polluted those feasts that the Gospels no longer call them the “Feasts of the Lord” … but rather “the Feasts of the Jews!” See John 5:1 and John 6:4, for examples.

Talk about digression, apostasy!

Wow!

Let’s (this week and next) study each of these seven Feasts of the Lord … in chronological order … and see what the Holy Spirit might teach us.

Sounds interesting.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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