Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

The offerings were holy. That is the main thrust of Chapter 22. They are holy and – as He said several times already – God is SERIOUS about holiness. Not just because He IS holy, but also because everything about the priests and the sacrifice was pointing to the PERFECT and ONLY ACCEPTABLE sacrifice: Jesus. God is so serious about it that if you handled holy things in a disrespectful manner, He considered it defiling His Holy Name (verse 2). If anyone approached the holy things while being unclean, God would cut that person off from His presence. Some think that this means they would not be able to serve as a priest until their uncleanness was lifted. That is certainly a possibility. But I lean toward those who think that this means it was a capital offense. This isn’t someone accidentally being unclean. This is someone who KNOWS they are unclean. God is serious about holiness. While being cut off (which is being killed, not banished) is here uniquely coupled with ‘from my presence’, every other time it is mentioned it’s as a capital crime punished by death. I feel there is EVERY reason to believe this was punishable by death here as well – especially because of Aaron’s sons (Leviticus 10:1-2).

If you were a leper, or had a discharge, or had touched a dead body or a creeping thing or another unclean person, you couldn’t eat your share of the offerings. You were also unclean until evening and had to wash to be clean (washing first). After the sun went down, you could eat again – this was their FOOD. If they didn’t follow the rules, they would bear sin from it and die if they defiled it (reinforcing my belief in the cut off phrase above).

No outsiders, guests, or hired servants could eat of the holy offerings. Only priests and their immediate family or those born in the house or indentured servants (the permissible slaves) of the priest’s house. If someone not permitted accidentally ate of it, it was to be restored (bringing another offering) and add a fifth to it – just like in a case of theft.

The offerings given were to be freely given. They were to be free of blemish or defect. It didn’t matter if it was scabs, blindness, uneven limbs, maimed, or something else. The BEST was to be offered freely and NOTHING grudgingly. You were to respect life and the propitiation of a species and not kill a mother animal and offspring on the same day.

All this was to be done because God was holy and His people and priests were to be holy. He was God and had brought them out of Egypt and He wanted them to hold to very high standards. Jesus was NEVER defiled or had ANY sin at all. Jesus PERFECTLY performed the offering that these Levitical priests were demonstrating in shadow and type. Jesus FREELY gave Himself of His OWN free will to be a sacrifice (John 10:18). Jesus was BLEMISHLESS. Jesus was holy as the Father is holy and was the complete fulfilment of this sacrificial system.

“Speak to the Israelites, and say to them, ‘The festivals of Yahweh that you shall proclaim are holy assemblies; these are my appointed times.” (Leviticus 23:2)

Sabbath was to be kept. It was the diamond on the ring of their betrothal to God (when the Law was given and God entered into covenant with them – Exodus 24:4-8). This wasn’t a burdensome day, but a drawing near to their beloved (Isaiah 56:6-7). They were not to work, but to lean into the understanding that they were provided for by God. As New Covenant believers we’re free of the restriction to days and rules (Galatians 4:9-11), but we still need a day of rest. We can still use a day of convocation (gathering together in unity). Sabbath (regardless of the day it is done) can be both a rest to us and a group reminder of our spiritual rest in Jesus – as well as the prophesied Messianic Rest coming at the end of days. Reminders are a good idea. We, as people, need to continually bring our eyes back onto God and His works and Word – Sabbath is a great way to do that.

The Feasts were feasts of JOY and thanksgiving – although some had fasting, not feasting as a focus. They were to be celebrated, but not just anytime. They were to be at specific times and specific dates. They were holy convocations – group worship and fellowship. A time of unity as a nation, especially in their attitude toward God.

The first four feasts of God (three spring and one early summer) are symbolic of Jesus’ first ministry here on Earth. Passover is Jesus’ blood. Unleavened Bread speaks to Jesus’ burial and His holiness and completeness. Firstfruits speaks to Jesus’ resurrection and His being the firstborn of the dead (into eternal living). The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) speaks of the harvest of souls and birth of the church (as well as bringing the Gentiles into the family – more of that in a bit). The first three are the Gospel seed (or message) and the fourth the start of the harvest of that seed.

The last feasts speak of Jesus’ coming return and second ministry here on Earth. There is a gap between them as these are all Fall feasts, which speaks to the Church Age and the harvest of souls that is continuing. The Feast of Trumpets speaks to the rapture and the gathering of Israel into knowledge of Jesus as Messiah (those who had not had that knowledge yet). The Day of Atonement points to Jesus’ work as our sacrifice (see the first three feasts), but also to the renewal in totality of Israel as a full nation as well as the completion of restoration of all Jews who had not believed in Jesus as Messiah into a full trust in Him – becoming a light and beacon to the rest of the world. The Feast of Tabernacles points to the Millenial Rest of Jesus’ Kingdom and the fulfilment of Sabbath (Zechariah 14:16-19).

Passover was a commemoration of what God did bringing them out of Egypt. It was one of three commanded feasts. It was also the Feast during which Jesus was sacrificed. It was on the 14th day of the 1st month at twilight (Exodus 12:1-27). The lambs were brought into Jerusalem and examined for four days, then sacrificed on the 14th day. Jesus also entered Jerusalem with the lambs (triumphal entry), was ‘examined’ four days, and was sacrificed on the 14th day (a Wednesday if you’re counting).

Immediately afterward began the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the 15th day of the first month. It was a seven day feast – the first and last days were Sabbaths. The unleavened bread was full of striped and holes, speaking to the stripes and piercings of Jesus. It was a direct example of the need to die to self. It was a festival to bring unity and get into one accord with God.

On the 8th day, there was the Feast of Firstfruits (barley harvest). The barley was cut off at the ground and lifted up, presented as a wave offering of firstfruits. It was given as a commanded feast when they had no crops at all. It was a command with a promise because it couldn’t be fulfilled unless they went into the Land of Promise. God told them to keep it WHEN they had a harvest – a promise to hold to. Just like this wave offering, Jesus was cut off from the living (Isaiah 53:8) and lifted up to His Father (John 20:17). All three of these festivals happened within a 9-day period.

Next, there was a counting of 50 days (counting the Omer) – a complete seven sabbaths. This was the Feast of Weeks (wheat harvest) which had mandatory attendance. This was an important day within the oral Torah where several things were believed to have happened on this day: Noah leaving the ark for the first time, Issac being born, and the Ten Commandments and the Law given. We know the Holy Spirit came on this day, which also marked the beginning of Jesus’ role as our High Priest in Heaven. This day was a day of Covenant with God – He always makes or renews covenant on this day. During this festival, two pieces of bread made with leaven were to be waved as part of the offering and then eaten with the sacrifice – unusual. This prophetically signified the future joining of the Gentiles into the family of God. This festival was a call to be right with God. To be unified and in faithfulness to the scriptures – they counted the 50 day period preceding it and found a new way every day to get right mentally with the Lord. As New Covenant believers, this is the day the Spirit of Truth (Holy Spirit) descended with a harvest of new believers. It was the manifestation of John 17:17 where He comes to help us return to the Word to understand the truth to be sanctified, which means to be set apart. There is no holiness without the Word and no understanding of it without His Truth.

Thrown at the end of the Feast of Weeks is a reminder that they were to leave parts of their fields unharvested (another command with a promise of fulfillment in a land they weren’t in yet). This was a reminder to care for the poor and the stranger. But note, it was left for them but not GIVEN. The poor and the stranger had to WORK to get it. It was there, but needed to be collected.

Next came the Feast of Trumpets – which is believed to be the prophesied Day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16) or rapture. This was a new moon festival, which was always held over two days. This was because you can’t see the moon and so don’t know which of the two days is the actual day on which the feast fell. It happened on the first day of the seventh month.

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) was next, seven days later (tenth day of the seventh month). Seven days was the traditional time that a bride spent waiting for the bridegroom. The veil was dropped over her face (trumpets) and lifted when the bridegroom returned (1 Corinthians 13:12). this was the day kings were crowned and the Year of Jubilee announced. It’s believed Jesus will return with His holy ones (His bride), which will be a day of atonement for the faithful and a day of judgement for the world – which speaks to the two goats on the Day of Atonement. This was a day (from the 9th until the start of the 10th) spent getting right with God and denying yourself. If you did NOT deny yourself and get right with God it was capitally punished (presumably by God Himself who knows our hearts – 1 Samuel 16:7). They were NOT to work, symbolizing that we cannot save ourselves.

Five days now pass. Which is the EXACT time of a wedding feast (Revelation 19:7-9). Ezekiel also prophesied a feast of vultures many believe will happen when the Lamb is feasting with His bride (Ezekiel 39:4).

Sukkot (feast of tabernacles) started on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. It had mandatory attendance and many believe it was during this feast that Jesus was born. This was a seven day feast and celebration. On the first day they were to take branches from the date palm, myrtle, curly willow, and etrog and rejoice before the Lord. They were to build booths and live in them – a reminder of their time in the desert. The first and last days (8th day, see below) were to be a Sabbath. No work. Those branches were interesting. Date palms have fruit, but no fragrance. Myrtle has fragrance, but no fruit. Curly willow had no fruit or fragrance. And etrog has a beautiful fragrance and fruit. This speaks to the four types of people – now and also prophetically who will be found when Jesus is reigning as Messiah. Some people have good works, but don’t know why – they don’t have the Word, they just feel they should be good people. Some people have the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), but don’t apply it into good works (which is the evidence of fully planted vines – James 2:17-20). Some people don’t have the Fruit OR good works, and will be saved as though through a fire (1 Corinthians 3:15). But others have a full manifestation of the Spirit of Truth dwelling in them having both the Fruit and the good works that are such a refreshing fragrance.

On the 8th day, there was a feast of rejoicing (Simcha Torah). This feast looks forward to the total restoration of all things at the end of the Millennial Reign – the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21. The time when we will have the fullness of the promise of Torah written onto our hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

These are the days and the festivals of the Lord God Almighty. They were to keep them and to be holy. He was (and is) their God.

Summary

Key Players: God

Key Themes: Separated, Convocation, Relationship

Key Verse(s): Leviticus 22:31-33; 23:2