Fall Is Coming
The themes of the feasts were woven into the very fabric of the nation, the family, and each individual.
Fall Is Coming
While driving to church and back yesterday, I couldn’t help but notice that the trees are already changing colors. The greens are fading into yellows, and soon orange, red, and brown will make their appearances. Autumn is coming.
With fall comes a special lineup of holidays and traditions. Turkeys, corn, apple cider and hot chocolate start to take over our menus while pumpkins, and leaves start popping up on our tables, walls and front doors. That’s how America celebrates the harvest and the change of season. Almost every nation and culture celebrate in seasons and holidays in some form or another.
The Bible, of course, has its own history of feasts and festivals. In Leviticus 23, Moses delivered to the people God’s divine appointment of seven extraordinary feasts. Each feast had a particular purpose and a peculiar religious/theological emphasis. The feasts gave the people opportunities to celebrate in a unique manner but, primarily, they pointed to God. They were times of great joy and celebration which included worship, praise and thanksgiving.
The themes of the feasts were woven into the very fabric of the nation, the family, and each individual. They allowed God’s people to break the monotony of their daily lives. Times were hard and the work was difficult. The feasts allowed the people to take a break, remember what God had done for them and experience the joy and love of God.
Most people do t realize it but the feasts also carried a deep and powerful spiritual purpose. Woven into each Old Testament feast is a prophetic foreshadowing of the redemptive work of Christ. Every feast points - in some way - to Jesus and His work on the cross.
Three of these feasts are right around the corner being celebrated in September and October. So, over the next couple of weeks, we’ll look at all seven of God’s feasts and what they reveal about His plan to redeem you and me.
Exodus 12:14
“Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance.”
Tomorrow: what are the seven feasts?
