REMEMBERING THE PAST
Opening Prayer
Lord, teach me to offer you thanksgiving and praise in everything I do, in every circumstance you lead me through.
Read LEVITICUS 23:23–44
The Festival of Trumpets
23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the Lord.’”
The Day of Atonement
26 The Lord said to Moses, 27 “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves,[a] and present a food offering to the Lord. 28 Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God. 29 Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people. 30 I will destroy from among their people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32 It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”
The Festival of Tabernacles
33 The Lord said to Moses, 34 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. 36 For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.
37 (“‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing food offerings to the Lord—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbaths and[b] in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the Lord.)
39 “‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. 40 On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters 43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”
44 So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed festivals of the Lord.
Footnotes
- Leviticus 23:27 Or and fast; similarly in verses 29 and 32
- Leviticus 23:38 Or These festivals are in addition to the Lord’s Sabbaths, and these offerings are
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
Are you ready for God’s final call, whatever time it may be?
Think Further
All the three festivals here take place in the seventh month of the Jewish religious calendar. However, the Festival of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah, is the New Years Day of the civil calendar. Trumpet blasts first brought the fear of God to the hearts of the Israelites on Mount Sinai at the giving of the Law. We are not told who blew the trumpets at that time,1 but it will be the responsibility of angels at the end of time.2 The sound of the trumpet, the shofar, summoned the nation to action, either in worship or in war, and blowing it was part of the responsibilities of the sons of Aaron as priests.3 Many consider it the main object of the Festival of Trumpets to prepare hearts and minds in repentance for the Day of Atonement which follows ten days later.
The children of Israel were familiar with the concept of atonement, from the ministries of both Moses and Aaron.4 It all culminated annually in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is regarded by Jews as the holiest day of the year. They observe it with fasting, confession, and worship services.
Finally, there is Sukkot, the Festival of Tabernacles (or Feast of Booths), which brings to annual remembrance the way Israel lived for 40 years in their journey through the wilderness. The lesson for us as Christians is that the Son of God came in person to ‘tabernacle’ – to pitch his tent – with the children of men. All these past events prepare us for the future. One of these days, the trumpet of God will sound and our atonement will be fully consummated.
Apply
‘When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there!’5 What are you doing today to be sure?
Closing prayer
Thank you, Lord God that in Jesus, you have provided for my every earthly and eternal need, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
1 Exod 19:16,19; 20:18 2 1 Thess 4:16; Rev 8 3 Num 10:2–10 4 Exod 25:17; Lev 5:13, 16 5 James M Black, ‘When the trumpet of the Lord’, 1893
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