Title: The Feast that Sanctify the Chosen Ones
When the Israelites were coming out of the land of Egypt, God has given them a new calendar and established the Sabbath day system and all kinds of feasts. It means that God did not want His people to continue to live by the worldly calendar or worldly schedule but start living by God’s calendar and His purpose.
During the Old Testament time, only those who keep the feasts were regarded as God’s people. Therefore, we can say that these feasts were given to identify them as God’s chosen people and sanctify them to serve His purpose.
What does these feasts mean to us?
These feasts are shadow of Jesus Christ, we have to find Jesus Christ through these feasts (Colossians 2:16-17).
- The Passover (Exodus 12:3-20) – The feast of unleavened bread
The Israelites kept the Passover on the 14th day of the 1st month (Nisan) and for the next 7 days to remember their time of slavery in the land of Egypt. They ate the unleavened bread and bitter herbs: these following 7 days are called the Feast of the Unleavened bread.
A day before when the Israelites came out from Egypt, there came the last plague which is the death of all the firstborn. While the power of death overtaken the world, and everyone was in fear of death, the Israelites were told to kill a lamb and put its blood on the doorposts and lintel. Those who have done this would be saved. This teaches us that Jesus who is our Passover Lamb will be crucified on the cross and redeem us from our sins. Hebrews 2:15 says that Jesus will deliver those who have the fear of death which make them become slaves of their lives.
Since the Passover is to release His people from the power of death, when we truly believe in John 8:51, it is the moment we partake in the Passover.
During the Passover, as the Israelites were ordered to eat the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs, it is also called the Feast of Eating. In John 6:51-52, Jesus proclaimed that those who eat His flesh and drink His blood will have eternal life. Through this, what Jesus taught was that they had to believe in humanity of Jesus (flesh) and divinity of Jesus (blood). However, even the disciples of Jesus worried that this was too difficult to understand (John 6:60).
Leaven must be removed from their food and from their clothes, rooms and houses. Matthew 16:12 says that the leaven is the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. So, in order to have the true Passover, we have to clean out the old leaven from our ears and hearts and receive the pure message of eternal life and the pure message of overcoming the power of death. Do not mix with our human thoughts, do not mix with other things we heard before. Consume pure Word of eternal life that comes from Jesus, that’s the way to keep the Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).
2. The Feast of Weeks (Exodus 23:16, Leviticus 23:15-21) – Pentecost, The Feast of Harvest of the Wheat (The First Fruits)
After 7 weeks from the Passover, it is to give God the first fruit from their field. The first harvest does not only mean the first thing in timely order but the best thing as well. This is the feast to give God the best piece of harvest.
We as individual are weak and fragile. However, when we unite together and become one with each other and with Jesus Christ, the great power that established Early Church will be brought about and the great revival that thousands flood into His church will be happening.
The Israelites were told to remove all the leavens from their territory during the Passover. Therefore, this leaven in the Feast of Weeks symbolizes clean leaven that makes bread soft. When it comes to serve God as one church and deliver His message to others, we are ordered to bake
with leaven, we have to be soft and gentle. We have to equip ourselves with tender loving care and gentleness in serving God. As a bread baked with leaven (yeast) becomes big, the church that works with clean leaven will also become big and great.
3. The Feast of Booths (Exodus 23:16; 34:22; Leviticus 23:34-43) – The Feast of Tabernacle, The Feast of Ingathering, Thanksgiving Day
At the end of the year, the Israelites stored all the harvest to the barn. So, it is called the Feast of Ingathering. On the 15th day of the 7th month (Tishri), they went out to the wilderness and set up a tent and stay there for 7 days, thus it is called the Feast of Booths. The feast is to be kept at the end of the year (Exodus 23:16; 34:22).
The reason why they were ordered to stay in the wilderness after ingathering all the crops to the barn is firstly to remind them that if it was not God’s mercy, there is nothing they could gain freely. Secondly, as long as they endure it, they will return to the storehouse of God where everything is plenty.
Conclusion:
We have to fill God’s storehouse with fruits
Through the Passover, we have to receive the pure and clean Word of God. Through the Feast of Weeks, we have to go out and deliver the Word of God we received. And through the Feast of Ingathering, we have to fill up God’s house with fruits.
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 