Leviticus 23: Sabbath and The Feast Of The Lord

Leviticus 23: Sabbath and The Feast Of The Lord 

Collin Leong. September 18, 2024

In Leviticus 23, God listed out the seven Feasts that Israel must celebrate in one year. God said: "These are the appointed feast of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts." (v2)

Sabbath

Before God list the feasts, He spoke about Sabbath (Heb: Shabbat), which comes from the root word “shavat” (שָׁבַת), meaning “to cease,” “to rest,” or "to stop working".  Verse 3 said: "Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation."

The Sabbath is not counted as a feast, as Sabbath happens weekly from Friday evening to Saturday evening, whilst a feast happens once a year at the appointed time. 

This concept is deeply rooted in the biblical creation narrative, where God rested on the seventh day after creating the world (Genesis 2:2-3). It is a day of rest and worship, and no work is to be done. 

The Time Magazine describe the modern day Sabbath practiced by Israel: "Jews were prohibited from driving, turning electricity on or off, spending money, or using any kind of screen, including phones: anything that burned energy or distracted from reflection, prayer and family and communal time."

What Did Jesus Say About Sabath?

In Mark 2, the Pharisees criticized Jesus, for His disciples pluck the heads of grain as they were going through the grainfields. Jesus reminded them that David ate the bread of the Presence when he was escaping from his enemies and were hungry. The bread, by law can only be eaten by priests. 

In Mark 2:27-28, Jesus said  "‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.’”

This means the Sabbath is intended to benefit humanity, providing rest and spiritual renewal, rather than being a burdensome legal requirement. By declaring Himself “Lord of the Sabbath,” Jesus asserts His authority over the Sabbath laws. This indicates that He has the power to interpret and apply these laws, emphasizing His divine authority.

Jesus often challenged the Pharisees’ strict and legalistic interpretations of the Sabbath. By healing and performing acts of mercy on the Sabbath, He demonstrated that doing good and meeting human needs align with the true spirit of the Sabbath.

Why does Sabbath rest matter today? 

1. It reminds us of God's Covenant -  Exo 31

The Sabbath and the Feasts remind us of what God had done for the Israelites. It is also part of the 10 commandments: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy". (Exo 20:8)

In Exodus 31:13, God said that Sabbath is "a sign between Me and you throughout your generation. that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you." Those that violate Sabbath will be cut-off from the people.

When we take a rest in God, we should reflect on God, and what He did for us to save us, and to worship him and to praise him. This is what we do on Sunday, instead of Saturday, for the early church meets on the first day of the week.

2. It reorients us to God's Call - Gen 2:2-3

Gen 2:2-3 said that God finished his work on the seventh day, and rested from all his work that he had done. He blessed the seventh day and made it holy. 

John Kessler said: "God's rest is the rest of completion rather than restoration. On the seventh day, all God's work was finished."  

Conclusion on Sabbath

We find it difficult to rest. An X-Men character, called Jitter, is a Singaporean teenager named Sofia Yong. She was part of a group of new mutants called "The Outliers" and was officially introduced during Singapore National Day in 2024. She can master any skills or talent, for up to one minute. However, using her power for too long leads to an immediate crash. She must carry a stopwatch to manage her abilities. Isn't this a usual behavior of Singaporeans? We are smart and talented people, but we are asked to work endlessly till we become sick. 

According to statistics, nearly 87% of Singaporeans reported feeling stressed in 2023, which is higher than the global average of 41%.  About 16% of Singaporeans felt their stress was "not manageable". Singapore ranks low in work-life balance, coming in 32nd out of 40 cities in a study on work-life balance. (todayonline,com; statista.com)

We can rest from holidays, for we will be tired after the holiday, and we need another holiday to rest from the holiday, and so on. Saint Augustine of Hippo said: "Because you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee."  

Sabbath is not a holiday, but a holy day - we can only rest on God.  Rest is an act of faith in God, for we leave our worries, concerns, insecurity, financial issues aside to focus on God. 

"Rest is not an inner stated that can be produced by thinking a certain way or placing ourselves in the right conditions. It is obtained only by entering into a relationship. When we find Christ, we find rest." (John Koessler, The Radical Pursuit of Rest)

The Feasts

In verse 1 and 4, God said that he has put an "appointed time" (or appointed feast) for the Israelites to gather together and to worship in a holy convocation. In Hebrew, "appointed times" encompasses both the concept of a scheduled time and a designated place for these sacred encounters. For example, the term is used in the context of the Tent of Meeting (אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, Ohel Moed) in the Hebrew Bible, which was the portable sanctuary where God would meet with Moses and the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness.

The Feasts is the way God wants them to remember what He has done for them. These are the 7 feasts:

1. (v4) Passover (Pesach). 14th of Nissan, the first month of the year. To remember the time God spared the Israelites with the blood of the lamb on  their door post, but all the Egyptians' first born was killed. Because of this event, the Pharoah let them leave Egypt. (v5)  Israelites were in Egypt for 430 years, but became slaves to Egypt for around 210 years. Note that Jesus died during the Passover festival. 

2. (v9) Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot). In 15-21st Nissan, continued after Passover day. Jews are commanded to eat unleavened bread (matzah) and to remove all leaven (chametz) from their homes. This practice commemorates the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt, not having time to let their bread rise.  First and Seventh day, they shall do no work; They shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord each day. (v7-8)

The feast is deeply connected to the themes of liberation and redemption, reflecting on the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt. It also represent cleansing of sin, which is represented by the leaven. In the new testament, Jesus' death and his blood was to clean our sins away.

3. (v15) Feast of the Firstfruits (Bikkurim - literally translated to “promise to come.”). 16th of Nissan.  This offering involves bringing the first and best produce of the harvest to the Temple in Jerusalem as an expression of gratitude to God. (Exo 23:19; Deut 26:1-11) "‘With this gift I acknowledge to the Lord your God that I have entered the land he swore to our ancestors he would give us.’”  (Deut 26:3)

"And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the Lord, for a [b]sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin." (v12-13)  They shall not eat bread or grain until they brought the offering to God. (v14)

The firstfruits offering found its fulfillment in Jesus. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Jesus’ resurrection has paved the way for our resurrection. Significantly, if Jesus was killed at Passover, then His resurrection on the third day would have fallen on Nissan 16—the Feast of Firstfruits.

4. (v15) Feast of Weeks/Harvest/Pentecost (Shavuot).  Sivan (3rd month) (May-June)  "Shavuot" means "weeks" in Hebrew and it reflects the 50 days it will occur after the first day of Passover Sabbath (seventh Passover), usually late May to early June. (v16)  They are to bring two loaves of bread (with yeast) to be lifted up before the LORD. They are also to present seven one-year-old male lambs with no defects, one young bull, two rams as a burnt offering. After that, they must offer one male goat as sin offering, and two one-year-old lambs as a peace offerings. (v17-19)

The two lambs and the two loaves of bread belongs to the priests. It will be a day with no ordinary work. They are also instructed not to harvest the grain in the edges of their field, and don't pick up grain that was dropped -  they are to be left for the poor and foreigners. (v20-22)

The apostles and other followers of Jesus were gathered in Jerusalem for the Jewish festival of Shavuot when the Holy Spirit descended upon them in the form of "tongues of fire." "And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:3-4) This not just a feast of grain harvest, but also the starting of spiritual harvest. 

5. (v23) The Festival of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah). 1st day of Tishrei (7th month) (Sep to Oct).  This is the Jewish New Year. This festival marks the beginning of the Jewish civil year and is celebrated with the blowing of the shofar (ram’s horn), symbolizing a call to repentance and spiritual awakening. They are not allowed to work, but to present special gifts to the Lord (v23-25). 

In the new testament, the sound of Trumpet is related to the rapture of the church. 1 Cor 15:52: "... in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.... will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed."  (Also 1 Thess 4:16-17)

6. (v26) The Day of Atonement. (Yom Kippur) 10th of Tishrei. (Sep-Oct). The holiest day of the year, dedicated to fasting, prayer, and repentance.  "...it as an official day for holy assembly, a day to deny (afflict) yourselves and present special gifts to the LORD. Do no work during that entire day because it is the Day of Atonement, when offerings of purification are made for you, making you right with the LORD your God." (v27,28). The feast last for 24 hours, from sundown on 9th day, to sundown on the 10th day.

Leviticus 16:20-22## describes the ritual involving the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement. The high priest would place the sins of the people on the scapegoat, which was then sent into the wilderness, symbolizing the removal and forgiveness of sins.

The Jews understand the meaning of atonement. However, they do not believe that Jesus is the real scapegoat. One day, when Jesus comes again, they will recognize who He is and how they have rejected and killed Him. They will then  "afflict" themselves and deny themselves and accept Jesus. Verse 29 already cursed those who will not afflict themselves: "they will be cut off from his people." 

7. (v33) Festival of Shelters/Booths/Ingathering/Tabernacle. (Sukkot) 15-21st of Tishrei (Sep-Oct). This is to commemorates the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering in the desert. They cannot work on the first day and the seventh day. They will present special gifts to the Lord for each of the seven day. (v34-36)

The Lord asked the Israelites to remember this festival of booths. (v29-43) "This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.” (v43)

The festival of booths is not just for remembrance of the past, but a hope that God will one day dwell with them again. The festival points to the promise in Zech 14:16: "Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles."  (See Micah 4:2)

To God, this is a very important feast. Not only to remember the past, but to remember a promise where Jesus will come and rule the earth. As God had rescue Israel from Egypt, He will rescue them again in future from the surrounding nations and other enemies with Christ's second return. 

It is even stated in v39 that the festival of booths will happen "after you harvest all the produce of the land".  That is, Jesus will not come until all harvest of believers are completed, which includes Israel itself during the tribulation. As stated in Matthew 24:14 - "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

New Heaven and New Earth

The eight day is another holy day, to close the the festival of booth. They shall not work on that day and present special gifts to the Lord. (v36)

Could it be that the 8th day may have represented the end of the heaven and earth in Revelation 21:1 "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more."  This will happen after 1000 years of Jesus reign on earth. Then the Festival of Tabernacles by the nations will end with a new heaven and earth. 

Conclusion

The feasts were practice as a remembrance of what God has done for them, though from a Christian point of view, it also prophesy the future of God's Kingdom. These are the things to remember and it applies to both Israelites and Christian gentiles:

Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread -  We must also remember God's salvation. Jesus died on a Passover and justified us with his sacrifice, covering our sins without leaven. 

Feast of First Fruits - We need to remember God's supply and provision for our lives. We must bring our first fruits (giving). We give to Him and others because He gave us what we have. Even our life belongs to God.  Our things don't belong to us. We are only a steward. 

Feast of Harvest - We must remember to do spiritual harvest to continue what the apostles started on Pentecost. During the harvest, we must remember the poor and the foreigners, that is we must reach out to them where they are. This includes sharing our testimony, the gospel and to assist them to receive Christ. We remember God when we do this, as He is the ultimate one who can save them. We are just His instruments. 

The Day of Atonement - We must remember the death of the sacrifice, that is Jesus. The way Christians remember the Lord is through the Holy Communion. Some churches took the Lord's supper every week, and some every month. The frequency is not critical, but the faithfulness and purity of our hearts matter. 

"Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died." 1 Corinthians 11:27-30

The rest of the festivals point to the future, and we should remember that we will be raptured, and the nations will worship Jesus as their King of kings, and Lord of lords. It also remind us that the earth will not last forever, therefore we should spend our effort on the Kingdom's services and wait for our reward in heaven. 

For details of the symbolic representation of the feasts to the history and future of Jesus, please refer to the blog: https://christiandoctrines-clwt.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-seven-feasts-of-lord.html

Leviticus 

Appendix

1. Jewish months along with their approximate corresponding Gregorian dates:

Nisan: March-April

Iyar: April-May

Sivan: May-June

Tammuz: June-July

Av: July-August

Elul: August-September

Tishrei: September-October

Cheshvan: October-November  (also known as Mar-Cheshvan)

Kislev: November-December

Tevet: December-January

Shevat: January-February

Adar: February-March (In leap years, Adar I is February-March and Adar II is March-April)

These dates can vary slightly each year because the Jewish calendar is lunar, while the Gregorian calendar is solar12.