SCRIPTURE: Leviticus 23
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [Matthew 8:11-12]
In today’s reading from Leviticus, the Lord mentions the many festivals the people were to commemorate.
Weekly, monthly, and yearly the people were to enjoy rest, to be reminded of God’s mercy, and to celebrate His goodness.
The Sabbath Day, Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles were occasions to assemble for worship and celebration.
Please note, the Lord wants to party with us, in the best sense of the term!
Jesus also affirms that we will spend eternity celebrating and feasting with Him.
At least, those who want to; apparently not everyone will want to join in that eternal feast.
The Lord is not out to take away all fun.
Instead He wants to help us celebrate and part in the best, most appropriate way.
We were created to glorify and enjoy the Lord, not just slavishly cower before Him.
Though the many laws about sacrifice and cleanness seem to be the opposite of fun and joy, they were necessary boundaries put in place for the people UNTIL Jesus came.
Now He has dealt with the problem of sin, death and hell once and for all, and the eternal party is beginning.
The feast is both already and not yet.
We are tasting the firstfruits of the eternal feast by the Spirit, in whom we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
But we have just tasted the Lord’s goodness, the best is yet to come.
In addition, our joy is qualified by the many around us still wallowing in misery, famished before the spread table.
Apparently not everyone will want to join in that eternal feast.
And sad to say, many who miss out will be the ones who should have known better.
Someone once described eternal life and eternal death this way.
Two rooms with people seated around a table, with a great bowl of wonderful stew, and long spoons fastened to their hands, too long to reach their own mouths.
In hell, everyone starves because everyone only thinks to feed themselves, and cannot, because the spoon can’t reach their own mouth.
While with Jesus in eternity, each one is well fed because they feed each other!
The Lord wants us to celebrate His mercy, His goodness.
There are opportunities everyday to celebrate, to give thanks, to remember, to believe.
Our feast includes the communion meal, a regular occasion to celebrate and give thanks.
Though maybe, maybe we should increase the portions, make it more of a feast, a celebration, an occasion to remember His mercy and goodness.
PRAYER:
Lord, forgive us for being so dour and depressive. Help us to celebrate well, to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn… but to mourn with hope!
Second time. I accidentally left the page and oops – my notes were gone 🙂
A repeat performance. Not only my thoughts but also the feasts/festivals. this is not the first time we read about them. A repeat because of their importance. A repeat because of the people’s insistence on their own ways. A repeat becauseI too need to hear it again today.
Just look at the time spent on these feasts. And how much time do I really set aside with my focus on worshipping, celebrating the presence of God in my life with thank offerings, time away from the daily routine, time spent with Him.
Thank you Lord for the reminder. Help me change my ways and celebrate Your goodness, faithfulness, Your presence in my life. You are my God and I will ever praise You. May others see that in me.
This is the day(2)
That the lord has made(2)
We will rejoice(2)
And be glad in it(2)
This is the day that the lord has made
We will rejoice and be glad in it…
Take and receive
Take and receive O lord my liberty
Take all my will my mind my memory
Do thou direct and govern all and sway
Do what thou wilt, command and I obey
Only thy grace and love on me bestow
Possessing these all riches I forego
All things I hold and all I own are thine
Thine was the gift to thee I all resign
Do thou direct and govern all and sway
Do what thou wilt, command and I obey