Holy Calling to Remember
Leviticus 23:1–2 (ESV) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the LORD that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.
We come now to the 23rd chapter of Leviticus. It is the chapter that outlines the three festivals for Israel's calendar. There are seven feasts listed in Leviticus. The three main festivals are Passover, Pentecost and Booths/Tabernacles. These three feasts represent the three stages of our life with God. Passover represents our deliverance from bondage to sin. Pentecost represents our fulness in the power of the Spirit and Booths represents our ultimate home in heaven with God where the dwelling place (tabernacle) of God is finally and forever with man.
The word that is often repeated in the chapter is "convocation", appearing 11 times. When a word appears that often in one chapter, we need to explore it a bit further.
"Convocation" in Hebrew is miqrah, which means: "convocation, convoking, reading, a calling together." It is an interesting choice of words and a rare word outside of this chapter in Leviticus and 3 chapters in Numbers. The point is being made that every time God's people gather, they do so because HE has called them to Himself. The Christian life is a called life. We gather together because we have been brought near. We are not the subject of the sentence, we are the object. This is God's work and word to us that we, His people, are to come, gather and celebrate.
God calls us to together to remember what He has done. This is one of the main reasons for these annual feasts for Israel. At Passover they were to remember their deliverance from Egypt. At the feast of Pentecost they were to remember that God provides the increase of their harvest. During the feast of Booths they were to remember how God dwelt among them in tents in the wilderness. They were holy times of gathering. You could call them "holy remembrances."
We need to remember what God has done for us. We need to write it down, make mention of it to our children, share testimonies with others of the good that we have experienced in God's hands. I know for my life, there have been many times when hearing what God did in incredible ways for someone - near to me or not - inspired me to believe for myself that God was big enough and able to do great things for me. God calls us to remember and recount His works!
Psalm 9:1 (ESV) I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
You have a testimony to share with others. God has done great things for you and probably great things through you. Do not forget them. Get in community with other believers and share it. Someone else's life is needful of your word of witness to God's faithfulness.
I think about how often in this chapter (Leviticus 23) God institutes rest from work for the Israelites.
Leviticus 23:8 (ESV) On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.”
Leviticus 23:25 (ESV) You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.”
Leviticus 23:28 (ESV) And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Well, without TV, internet and phones what do you think they would have done? They would have talked! They would have shared life together. They would have told one another what God was up to in the past and what they were believing for in the future.
Sadly, there aren't many references to these festivals taking place thorughout the rest of the Bible. In fact, they are hardly ever mentioned in the Old Testament. Yet in the Gospels we hear of them. Then in Acts 2 there is one particular Pentecost that changed everything. They were filled with the Spirit, they spoke in other tongues. And what did they say?
Acts 2:8–11 (ESV) how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
We come now to the 23rd chapter of Leviticus. It is the chapter that outlines the three festivals for Israel's calendar. There are seven feasts listed in Leviticus. The three main festivals are Passover, Pentecost and Booths/Tabernacles. These three feasts represent the three stages of our life with God. Passover represents our deliverance from bondage to sin. Pentecost represents our fulness in the power of the Spirit and Booths represents our ultimate home in heaven with God where the dwelling place (tabernacle) of God is finally and forever with man.
The word that is often repeated in the chapter is "convocation", appearing 11 times. When a word appears that often in one chapter, we need to explore it a bit further.
"Convocation" in Hebrew is miqrah, which means: "convocation, convoking, reading, a calling together." It is an interesting choice of words and a rare word outside of this chapter in Leviticus and 3 chapters in Numbers. The point is being made that every time God's people gather, they do so because HE has called them to Himself. The Christian life is a called life. We gather together because we have been brought near. We are not the subject of the sentence, we are the object. This is God's work and word to us that we, His people, are to come, gather and celebrate.
God calls us to together to remember what He has done. This is one of the main reasons for these annual feasts for Israel. At Passover they were to remember their deliverance from Egypt. At the feast of Pentecost they were to remember that God provides the increase of their harvest. During the feast of Booths they were to remember how God dwelt among them in tents in the wilderness. They were holy times of gathering. You could call them "holy remembrances."
We need to remember what God has done for us. We need to write it down, make mention of it to our children, share testimonies with others of the good that we have experienced in God's hands. I know for my life, there have been many times when hearing what God did in incredible ways for someone - near to me or not - inspired me to believe for myself that God was big enough and able to do great things for me. God calls us to remember and recount His works!
Psalm 9:1 (ESV) I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
I think about how often in this chapter (Leviticus 23) God institutes rest from work for the Israelites.
Leviticus 23:8 (ESV) On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.”
Leviticus 23:25 (ESV) You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.”
Leviticus 23:28 (ESV) And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Sadly, there aren't many references to these festivals taking place thorughout the rest of the Bible. In fact, they are hardly ever mentioned in the Old Testament. Yet in the Gospels we hear of them. Then in Acts 2 there is one particular Pentecost that changed everything. They were filled with the Spirit, they spoke in other tongues. And what did they say?
Acts 2:8–11 (ESV) how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
When the Spirit fills the Church, He gives testimony to God's mighty works. When this happens, others are inspired to join in. Let us learn how to be a testifying people so that others can believe for what God could do for them!
Amen.
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