We are introduced to the feasts which the Israelites were to keep. They all had a specific meaning and in verses 1,2 we have the feast of Passover. This was to be kept in the month of Abib for it was in that month that The LORD brought them out of Egypt (Exodus 12). The feast was to be kept and the sacrifice of the animals in the place God chose. When the first Passover took place, they were in Egypt in their homes and the blood of the slain lamb applied to the door frames and lintels. They were not allowed to go outside. However, this later Passover feast was to be celebrated in the tabernacle and later in the temple.
The Passover clearly represents Jesus who is our Passover Lamb. We are sheltered under His blood from the wrath of God, and we are brought out of condemnation as our sins were borne by Him on the cross where he shed His blood. Obviously, we are not commanded to do this on a particular day or month, but it is a continual remembrance of the once for all act, the crucifixion of of our Lord on the cross. Just as they celebrated the start of a new life out of slavery, we too, celebrate a new life because of His death and resurrection and the forgiveness and cleansing from our sin which He obtained for us.
We would struggle to remember it on one particular day, as in the church calendar, Easter is a movable feast. Rather, The Lord Jesus tells us to remember Him ‘as often as you do it’ (Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, 1 Corinthians 11). This is the celebration of ‘The Lord’s Supper’ (Communion, Breaking of Bread, Eucharist, whatever title you give it.) but, we must remember that sharing the bread and the cup are only symbols of what Jesus did and should only be entered into as believers, true followers of Jesus Christ, and we do it until He comes again.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread was to be observed in association with the Passover (v3,4). They had left Egypt in a hurry on God’s instructions and there was no time for the dough to rise, thus, they ate unleavened bread. They were to commemorate this by refraining from leavened bread for seven days, neither could they keep overnight meat which they sacrificed the first day at twilight. Leaven is a picture of sin, and they were to walk pure before The LORD just as we should having been cleansed by the blood of The Lamb, The Lord Jesus Christ.
The regulations for the Passover (v5-8) were that they may not sacrifice the Passover within their gates, but only at the place where The LORD chooses. It must be sacrificed at twilight, and in the morning, they must go their tents. They were to eat unleavened bread for six days and on the seventh day there was to be a sacred assembly to The LORD, and they were to do no work on it.
The next feast was the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) (v9,10). This was seven weeks from the time they began to gather harvest. They were to give a freewill offering, given as The LORD had blessed them (v9,10).
At Pentecost there was sacrifice and freewill offering, and there was to be a time of rejoicing before The LORD by their families and households. The Levites at their homes, the strangers, the fatherless and widows among them were all to meet in the place directed by God. It was a time to remember that they had been slaves in Egypt (v11,12) and how God had rescued them. They were to bring a new grain offering by waving two loaves of leavened bread before The LORD (Leviticus 23:15-21). The leavened bread was a picture of the Gentiles being brought into family of God after the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
The third major feast was the Feast of Tabernacles (v13-15) which was to be observed seven days starting with a Sabbath Day and ending with a Sabbath Day. It was a time to rejoice with the household, strangers, fatherless and widows, in the place chosen by God, when they had gathered from the threshing floor and the wine press. The LORD promised to bless them upon their obedience. Once more it was a time to rejoice in remembrance of God’s deliverance and provision during their time in the wilderness.
Those three times a year all the males were to appear before The LORD their God, but not empty-handed and give as they were able according to his He had blessed them (v16,17). There were other feasts, but these were the most important when the males were to appear as directed in the tabernacle.
Jesus, Himself, set an example by going to Jerusalem for the feasts (Luke 2:41 and John 7).
From verse 18-20 God commands the appointment of judges and officers. They were to be in their tribes and exercise justice. It was important to God that they did not accept bribes, nor show partiality, and not pervert the course of justice. Bribery blinds the eyes of the wise and twists words.
If only some people in authority realised and practised this today. So often they say one thing and do another, and it can be difficult to believe anyone in authority. They have an awesome responsibility, but many take it lightly. Absolute truthfulness is vital for any society and civilisation. People take an oath to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but sadly it is rarely the outcome, thus justice is perverted. I used to think that really, they should say, ‘anything but the truth’ would be more appropriate. Absolute justice depends solely upon absolute truthfulness.
God takes truthfulness and justice very seriously and so must we. It is God’s character and therefore, should be ours as we imitate and follow Him.
The chapter ends with the prohibition of planting trees as wooden images (idols) near the altar of The LORD (v21,22). Such things were an abomination to The LORD as per the first and second Commandment, in fact He went to so far as to say that He ‘hated’ such things (v22).
