Daily reading

Today’s reading is: Lev. 23:1-25:23

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Leviticus Chapter Twenty-Three

  1. In chapter 23, the Lord established His appointed times for holy convocations (Lev. 23:1&2).  Three of these holy feasts had previously been indicated as mandatory pilgrimages to the Lord (Ex. 23:14-17).
  2. The weekly sabbath day (Lev. 23:3).
    1. This was taught when manna was provided (Ex. 16:22-30).
    2. This was Commandment #4 in the Decalogue (Ex. 20:8-11).
    3. This was restated when the tablets were being engraved (Ex. 31:13-17).
  3. The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:4-8).
    1. This feast was established on the night Israel was redeemed out of Egypt (Ex. 12:14-20,24-27,42-49).
    2. This was a required pilgrimage feast (Ex. 23:15).
    3. The shadow of this feast was given substance (cf. Col. 2:17) when Christ, our Passover lamb, was sacrificed (1st Cor. 5:7).
  4. The Feast of First Fruits (Lev. 23:9-14).
    1. This was the principle that the Lord received His portion first, and He received the choicest portion (Ex. 23:19).
    2. The shadow of this feast was given substance when Christ led forth a sample resurrection to present to God the Father (Matt. 27:52,53; 1st Cor. 15:20 23).
  5. The Feast of Pentecost (Lev. 23:15-22).
    1. This Feast was also called the Feast of the Harvest (first fruits of your labors) (Ex. 23:16), and the Feast of Weeks (first fruits of the wheat harvest) (Ex. 34:22; Num. 28:26; Deut. 16:10).
    2. This was the second required pilgrimage feast (Ex. 23:16; Deut. 16:16).
    3. The shadow of this feast was given substance when the Church was formed on the first Pentecost after the crucifixion (Acts 2:1). 
      1. Shadows are not clearly understood until substance is embodied.
      2. Shadow typology does not violate the mystery doctrine of the Church.
      3. The substance of this shadow occurs contemporaneously with the revelation of the mystery doctrine of the Church.
  6. The Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:23-25).
    1. This is the first reference to the Feast of Trumpets in Scripture, and instructions for the required sacrifices will come later (Num. 29:1-6).
    2. The 7th month is marked by an extraordinary Sabbath day, proclaimed by the blowing of trumpets.  This is particularly significant, and separate from the silver trumpets noted below.
    3. Silver trumpets will mark the beginning of each month, and the sacrifices of the holy convocations (Num. 1:1-10).
    4. This day is the modern “Rosh Hashanah” or New Year’s Day, and has been celebrated as such since the Babylonian Exile (and possibly earlier).  It marks the beginning of the civil & fiscal year, but is the 7th month of the religious calendar.
    5. The substance of this shadow will be discussed below, together with the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths.
  7. The Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:26-32).
    1. The extensive ritual of this day, the 10th of Tishri, has already been described (Lev. 16).
    2. Instructions are given here, to show where this day fits within the festal calendar, and to issue another solemn warning concerning the Sabbath principle of this day.
    3. The substance of this shadow will be discussed below, together with the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Booths.
  8. The Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) (Lev. 23:33-44).
    1. This feast had previously been revealed as the Feast of the Ingathering, and was the third and final required pilgrimage feast (Ex. 23:16; Deut. 16:16).
    2. This final ingathering of crops in the fall was called “the end of the (agricultural) year” (Ex. 23:16).
    3. Whereas Passover commemorated the deliverance from Egypt, Booths commemorated the wilderness wanderings, and the preparation for the promised land (Lev. 23:40-43).
    4. The substance of this shadow will be discussed below, together with the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement.
  9. The shadow-substance typology of the 7th Month feasts.
    1. The 1st Month (Nisan) feasts (Passover, First-Fruits, and Pentecost) were all given substance through events related to the First Advent of Jesus Christ (crucifixion, resurrection, establishment of the church).
    2. The 7th Month (Tishri) feasts (Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Booths) will all be given substance through events related to the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
      1. The Feast of Trumpets will be given substance by the rapture of the Church (1st Cor. 15:52; 1st Thess. 4:16).
      2. Day of Atonement will be given substance by the national restoration of Israel and the establishment of the New Covenant (Rom. 11:26,27; Isa. 59:20,21; Jer. 31:33,34; Ezek. 20:33-44).
      3. The Feat of Booths will be given substance in the Millennial Kingdom dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ over the gentile kingdoms of the earth (Zech. 14:16-19).  This is why He wouldn’t go to Jerusalem with great fanfare, as His brothers urged Him to do (John 7:2-8).

Leviticus Chapter Twenty-Four

  1. The Lord follows His explanations of great and important days with the reminder that each and every day has individual responsibilities (Lev. 24:1-9).
    1. The priests were responsible for the daily trimming of the lamp (vv.1-4).
    2. The priests were responsible for the weekly provision of bread (vv.5-9).
  2. At this time, Moses’ study was interrupted with report of a blasphemer in the camp (Lev. 24:10-23).
    1. Shelomith: peaceful, a single mother in the tribe of Dan has an uncontrollable son (Lev. 24:10,11).
    2. The son blasphemed the Lord and cursed His holy name. Hashem is another euphemism along with Adonai for pious Jews refusing to utter the name of YHWH.
    3. The Jews placed him under guard until Moses could rule on the matter (Lev. 24:12).
    4. The Lord sentenced the man to death (Lev. 24:13,14), and Israel executed the sentence (Lev. 24:23).
    5. The incident becomes an opportunity for Bible class (Lev. 24:15-22).

Leviticus Chapter Twenty-Five

  1. The Lord resumes His instruction regarding special days to describe special years (Lev. 25:1-55).
  2. The Sabbath Year (Lev. 25:1-7).
    1. The land was to be worked for six years, but the seventh year was to give the land a Sabbath (Lev. 25:3,4; Ex. 23:10,11).
    2. Any food grown on its own was free for anyone to partake of (Lev. 25:5-7).
    3. In this year, all debts were cancelled (Deut. 15:1-11), and all Hebrew slaves were freed (Ex. 21:2-6; Deut. 15:12-18).
    4. This year was a special time for special instruction (Deut. 31:10-13).
  3. The Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:8-22).
    1. Every 50 years was a year of Jubilee, making for two consecutive Sabbath years (year #49 & year #50) (Lev. 25:11,12).
    2. Jubilee.  יׄובֵל yowbēl #3104: ram, ram’s horn, trumpet, jubilee year.
    3. This year was a year of liberty (Lev. 25:10).  דְּרֹור derowr #1865: freedom, liberty.  All Hebrew slaves were to be set free in the year of Jubilee.
      1. In the next generation, there will be a question by the daughters of Zelophehad, in how to apply this principle (Num. 27:1-11; 36:1-12).
      2. There is only one recorded incident of this actually happening in Israel (Jer. 34:8).
      3. Shortly after this happened, the Jews changed their mind, and took back their slaves (Jer. 34:11).
      4. Jeremiah’s consequent message (Jer. 34:15-17).
      5. Isaiah uses דְּרֹור derowr one time (Isa. 61:1), in a beautiful prophesy fulfilled by Christ (John 8:32).
    4. The year of Jubilee marked a return to God the Father’s designated inheritance for each tribe and each family (Lev. 25:10b,13-17).
    5. God the Father graciously provided for them ahead of time, in anticipation of three years provision (Lev. 25:18-22).

(Chapter Twenty-Five continues tomorrow)