Exodus 23:14-19 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
- Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
- And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field:
- and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD. Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning. The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God.
There are three "pilgrim feasts" called for in Exodus 23 which Bruce Scott describes in The Feasts of Israel.(1) The feasts as we know them are the Passover (the Feast of Unleavened Bread); Pentecost (the Feast of First Fruits); and The Feast of the Tabernacles (Feast of Ingathering)
Passover: Leviticus 23:12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
Pentecost: Leviticus 23:16-17 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the first fruits unto the LORD.
Feast of Tabernacles: Leviticus 23:39-40 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
During these festivals, the Lord commanded that the Jewish adult male bring an offering before the Lord. The Lord spoke to Moses and instructed him concerning the observation of all of the Feasts: Leviticus 23:2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies." Of all the God-ordained festivals, only these three required a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and appearance before the Lord. (2)
As Christians, we should recognize the parallels between the Passover and the Crucifixion. The Holy Week currently being observed took place during the celebration of Passover. Christ is the perfect, unblemished, sacrificial offering - the Passover lamb. His blood was shed and covers us just as the lamb's blood that was applied to the doorposts of homes of the Israelites in Egypt. At the Last Supper, Christ ties the Passover elements of unleavened bread and wine to himself. (3)
It was during the Feast of Pentecost that the Lord sent the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1-4 "When Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Passover, came, all the believers were together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like a violently blowing wind came from the sky and filled the whole house where they were staying. Tongues that looked like fire appeared to them. The tongues arranged themselves so that one came to rest on each believer. All the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak."
Several elements of the offering at Pentecost have symbolism. First, the omer, unleavened, represented Jesus, the Messiah, free from sin. (The yeast represents sin) Second, the oil and frankincense which are mixed with the omer represent the Holy Spirit (oil) and communion with God (frankincense). "In dwelling sin was not eradicated, but the provision for it was made when the believers on the Great Day of Pentecost received "power from on high" (Lu. 24:49)." (4)
Christ is the first of the First Fruit Offerings.1 Corinthians 15:20 "But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep." The Passover begins a new year for the people of Israel. It represents freshness of spirit. It is a time of anticipation. All believers are new in the Lord because of the resurrection.
These Feasts are ordained by the Lord. Leviticus 23:2 "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, The set feasts of Jehovah, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts." He commanded that they be observed. He instructed their timing, the offering, their purpose and meaning. It was in His mightly plan that they would represent things to come. They foreshadowed the coming of the Lord the first time, just as they foretell His second coming. The Feasts of the Lord were rich in symbolism. The Lord, Jehovah-Jireh makes provision for the sacrifice. Christ is the provision and the sacrifice that covers our sin.
The commandment still remains to bring an offering before the Lord. He will bless the offerings of His people. We read in Malachi 3:10 "Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." To withhold an offering is to rob from the Lord. Malachi 3:8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings."
Just as the Israelites brought their offerings before the Lord, may I encourage you at this Holy Passover to bring your first fruit offering? The Lord is waiting to open the windows of Heaven and pour out blessings. This is a season of His choosing. He has named the Feast. He has ordained the offering. Our part is to step out in faith, to act in obedience.
The Lord seeks His faithful servants. He is waiting to fulfill the promise of His blessings. Jesus spoke about the blessings of 30, 60, and 100 fold. Matthew 13:23 "And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." Search your heart today for a first fruit that you can place before the altar of the Lord. Be prayerful. Seek His will. Be obedient.
The practice of tithing is an important observation and is honored by the Lord. Leviticus 27:30 "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD." The offerings being brought before the Lord at Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of the Tabernacle are beyond the tithe. The occasion of the three Feasts is an opportunity to come before the Lord at this special season of His choosing. God will receive this offering and bless it mightily.
May I share a personal story with you? In a message on TBN, Larry Huch and Rod Parsley spoke of giving the "Resurection Seed". They spoke of God responding to our offerings with grace, favor, and provision. I felt led to give a first fruit offering this Passover to a ministry sending beans and rice to Mexico. I asked my husband to seek the Lord about a dollar amount. Within 24 hours, the Lord had brought confirmation by putting the same dollar amount on his heart that He had on mine. This will be our Passover offering.
Exodus 20:24 "'Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you."
Keep in mind throughout this study of the Feasts that they were to be times of celebration and festivity. Although the act of coming before the Lord requires reverence, the people were to come with a heart of joy and thanksgiving. Rejoice in the redemption and deliverance celebrated at Passover, the anointing of the spirit received at Pentecost, and the reassurance of the presence of the Lord from the Feast of Tabernacles. Bring your first fruits before the Lord. Anticipate the coming bounty! M
(1), (2), (3) Bruce Scott, The Feasts of Israel (New Jersey:The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, 1997), p. 39.
(4) http://www.heavendwellers.com/hd_study_in_pentecost.htm
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