Holidays. Leviticus 23:1-8 Originally, holidays were days set aside for the children of Israel to celebrate with God. The Lord designated Holy days for the benefit of His people, as times of remembrance and teaching about important events. The Sabbath was a weekly day of rest, marking the end of six days of labor. It was a sign of fellowship between God and His people, made possible by His grace. God rested and found satisfaction in His work of creation as He prepared the world for man's habitation. It was meant to be a time when God would enjoy sweet fellowship and communion with those who chose to love Him and share life with Him. But humans willfully failed, and sin caused separation.
God intended a kingdom of priests for the nation of Israel, but that nation failed. Now, because of Christ’s all-sufficient work on our behalf, there is "a rest for the people of God," and we find our rest in Him. Despite everything happening around us, we can rest in Him now and work for Him in anticipation of the everlasting rest we will have when life as we know it is past.
Although we are not called to be Sabbath keepers as the Jews were, we find our rest in Christ and on the "Lordly Day," remember Him and reflect on His death until He comes. On the first day of the week, the "Lord's Day," we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and are confident of our own participation in "the first resurrection" of "the just." This day also serves as a day of revelation, as John the Apostle wrote about prophetic truths that help us understand what will happen in the future. He was also inspired by the Holy Spirit to write to seven churches, emphasizing the importance of how the conduct and practices of the Lord's people today matter to Him. Additionally, on the first day of the week, we are called to set aside a portion of our income—proportionate to what we have earned—and give it to God as an offering, expressing our gratitude for His abundant blessings.
There were two festival seasons for the nation of Israel. Early in the year, there were four special feasts, and later in the year, three more. These served as reminders of significant events that impacted the whole nation from the beginning until the future kingdom's peaceful reign of Christ, their Messiah. The Passover, the Feast of Freedom, was on the 14th day of the first month as a reminder of Israel's deliverance from bondage in Egypt. During that feast, the oldest boy would ask, "Why is this night different from all other nights?" and that would open the way for a historical account of Israel's past from a mature adult. Redemption by the blood of the Passover lamb was to be annually highlighted to each generation of Jews so they would not forget the greatness of God who brought them out of bondage and made them a nation that still exists today.
On the 15th day of the first month, the Jews observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasted for seven days. This feast reminded them that God intends His people to live in righteousness and purity. Holiness is expected of those who are called out and have been chosen to follow a Holy God. No leaven was allowed in their homes during that week. They were not to do their usual work but to present an "offering made by fire" to the Lord. No manual labor was performed across the entire nation during that week. Human efforts have no role in making an offering that is acceptable to God.
The beginning of these yearly feasts symbolizes the redemption we have through Christ. Instead of an annual event, we affirm, "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast," and we do so weekly as we remember Him and proclaim His death until He comes again. The righteousness and moral purity that were typified in the seven-day feast of unleavened bread should characterize us all the time. Whatever we do, "in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ."
The pattern of our remembrance starts with reviewing the Person and work of our Savior and Redeemer. In light of such gracious redemptive work, outward righteousness and inward holiness should mark all we do and make it holy. The unleavened bread, which was pierced and striped as it was baked, reminds us of the One whose hands, feet, and sides were pierced and through whose stripes we are healed.
Those who set aside a week to remember their redemption and ate the unleavened bread with the piercing and stripes that caused it to bake thoroughly would be able to see what had happened for them by faith. There were also those who looked ahead, and the God who delivered them and brought them this far would not abandon or forsake those who follow Him. Even the special holidays and feasts held at that time would reveal to those who had faith in God that the true Person would come and fulfill the type. That is where we experience the blessings of God today. We know by faith, looking back, what they could understand by looking ahead in faith.
"What is so special about this night?" the childish voice would say. Then, a mature person might reflect on the events of the night—the fourteenth day of the first month of the year—when God delivered His people at the stroke of midnight with a mighty arm of power. Our children may ask us, "Why are bread and wine on the table in the middle of the room?" We owe them an explanation: "Christ, our Passover, has died, and for us, His blood was shed." Our Passover Lamb has risen, and God is forever completely satisfied. Every demand has been met when the Redeemer died for our sins.
Our feast-keeping is a paradoxical time because we experience both sorrow and joy simultaneously. We mourn what our sins cost Him, yet rejoice in the eternal life He has given us. During the feast, we eat the bread, which reminds us that we are now made complete in Him. With solemn yet joyful songs and reflections, we partake of the Bread of God. The cup is not bitter to us as it was to Him because it symbolizes the new life we have received as God's gift. The eternal life God has given remains the same now and will be in heaven. We can even now enjoy fellowship with God. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus; we honor Him as Lord.
The old feasts served as symbols and previews of wonderful things to come. They looked back to their origins and forward to their new home. We have the current reality but still see through a darkened, smoked glass. Everything will become perfectly clear when we finally arrive at our heavenly home.