Leviticus 24, The Feasts of the LORD (2)

We want to add some thoughts on the feasts of Lev. 23 before briefly summarizing Lev. 24.

·       23:2: “feasts”: The Hebrew mowed means an appointed place, time, meeting.  Generally, it refers to the time, but by implication it refers to an assembly and the place of meeting.  The first use is in Gen. 1:14, referring to seasons God established.  The next few uses (Gen. 17:21; 18:14; 21:2) all refer to Sarah having a son “at the appointed time.”

·       23:2: “convocation”: The Hebrew miqra refers to a calling together, assembly.  The first use is in Ex. 12:16, referring to the first and last days of unleavened bread.  These are called “holy convocations” when there was no regular work.

·       23:4-8,11: This helps clarify my “Thursday” view of the crucifixion.

o   Thursday during the day: the killing of the lambs, and the Lamb of God was on the cross.

o   Thursday evening: Passover begins, the meal is served; just before sundown Christ is placed in the tomb.

o   Friday evening: day 2 begins, through Saturday sundown.  It’s the first day of Unleavened Bread which is a Sabbath day.  So, this Friday/Saturday is a “double” Sabbath, if you will.

o   Saturday evening: day 3 begins, which is the 2^nd day of Unleavened Bread, the day of Firstfruits.  Early in the morning on that day, Sunday morning, the firstfruits of our resurrection is raised (1 Cor. 15:20).

·       23:11: The Sabbath referred to here is a Friday/Saturday during the feast of Unleavened Bread, not the Sabbath of the first and last day of the feast.  Why? Because it has to be in sync with Pentecost, 50 days from one Sunday (firstfruits) to another (Pentecost).  Thus there must be a regular Sabbath during the week-long Unleavened Bread.

Lev. 24 begins with instructions concerning two items in the “holy place” of the tabernacle, keeping the lamps burning (v1-4) and keeping the bread of the Presence before the LORD (v5-9).  These are potent pictures of Messiah, the “Light of the World” (John 8:12; Luke 1:78f) and the “Bread of Life” (John 6:32-35).

Lev. 24:10-16,23 relates another story (like the death of Aaron’s sons) that speak of the seriousness of the law and the holiness of God. In the midst of that story are some laws concerning what we might call “sanctity of human life.”  The law (the Bible as a whole) made a distinction between the blood of a person and the blood of an animal.  Both had the breath of life.  But the former was created in the image of God; the latter was not.