Feasts! Gotta love ‘em! I remember going to the Maxey reunion every summer as a kid. It was held at a park in Guthrie, OK. We always had this giant pavilion reserved for about a hundred people. Everyone brought food, great food and lots of it. Most of my first cousins from my mom’s side would be there as well as second, third, and so on cousins. I didn’t know anyone but my first cousins, but that did not matter. It was great food and great fun! While the children played, the adults caught up on relationships that had lain dormant for a year. Does our Holy God care about feasts? Is holiness somehow beyond festivities of feasts? Absolutely not!
This chapter briefly describes each of the seven Holy festivals given to Israel. They reflect the Glory of our Lord in that they demonstrate how He prophetically works in history with the feast days of Israel. Each feast speaks of the Messiah. Below is a simplification of the feast days and how they reflect God’s plan in the Messiah
Passover—the crucifixion and death of MessiahThe Firstfruits can be kind of confusing. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary rather cryptically identifies this feast with Pentecost. Yet, that does not really capture it. Here is what The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia has to say:
Unleavened Bread—the fellowship we have with Messiah because of His death
Firstfruits—the resurrection of Messiah
Pentecost—the giving of the law, the giving of the Holy Spirit, the beginning of the church (two loaves)
Trumpets—Israel brought back into the land (future)
Great Day of Atonement—the work of Messiah upon the Cross for us
Tabernacles—the time when Israel is in the land (future)
The phrase “the first of the first-fruits” (Ex23:19; 34:26; Ezk 44:30), . . . is not quite clear. . . . It may mean the first-ripe or the choicest of the first-fruits. . . . The priest waved a re’shith of corn before the Lord on the morrow after the Sabbath in the week of unleavened bread (Lev. 23: 9-11). . . . At the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) seven weeks after the offering of the sheaf, bikkurim of corn in the ear, parched with fire and bruised, were brought to the House of the Lord as a meal offering (Ex 34:22-26; Lev. 2:14-16).So then, it was kind of a divided holiday. It began on the first Sunday following the Sabbath that fell during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On this day new sheaves recently sprouted in the field were cut and brought to be offered as a wave offering before the Lord. This was the day that Jesus rose from the grave. Paul, as a good Pharisee recognized this. In 1 Cor 15:20-23 he is indicating more than that Jesus is the first to rise and stay risen from the dead. He is the fulfillment of the Feast of Firstfruits.
Fifty days later when grain had produced ripe heads, they were harvested and brought to the Lord. The Feast of Pentecost was celebrated. It was celebrated with two loaves of bread made with leaven. This day is the creation of the church. The Mystery is now revealed. Jew and Gentile are blended together into one body. The two loaves become one. But wait a minute! These loaves are made with leaven. Leaven is a symbol of sin. As in the parable of the tares, Israel and the Church through the centuries has had to wrestle with sin and evil in its midst. Hmmmm. . . .
The last three festivals fall in the seventh month. Seven is the number of completion. The Feasts of Trumpets and Tabernacles look to the second coming. One day He will return and we will sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev.19:9). The feasts will then all have found their fulfillment in History, and we will enjoy fun and renewed relationships in the presence of our Holy God. In the mean time we have the privilege of hastening His Kingdom by spreading the good news of His glory. Is it not amazing how He has it all planned from the foundation of the world? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PSALM 109
This is what is commonly called an ‘imprecatory’ Psalm. It is one of those Psalms that calls for destruction of the Psalmist’s enemies. Some have real problems with someone under the inspiration of the Spirit calling down curses on their enemy, but there has to be justice if God is good. And if there is true justice, we do not have to worry about desiring it. We simply need to remember that we are the recipients of mercy. We received mercy because we responded to His unmerited favor. The people in imprecatory Psalms are ones who have refused to respond to God’s unmerited favor, particularly in today’s Psalm. The one upon whom David is calling down curses is certainly unrepentant. More than unrepentant, Peter recognized that David was looking beyond his enemy down the corridor of time to Judas. He quotes Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8 in reference to Judas.
Certainly Judas is an example of one who was unrepentant. He was seeking to manipulate Jesus to his own ends. I believe that was his purpose in betraying Jesus. He had left his former lifestyle and hooked his wagon to what he thought was the rising Messiah. Judas saw an opportunity to wealth and power. When Jesus began speaking of suffering and death, he felt cheated and sought to redeem what he could of the situation. He sold Jesus for the price of a slave. There is nothing wrong with desiring true justice. We just need to remember that if it were not for His mercy, we would be obliterated in the distribution of true justice. But that is the glory of our Lord. He is indeed truly just, but He also ministers mercy to the repentant! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
ISAIAH 17-18
Ethiopia. It is mentioned in 19 verses of the New King James Version. The word Ethiopian is used in another 18 verses. It is the Greek name for the land of Cush, south of Egypt. Most scholars do not believe that it should be confused with the modern Ethiopian country. A few scholars think that the Queen of Sheba came from Ethiopia; although, most believe that Sheba was part of the southern Arabian Peninsula. 2 Chronicles 14:9 we read of Zerah the Ethiopian who came against Asa with an army of one million men. Here in Isaiah we find a prophecy against the nation. Isaiah warns of coming judgment upon Ethiopia. Thus the people of Judah should not depend upon this Egyptian/Ethiopian dynasty to deliver them from the Assyrians. Indeed the Assyrians defeated the Ethiopians in 701 B.C. Had Judah truly depended upon them, their trust would have been disappointed. But along with the promised judgment, comes a promise. The promise is that this ‘terrible-smooth-skinned people’ would one day bring a present to the Lord in Mount Zion. The Ethiopian Eunuch came to Jerusalem to find out who this Great God truly was. He was reading the scroll of Isaiah 53 when Philip met him at his chariot. What do you suppose he thought when he read of his nation in Isaiah 18?
That Eunuch went back and to this day the Coptic church of Egypt and Ethiopia trace their lineage to him. Yes, the Lord caused Ethiopia to bring a gift to Him. It is the gift of some of her people. And someday even more shall come. Is that not glorious? Our king predicts what happens and then we can see it happen in history! But do we depend upon the people and things around us that will fail us? Or, do we depend upon the Lord? One day, if we depend upon Him, we will bring a gift to Him. It will be the result of our trust in Him. On the other hand, if we trust upon the people and things around us, we will have nothing to bring. I have opportunity to increase His glory by trusting on His promise, not the things around me. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
LUKE 15:1-10
The isles stacked with goods were tall, and they were like a maze. I was less than 5 years old, and I had lost my family. We had gone shopping in the big Sears store in Ft. Wayne. When it looked hopeless, I started crying. A man saw me and asked why I was crying. Not giving him an answer he asked, "Did you lose your parents?" Nodding my head yes, he then took me over to the counter, picked up a microphone, flipped a switch and then said, "Will the parents of the little boy wearing . . . please come to the . . . counter." Within seconds my oldest brother came around the end of the isle. He was laughing. Man it was good to see him!
Jesus rejoices over us when we who were lost find Him again. The illustration I just gave really doesn't fit because in it I was the one who was lost. It describes my joy. Jesus is emphasizing the joy of heaven when we repent. The glory of Jesus is His joy when we repent. It is greater than even our own joy when we have finally accomplished repentance. Think of the joy you felt when you first found Jesus or perhaps you felt when you came back to Him after having gone astray for a while. Remember this, "His joy was even greater!" He loves you that much! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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