And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
Leviticus 23 opens with a simple line: God speaks to Moses. What follows is a calendar of appointed days that maps out God's whole plan for His people. Before one feast is named, the chapter settles who fixes the times, who is called, and whose delight they serve.
The chapter does not begin with a religious custom rising up from the people. It begins with a word from God, and one commentator draws a practical test from that opening line.
"The LORD spoke to Moses." This is authoritative. In these days of many false teachers (2 Peter 2:1), God's people should take great care over what they listen to and whom they listen to. It must carry the authority of God Himself. "The LORD spoke." So let us make sure that what we accept as divine truth is what God Himself has spoken to us in His own word.
Because God speaks, the times are His to set. Israel did not vote on when to meet.
The children of Israel were not left to decide when they should gather in the presence of Jehovah. There were set feasts, fixed times which Jehovah appointed as holy convocations. These gatherings fitted the holy character of the God who had chosen Israel to be His people.
Two phrases carry the weight here: "set times" and "holy convocations." Both say something about God.
"Set times" are times He appoints. As the Eternal, all times belong to Him, and He can fit them to His purpose. They speak of almighty power and settled counsel, and that is what earns them their place here. They are also "holy convocations" — gathering times, when the voice of God stirs His people and brings them together. His voice unites those who listen to it in obedience, and calls them to Himself.
Stated at its shortest, the whole design of these days is a meeting.
The idea of these feasts is the gathering of the people round Jehovah for some cause or other, a "holy convocation."
The instruction to Moses is not for a religious elite. It is handed to the nation.
"Speak to the children of Israel." It is His own redeemed people to whom He is speaking. How many of them? All of them. It was not limited to the Priests or the Princes, no, it is a word to the whole congregation. There is always a tendency to leave these matters to the teachers or the older believers. God wants every one of His people to listen to what He has to say. He wants them to understand what He is doing, and so to learn what they can do in service for Him in relation to the divine centre.
The little word "my" changes the direction of the whole chapter. These days exist for God's delight, not only for the good of those who come.
"The feasts of Jehovah." This statement tells us what God is going to talk about with His people — His feasts, festive seasons when His people can gather round Him and bring Him something that delights His heart of love. Now He seeks to touch our hearts with a word like this — "my set feasts." Is there a desire in our hearts to answer to this? Not to be always taken up with what He has done for our blessing, but to find out what we can do for Him.
Israel could lose that in practice. Later Scripture no longer calls them His.
Yet all may be called feasts of the Lord, when we think of the pleasure the Lord would take in their proper keeping. Sadly, they sank into being no more than "feasts of the Jews," where no real honour was given to God (John 2:3; John 5:1; John 6:4; John 7:2; John 11:55).
Commentators read this chapter as more than a festival schedule. The order of the days traces a history, with a long pause in the middle.
The scripture we are entering on at this time brings before us the whole outline of the dealings of God with His people on earth. It is not of course in detail, but first is the original purpose as before God; next, the foundation which He laid in order to accomplish this purpose; then, again, the ways of God in the application which He made of the mighty work thus accomplished; and, finally, the direct and full result at Christ's appearing in glory, the heavenly things as well as the earthly.
Others fill in that outline with names and dates, including the long pause in the middle.
Leviticus 23 sets out the Jewish calendar. As prophecy, it shows God's plan of salvation for His earthly people Israel, from the cross (passover) through to the millennium (feast of tabernacles). The first four feasts are already fulfilled (up to Pentecost). The last three refer to the future of Israel. Between the first four and the last three there is a long gap of unstated length... This prophetic gap... represents the Christian era, the time in which we live.
- He speaks. The chapter starts with God's voice, not with human tradition. So test what you accept as truth: is it what He has said?
- He appoints. All times belong to God. Israel never chose its own gathering days, and the set times match the holy character of the God who called them.
- He calls all. The word goes to the whole congregation, not to priests or princes only. God wants each of His people to understand what He is doing.
- He owns them. They are "my feasts," kept for His delight. When that is forgotten, they shrink into "feasts of the Jews," where God gets no real honour.
- He completes them. The same calendar runs from the cross (passover) to the millennium (feast of tabernacles). The first four feasts are fulfilled, the last three are still future, and our own era sits in the gap between.
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, [Concerning] the set feasts of Jehovah, which ye shall proclaim as holy convocations -- these are my set feasts.
In Leviticus 23 God gathers His people and claims the calendar as His own. He fixes the days, calls them holy, and has Israel announce them — so what are these gatherings for?
Twice in this verse God calls the days His own. That one small word changes what a gathering is for.
"The feasts of Jehovah." This statement tells us what God is going to talk about to His people — His feasts. They are festive seasons when His people can gather round Him and bring Him something that delights His loving heart. Now He seeks to touch our hearts with a word like this — "my set feasts." Is there a desire in our hearts to answer to this? Not to be forever occupied with what He has done for our blessing, but to find out what we can do for Him.
The Sabbath stands in a class of its own here, and the phrase used of these days shows what they were fixed for.
Clearly the Sabbath has a place of its own. It is the only feast named in the first announcement, "the set feasts of Jehovah" (v. 2). A footnote by J. N. Darby tells us that "set feasts" means "fixed times (for drawing near to God)." Another idea behind this word is appointment.
The two titles in the verse work together. One says who fixed the time; the other says what happens when it arrives.
"Set times" are times He appoints. As the Eternal One, all times belong to Him, and He can fit them to His purpose. They speak of almighty power and settled purpose, and that is why they belong here. But they are "holy convocations" too — gathering times, when the voice of God stirs His people and brings them together. His voice unites those who obey it, and calls them to Himself.
A convocation is a summons to come together. The word "holy" attached to it is a safeguard, not decoration.
"Holy Convocations." These suggest collective gatherings. It seems that our God delights to have His people together with one thought in their minds — to minister to Him together. He would guard them from any intrusion of the natural mind of man by reminding us that they are "HOLY"! However great the privilege is, we must remember this when we gather. We must be aware that He is there. We come together for His pleasure — quiet, dependent, with holy reverence in our souls. This would produce quality, even if it reduced quantity.
God's word goes to the people of Israel — the whole nation, not one religious class inside it.
"Speak to the children of Israel." It is His own redeemed people to whom He is speaking. How many of them? All of them. It was not limited to the Priests or the Princes; no, it is a word to the whole congregation. There is always a tendency to leave these matters to the teachers or the older believers. God wants every one of His people to listen to what He says. He wants them to understand what He is doing, and so to learn what they can do in service for Him.
The word "feasts" fits most of these days, but not all. And the title could slip out of Israel's hands.
Most translations call these special times in Israel "feasts." Yet not all of them were feasts for Israel. The day of atonement (vv. 26-32) was a day of brokenness and humbling, not of feasting. Yet we may call them all feasts of the Lord, when we think how pleased the Lord would be if His people kept them properly. Sadly, these sank into mere "feasts of the Jews," where God received no real honour (John 2:3; John 5:1; John 6:4; John 7:2; John 11:55).
The order of the days is not random. Taken together they trace God's plan across history.
Leviticus 23 sets out the Jewish calendar. As prophecy, it shows God's plan of salvation for His people Israel on earth. It runs from the cross (passover) through to the millennium (feast of tabernacles). The first four feasts have already been fulfilled (up to Pentecost). The last three refer to the future of Israel. Between the first four and the last three feasts there is a long gap of unstated length. This prophetic gap represents the Christian era, the time in which we live.
- His. God calls them "my feasts" twice over. He fixed them, and they exist first for His delight, not ours.
- Fixed. "Set feasts" means fixed times for drawing near to God. He chose the date, and He chose the reason.
- Called. A "holy convocation" is a gathering called by God's voice. The word "holy" guards what happens when His people arrive.
- All. The word goes to the whole congregation, not just to priests and leaders. Every person is meant to listen and respond.
- Lost. In John's Gospel, "my feasts" have become "feasts of the Jews." The same days, with the honour to God drained away.