What are holy days?

A "holy-day" (it is well to call it so, as indicative of its meaning) was one God had made to be esteemed above another: this and other things, the meats, and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances of Judaism, had their time and use. "The body is of Christ." In Him we have that which they were designed to typify. If I take them up now, I take up the shadow and not the substance; it is a mere shadow, but, in setting it up again, I make it substantive and deny Christ. This may be done through ignorance, still it ought to be treated as a thorough infirmity, the soul has not the knowledge of what it is in Christ; whilst ignorance has to be borne with, the saint is beguiled of his reward.

A "holy-day" (it is well to call it so, as indicative of its meaning) was one God had made to be esteemed above another; this and other things, the meats, and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances of Judaism, had their time and use; "the body is of Christ." In Him we have that which they were designed to typify. If I take them up now, I take up the shadow and not the substance; it is a mere shadow, but, in setting it up again, I make it substantive, and deny Christ. This may be done through ignorance, still it ought to be treated as a thorough infirmity, the soul has not the knowledge of what it is in Christ; whilst ignorance has to be borne with, the saint is beguiled of his reward.

Applied to the Sabbath or any of the Jewish festivals. Ex. 35:2; Ps. 42:4; Col. 2:16.

The times of special observance in Israel are called "feasts" in most translations, yet all were not feasts for Israel, as per the day of atonement (vv. 26-32), which was a day of brokenness and humiliation rather than of feasting. Yet all may be called feasts of the Lord when we think of what pleasure the Lord would have in their proper observance. Sadly, these degenerated into mere "feasts of the Jews" in which there was no real honour given to God (John 2:3; John 5:1; John 6:4; John 7:2; John 11:55).

However, from their very inception, God calls these "holy convocations" - "My feasts" (v. 2). Ought we not therefore to seek to learn in all this chapter how we should please the Lord rather than ourselves? Six of these set times were kept once in the year, but before they are mentioned, there is prior emphasis on

The times of special observance in Israel are called “feasts” in most translations, yet all were not feasts for Israel, as per the day of atonement (vv. 26-32), which was a day of brokenness and humiliation rather than of feasting. Yet all may be called feasts of the Lord when we think of what pleasure the Lord would have in their proper observance. Sadly, these degenerated into mere “feasts of the Jews” in which there was no real honor given to God (John 2:3; John 5:1; John 6:4; John 7:2; John 11:55).

The idea of these feasts is the gathering of the people round Jehovah for some cause or other, a "holy convocation."

Again the Lord speaks, and to the mediator, commanding him to communicate the revelations, concerning the festivals which follow, to the children of Israel. Times and seasons have to do with earth, and with them the earthly people are concerned. Days and months, and times, and years it behoved them to observe, but with such days and times Christians, as we learn from Gal. 4:9-10, have nothing to do. Paul was afraid of the Galatian saints because they kept them. The Israelites would have been disobedient to God, lawbreakers, if they had not observed them. For the word of Jehovah was, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, The feasts of Jehovah, which ye shall call holy convocations, these are my feasts. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation, ye shall do no work therein, a sabbath it is to Jehovah in all your dwellings."

This revelation then begins with the sabbath, which is here classed with the set feasts moadim (lit. appointed times) though generally it is viewed as distinct from them (1 Chron. 23:31; 2 Chron. 2:4; 31:3; Neh. 10:33; Lam. 2:6; Hosea 2:11). But in common with the set feasts it is called a holy convocation (v. 2), and in common with the day of atonement it is called a sabbath of rest, shabbath shabbathon, for throughout it complete rest from all work was enjoined; first, because on it, as stated in Ex. 20, Jehovah rested; and also in remembrance, as stated in Deut. 5, of Israel's time and condition of servitude in Egypt. On the chief days of their appointed feasts rest from all servile work only was enjoined; and, though the first day of the seventh month, and the first and last days of the feast of tabernacles were called days of rest, shabbathon, to no day was the term Sabbath applied except to the seventh day of the week, and to the tenth day of the seventh month. Classed then as the seventh day was with the moadim (lit. appointed times), it also differed materially from them, and that appears from verses 4 and 37, 38 of this chapter of Leviticus. In verses 37, 38, it is mentioned as distinct from them. In verse 4 we recommence the subject, as it were, of which the lawgiver was to treat, viz., the directions concerning the set feasts, moadim, of Jehovah. But its introduction at the outset of this chapter was surely calculated to impress on the minds of the people, that no stated time of rejoicing, nor of any holy convocation, was to override the perpetual ordinance concerning the sabbath day, and its proper observance. For it was a sign between Jehovah and Israel (Ex. 31:13, 17; Ezek. 20:12, 20).

Strictly speaking, there are eight feasts in this chapter, beginning with the feast of the Sabbath and ending with the feast of Tabernacles. It will be noticed that the feast of the Sabbath is weekly, but the other seven recurred annually. It is evident that the Sabbath fills a place by itself, as it is the only feast spoken of in the first declaration "the set feasts of Jehovah." v. 2, N. Tr. A footnote by J.N.D. tells us that "set feasts" mean "fixed times (for drawing near to God)." Another thought underlying this word is appointment. This indeed gives us a clue as to the meaning of this sacred calendar outlined in this chapter. We have the statement "set feasts" repeated again in v. 4, thus severing the Sabbath from the rest of the feasts and putting it in a class by itself. The reason for this has often been noted, viz. we have presented in the first feast the great end in view of all these feasts. The Psalms are often like this, the subject being stated at the opening of the Psalm, and the rest of the Psalm taken up with the theme of how that objective was reached. The Sabbath is the great end in view of all the ways of God in time. In order to enlighten us as to how that end will be brought about, we have the detailed instruction of this interesting chapter. So we turn to it.

Days appear to have an important place in the chapter. Doubtless because they were feast days, that is, they stood out as holy convocations to the Lord Himself. Should we not hold each day in relation to divine interest? The Lord's Day would, of course, have a special place as we gather for the breaking of bread; but there are other occasions for prayer, for the reading of the Scriptures, and for ministry of the Word; all these should have a controlling place in our lives.

As to days: God sanctified the seventh day on which He rested; it was afterwards to be kept holy by the Israelites. Gen. 2:3; Ex. 20:8.