God loves to spend time with His people. He is with us when we worship, study, work, play or have a party. He also loves when we celebrate His goodness.
When the Israelites were in the desert, before they entered the Promised Land, God gave them special days to remember Him. These feasts helped them think about His love, care and saving power all through the year.
The Feast of Passover
The night before God led His people out of Egypt, they were packed and ready to go. They ate a special meal standing up. Passover was to remind people that the angel “passed over” the homes that had lamb’s blood on the doorjamb. Jesus is called our Passover Lamb because He gave His life to save us.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread
For seven days, the people ate bread made without yeast. They cleaned all the yeast out of their homes. This reminded them to leave sin behind and follow God. It also pointed to Jesus, who lived a perfect life.
The Feast of Firstfruits
The people gave God the first and best part of their harvest. This showed that they trusted Him to provide the rest. Jesus rose from the dead on this special day. He is the first to rise, and one day His people will rise too.
The Feast of Weeks
Fifty days later, the people thanked God for the harvest. They celebrated with joyful hearts. Many years later, God gave the Holy Spirit to Jesus' followers on this same day. The Holy Spirit helps us share God's love with others.
The Feast of Trumpets
This feast began the new year. Trumpets were blown to call the people to come close to God. It was a time to get their hearts ready for the Day of Atonement.
The Day of Atonement
This was the holiest day of the year. The people fasted and asked God to cleanse them from sin. They wanted to be close friends with Him.
The Feast of Tabernacles
For seven days, the people lived in shelters made from branches. This helped them remember that God cared for them in the desert for 40 years. It was a happy time of worship, singing and thanking God.
These special feasts all point us to Jesus and remind us that God wants to live with His people forever. He is preparing a big feast in heaven — a dinner party for all His friends. He even gives us a spotless robe, His character of righteousness and love, to wear! I can hardly wait to meet you there at His party!
You can read Lev. 23 and Rev. 19:9 for family worship.
