How does observing God's appointed times deepen our relationship with Him? Setting the Scene: Numbers 28:17 “On the fifteenth day of this month there is to be a feast; for seven days unleavened bread is to be eaten.” (Numbers 28:17) The Lord doesn’t merely suggest holy days; He schedules them. By naming dates and details, He draws us into His calendar and His story. Why God Gave Appointed Times • They are His “mo’edim”—divinely fixed appointments (Leviticus 23:1-2). • Each feast is called a “sacred assembly,” a gathering set apart for meeting with Him. • Observing them lets us step out of hurried routines and into rhythms He designed for worship, rest, and remembrance. Reliving Redemption Every Year • The Feast of Unleavened Bread (immediately following Passover) rehearses Israel’s exodus: haste, deliverance, and cleansing from leaven (sin). • Exodus 12:17 reminds Israel to observe it “for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt.” • By eating bread without yeast, we physically remember that He sweeps away corruption and sets us free—truths that never lose power through repetition. Aligning Our Days With His Heartbeat • Regular observance forms holy habits: six days of work, then Sabbath; seasons punctuated by feasts. • Leviticus 23 outlines a full yearly cycle—an intentional antidote to living by the culture’s clock. • As we adjust plans, budgets, and travel around His dates, our priorities realign with His. Seeing Christ in Every Feast • Passover: “Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) • Unleavened Bread: “Therefore let us keep the feast…with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:8) • Firstfruits: Jesus’ resurrection on “the first day of the week” (John 20:1) fulfills the pledge of the coming harvest (1 Corinthians 15:20). • Pentecost: The Spirit is given on the very day Torah was celebrated (Acts 2:1-4). • Seeing Him in the past feasts stirs joyful expectation that He will fulfill the yet-future ones (e.g., Zechariah 14:16). Nurturing Community and Generosity • Feasts were celebrated “together” (Deuteronomy 16:11); nobody was to appear empty-handed (v. 16-17). • Sharing meals, testimonies, and offerings for the poor forges bonds that routine services rarely match. • Observing the dates today—whether through church gatherings, family meals, or congregational celebrations—creates tangible unity around the gospel story. Anticipating the Final Celebration • Colossians 2:16-17 calls the feasts “a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” Each holy day whispers of the marriage supper of the Lamb. • Hebrews 4:9-10 points to a “Sabbath rest” that remains. Practicing His appointed times trains our hearts to long for that eternal rest. Keeping His calendar is more than a tradition; it is a relational rhythm. Every appointed time becomes a rendezvous—God faithfully present, His people newly amazed, the relationship growing deeper with every feast kept. |
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