How does observing biblical feasts strengthen our relationship with God and community? A Feast That Speaks: Exodus 13:6 “In seven days you must eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD.” Feast Days Are God’s Appointed Times - God Himself sets the calendar: “These are the LORD’s appointed times” (Leviticus 23:2). - By showing up when He invites, we align our schedules with His—prioritizing His voice over our own routines. - Regular appointments create ongoing expectation; the heart grows in eagerness to meet the One who calls. Rehearsing Redemption - Passover and Unleavened Bread are living memorials of deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 13:8-10). - Celebrating reminds us that salvation is historical, tangible, and personal. - Each year we retell the story, deepening gratitude and trust: “Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you” (Deuteronomy 15:15). Cultivating Daily Holiness - Removing leaven pictures rooting out sin (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). - Seven uninterrupted days of unleavened bread embed the lesson that holiness is not occasional but continual. - The discipline sensitizes conscience: if leaven (sin) sneaks in, we notice instantly. Building Communal Identity - Entire households eat the same simple bread, re-centering rich and poor alike on God’s provision. - Shared preparation—cleaning out leaven, cooking, singing psalms—creates memories tighter than mere conversation. - Unity flows from shared rhythm: “All the congregation of Israel must celebrate it” (Exodus 12:47). Passing the Story to the Next Generation - Children ask, “What does this service mean to you?” (Exodus 12:26). - Parents explain redemption in real time, weaving theology into taste, smell, and tradition. - Story-anchored experience cements faith better than abstract lectures. Foreshadowing the Messiah - The spotless lamb (Exodus 12:5) points to “Christ our Passover” (1 Corinthians 5:7). - Unleavened bread anticipates the sinless body laid in the tomb during the feast days (Luke 23:53-56). - Observing the feast keeps hearts alert to prophecy fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled, sharpening hope in His return. Practical Ways to Engage the Feasts Today - Mark the dates on the calendar alongside modern holidays to ensure they are not crowded out. - Prepare meals that highlight the symbols—unleavened bread, bitter herbs, roasted lamb—while retelling Scripture aloud. - Invite neighbors or church members; hospitality turns private observance into community discipleship. - Sing psalms or hymns that recount deliverance (Psalm 114; “Nothing but the Blood”) to connect emotion with truth. - Close the week by gathering for corporate worship, celebrating the “feast to the LORD” on the seventh day, echoing Exodus 13:6. Through these rhythms, the feasts draw us nearer to God, embed holiness in daily life, knit believers together, and keep the gospel story vivid—year after year, generation after generation. |
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