Leviticus 23:2
"Speak to the Israelites and say to them, 'These are My appointed feasts, the feasts of the LORD that you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.
“Speak to the Israelites

God commanded Moses to address the covenant people descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses served as God’s appointed mediator, delivering His instructions to the nation He had redeemed from Egypt.

Num 15:2 Speak to the Israelites and tell them: …
Lev 1:2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When any of you”…

and say to them,

The Lord’s commands were to be publicly communicated so that all Israel would understand and observe them. Their worship was governed by God’s revealed will rather than by local custom or human preference.

Num 34:2 Command the Israelites and say to them:…
Num 9:10 “Tell the Israelites: ‘When any one of you…

‘These are My appointed feasts,

God established fixed seasons when Israel was to gather before Him. These observances recalled His faithfulness, provision, and deliverance, while ordering the nation’s calendar around worship.

Num 10:10 And on your joyous occasions, your appointed feasts,…
Exo 23:14 Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me.
Deu 16:16 Three times a year all your men appear before the LORD…

the feasts of the LORD

These occasions belonged to the Lord and were to be kept according to His direction. They preserved Israel’s covenant identity and commemorated His saving work among them.

Exo 12:11 This is how you are to eat it: You must be fully dressed…
Deu 16:1 Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover…
Exo 23:15 You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread…

that you are to proclaim

The feasts were to be announced throughout the community so that every generation would know when and how to assemble. Israel’s leaders bore responsibility to maintain these holy observances.

2Ch 30:5 So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation…
Neh 8:15 and that they should proclaim this message…
Jol 2:15 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast……

as sacred assemblies.

The people were called together for worship, rest, and obedience, setting aside ordinary labor on the appointed days. These gatherings marked Israel as a people consecrated to the Lord.

Exo 12:16 On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly,…
Num 29:1 “On the first day of the seventh month, you are to hold”…
Jol 2:16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Israelites
The chosen people of God, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to whom the laws and commandments were given.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, who establishes the feasts as sacred times for His people.

3. Appointed Feasts
Specific times set by God for the Israelites to gather, worship, and remember His deeds and promises.

4. Sacred Assemblies
Holy gatherings where the community comes together to worship and honor God, distinct from ordinary gatherings.

5. Moses
The prophet and leader through whom God communicated His laws and instructions to the Israelites.
Teaching Points
Understanding Sacred Time
Recognize the importance of setting aside specific times for worship and reflection, as God commanded the Israelites to do.

Community Worship
Emphasize the value of gathering with fellow believers to honor God, drawing strength and encouragement from one another.

Remembrance and Celebration
Use appointed times to remember God's faithfulness and celebrate His ongoing work in our lives.

Holiness in Worship
Approach worship with reverence and a heart prepared to meet with God, acknowledging the sacredness of these gatherings.

Christ as Fulfillment
Reflect on how the feasts point to Christ and find their ultimate fulfillment in Him, deepening our understanding of His work.
Bible Study Questions
1. What are the purposes of the appointed feasts as described in Leviticus 23:2, and how can we apply these purposes to our modern-day worship practices?

2. How do the concepts of sacred assemblies in Leviticus 23:2 relate to the New Testament teachings on gathering as believers?

3. In what ways can we incorporate the principles of remembrance and celebration from the appointed feasts into our personal and communal worship today?

4. How does understanding the original Hebrew term for "appointed feasts" (mo'adim) enhance our appreciation of God's design for worship?

5. How can recognizing Christ as the fulfillment of the feasts deepen our spiritual walk and understanding of God's redemptive plan?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 12
The institution of the Passover, one of the appointed feasts, highlighting God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt.

Numbers 28-29
Detailed instructions on offerings during the appointed feasts, emphasizing the importance of worship and sacrifice.

Deuteronomy 16
Further elaboration on the feasts, focusing on the joy and community aspects of these sacred times.

Hebrews 10
The concept of sacred assemblies is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are encouraged to gather together regularly.

Colossians 2
Paul discusses the fulfillment of the feasts in Christ, pointing to their deeper spiritual significance.
The Offering of Rest: the SabbathR.M. Edgar Leviticus 23:1-3
The SabbathJ.A. Macdonald Leviticus 23:1-3
The FestivalsR.A. Redford Leviticus 23:1-44
Feasts of the LordW. H. Jellie.Leviticus 23:2-44
God's FestivalsHenry, MatthewLeviticus 23:2-44
God's Holy DaysHenry, MatthewLeviticus 23:2-44
Seven Feasts Mentioned in This ChapterD. C. Hughes, M. A.Leviticus 23:2-44
The Great FeastsJ. C. Gray.Leviticus 23:2-44
The Holy FestivalsJ. A. Seiss, . D. D.Leviticus 23:2-44
People
Ephah, Israelites, Moses
Places
Teman
Topics
Appointed, Assemblies, Convocations, Convocations-my, Feasts, Fixed, Hast, Holy, Israelites, Lord's, Meetings, Proclaim, Sacred, Seasons, Sons, Speak
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Leviticus 23:1-2

     5213   assembly

Leviticus 23:1-8

     8270   holiness, set apart

Library
The Consecration of Joy
'And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 34. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. 35. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 36. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord; on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Of a Private Fast.
That we may rightly perform a private fast, four things are to be observed:--First, The author; Secondly, The time and occasion; Thirdly, The manner; Fourthly, The ends of private fasting. 1. Of the Author. The first that ordained fasting was God himself in paradise; and it was the first law that God made, in commanding Adam to abstain from eating the forbidden fruit. God would not pronounce nor write his law without fasting (Lev. xxiii), and in his law commands all his people to fast. So does our
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

In the Last, the Great Day of the Feast'
IT was the last, the great day of the Feast,' and Jesus was once more in the Temple. We can scarcely doubt that it was the concluding day of the Feast, and not, as most modern writers suppose, its Octave, which, in Rabbinic language, was regarded as a festival by itself.' [3987] [3988] But such solemn interest attaches to the Feast, and this occurrence on its last day, that we must try to realise the scene. We have here the only Old Testament type yet unfilfilled; the only Jewish festival which has
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Deputation from Jerusalem - the Three Sects of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes - Examination of their Distinctive Doctrines.
APART from the repulsively carnal form which it had taken, there is something absolutely sublime in the continuance and intensity of the Jewish expectation of the Messiah. It outlived not only the delay of long centuries, but the persecutions and scattering of the people; it continued under the disappointment of the Maccabees, the rule of a Herod, the administration of a corrupt and contemptible Priesthood, and, finally, the government of Rome as represented by a Pilate; nay, it grew in intensity
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Chronology
45. The length of the public ministry of Jesus was one of the earliest questions which arose in the study of the four gospels. In the second and third centuries it was not uncommon to find the answer in the passage from Isaiah (lxi. 1, 2), which Jesus declared was fulfilled in himself. "The acceptable year of the Lord" was taken to indicate that the ministry covered little more than a year. The fact that the first three gospels mention but one Passover (that at the end), and but one journey to Jerusalem,
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth

"But if the Spirit of Him that Raised up Jesus from the Dead Dwell in You, He that Raised up Christ from the Dead Shall Also
Rom. viii. 11.--"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." It is true the soul is incomparably better than the body, and he is only worthy the name of a man and of a Christian who prefers this more excellent part, and employs his study and time about it, and regards his body only for the noble guest that lodges within it, and therefore it is one of the
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Jesus Living at Nazareth and visiting Jerusalem in his Twelfth Year.
(Nazareth and Jerusalem, a.d. 7 or 8.) ^C Luke II. 40-52. ^c 40 And the child grew [This verse contains the history of thirty years. It describes the growth of our Lord as a natural, human growth (compare Luke i. 80); for, though Jesus was truly divine, he was also perfectly man. To try to distinguish between the divine and human in Jesus, is to waste time upon an impracticable mystery which is too subtle for our dull and finite minds], and waxed strong [His life expanded like other human lives.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Healing Peter's Mother-In-Law and Many Others.
(at Capernaum.) ^A Matt. VIII. 14-17; ^B Mark I. 29-34; ^C Luke IV. 38-41. ^c 38 And he arose out of the synagogue [where he had just healed the demoniac], ^b 29 And straightway, when they were come out of the synagogue, they came { ^c entered} ^b into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. [Peter and Andrew had dwelt at Bethsaida (John i. 44). They may have removed to Capernaum, or Bethsaida, being near by, may be here counted as a part, or suburb, of Capernaum. Its name does not contradict
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision A. Jesus Cleanses the Temple. ^D John II. 13-25. ^d 13 And the passover of the Jews was at hand [We get our information as to the length of our Lord's ministry from John's Gospel. He groups his narrative around six Jewish festivals: 1, He here mentions the first passover; 2, another feast, which we take to have been also a passover (v. 1); 3, another passover (vi. 4); 4, the feast of tabernacles (vii. 2); 5, dedication (x. 22); 6, passover (xi. 55). This
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
(from Bethany to Jerusalem and Back, Sunday, April 2, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXI. 1-12, 14-17; ^B Mark XI. 1-11; ^C Luke XIX. 29-44; ^D John XII. 12-19. ^c 29 And ^d 12 On the morrow [after the feast in the house of Simon the leper] ^c it came to pass, when he he drew nigh unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, ^a 1 And when they came nigh unto Jerusalem, and came unto Bethphage unto { ^b at} ^a the mount of Olives [The name, Bethphage, is said to mean house of figs, but the
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Leviticus
The emphasis which modern criticism has very properly laid on the prophetic books and the prophetic element generally in the Old Testament, has had the effect of somewhat diverting popular attention from the priestly contributions to the literature and religion of Israel. From this neglect Leviticus has suffered most. Yet for many reasons it is worthy of close attention; it is the deliberate expression of the priestly mind of Israel at its best, and it thus forms a welcome foil to the unattractive
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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