The feasts instituted by Moses hold a significant place in the religious and cultural life of the Israelites, serving as both a remembrance of God's mighty acts and a celebration of His ongoing provision and faithfulness. These feasts, outlined in the Torah, were not only religious observances but also times of communal rejoicing and thanksgiving.

Passover (Pesach): The Passover is perhaps the most well-known of the Mosaic feasts, commemorating the Israelites' deliverance from slavery in Egypt. As recorded in Exodus 12, the Passover involves the sacrifice of a lamb and the eating of unleavened bread, symbolizing the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt. The feast is a time of solemn remembrance but also of rejoicing in God's deliverance. Deuteronomy 16:1-3 instructs the Israelites to celebrate the Passover as a festival to the LORD, emphasizing the joy of liberation.

Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot): Closely following Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasts for seven days, during which no leavened bread is to be eaten. This feast serves as a reminder of the Israelites' hasty departure from Egypt and their reliance on God's provision. Leviticus 23:6-8 describes this feast as a time of sacred assembly and offering, marked by rejoicing in the freedom and sustenance provided by God.

Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost): Celebrated seven weeks after the Passover, the Feast of Weeks is a harvest festival, thanking God for the firstfruits of the wheat harvest. Deuteronomy 16:9-12 highlights the joy and gratitude that characterize this feast, as the Israelites are instructed to rejoice before the LORD with their families and communities, acknowledging God's abundant blessings.

Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah): The Feast of Trumpets marks the beginning of the civil year and is a time of reflection and preparation for the Day of Atonement. Leviticus 23:23-25 describes it as a day of rest and a sacred assembly, celebrated with trumpet blasts. While it is a solemn time, it is also a celebration of God's kingship and the hope of renewal.

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur): Although primarily a day of fasting and repentance, the Day of Atonement is also a time of rejoicing in God's mercy and forgiveness. Leviticus 16 outlines the rituals of atonement, culminating in the high priest entering the Holy of Holies. The joy of this feast lies in the assurance of reconciliation with God.

Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot): The Feast of Tabernacles is a week-long celebration of God's provision during the Israelites' wilderness wanderings. Leviticus 23:33-43 commands the Israelites to live in temporary shelters and rejoice before the LORD. This feast is marked by great joy, as it celebrates both the harvest and God's faithfulness.

In summary, the feasts instituted by Moses are integral to the spiritual life of the Israelites, serving as times of remembrance, worship, and communal joy. Each feast underscores a unique aspect of God's relationship with His people, inviting them to celebrate His past deeds and present blessings with rejoicing.Leviticus 23:40
And you shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
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Deuteronomy 16:11-14
And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite that is within your gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD your God has chosen to place his name there.
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2 Chronicles 30:21-26
And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments to the LORD.
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Ezra 6:22
And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
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Nehemiah 8:9-12,17
And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
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Psalm 42:4
When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day.
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Psalm 122:4
Where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to the testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
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Isaiah 30:29
You shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goes with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.
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Zechariah 8:19
Thus said the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.
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The Prophecies
... the Sanhedrin and which, having been instituted by Moses ... Christ, believed in the
books of Moses, kept them in ... day; and I will turn your feasts into mourning ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pascal/pensees/section xi the prophecies.htm

The Second Helvetic Confession, AD 1566.
... Elizabeth, they asked his counsel, and kept him informed ... God employed the Patriarchs,
Moses, and the Prophets ... But feasts instituted by men in honor of saints ...
/.../ 55 the second helvetic.htm

The Fourth Commandment
... redemption by Christ.' The reason why God instituted the old ... that day; some in dressing
great feasts, others in ... Moses said, I call heaven and earth to record ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 4 the fourth commandment.htm

Bardesan.
... as wives, and they even have feasts on the ... Jews, who received the law through Moses,
circumcise their ... and this government which have been instituted, and the ...
/.../unknown/the decretals/ancient syriac documents bardesan.htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1820 to the Beginning ...
... this priesthood a perpetual succession is kept up by ... good book the way,) by our feasts,
rattles, and ... Their request was granted, and Moses Hinkle, senior, was ...
/.../chapter 6 from the close.htm

Period iv. The Age of the Consolidation of the Church: 200 to 324 ...
... they are taken thence and spent, not on feasts and drinking ... which God in justice
owed those who kept His commandments. ... no other gods beside me" [ie, of Moses, cf ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period iv the age of.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... of Plato,** five thousand before the Trojan war,*** one thousand before Moses, and
six ... As soon as Alyattes was dead, Crosus, who was kept informed by his spies ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm

What is the Feast of Tabernacles / Booths / Sukkot? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Feast of Weeks? | GotQuestions.org

What is a love feast? | GotQuestions.org

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