Topical Bible: Feasts: Covenants Ratified By

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In the biblical narrative, feasts often serve as significant markers for the ratification of covenants between God and His people. These feasts are not merely celebratory events but are deeply embedded with theological and covenantal significance, symbolizing divine promises and human commitments.

Old Testament Covenants and Feasts

1. The Covenant with Noah: After the flood, God established a covenant with Noah, promising never to destroy the earth with a flood again. While there is no specific feast mentioned in conjunction with this covenant, the act of sacrifice by Noah and the subsequent divine promise can be seen as a precursor to later covenantal feasts (Genesis 8:20-22).

2. The Abrahamic Covenant: The covenant with Abraham, marked by the rite of circumcision, does not directly involve a feast. However, the hospitality shown by Abraham to the three visitors in Genesis 18, which includes a meal, prefigures the communal and covenantal meals that would become central in Israel's religious life.

3. The Mosaic Covenant: The ratification of the Mosaic Covenant is closely associated with the Passover feast. In Exodus 12, God commands the Israelites to observe the Passover as a perpetual ordinance. This feast commemorates their deliverance from Egypt and the establishment of the covenant at Sinai. The Passover meal, with its specific elements, serves as a tangible reminder of God's deliverance and the people's commitment to His laws (Exodus 12:14-17).

4. The Covenant at Sinai: Following the giving of the Law, Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel ascended Mount Sinai, where they beheld God and ate and drank in His presence (Exodus 24:9-11). This meal signifies the sealing of the covenant, with the shared meal symbolizing fellowship and agreement between God and Israel.

5. The Davidic Covenant: While the Davidic Covenant itself is not directly associated with a specific feast, the covenantal promises to David find expression in the communal worship and feasting practices of Israel, particularly in the context of temple worship and the celebration of God's kingship.

New Testament Fulfillment

1. The Last Supper: The New Testament presents the Last Supper as the fulfillment and transformation of the Passover feast. Jesus, during the Passover meal with His disciples, institutes the Lord's Supper, declaring, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:20). This act signifies the establishment of the New Covenant, with the elements of bread and wine symbolizing His body and blood, offered for the forgiveness of sins.

2. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb: The eschatological vision in Revelation culminates in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). This feast represents the ultimate fulfillment of God's covenantal promises, where the redeemed partake in eternal fellowship with Christ, the Lamb of God.

Theological Significance

Feasts in the biblical context are not mere rituals but are deeply intertwined with the covenantal relationship between God and His people. They serve as reminders of God's faithfulness, the people's obligations, and the hope of future fulfillment. Through these feasts, the narrative of redemption unfolds, pointing to the ultimate covenant ratified by Christ's sacrificial death and the promise of eternal communion with God.

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Genesis 26:28-30
And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with you: and we said, Let there be now an oath between us, even between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you;
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Library

Manner of Covenanting.
... But since, on the occasion of entering into covenant, feasts were wont to be kept,
and since the flesh of animals slain ... And Covenants were ratified by the ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter ii manner of covenanting.htm

Nature of Covenanting.
... "O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy ... and if this covenant, and all others
that are ratified by oath, afford not the matter of covenants with God ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter i nature of covenanting.htm