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Coming Up
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connecting The God of Feasting
Phil Schaefer
Introduction: If I said, our God is a “partying God”. Would that offend you? God said to Israel, seven times a year I want you to come together and feast, to celebrate. Through the Law, God commands Israel to feast. Feast- from “ehag” a festival (Heb) It comes from a root word ehagag, meaning to celebrate, to revolve, to dance around. Example: David danced before the Ark in celebration. Holy convocation- from the Hebrew word Migra- meaning called out, a public meeting or assembly. Occasions for feasting and gladness
A. Jewish Festival days:
These were days to stop, to rest, and give thanks to God; days to consider His mercy and grace to us as God’s people. The Lord of all creation has called us to feast with Him, to gather together as a people and to celebrate before Him. Examples: Feast of Trumpets- They blew the trumpets in order to loudly and boldly proclaim “Lord, we are yours!” This feast points to the Second coming of Christ. All these symbols point us to God, to Christ. Feast of Passover- A joyous celebration, a time to rest as children of the King; a time of acknowledging His saving and calling out of His people from bondage. Feast of Pentecost- A season of rejoicing, inviting everyone to come together. ( a time of ingathering) It points to the birth of the New Testament church at Pentecost. Day of Atonement- a day of cleansing from sin. Not just repentance , but also a reminder of the blood that covers our sin. It points to Christ’s death on the cross. Feast of Tabernacles- The land had rest from cultivation. The people had rest from labor. The day of rest was created not just for us but for Him also. A reminder that life is more than labor. Lev. 23:3- “On the seventh day is a solemn day of rest, a holy convocation. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places. You shall do no work.” Year of Jubilee- Every 50 years was a year of restoration, of release. A time to set everything right. It points to our release and deliverance from sin in Christ. Every month there was a New moon festival- It was a time to renew and consecrate themselves anew to God. B. Though we don’t keep all of the Old Testament feasts, under the New Covenant, God’s heart is still for us to feast and celebrate His goodness over our lives. Ex. John 2:1-11- Jesus at the wedding in Cana. He turned the water into wine. He kept the party going. God wants us to celebrate things together. The Christian life is to be one of celebration and joy not just of duty. Who wants to follow us if our life is only a life of giving up things, no fun or joy? He wants us to recognize what He has done in our lives as a people, to celebrate it. Jesus taught about feasting and celebration a lot in the parables. Examples: parables of the lost coin, the lost son. God’s people are called to a life of feasting. Example: Phil’s experience at the Boston Marathon. It was a premier event, a celebration on Patriots Day. The whole city came out to cheer for the 25,00 runners. The run was great, everyone running together. Afterward some runners went straight home, but some chose to stay and celebrate what they had all done together. To have a great meal together, to rehearse all the different experiences they had had. Good and bad. It was a time to feast, to enjoy one another, to reflect.
Discussion questions:
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