TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4
These are the
Lord’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies. Leviticus
23:4
God Appoints Times for
Rhythms of Life
To commemorate the end of hostilities in World War
I, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day, to be
celebrated with parades and public festivals. In 1954, Congress renamed the
holiday Veterans Day. The purpose, according to the Veterans Administration, is
“to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and
willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.” Veterans Day is a time
to remember. Our calendar includes such times and seasons, and Israel’s
calendar did, too. God appointed recurring festivals and “sacred assemblies” to
mark the rhythms of their public or congregational life. The creation narrative
had already reminded them of this (see Feb. 2), and now the Mosaic Law set up
specific feasts and holy days. These included a weekly Sabbath, an annual
Passover festival, and a rare Year of Jubilee (every 50 years). Three annual
religious festivals anchored the nation’s calendar (Ex. 23:14–17). These
appointed times were serious business. God promised that when Israel strayed
from obedience to His prescribed days and seasons, especially the Sabbath, then
redeeming those times would become part of the justice of the punishment. The
land would have its Sabbaths— the people could participate in God’s guarantee
or suffer the consequences (Lev. 26:34–35). The phrase “sacred assemblies” in
verse 4 highlights the main purpose and character of these appointed times as
centered around worship. The focus was clearly to be on God. For example, the
Sabbath, as a day of rest, reflected God’s actions in creation (Gen. 2:2–3; Ex.
20:8–11). Similarly, the Passover, or Feast of Unleavened Bread, commemorated
the Exodus from Egypt, when God had worked mighty wonders and freed His people
from slavery. The Passover lamb would later become a symbol of Christ’s
sacrifice (see 1 Cor. 5:7).
Taken
from the Word for You Today Devotional
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