Bible Explanations
7. Sabbaths and Holy Days
Old
Testament
Festival Days
From Leviticus 23 we see that:
v.2 - all these festivals
are "holy
convocations," i.e.
ordinarily, no work is to be done on them. This not working is of two
distinct types" "NO WORK," and the less strict "NO SERVILE WORK":
(1.) v.3 - Sabbath - this is a
"Sabbath
of rest," NO WORK shall be done, it is a "holy
convocation."
In Old Testament times, this was the seventh day of the week, but now
after Christ has come, it is the first day of the week. However, the
injunction to do "NO WORK" still continues, as the fourth Commandment
is still in existence, only the day has changed.
(2.) vv.4-8 - Passover - This starts at even
between 14th
and 15th Nisan (the first month of the Jewish year), for seven days.
15th Nisan is the first day of the "Feast of Unleavened Bread."
The first and last days are "holy convocations"
and
NO SERVILE WORK is to be done.
(3.) vv.9-22 - Firstfruits - After the first
sheaf is waved before
the Lord, we must then count seven weeks to the festival of Firstfruits
("Pentecost"). This is a "holy
convocation" and NO SERVILE WORK
is to be done. This is equivalent to the feast of "Harvest"
in Exodus 23:16.
(4.) vv.23-25 - Day of Trumpets - This is the
first
day of the seventh
month. A "holy convocation," NO SERVILE WORK is to
be done.
(5.) vv.26-32 - Day of Atonement - This is the
tenth
day of the seventh
month. A "holy convocation," NO WORK is to be
done, it shall be
a "Sabbath of rest" (cf. "Sabbath").
It is held from even
on
the ninth day of the month to even on the tenth.
(6.) vv.33-36 - Feast of Tabernacles -
This is on the 15th day of
the seventh month for seven days. This is equivalent to the "Feast
of Ingathering" in Exodus 23:16. The first and eighth days
are "holy convocations," NO SERVILE WORK is
to be done.
Note in all this that the only extra
Sabbath (over and above the weekly Sabbath) on which NO WORK at all was
to be done, was the Day of Atonement. This has now been done
away
with since Christ has come, as He is the true atonement for His people
before God the Father in heaven. Also see Leviticus 16:29; Numbers
29:7.
All
other holy days in the Old Testament require doing NO SERVILE WORK,
which had a less strict application, c.f. Numbers 8:25,26 - When the
Levites reached the age of 50, they continued to "minister
with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the
charge," but they "did no service,"
i.e. "no servile work."
Note
that Deuteronomy 16:8 refers to the last day of Passover as one in
which "no
work" was to be done, but this can be interpreted by clearer
passages in Scripture (i.e.
Leviticus 23:8) as "no servile work".
Today's Festival
days condemned
Jeremiah 10:1-4 -
"Hear ye the
word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus
saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed
at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
For the customs of the people are vain: for one
cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the
workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold;
they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."
Proverbs 15:27 - "He
that is greedy
of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall
live."