Thurs.’s Devo - The Feasts

Read: Leviticus 22:17-23:44; Mark 9:30-10:12; Psalm 44:1-8; Proverbs 10:39
The feasts were all set around harvests and were to celebrate God’s goodness to them. The first three feasts: Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits were to celebrate the wheat harvest, in the spring. Pentecost, which was 50 days later was to celebrate the barley harvest.
Passover represented redemption and rescue and was fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross. Unleavened Bread represented consecration and was fulfilled when Jesus went to hell and took the keys from Satan. First Fruits represented resurrection and new birth and was fulfilled when Jesus rose from the dead. Pentecost represented the blessing of a second harvest and was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit was given.
The fall festivals are the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippor and The Feast of Tabernacles. They were during the harvest of the grapes and the olives. The Feast of Tabernacles represented a time to regather around a pure faith in God. It was also a day of repentance when Israel was to take stock of their spiritual condition and make the necessary changes to make sure the upcoming year would be pleasing to the Lord. It will be fulfilled when Jesus comes back at the sound of a trumpet with his angels to reap the earth. From that day until the Yom Kippor is the time of repentance for those left on the earth. The last feast is the Feast of Tabernacles which will be fulfilled when Jesus sets up his kingdom on earth and we tabernacle with the Lord.
All of the feasts were dress rehearsals so that God’s people would be ready for the fulfillment. The sad thing is that they got so caught up in the ritual that they lost the meaning.
In Mark, Jesus had just told them that he was going to die and rise from the dead but they could not understand it and instead were arguing about who was going to be the greatest in his kingdom. Jesus taught them that they weren’t the only ones who could minister in his name. All who believe he was the Messiah would do his works.
The Pharisees tried to trick Jesus with their question about divorce but Jesus took them back to Moses’ law and not the one they were living by. He explained that because man’s heart were hard, God gave them a way out of their marriage but that was not his perfect plan. Being married means that two opposite people become one. Through the law, divorce required a “get” which was a certificate of divorce taking care of the woman and the children financially. Jesus told them that they were causing their wives and themselves to commit adultery since they weren’t giving them this certificate of divorcement. So, they really weren’t divorced in God’s eyes.
Jesus was always bringing the Pharisees back to the real law of God and not their made up laws. They had drifted so far from the truth that they didn’t even recognize it when it stood before them.
Lord, help us not to be blinded by our traditions that we miss the truth. Renew our minds through your Word.