Celebrating Holiness

As Leviticus comes to a close we are introduced to another aspect of holiness. Celebration. We often think of celebration in terms of a party. Friends gather together to celebrate a special occasion. A birthday, an anniversary, or a graduation. We share food, laugh together and enjoy the company of people we love. Families often have special traditions that they celebrate, special food, or special places that they go on a special day.

Walking with God is a celebration. Our relationship with God celebrates the transformation that we receive. As God makes us holy, we have something special to remember. Something that helps us experience joy.

As God sets out the Law in Leviticus, He takes time to help the people celebrate the relationship that they share. The Law is about bringing people into the presence of God and transforming them to walk with Him. This special relationship calls for celebration. So the Lord tells Moses to proclaim a series of “holy convocations” (Leviticus 23:1), times when the people can remember and celebrate God’s presence and power in their lives.

The Sabbath (Leviticus 23:3)
The Sabbath day, the seventh day, called God’s people to look back on creation and see that God had worked in power, but that He also took time to stop. God rested. Each week, God has set aside a day to rest. A day to remember all that the Lord has done for us. For Christians, our Lord’s Day happens at the first of the week. It is a day of worship when we gather with the church to celebrate God’s work in our lives. A day to remember that follow in God’s footsteps.

The Passover (Leviticus 23:4-8)
The Passover called God’s people to remember God’s redemptive work in Egypt. The Passover celebrates life and God’s protection. The people remember that God made a way for His people to escape death. Blood on the doorposts and a lamb to eat marked a time to remember God’s saving power. For the Christian, the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, calls us to remember that God has worked salvation in our lives. A Lamb has been slain and blood covers our sin. We celebrate the cross of Jesus and His love for us.

The Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14)
The Feast of Firstfruits celebrates God’s provision. The people walk into fields full of barley and see the gift of God. They reach out to touch what God provides. They set aside a part to give back to God. If the Passover calls Christians to celebrate the cross, the Feast of Firstfruits calls us to celebrate an empty tomb and the power of resurrection. Jesus is called the “firstfruits” in 1 Corinthians 15:23. Here Paul tells us that we will share in the resurrection of Jesus. We will experience the provision of God throughout eternity. God has prepared a home with Him for all time.

The Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-22)
Harvest and abundance are also celebrated during the Feast of Weeks. It was a time to take in wheat, grapes, and olives. God’s abundance is seen as God continues to work. He is constantly and consistently bringing a blessing to His people. The Feast of Weeks is also known as Pentecost. For Christians, we see God’s continued blessing in the life of the church. The church began at Pentecost (Acts 2) and continues to function as the Body of Christ in our world. We celebrate the blessings of God when we gather with the church.

The Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25)
The Feast of Trumpets was a special day of rest. A day to simply remember that God is present. It was celebrated with the blast of trumpets. Trumpets were often used in the Old Testament to show the coming of a king, to announce victory over an enemy and to call God’s people to an awareness of God’s power. Christians celebrate the presence of God in each moment as we remember that the Holy Spirit has come into our lives. We know that God is working a great victory over sin and the world in the hearts of His people. Each moment brings the trumpet blast of awareness that God is close and longs to be closer to His people.

The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32)
The Day of Atonement was a day of sacrifice. It was a day to acknowledge both the sin that man struggles with the grace of God’s forgiveness. With the sacrifice of a lamb, the people knew that God was covering their sin and bringing them into holiness. Christians celebrate this atonement every time we set aside time to pray, serve, worship, or study. Forgiveness continues to flow from the cross. We celebrate its power every time we let go of self and surrender to God.

The Feast of Booths (Leviticus 23:33-44)
The Feast of Booths called God’s people to remember the time of their wandering in the wilderness. It was a time when God had brought them from slavery into freedom. It was a time when God’s people rebelled, but God remained faithful. It was a time when God led His people on a journey to the Promised Land. Christians too celebrate a journey with God. It is a journey of transformation that takes us out of a life of sin and leads us to a home with God. Though we struggle and fall, God is faithful to forgive. He leads us closer and closer into His heart and into His will. He calls us to follow.

Embedding the Bible is about seeing all of the ways we can celebrate the presence of God in our lives. The Bible shows us over and over that the life of holiness is not a life of drudgery or solemn duty keeping. It is abundant with the blessings of God. Forgiveness, community, worship, and rest are all a part of God’s plan and a part of God’s gift to us today. Remember to celebrate the journey!