On the first day there shall be a sacred assembly. You must not do any regular work. On the first dayThis phrase marks the beginning of a sacred time, specifically the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Sukkot. In the Hebrew calendar, this feast begins on the 15th day of the seventh month, Tishrei. Historically, this was a time of great joy and celebration, as it followed the harvest. The "first day" signifies a new beginning, a time to set aside the mundane and enter into a period of divine appointment. The Hebrew word for "first" is "rishon," which can also mean "chief" or "principal," emphasizing the importance of this day in the festival. you are to hold
The Hebrew root for "hold" is "asah," which means to do, make, or perform. This implies an active participation and engagement in the festival. It is not merely a passive observance but a deliberate act of worship and obedience. The Israelites were to prepare themselves spiritually and physically to honor God during this time. a sacred assembly
The term "sacred assembly" comes from the Hebrew "miqra qodesh," which denotes a holy convocation. This was a gathering set apart for worship and reflection, distinct from ordinary gatherings. The sacred assembly was a time for the community to come together in unity, focusing on their relationship with God. It was a reminder of their identity as God's chosen people and their call to holiness. You must not do any regular work
This command underscores the sanctity of the day. The prohibition against "regular work" (Hebrew: "melakah") is a call to rest and to trust in God's provision. It echoes the Sabbath principle, where rest is an act of faith, acknowledging that God is the ultimate provider. This cessation from labor allows the people to focus entirely on worship and the spiritual significance of the feast. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe prophet and leader of the Israelites who received the laws and commandments from God, including the instructions for the sacred assemblies. 2. IsraelitesThe chosen people of God who were given these instructions to observe sacred assemblies as part of their covenant relationship with Him. 3. Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)The specific festival context of this verse, a time of celebration and remembrance of God's provision during the Israelites' wilderness journey. 4. Sacred AssemblyA holy gathering commanded by God, emphasizing communal worship and rest from regular labor. 5. Wilderness JourneyThe period when the Israelites wandered in the desert, during which God provided for them and established His laws. Teaching Points The Importance of Rest and WorshipGod commands His people to set aside regular work to focus on worship and community. This principle is vital for spiritual renewal and maintaining a relationship with God. Community and Sacred GatheringsSacred assemblies are not just personal but communal, emphasizing the importance of gathering with fellow believers to worship and celebrate God's faithfulness. Obedience to God's CommandsObserving God's instructions, such as sacred assemblies, is an act of obedience that reflects our trust in His provision and sovereignty. Spiritual Reflection and RemembranceThe Feast of Tabernacles serves as a reminder of God's past provision and faithfulness, encouraging believers to reflect on His ongoing work in their lives. Holistic Rest in ChristWhile the Old Testament emphasizes physical rest, the New Testament invites believers to find holistic rest in Jesus, who fulfills the law and offers spiritual peace. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the concept of a "sacred assembly" in Leviticus 23:35 relate to the modern practice of gathering for worship in church? 2. In what ways can we incorporate the principle of rest from regular work into our weekly routines, and how does this reflect our trust in God? 3. How does the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles serve as a reminder of God's provision, and how can we apply this remembrance in our daily lives? 4. What are some practical ways to foster a sense of community and shared worship among believers today, in light of the sacred assemblies commanded in the Old Testament? 5. How does the New Testament concept of rest in Christ enhance our understanding of the physical rest commanded in the Old Testament, and how can this influence our spiritual practices? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 20:8-11The commandment to observe the Sabbath, which parallels the call to rest and worship during sacred assemblies. Hebrews 4:9-11Discusses the concept of rest for God's people, connecting the physical rest of the Old Testament with the spiritual rest found in Christ. Nehemiah 8:18Describes the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles during the time of Nehemiah, highlighting the importance of returning to God's commands. | The Festivals | R.A. Redford | Leviticus 23:1-44 | | Feasts of the Lord | W. H. Jellie. | Leviticus 23:2-44 | | God's Festivals | Henry, Matthew | Leviticus 23:2-44 | | God's Holy Days | Henry, Matthew | Leviticus 23:2-44 | | Seven Feasts Mentioned in This Chapter | D. C. Hughes, M. A. | Leviticus 23:2-44 | | The Great Feasts | J. C. Gray. | Leviticus 23:2-44 | | The Holy Festivals | J. A. Seiss, . D. D. | Leviticus 23:2-44 | | The Hebdomad | J.A. Macdonald | Leviticus 23:23-44 | | Joy Before the Lord | W. Clarkson | Leviticus 23:33-43 | | The Pilgrim Spirit as Illustrated in the Feast of Tabernacles | R.M. Edgar | Leviticus 23:33-43 | | The Feast of Tabernacles | J.A. Macdonald | Leviticus 23:33-44 | | The Feast of Tabernacles | R.A. Redford | Leviticus 23:33-44 | | A Festival Kept to the Lord | E. Payson, D. D. | Leviticus 23:34-42 | | Dwelling in Booths | S. Martin, D. D. | Leviticus 23:34-42 | | Harvest Thanksgiving | Philip Neale. | Leviticus 23:34-42 | | Pleasant Ministries | J. Parker. D. D. | Leviticus 23:34-42 | | Sojourning in Booths | W. H. Jellie. | Leviticus 23:34-42 | | The Feast of Tabernacle | J. B. Lowe, . B. A. | Leviticus 23:34-42 | | The Feast of Tabernacles | H. M. Grout, D. D. | Leviticus 23:34-42 | | The Feast of Tabernacles | De Witt S. Clark. | Leviticus 23:34-42 | | The Feast of Tabernacles | D. C. Hughes, M. A. | Leviticus 23:34-42 | | The Feast of Tabernacles | Henry, Matthew | Leviticus 23:34-42 | | The Feast of Tabernacles | Bp. Babington. | Leviticus 23:34-42 | | The Feast of Tabernacles (A New Year's Sermon) | Anon. | Leviticus 23:34-42 |
People Ephah, Israelites, MosesPlaces TemanTopics Assembly, Convocation, Field-work, Holy, Kind, Laborious, Manner, Meeting, Regular, Servile, ThereinDictionary of Bible Themes Leviticus 23:23-36 7435 sacrifice, in OT Leviticus 23:26-36 8629 worship, times Leviticus 23:32-36 8270 holiness, set apart Leviticus 23:33-36 8642 celebration Leviticus 23:33-43 4208 land, divine responsibility
8644 commemoration Leviticus 23:34-36 4921 day
5338 holiday Leviticus 23:35-36 5636 work, and rest Library The Consecration of Joy
'And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 34. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. 35. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 36. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord; on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureOf a Private Fast.
That we may rightly perform a private fast, four things are to be observed:--First, The author; Secondly, The time and occasion; Thirdly, The manner; Fourthly, The ends of private fasting. 1. Of the Author. The first that ordained fasting was God himself in paradise; and it was the first law that God made, in commanding Adam to abstain from eating the forbidden fruit. God would not pronounce nor write his law without fasting (Lev. xxiii), and in his law commands all his people to fast. So does our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety In the Last, the Great Day of the Feast'
IT was the last, the great day of the Feast,' and Jesus was once more in the Temple. We can scarcely doubt that it was the concluding day of the Feast, and not, as most modern writers suppose, its Octave, which, in Rabbinic language, was regarded as a festival by itself.' [3987] [3988] But such solemn interest attaches to the Feast, and this occurrence on its last day, that we must try to realise the scene. We have here the only Old Testament type yet unfilfilled; the only Jewish festival which has …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah The Deputation from Jerusalem - the Three Sects of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes - Examination of their Distinctive Doctrines.
APART from the repulsively carnal form which it had taken, there is something absolutely sublime in the continuance and intensity of the Jewish expectation of the Messiah. It outlived not only the delay of long centuries, but the persecutions and scattering of the people; it continued under the disappointment of the Maccabees, the rule of a Herod, the administration of a corrupt and contemptible Priesthood, and, finally, the government of Rome as represented by a Pilate; nay, it grew in intensity …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah The Chronology
45. The length of the public ministry of Jesus was one of the earliest questions which arose in the study of the four gospels. In the second and third centuries it was not uncommon to find the answer in the passage from Isaiah (lxi. 1, 2), which Jesus declared was fulfilled in himself. "The acceptable year of the Lord" was taken to indicate that the ministry covered little more than a year. The fact that the first three gospels mention but one Passover (that at the end), and but one journey to Jerusalem, …
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth "But if the Spirit of Him that Raised up Jesus from the Dead Dwell in You, He that Raised up Christ from the Dead Shall Also
Rom. viii. 11.--"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." It is true the soul is incomparably better than the body, and he is only worthy the name of a man and of a Christian who prefers this more excellent part, and employs his study and time about it, and regards his body only for the noble guest that lodges within it, and therefore it is one of the …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Jesus Living at Nazareth and visiting Jerusalem in his Twelfth Year.
(Nazareth and Jerusalem, a.d. 7 or 8.) ^C Luke II. 40-52. ^c 40 And the child grew [This verse contains the history of thirty years. It describes the growth of our Lord as a natural, human growth (compare Luke i. 80); for, though Jesus was truly divine, he was also perfectly man. To try to distinguish between the divine and human in Jesus, is to waste time upon an impracticable mystery which is too subtle for our dull and finite minds], and waxed strong [His life expanded like other human lives. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Healing Peter's Mother-In-Law and Many Others.
(at Capernaum.) ^A Matt. VIII. 14-17; ^B Mark I. 29-34; ^C Luke IV. 38-41. ^c 38 And he arose out of the synagogue [where he had just healed the demoniac], ^b 29 And straightway, when they were come out of the synagogue, they came { ^c entered} ^b into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. [Peter and Andrew had dwelt at Bethsaida (John i. 44). They may have removed to Capernaum, or Bethsaida, being near by, may be here counted as a part, or suburb, of Capernaum. Its name does not contradict …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision A. Jesus Cleanses the Temple. ^D John II. 13-25. ^d 13 And the passover of the Jews was at hand [We get our information as to the length of our Lord's ministry from John's Gospel. He groups his narrative around six Jewish festivals: 1, He here mentions the first passover; 2, another feast, which we take to have been also a passover (v. 1); 3, another passover (vi. 4); 4, the feast of tabernacles (vii. 2); 5, dedication (x. 22); 6, passover (xi. 55). This …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
(from Bethany to Jerusalem and Back, Sunday, April 2, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXI. 1-12, 14-17; ^B Mark XI. 1-11; ^C Luke XIX. 29-44; ^D John XII. 12-19. ^c 29 And ^d 12 On the morrow [after the feast in the house of Simon the leper] ^c it came to pass, when he he drew nigh unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, ^a 1 And when they came nigh unto Jerusalem, and came unto Bethphage unto { ^b at} ^a the mount of Olives [The name, Bethphage, is said to mean house of figs, but the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Leviticus
The emphasis which modern criticism has very properly laid on the prophetic books and the prophetic element generally in the Old Testament, has had the effect of somewhat diverting popular attention from the priestly contributions to the literature and religion of Israel. From this neglect Leviticus has suffered most. Yet for many reasons it is worthy of close attention; it is the deliberate expression of the priestly mind of Israel at its best, and it thus forms a welcome foil to the unattractive …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Leviticus 23:35 NIVLeviticus 23:35 NLTLeviticus 23:35 ESVLeviticus 23:35 NASBLeviticus 23:35 KJV
Leviticus 23:35 Commentaries
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