Leviticus 23:4
These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times.
These are the LORD’s appointed feasts
The term "appointed feasts" refers to specific times set by God for the Israelites to observe. These feasts are divinely ordained and are not merely cultural or traditional events. They serve as reminders of God's covenant with Israel and His ongoing relationship with His people. The concept of "appointed" suggests a divine schedule, emphasizing that these times are sacred and not to be altered by human decision. The feasts are a part of the Mosaic Law, given to Moses on Mount Sinai, and are integral to the religious life of Israel. They also foreshadow future events in God's redemptive plan, with some seeing them as types of Christ and His work.

the sacred assemblies
The phrase "sacred assemblies" indicates that these gatherings are holy convocations, set apart for worship and reflection. The Hebrew term for "assembly" implies a gathering of people for a specific purpose, in this case, to honor and worship God. These assemblies are not just social gatherings but are meant to be times of spiritual renewal and community worship. They are occasions for the Israelites to come together as a nation to remember God's deeds and to renew their commitment to Him. The sacred nature of these assemblies underscores the importance of holiness and reverence in worship.

you are to proclaim
The responsibility to "proclaim" these feasts falls on the leaders of Israel, particularly the priests and Levites. This proclamation is a public declaration, ensuring that the entire community is aware of the times and significance of these feasts. It highlights the communal aspect of worship in Israel, where the entire nation participates in these observances. The act of proclaiming also serves as a teaching moment, reinforcing the laws and traditions of Israel to each generation. This command underscores the importance of leadership in guiding the spiritual life of the community.

at their appointed times
The phrase "at their appointed times" emphasizes the specific timing of these feasts, which are determined by God. Each feast occurs at a set time in the calendar year, often linked to agricultural cycles, such as the harvest. This timing is not arbitrary but is designed to align with God's purposes and the natural order He established. The precision of these times reflects God's sovereignty and orderliness. Observing the feasts at their appointed times is an act of obedience and trust in God's timing. It also points to the fulfillment of God's promises, as seen in the prophetic significance of these feasts in relation to the life and work of Jesus Christ.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who establishes the feasts as sacred times for His people.

2. Moses
The prophet and leader through whom God communicates His laws and instructions to the Israelites.

3. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who are commanded to observe these feasts as part of their covenant relationship with Him.

4. Appointed Feasts
Specific times set by God for worship, remembrance, and celebration, including Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and others.

5. Sacred Assemblies
Gatherings of the Israelites for worship and observance of the feasts, emphasizing community and holiness.
Teaching Points
Divine Appointment
The feasts are not human inventions but divinely appointed times, underscoring the importance of aligning our worship with God's timing and purposes.

Community and Worship
The sacred assemblies emphasize the communal aspect of worship, reminding us of the importance of gathering together as believers to honor God.

Remembrance and Anticipation
The feasts serve as reminders of God's past faithfulness and as anticipations of future fulfillment, encouraging us to live with gratitude and hope.

Holiness and Obedience
Observing the feasts required obedience and a commitment to holiness, teaching us the value of living set apart for God in our daily lives.

Christ as Fulfillment
The appointed feasts point to Christ, who fulfills the law and the prophets, inviting us to find our ultimate rest and celebration in Him.
Bible Study Questions
1. How do the appointed feasts in Leviticus 23:4 reflect God's desire for His people to remember and celebrate His works?

2. In what ways can the concept of "sacred assemblies" inform our understanding of the importance of corporate worship today?

3. How does the observance of these feasts in the Old Testament connect to the New Testament teachings about Christ's fulfillment of the law?

4. What practical steps can we take to ensure that our worship aligns with God's appointed times and purposes in our lives?

5. How can the principles of holiness and obedience seen in the observance of these feasts be applied to our daily walk with Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 12
Details the institution of the Passover, one of the appointed feasts, highlighting its significance in Israel's deliverance from Egypt.

Numbers 28-29
Provides further instructions on offerings and sacrifices associated with the appointed feasts, emphasizing their importance in Israel's worship.

Deuteronomy 16
Reiterates the command to observe the feasts, focusing on the joy and gratitude that should accompany these celebrations.

Hebrews 10
Discusses the fulfillment of the sacrificial system in Christ, connecting the Old Testament feasts to the New Covenant.
Religious FestivalsS.R. Aldridge Leviticus 23:4
The FestivalsR.A. Redford Leviticus 23:1-44
Feasts of the LordW. H. Jellie.Leviticus 23:2-44
God's FestivalsHenry, MatthewLeviticus 23:2-44
God's Holy DaysHenry, MatthewLeviticus 23:2-44
Seven Feasts Mentioned in This ChapterD. C. Hughes, M. A.Leviticus 23:2-44
The Great FeastsJ. C. Gray.Leviticus 23:2-44
The Holy FestivalsJ. A. Seiss, . D. D.Leviticus 23:2-44
The Influence of Sacred RecollectionsW. Clarkson Leviticus 23:4-8
The PassoverR.M. Edgar Leviticus 23:4-8
The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened BreadR.A. Redford Leviticus 23:4-8
The PassoverJ.A. Macdonald Leviticus 23:4-14
People
Ephah, Israelites, Moses
Places
Teman
Topics
Appointed, Assemblies, Convocations, Feasts, Fixed, Holy, Lord's, Proclaim, Regular, Sacred, Season, Seasons, Worship
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Leviticus 23:4

     4903   time
     4971   seasons, of life

Leviticus 23:1-8

     8270   holiness, set apart

Leviticus 23:4-6

     5312   feasting

Leviticus 23:4-8

     4438   eating
     7394   memorial

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 Scripture

Of 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

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