“Be joyful at our Feast—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in towns.”
~ Deuteronomy 16:14
Hi James and Ellen,
What yearly Christ-follower holiday celebrations do you like the most? Do you like the Christmas holidays the most? Do you like Easter week the most? Christmas and Easter are the two days each year that God’s especially elected guys, gals and kids celebrate. God told His specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group guys and gals – who are known as Jews today, before they overran the land area that He was giving them to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . . that He expected them to observe three annual celebrations every year in memory of what He had done and what He was doing for them. Moses in his Deuteronomy Book and what is now Deuteronomy 16, succinctly states the times, place, purpose and expectations for these three yearly celebrations. The month Abib began the calendar that God’s specially chosen guys and gals used 3400 years ago. Parts of the months of March and April on the calendar that your dad and ma use corresponds with the month of Abib on the calendar that guys and gals who were Jews used 3400 years ago. God wanted His specially chosen guys and gals to observe Passover during the month of Abib. The month of Abib began spring – or the new season of life, for God’s specially chosen guys and gals. Abib means ‘young head of grain’. The month of Abib is when God’s specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group guys and gals, began their exodus from Goshen, Egypt to the land that God was giving to them to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . . God’s expectation for His specially chosen guys and gals was that they spend seven days reflecting on when He sent His death angel to kill all the first born boys/guys who were living in Egypt except for the first born boys/guys who were living in the houses of Israelite people group guys and gals who were living in Goshen who had done what Moses had instructed them to do – which was to paint lamb’s blood on their house’s door frames. God – on the first day of this seven day celebration time, expected His specially chosen guys and gals to as a special sacrifice to Him roast a lamb right after dusk, eat the entire lamb during that night and then eat only bread that had been made without yeast – or unleavened bread, for the next six days. God expected His specially chosen guys and gals to observe Passover in the place that He would choose to be worshipped – which would be in the city of Jerusalem.
The second yearly celebration that God expected His specially chosen guys and gals to observe was called the Feast of Weeks. This yearly celebration was to last for one day. This yearly celebration took place at the end of seven weeks – or fifty days, after the Passover remembrance celebration had come to an end. Parts of the months of May and June on the calendar that your dad and ma use corresponds with the month of Sivan on the calendar that guys and gals who were Jews used 3400 years ago. This day celebrated the end of the wheat harvest. God expected His specially chosen guys and gals to bring to Him on the day of the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Harvest a freewill offering in the place that He would choose to be worshipped – which would be in the city of Jerusalem.
The third yearly celebration time that God expected His specially chosen guys and gals to observe was called the Feast of Tabernacles. This yearly celebration was to last eight days. Parts of the months of September and October on the calendar that your dad and ma use corresponds with the month of Ethanim or Tishri on the calendar that guys and gals who were Jews used 3400 years ago. God during the Feast of Tabernacles promised to bless the work of the hands of His specially chosen guys and gals. God expected His specially chosen guys and gals to get together to celebrate the Feast of the Tabernacles – which is also called the Feast of Booths, in the place that He would choose to be worshipped – which would be in the city of Jerusalem. Moses made it very clear in verse 14 who was to observe these three annual events and that each guy was to bring a gift that was proportional to how God had blessed him, when God – as God the Spirit, breathed on Moses to write, “Be joyful at our Feast—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in towns.” Why do you think that guys, gals and kids in many places on planet Earth celebrate Christmas Eve – starting shortly before midnight, with a loud fireworks barrage? Why do you think that guys, gals and kids in many places on planet Earth celebrate the Holy Week by carrying different effigies of saints, the Virgin Mary and of Jesus – that will be placed on platforms, on their shoulders up and down streets? God used designated, special yearly events for His specially chosen guys, gals and kids – along with some non-Israelite guys, gals and kids, to remember how He had and how He was blessing them. God uses special yearly events today for His specially elected guys, gals and kids to remember how He has and is blessing them. Your grandpaa did not know the first Christmas season that he was in Bolivia with your grandmaa, dad and Aunt Lynn that Bolivian guys, gals and kids always shot fireworks off on Christmas Eve. Your grandpaa thought that Christmas Eve would be a good time for the guys, gals and kids in the Christ-follower community in the Pari neighborhood – the Christ-follower community of guys, gals and kids that your grandmaa and grandpaa helped to start, to have a Christmas program. Not many guys, gals and kids came to the Christmas program that the Pari Christ-follower community of guys gals and kids had the first Christmas Eve that your grandmaa and grandpaa were in Bolivia. How do you feel about Christmas being today for a lot of kids a tree, Santa Claus and presents and that Easter being today for a lot of kids a bunny, painted or plastic eggs and candy?
Deuteronomy 16 (660)