FEASTS OF YHVH (not “feasts of the Jews”)
Leviticus 23
YHVH gave to His People (including us who are grafted in) specific “holidays,” holy days of convocation, to celebrate, to rest in, and to keep track of time by. I have learned some definitions that will be helpful:
- “feast” = moed = an appointment; a fixed time or season; also a sign/signal
- “seasons”= same word for “feast” = moed
- “convocation” = miqra = something called out; also a rehearsal
- “proclaim” = qara’ = to call out, invite, publish
Spring feasts=
- Passover & Feast of Unleavened Bread
- ”In the first new moon, on the 14th day of the new moon, between the evenings, is the Pesah [Passover]to YHVH.
- On the 15th day of this new moon is the Festival of Matzot to YHVH-- 7 days you eat unleavened bread.
- On the 1st day, you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work. And you shall bring an offering made by fire to YHVH for 7 days. On the 7th days is a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work.”
- Feast of Firstfruits
- Feast of Shavaot (Pentecost)
Fall Feasts:
- Feast of Yom Teruah (soundings, by instrument or voice; Trumpets)
- Feast of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement; a solemn convocation)
- Feast of Sukkot (Booths or Tabernacles)
Each of these moedim have very specific instructions by God on how to honor them, but YHVH starts His instruction in Leviticus 23:1-8 holding SABBATH, the 7th day of the week, as the HIGHEST HOLY DAY. (Constantine and the catholic church denounced the “Jewish sabbath” and switched the day to Sunday. Look it up.)
“And YHVH spoke to Moses saying, ‘Speak to the children of Yisra’el and say to them, ‘The appointed times of YHVH, which you are to proclaim as set-apart gatherings, My appointed times, are these:
- Six days work is done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a set-apart gathering. You do no work, it is a Sabbath to YHVH in all your dwellings.”
