Exodus 23:15

23:10-19 Every seventh year the land was to rest. They must not plough or sow it; what the earth produced of itself, should be eaten, and not laid up. This law seems to have been intended to teach dependence on Providence, and God's faithfulness in sending the larger increase while they kept his appointments. It was also typical of the heavenly rest, when all earthly labours, cares, and interests shall cease for ever. All respect to the gods of the heathen is strictly forbidden. Since idolatry was a sin to which the Israelites leaned, they must blot out the remembrance of the gods of the heathen. Solemn religious attendance on God, in the place which he should choose, is strictly required. They must come together before the Lord. What a good Master do we serve, who has made it our duty to rejoice before him! Let us devote with pleasure to the service of God that portion of our time which he requires, and count his sabbaths and ordinances to be a feast unto our souls. They were not to come empty-handed; so now, we must not come to worship God empty-hearted; our souls must be filled with holy desires toward him, and dedications of ourselves to him; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

(15) The feast of unleavened bread. —See the Notes on Exodus 12:15-20 . In the time appointed of the month Abib.—From the 14th day of the month Abib (or Nisan) to the 21st day. (See Exo. Xii. 18, 13:4-7.) None shall appear before me empty.—Viewed religiously, the festivals were annual national thanks-givings for mercies received, both natural and miraculous—the first for the commencement of harvest and the deliverance out of Egypt; the second for the completion of the grain-harvest and the passage of the Red Sea; the third for the final gathering in of the fruits and the many mercies of the wilderness. At such seasons we must not “appear before God empty,” we must give Him not only “the salves of our lips,” but some substantial acknowledgment of His goodness towards us. The law here laid down with respect to the first feast is afterwards extended to the other two (Deuteronomy 16:16).

Thou shalt keep the feast of {g} unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) (g) That is, Easter, in remembrance that the angel passed over and spared the Israelites, when he slew the first born of the Egyptians.

This may be either, 1. A precept, as it is generally understood, that none should ever come at those times without some offering or other, for the support of the Levites, and of the worship of God; but the determination of this, or what they would give, was left to their choice. Or, 2. A promise to encourage them to come so oft from their remotest habitations to Jerusalem, because they should never appear before God in vain, i.e. to no purpose, or without some benefit, for so the word rekam oft signifies. So it may be parallel to Isaiah 45:19 , I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain . But the former sense is more probable, by comparing this with its parallel place, Deu 16:16,17 .

On the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or the Passover, see Exodus 12:1-20 , Exodus 12:43-50 ; Exodus 13:3-16 ; Exodus 34:18-20 ; Leviticus 23:4-14 . On the Feast of the Firstfruits of Harvest, called also the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Pentecost, see Exodus 34:22 ; Leviticus 23:15-21 . On the Feast of Ingathering, called also the Feast of Tabernacles, see Leviticus 23:34-36 , Leviticus 23:39-43 .

Verse 15. - The feast of unleavened bread . This commenced with the Passover, and continued for the seven days following, with a "holy convocation" on the first of the seven and on the last ( Leviticus 23:5-8 ). Unleavened bread was eaten in commemoration of the hasty exodus from Egypt ( Exodus 12:34 ). A sheaf of new barley - the first-fruits of the harvest - was offered as a wave-offering before the Lord ( Leviticus 23:10-14 ). Every male Israelite of full age was bound to attend, and to bring with him a free-will offering. In the time appointed of the month - i.e. , on the fourteenth day ( Exodus 12:18 ). None shall appear before me empty . This rule applies, not to the Passover only, but to all the feasts. Exodus 23:15

15a. The first pilgrimage, the seven days’ festival of Maẓẓoth or Unleavened Cakes . Cf. the parallel Exodus 34:18 ; and the later regulations in Deuteronomy 16:3-4 ; Deuteronomy 16:8 ; Leviticus 23:6-8 (P), 9–14 (H and P); Exodus 12:14-20 and Numbers 28:17-25 (both P). This feast celebrated the beginning of the barley-harvest (which begins in Palestine towards the end of April or the beginning of May, some weeks before the wheat-harvest): cf. Leviticus 23:10-14 H (the ‘wave-sheaf’ of the first-fruits of the harvest to be presented then to Jehovah). The reason why this spring festival was observed in particular by eating unleavened cakes must remain matter of conjecture: perhaps it was simply because, at a time when men were busy with the harvest, such cakes (cf. on Exodus 12:8 ) were most quickly and easily prepared (Wellh. Hist. p. 87; Nowack, Arch. ii. 146; EB. iii. 3591). Eerdmans ( Expositor , Nov. 1909, p. 459 ff.) conjectures that it was to preserve, in accordance with a primitive conception, the ‘soul’ of the corn for the seed of the year to come.

The feast is regarded as commemorating the day of the Exodus in Exodus 13:3-10 (JE), Deuteronomy 16:3 , Exodus 12:14-20 (P): in Exodus 12:34 ; Exodus 12:39 (J) a historical motive for the use of unleavened cakes is suggested; the haste viz. with which the Israelites left Egypt gave them no time to leaven their dough. seven days … empty ] These words, breaking the grammatical connexion between v. 15a and v. 16, have been most probably introduced here by a later hand from Exodus 34:18 b, 20c. The words, ‘as I commanded thee,’ refer apparently to Exodus 13:6 J (cf. v. 4 ‘Abib’), and are in their proper place in J’s covenant ( Exodus 34:10-26 ; see p. 372), but cannot well be original in E. 15b. none shall appear before me empty ] So Exodus 34:20 c, Deuteronomy 16:16 c (with the explanation in v. 17 ‘every man shall give [an offering] as he is able, according to the blessing of Jehovah which he hath given thee,’ i.e. according as he can afford to give, out of the produce of the year).

14-18. Three times … keep a feast … in the year—This was the institution of the great religious festivals—"The feast of unleavened bread," or the passover—"the feast of harvest," or pentecost—"the feast of ingathering," or the feast of tabernacles, which was a memorial of the dwelling in booths in the wilderness, and which was observed in the seventh month (Ex 12:2). All the males were enjoined to repair to the tabernacle and afterwards the temple, and the women frequently went. The institution of this national custom was of the greatest importance in many ways: by keeping up a national sense of religion and a public uniformity in worship, by creating a bond of unity, and also by promoting internal commerce among the people. Though the absence of all the males at these three festivals left the country defenseless, a special promise was given of divine protection, and no incursion of enemies was ever permitted to happen on those occasions.