Leviticus 23:4

23:4-14 The feast of the Passover was to continue seven days; not idle days, spent in sport, as many that are called Christians spend their holy-days. Offerings were made to the Lord at his altar; and the people were taught to employ their time in prayer, and praise, and godly meditation. The sheaf of first-fruits was typical of the Lord Jesus, who is risen from the dead as the First-fruits of them that slept. Our Lord Jesus rose from the dead on the very day that the first-fruits were offered. We are taught by this law to honour the Lord with our substance, and with the first-fruits of all our increase, Pr 3:9. They were not to eat of their new corn, till God's part was offered to him out of it; and we must always begin with God: begin every day with him, begin every meal with him, begin every affair and business with him; seek first the kingdom of God.

These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations,.... What follow besides the sabbath mentioned: which ye shall proclaim in their seasons; the proper times of the year, the day or days, and month in which they are to be observed; these were to be proclaimed by the priests with the sound of trumpet, namely, what follow, for they are put together, which had been before for the most part singly delivered.

4. These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons—Their observance took place in the parts of the year corresponding to our March, May, and September. Divine wisdom was manifested in fixing them at those periods; in winter, when the days were short and the roads broken up, a long journey was impracticable; while in summer the harvest and vintage gave busy employment in the fields. Besides, another reason for the choice of those seasons probably was to counteract the influence of Egyptian associations and habits. And God appointed more sacred festivals for the Israelites in the month of September than the people of Egypt had in honor of their idols. These institutions, however, were for the most part prospective, the observance being not binding on the Israelites during their wanderings in the wilderness, while the regular celebration was not to commence till their settlement in Canaan.

(4) These are the feasts of the Lord. —Because the following are the festivals proper as distinguished from the sabbath (see Leviticus 23:37-38 ), and because they are now enumerated in their regular order, the introductory heading is here repeated. Ye shall proclaim in their seasons.—By the blast of trumpets on the day of the month on which they are to be observed.

16 . On the first and seventh day there was also to be a ‘holy convocation,’ i.e. an assembly at the sanctuary for religious purposes. The expression occurs besides only in the two calendars of P, Leviticus 23:2-4 ; Leviticus 23:7-8 ; Leviticus 23:21 ; Leviticus 23:24 ; Leviticus 23:27 ; Leviticus 23:35-37 , Numbers 28:18 ; Numbers 28:25-26 ; Numbers 29:1 ; Numbers 29:7 ; Numbers 29:12 ; and, without ‘holy,’ Isaiah 1:13 ; Isaiah 4:5 (EVV., each time, ‘assemblies’). The assembly was ‘called’ together by silver trumpets (see Numbers 10:2 [where ‘calling’ is in the Heb. the same as ‘convocation’ here], Numbers 10:3; Num 10:7 , cf. Numbers 10:10 ): Kalisch reminds us how in Mohammedan countries festivals are announced by heralds from conspicuous places, especially the towers of mosques. save that which , &c.] The prohibition of work was thus not as strict as for the sabbath ( Exodus 16:23 , Exodus 35:3 ), or the day of atonement ( Leviticus 23:28 ). Cf. Leviticus 23:7-8 .

1. The flesh of the Sin-Offering, whether of beasts or fowls, Leviticus 6:25, Leviticus 6:26. 2. The flesh of the Trespass-Offering, Leviticus 7:1, Leviticus 7:6. 3. The Peace-Offerings of the congregation, Leviticus 23:19, Leviticus 23:20. 4. The remainder of the Omer or Sheaf, Leviticus 23:10, etc. 5. The remnants of the Meat-Offerings of the Israelites, Leviticus 6:16.