INTRODUCTION
In this chapter we have the seven great feasts which Jehovah commanded His people to keep every year in the land of Canaan. In these seven feasts, we may see a picture of the way that God has dealt with man from the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, until His kingdom, at the time of the millennium— and truly this chapter looks back to God's rest before sin entered, and forward to God's eternal rest.
Although it is now perhaps about 3400 years since this chapter was written, it is only about 2000 years since the death of the Lord Jesus; and some of the feasts have already been fulfilled, but some of them have not yet been fulfilled. When written they formed a prophecy; and they still tell us of things to happen in the future.
So we may understand that these seven feasts in Lev. 23 are shadows. Some of the real images we have now seen clearly, and we may see how exactly that the shadows fit the real image. So we may expect that the images of the things we do not yet see, will also exactly fit the shadows, which we hope to examine by God's help, in this chapter. How wonderful for us to consider that when God drew the pictures of these shadows we are now looking at, that He Himself saw clearly the real image of these things. We may remember that He delighted to look forward and consider these wonderful events, of which He has here given us the picture. If God delights to look at these events, and if God has taken the trouble to draw the pictures of them for us, how glad you and I should be to have the privilege of also looking at them, and in this way to share God's secrets and God's pleasure.
May we not despise these precious pictures God has given to us in the Old Testament! It is exceedingly sad to see the way Israel of old despised these feasts of Jehovah. The Feast of the Passover, the foundation of everything for Israel, was neglected from the time of Solomon to the days of Hezekiah: yet when they did at last keep it once more, with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, it afforded such joy to their hearts that "the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness." (2 Chron. 30:2323And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness. (2 Chronicles 30:23)). But even so, it remained to a later and darker day to keep the Passover still more in accordance with the Word, so that it is said of Josiah's Passover, "There was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings in Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept." (2 Chron. 35:1818And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 35:18)). And the most joyous of all the feasts, the Feast of Tabernacles, was so despised and forgotten that from the days of Joshua until the days of Ezra and Nehemiah it was not kept in accordance to the Word. (Neh. 8:1717And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. (Nehemiah 8:17)). May God keep His people in these days from treating His feasts with the same contempt. I hope that as we look more closely at these feasts we may see that in this chapter, Lev. 23, we have one of the fullest and clearest and most beautiful pictures we could get, of the way in which God has dealt with men.
We pray that God may truly feed our souls, and give us more spiritual strength as we read and meditate on these feasts, and that He may by them draw us nearer to the Lord Jesus, and make our hearts burn within us, and as He opens to us the Scripture.
His Desire Is Towards Me
He is altogether lovely;
I was black as I could be,
But He says that I am comely:
His desire is toward me.
Oh, how great my Savior's goodness
And His beauty: all may see.
But on me He lays His beauty;
His desire is toward me.
He is fairest of ten thousand,
Worthy of their praise is He;
But He loved me all unlovely,
His desire is toward me.
Ask they, Who is thy Beloved?
Son of God, made man, is He.
For my sake He left the glory,
His desire is toward me.
He, the rich One, came from Heaven,
For my sins died on the tree,
Died that He might make me worthy:
His desire is toward me.