L
E V I T I C U S
CHAP. XXIII.
Hitherto
the levitical law had been chiefly conversant about holy persons, holy things,
and holy places; in this chapter we have the institution of holy times, many
of which had been mentioned occasionally before, but here they are all put
together, only the new moons are not mentioned. All the rest of the feasts of
the Lord are, I. The weekly feast of the sabbath, ver. 3. II. The yearly
feasts, 1. The passover, and the feast of unleavened bread (ver. 4-8), to
which was annexed the offering of the sheaf of firstfruits, ver. 9-14. 2.
Pentecost, ver. 15-22. 3. The solemnities of the seventh month. The feast of
trumpets on the first day (ver. 23-25), the day of atonement on the tenth day
(ver. 26-32), and the feast of tabernacles on the fifteenth, ver. 33, &c.
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1 And the LORD
spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and
say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD,
which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are
my feasts. 3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is
the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein:
it is the sabbath of the LORD
in all your dwellings.
Here is, I. A general account of the holy times which God appointed (v.
2), and it is only his appointment that can make time holy; for he is the Lord
of time, and as soon as ever he had set its wheels a-going it was he that
sanctified and blessed one day above the rest, Gen. ii. 3. Man may by his
appointment make a good day (Esth. ix. 19), but it is God's prerogative to
make a holy day; nor is any thing sanctified but by the stamp of his
institution. As all inherent holiness comes from his special grace, so all
adherent holiness from his special appointment. Now, concerning the holy times
here ordained, observe, 1. They are called feasts. The day of
atonement, which was one of them, was a fast; yet, because most of them were
appointed for joy and rejoicing, they are in the general called feasts. Some
read it, These are my assemblies, but that is co-incident with convocations.
I would rather read it, These are my solemnities; so the word here used
is translated (Isa. xxxiii. 20), where Zion is called the city of our
solemnities: and, reading it so here, the day of atonement was as great a
solemnity as any of them. 2. They are the feasts of the Lord (my feasts),
observed to the honour of his name, and in obedience to his command. 3. They
were proclaimed; for they were not to be observed by the priests only that
attended the sanctuary, but by all the people. And this proclamation was the
joyful sound concerning which we read, Blessed are the people that know it,
Ps. lxxxix. 15. 4. They were to be sanctified and solemnized with holy
convocations, that the services of these feasts might appear the more
honourable and august, and the people the more unanimous in the performance of
them; it was for the honour of God and his institutions, which sought not
corners and the purity of which would be best preserved by the public
administration of them; it was also for the edification of the people in love
that the feasts were to be observed as holy convocations.
II. A repetition of the law of the sabbath in the first place. Though the
annual feasts were made more remarkable by the general attendance at the
sanctuary, yet these must not eclipse the brightness of the sabbath, v.
3. They are here told, 1. That on that day they must withdraw themselves from
all the affairs and business of the world. It is a sabbath of rest,
typifying our spiritual rest from sin, and in God: You shall do no work
therein. On other holy days they were forbidden to do any servile work (v.
7), but on the sabbath, and the day of atonement (which is also called a
sabbath), they were to do no work at all, no, not the dressing of meat. 2. On
that day they must employ themselves in the service of God. (1.) It is a holy
convocation; that is, "If it lie within your reach, you shall
sanctify it in a religious assembly: let as many as can come to the door of
the tabernacle, and let others meet elsewhere for prayer, and praise, and the
reading of the law," as in the schools of the prophets, while prophecy
continued, and afterwards in the synagogues. Christ appointed the
New-Testament sabbath to be a holy convocation, by meeting his disciples once
and again (and perhaps oftener) on the first day of the week. (2.)
"Whether you have opportunity of sanctifying it in a holy convocation or
not, yet let it be the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. Put a
difference between that day and other days in your families. It is the sabbath
of the Lord, the day on which he rested from the work of creation, and on
which he has appointed us to rest; let it be observed in all your dwellings,
even now that you dwell in tents." Note, God's sabbaths are to be
religiously observed in every private house, by every family apart, as well as
by many families together in holy convocations. The sabbath of the Lord in our
dwellings will be their beauty, strength, and safety; it will sanctify, edify,
and glorify them.
4 These are the
feasts of the LORD,
even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's
passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is
the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD:
seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. 7 In the first day ye
shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD
seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no
servile work therein. 9 And the LORD
spake unto Moses, saying, 10 Speak unto the children of Israel,
and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and
shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits
of your harvest unto the priest: 11 And he shall wave the sheaf
before the LORD,
to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave
it. 12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he
lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour
mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD
for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of
wine, the fourth part of an hin. 14 And ye shall eat
neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that
ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for
ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Here again the feasts are called the feasts of the Lord, because he
appointed them. Jeroboam's feast, which he devised of his own heart (1
Kings xii. 33), was an affront to God, and a reproach upon the people. These
feasts were to be proclaimed in their seasons (v. 4), and the seasons
God chose for them were in March, May and September (according to our present
computation), not in winter, because travelling would then be uncomfortable,
when the days were short, and the ways foul; not in the middle of summer,
because then in those countries they were gathering in their harvest and
vintage, and could be ill spared from their country business. Thus graciously
does God consult our comfort in his appointments, obliging us thereby
religiously to regard his glory in our observance of them, and not to complain
of them as a burden. The solemnities appointed them were, 1. Many and returned
frequently, which was intended to preserve in them a deep sense of God and
religion, and to prevent their inclining to the superstitions of the heathen.
God kept them fully employed in his service, that they might not have time to
hearken to the temptations of the idolatrous neighbourhood they lived in. 2.
They were most of them times of joy and rejoicing. The weekly sabbath is so,
and all their yearly solemnities, except the day of atonement. God would thus
teach them that wisdom's ways are pleasantness, and engage them to his service
by encouraging them to be cheerful in it and to sing at their work. Seven days
were days of strict rest and holy convocations; the first day and the seventh
of the feast of unleavened bread, the day of pentecost, the day of the feast
of trumpets, the first day and the eighth of the feast of tabernacles, and the
day of atonement: here were six for holy joy and one only for holy mourning.
We are commanded to rejoice evermore, but not to be evermore weeping.
Here is,
I. A repetition of the law of the passover, which was to be observed on the
fourteenth day of the first month, in remembrance of their deliverance out of
Egypt and the distinguishing preservation of their first-born, mercies never
to be forgotten. This feast was to begin with the killing of the paschal lamb,
v. 5. It was to continue seven days, during all which time they were to
eat sad bread, that was unleavened (v. 6), and the first and last day
of the seven were to be days of holy rest and holy convocations,
v. 7, 8. They were not idle days spent in sport and recreation (as many
that are called Christians spend their holy days), but offerings were made
by fire unto the Lord at his altar; and we have reason to think that the
people were taught to employ their time in prayer, and praise, and godly
meditation.
II. An order for the offering of a sheaf of the first-fruits, upon the second
day of the feast of unleavened bread; the first is called the sabbath,
because it was observed as a sabbath (v. 11), and, on the morrow after,
they had this solemnity. A sheaf or handful of new corn was brought to the
priest, who was to heave it up, in token of his presenting it to the God of
Heaven, and to wave it to and fro before the Lord, as the Lord of the whole
earth, and this should be accepted for them as a thankful acknowledgment of
God's mercy to them in clothing their fields with corn, and of their
dependence upon God, and desire towards him, for the preserving of it to their
use. For it was the expression both of prayer and praise, v. 11. A lamb
for a burnt-offering was to be offered with it, v. 12. As the sacrifice
of animals was generally attended with meat-offerings, so this sacrifice of
corn was attended with a burnt-offering, that bread and flesh might be set
together on God's table. They are forbidden to eat of their new corn till this
handful was offered to God; for it was fit, if God and Israel feast together,
that he should be served first. And the offering of this sheaf of first-fruits
in the name of the whole congregation did, as it were, sanctify to them their
whole harvest, and give them a comfortable use of all the rest; for then we
may eat our bread with joy when we have, in some measure, performed our
duty to God, and God has accepted our works, for thus all our enjoyments
become clean to us. Now, 1. This law was given now, though there was no
occasion for putting it in execution till they came to Canaan: in the
wilderness they sowed no corn; but God's feeding them there with bread from
heaven obliged them hereafter not to grudge him his share of their bread
out of the earth. We find that when they came into Canaan the manna ceased
upon the very day that the sheaf of first-fruits was offered; they had eaten
of the old corn the day before (Josh. v. 11), and then on this day they
offered the first-fruits, by which they became entitled to the new corn too (v.
12), so that there was no more occasion for manna. 1. This sheaf of
first-fruits was typical of our Lord Jesus, who has risen from the dead as the
first-fruits of those that slept, 1 Cor. xv. 20. That branch of the
Lord (Isa. iv. 2) was then presented to him, in virtue of the sacrifice of
himself, the Lamb of God, and it was accepted for us. It is very observable
that our Lord Jesus rose from the dead on the very day that the first-fruits
were offered, to show that he was the substance of this shadow. 3. We are
taught by this law to honour the Lord with our substance, and with the
first-fruits of all our increase, Prov. iii. 9. They were not to eat of
their new corn till God's part was offered to him out of it (v. 14),
for we must always begin with God, begin our lives with him, begin every day
with him, begin every meal with him, begin every affair and business with him;
seek first the kingdom of God.
15 And ye shall count
unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the
sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16
Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and
ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals:
they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are
the firstfruits unto the LORD.
18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first
year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt
offering unto the LORD,
with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering
made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two
lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 And
the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave
offering before the LORD,
with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD
for the priest. 21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that
it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein:
it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your
generations. 22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou
shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest,
neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them
unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD
your God.
Here is the institution of the feast of pentecost, or weeks, as
it is called (Deut. xvi. 9), because it was observed fifty days, or seven
weeks, after the passover. It is also called the feast of harvest,
Exod. xxiii. 16. For as the presenting of the sheaf of first-fruits was an
introduction to the harvest, and gave them liberty to put in the sickle, so
they solemnized the finishing of their corn-harvest at this feast. 1. Then
they offered a handful of ears of barley, now they offered two loaves of
wheaten bread, v. 17. This was leavened. At the passover they ate
unleavened bread, because it was in remembrance of the bread they ate when
they came out of Egypt, which was unleavened; but now at pentecost it was
leavened, because it was an acknowledgment of God's goodness to them in their
ordinary food, which was leavened. 2. With that sheaf of first-fruits they
offered only one lamb for a burnt-offering, but with these loaves of
first-fruits they offered seven lambs, two rams, and one bullock, all for a
burnt-offering, so giving glory to God, as the Lord of their land and the Lord
of their harvest, by whose favour they lived and to whose praise they ought to
live. They offered likewise a kid for a sin-offering, so taking shame to
themselves as unworthy of the bread they ate, and imploring pardon for their
sins, by which they had forfeited their harvest-mercies, and which they had
been guilty of in the receiving of them. And lastly, two lambs for a sacrifice
of peace-offerings, to beg a blessing upon the corn they had gathered in,
which would be neither sure nor sweet to them without that blessing, Hag. i.
9. These were the only peace-offerings that were offered on the behalf of the
whole congregation, and they were reckoned most holy offerings, whereas
other peace-offerings were but holy. All these offerings are here
appointed, v. 18-20. 3. That one day was to be kept with a holy
convocation, v. 21. It was one of the days on which all Israel was to
meet God and one another, at the place which the Lord should choose. Some
suggest that whereas seven days were to make up the feast of unleavened bread
there was only one day appointed for the feast of pentecost, because this was
a busy time of the year with them, and God allowed them speedily to return to
their work in the country. This annual feast was instituted in remembrance of
the giving of the law upon mount Sinai, the fiftieth day after they came out
of Egypt. That was the feast which they were told in Egypt must be observed to
God in the wilderness, as a memorial of which ever after they kept this feast.
But the period and perfection of this feast was the pouring out of the Spirit
upon the apostles on the day of this feast (Acts ii. 1), in which the law of
faith was given, fifty days after Christ our passover was sacrificed for us.
And on that day (as bishop Patrick well expresses it) the apostles, having
themselves received the first-fruits of the Spirit, begat three
thousand souls, through the word of truth, and presented them, as the
first-fruits of the Christian church, to God and the Lamb.
To the institution of the feast of pentecost is annexed a repetition of that
law which we had before (ch. xix. 9), by which they were required to
leave the gleanings of their fields, and the corn that grew on the ends of the
butts, for the poor, v. 22. Probably it comes in here as a thing which
the priests must take occasion to remind the people of, when they brought
their first-fruits, intimating to them that to obey even in this small matter
was better than sacrifice, and that, unless they were obedient, their
offerings should not be accepted. It also taught them that the joy of harvest
should express itself in charity to the poor, who must have their due out of
what we have, as well as God his. Those that are truly sensible of the mercy
they receive from God will without grudging show mercy to the poor.
23 And the LORD
spake unto Moses, saying, 24 Speak unto the children of Israel,
saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye
have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering
made by fire unto the LORD.
26 And the LORD
spake unto Moses, saying, 27 Also on the tenth day of this
seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy
convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering
made by fire unto the LORD.
28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of
atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD
your God. 29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be
afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the
same soul will I destroy from among his people. 31 Ye shall do no
manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your
generations in all your dwellings. 32 It shall be unto you
a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of
the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
Here is, I. The institution of the feast of trumpets, on the first day of the
seventh month, v. 24, 25. That which was now the seventh month had been
reckoned the first month, and the year of jubilee was still to begin with this
month (ch. xxv. 8), so that this was their new year's day. It was to be
as their other yearly sabbaths, a day of holy rest--You shall do no servile
work therein; and a day of holy work--You shall offer an offering to
the Lord; concerning these particular directions were afterwards given,
Num. xxix. 1. That which is here made peculiar to this festival is that it was
a memorial of blowing of trumpets. They blew the trumpet every new moon
(Ps. lxxxi. 3), but in the new moon of the seventh month it was to be done
with more than ordinary solemnity; for they began to blow at sun-rise and
continued till sun-set. Now, 1. This is here said to be a memorial,
perhaps of the sound of the trumpet upon mount Sinai when the law was given,
which must never be forgotten. Some think that it was a memorial of the
creation of the world, which is supposed to have been in autumn; for which
reason this was, till now, the first month. The mighty word by which God made
the world is called the voice of his thunder (Ps. civ. 7); fitly
therefore was it commemorated by blowing of trumpets, or a memorial of shouting,
as the Chaldee renders it; for, when the foundations of the earth were
fastened, all the sons of God shouted for joy, Job xxxviii. 6, 7. 2. The
Jewish writers suppose it to have a spiritual signification. Now at the
beginning of the year they were called by this sound of trumpet to shake off
their spiritual drowsiness, to search and try their ways, and to amend them:
the day of atonement was the ninth day after this; and thus they were awakened
to prepare for that day, by sincere and serious repentance, that it might be
indeed to them a day of atonement. And they say, "The devout Jews
exercised themselves more in good works between the feast of trumpets and the
day of expiation than at any other time of the year." 3. It was typical
of the preaching of the gospel, by which joyful sound souls were to be called
in to serve God and keep a spiritual feast to him. The conversion of the
nations to the faith of Christ is said to be by the blowing of a great
trumpet, Isa. xxvii. 13.
II. A repetition of the law of the day of atonement, that is, so much of it as
concerned the people. 1. They must on this day rest from all manner of work,
and not only from servile works as on other annual festivals; it must be as
strict a rest as that of the weekly sabbath, v. 28, 30, 31. The reason
is: For it is a day of atonement. Note, The humbling of our souls for
sin, and the making of our peace with God, is work that requires the whole
man, and the closest application of mind imaginable, and all little enough. He
that would do the work of a day of atonement in its day, as it should be done,
had need lay aside the thoughts of every thing else. On that day God spoke
peace unto his people, and unto his saints; and therefore they must lay
aside all their worldly business, that they might the more clearly and the
more reverently hear that voice of joy and gladness. Fasting days should be
days of rest. 2. They must afflict their souls, and this upon pain of being
cut off by the hand of God, v. 27, 29, 32. They must mortify the body,
and deny the appetites of it, in token of their sorrow for the sins they had
committed, and the mortifying of their indwelling corruptions. Every soul must
be afflicted, because every soul was polluted, and guilty before God; while
none have fulfilled the law of innocency none are exempt from the law of
repentance, besides that every man must sigh and cry for the abominations
of the land. 3. The entire day must be observed: From even to even you
shall afflict your souls (v. 32), that is, "You shall begin
your fast, and the expressions of your humiliation, in the ninth day of the
month at even." They were to leave off all their worldly labour, and
compose themselves to the work of the day approaching, some time before
sun-set on the ninth day, and not to take any food (except children and sick
people) till after sun-set on the tenth day. Note, The eves of solemn days
ought to be employed in solemn preparation. When work for God and our souls is
to be done, we should not straiten ourselves in time for the doing of it; for
how can we spend our time better? Of this sabbath the rule here given is to be
understood: From even unto even shall you celebrate your sabbath.
33 And the LORD
spake unto Moses, saying, 34 Speak unto the children of Israel,
saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of
tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no
servile work therein. 36 Seven days ye shall offer an
offering made by fire unto the LORD:
on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an
offering made by fire unto the LORD:
it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
37 These are the feasts of the LORD,
which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering
made by fire unto the LORD,
a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every
thing upon his day: 38 Beside the sabbaths of the LORD,
and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill
offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.
39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in
the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD
seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall
be a sabbath. 40 And ye shall take you on the first day the
boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees,
and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD
your God seven days. 41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD
seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your
generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Ye
shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in
booths: 43 That your generations may know that I made the children
of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am
the LORD
your God. 44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the
feasts of the LORD.
We have here, I. The institution of the feast of tabernacles, which was one of
the three great feasts at which all the males were bound to attend, and
celebrated with more expressions of joy than any of them.
1. As to the directions for regulating this feast, observe, (1.) It was to be
observed on the fifteenth day of the seventh month (v. 34), but
five days after the day of atonement. We may suppose, though they were not all
bound to attend on the day of atonement, as on the three great festivals, yet
that many of the devout Jews came up so many days before the feast of
tabernacles as to enjoy the opportunity of attending on the day of atonement.
Now, [1.] The afflicting of their souls on the day of atonement prepared them
for the joy of the feast of tabernacles. The more we are grieved and humbled
for sin, the better qualified we are for the comforts of the Holy Ghost. [2.]
The joy of this feast recompensed them for the sorrow of that fast; for those
that sow in tears shall reap in joy. (2.) It was to continue
eight days, the first and last of which were to be observed as sabbaths, days
of holy rest and holy convocations, v. 35, 36, 39. The sacrifices to be
offered on these eight days we have a very large appointment of, Num. xxix.
12, &c. (3.) During the first seven days of this feast all the people were
to leave their houses, and the women and children in them, and to dwell in
booths made of the boughs of thick trees, particularly palm trees, v.
40, 42. The Jews make the taking of the branches to be a distinct ceremony
from the making of the booths. It is said, indeed (Neh. viii. 15), that they made
their booths of the branches of trees, which they might do, and yet use
that further expression of joy, the carrying of palm-branches in their hands,
which appears to have been a token of triumph upon other occasions (John xii.
13), and is alluded to, Rev. vii. 9. The eighth day some make a distinct feast
of itself, but it is called (John vii. 37) that great day of the feast;
it was the day on which they returned from their booths, to settle again in
their own houses. (4.) They were to rejoice before the Lord God during
all the time of this feast, v. 40. The tradition of the Jews is that
they were to express their joy by dancing, and singing hymns of praise to God,
with musical instruments: and not the common people only, but the wise men of
Israel, and their elders, were to do it in the court of the sanctuary: for
(say they) the joy with which a man rejoices in doing a commandment is really
a great service.
2. As to the design of this feast,
(1.) It was to be kept in remembrance of their dwelling in tents in the
wilderness. Thus it is expounded here (v. 43): That your generations
may know, not only by the written history, but by this ocular tradition, that
I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths. Thus it kept in
perpetual remembrance, [1.] The meanness of their beginning, and the low and
desolate state out of which God advanced that people. Note, Those that are
comfortably fixed ought often to call to mind their former unsettled state,
when they were but little in their own eyes. [2.] The mercy of God to them,
that, when they dwelt in tabernacles, God not only set up a tabernacle for
himself among them, but, with the utmost care and tenderness imaginable, hung
a canopy over them, even the cloud that sheltered them from the heat of the
sun. God's former mercies to us and our fathers ought to be kept in
everlasting remembrance. The eighth day was the great day of this feast,
because then they returned to their own houses again, and remembered how,
after they had long dwelt in tents in the wilderness, at length they came to a
happy settlement in the land of promise, where they dwelt in goodly houses.
And they would the more sensibly value and be thankful for the comforts and
conveniences of their houses when they had been seven days dwelling in booths.
It is good for those that have ease and plenty sometimes to learn what it is
to endure hardness.
(2.) It was a feast of in-gathering, so it is called, Exod. xxiii. 16. When
they had gathered in the fruit of their land (v. 39), the
vintage as well as the harvest, then they were to keep this feast in
thankfulness to God for all the increase of the year; and some think that the
eighth day of the feast had special reference to this ground of the
institution. Note, The joy of harvest ought to be improved for the furtherance
of our joy in God. The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof, and
therefore whatever we have the comfort of he must have the glory of,
especially when any mercy is perfected.
(3.) It was a typical feast. It is supposed by many that our blessed Saviour
was born much about the time of this feast; then he left his mansions of light
above to tabernacle among us (John i. 14), and he dwelt in booths. And
the worship of God under the New Testament is prophesied of under the notion
of keeping the feast of tabernacles, Zech. xiv. 16. For, [1.] The
gospel of Christ teaches us to dwell in tabernacles, to sit loose to this
world, as those that have here no continuing city, but by faith, and hope and
holy contempt of present things, to go out to Christ without the camp,
Heb. xiii. 13, 14. [2.] It teaches us to rejoice before the Lord our God.
Those are the circumcision, Israelites indeed, that always rejoice in
Christ Jesus, Phil. iii. 3. And the more we are taken off from this world
the less liable we are to the interruption of our joys.
II. The summary and conclusion of these institutions.
1. God appointed these feasts (v. 37, 38), besides the sabbaths and
your free-will offerings. This teaches us, (1.) That calls to
extraordinary services will not excuse us from our constant stated
performances. Within the days of the feast of tabernacles there must fall at
least one sabbath, which must be as strictly observed as any other. (2.) That
God's institutions leave room for free-will offerings. Not that we may invent
what he never instituted, but we may repeat what he has instituted,
ordinarily, the oftener the better. God is well pleased with a willing people.
2. Moses declared them to the children of Israel, v. 44. He let them
know what God appointed, and neither more nor less. Thus Paul delivered to the
churches what he had received from the Lord. We have reason to be
thankful that the feasts of the Lord, declared unto us, are not so numerous,
nor the observance of them so burdensome and costly, as theirs then were, but
more spiritual and significant, and surer sweeter earnests of the everlasting
feast, at the last in-gathering, which we hope to be celebrating to eternity.
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