Leviticus 23:1-14 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Leviticus 23:1-14. With a humble heart, see what sticks out to you in this passage. Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage? After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
Leviticus 23:1-8 (NIV)
1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.
3 “‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.
4 “‘These are the LORD’s appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times:
5 The LORD’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.
6 On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD’s Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast.
7 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.
8 For seven days present an offering made to the LORD by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.'”
On verses 1-8: When you read in Leviticus 23 of all the various feasts that God told the Israelites to observe, let it be a reminder that God loves to party. Notice that in Leviticus 23 God doesn’t tell the people to stop and complain about everything that’s wrong with their life or wrong with the world. (That’s something we do quite naturally without anybody telling us.) Instead, God tells the people to stop what they’re doing and celebrate! It’s like God’s saying, “Focus on the good things I have done in your life and have a celebration.” In fact, God is so much about celebrating that He tells His people to schedule it into their calendars.
Certainly there are times when we need to weep and mourn (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4), but as our lifestyle and as a daily habit, the God of the Bible much prefers that we rejoice always, celebrate and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Praise God! Our God loves to party, and so should we.
Question: Despite the problems that may surround you, what is one thing you can celebrate today? What is one way I can schedule more celebration into my own routine as well as on the teams I’m on?
Like God, may you take the time to stop and celebrate.
Leviticus 23:9-14 (NIV)
9 The LORD said to Moses,
10 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest.
11 He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath.
12 On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect,
13 together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil–an offering made to the LORD by fire, a pleasing aroma–and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine.
14 You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
On verses 9-14: Here God tells the Israelites that when they enter the land God is going to give them and reap a harvest, before they consume any of it they are to present a sheaf of the first grain to God and give an offering. This is called giving God the first fruits. Likewise, when we enter into a new blessing from God, may we give to God the first fruits of that blessing. In so doing we’re acknowledging God as the source of new blessings and as the one we put our hope and delight in even more than we hope and delight in the new blessing itself. Blessed are those who learn to acknowledge God and put Him first in every season.
Heavenly Father, thank You for being a God who loves to celebrate and who encourages us to celebrate as well. Despite the difficulties I am facing today, for Your glory and for my good help me to celebrate something today. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
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