Monday, March 18 – Leviticus 23, 24

1. According to Leviticus 23, what are the main festivals or appointed times that the Israelites were instructed to observe?

2. What is the difference between the weekly Sabbath and the rest of the Jewish festivals, and why do we only observe the Sabbath in our days?

3. In Leviticus 24, what incident related to blasphemy is narrated, and how was it addressed according to the law?

In Leviticus 23, we have the institution of holy times and festivals for the people of Israel. Although the annual festivals were more notable due to the general attendance at the sanctuary, they were not considered more important than the weekly Sabbath. The Lord’s Sabbath in our days and in our homes should be something beautiful and longed for, a day of strength and security; it is a sanctified and specially set apart day to build our relationship with God and to glorify Him in our lives.

The Adventist Bible Commentary clarifies why we celebrate the Sabbath as our day of rest today and not the other celebrations or festivals that were part of Hebrew worship calendar,
“Sabbath of rest. Literally “a sabbath of sabbath observance.” Our translation fails to convey the full force of the original Hebrew, which is variously translated a “sabbath of deep rest,” “a sabbath of complete rest,” “a perfect sabbath,” “a sabbath of solemn rest” (RSV).

2. God always gives us His mercy and love, despite our rebellion. He wants to give us a new opportunity to surrender our lives in His hands. It all depends on our decision, on how we use the free will granted by God to us from the beginning. This will define our eternal salvation.