WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday February 14, 2016
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THE FEAST OF WEEKS
(It is important to thank GOD for HIS many
blessings)
(Leviticus 23:15-22)
In the first century the “Feast
of Weeks”, celebrated in the month of “Sivan” on the Jewish calendar, was known
as the day of “Pentecost”, because it was observed seven weeks and one day (50
days) after the “Wave Offering” of barley, during the “Feast of Unleavened
Bread”. It is also known as the “Feast of Harvest” (Exodus 23:16), and the “Day
of Firstfruits” (Numbers 28:26).
Jewish
tradition has historically linked this feast day to the occasion when Moses
received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, however, nothing biblical links
the Feast of Weeks to that occasion, nor is it linked to any of the fall
festivals that occur in the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, which is “Tishri”.
The Feast of Weeks, celebrated in the month of Sivan, would be during the time
period of May/June on our Gregorian calendar, whereas all of the fall festivals
are observed in the September/October period.
During
this festival, new grain is offered up in thanksgiving to the LORD and special
sacrifices are also offered. It is a celebration to give thanks to GOD for HIS
many blessings throughout the year. Here in verses 15-22 of Leviticus 23, we
see the LORD handing down detailed instructions for when and how HE desires for
the Feast of Weeks to be celebrated. Taking up at verse 15 the LORD says that;
“From
the day after the Sabbath, the day the bundle of grain was lifted up as an
offering, count off seven weeks. Keep counting until the day after the seventh
Sabbath, fifty days later, and bring an offering of new grain to the LORD. From
wherever you live, bring two loaves of bread to be lifted up before the LORD as
an offering. These loaves must be baked from three quarts of choice flour that
contains yeast. They will be an offering to the LORD from the first of your
crops” (Vs.15-17 - NLT).
Here
the LORD begins HIS instructions by specifying the exact time of year that HE
wanted HIS people to observe the Feast of Weeks in HIS honor, and what
preliminary item (leavened bread) they would bring to get started. Worshippers were
to first provide two loaves of this leavened bread as a wave offering of
firstfruit. It would be the only time of the year that leavened bread will be
brought to the LORD as an offering, however, none of the bread was to be burned
on the altar.
In
verses 18-20 the LORD instructs that, along with the bread, the people of
Israel were to present seven one-year-old lambs with no physical defects, one
bull, and two rams as a burnt offering. These whole burnt offerings together
with a grain offering and a drink offering would be given to the LORD by fire.
Afterwards
a male goat must be offered up as a “sin offering” and two one-year-old male
lambs must be presented as a “peace offering”. Portions of the lambs, along
with the bread of the firstfruit are to be a wave offering that would be given
to the officiating priests as their share for performing the ceremonies for the
people. These offerings are to be considered “holy” to the LORD, but will
belong to the priests.
The
day of the feast is designated as a holy day and no regular work will be done
on this day. Everyone will meet together in a sacred assembly and it will be a
permanent law to observe this day forever, and wherever, the Israelites may
dwell.
The
LORD ends this passage with a reminder for the Israelites “not to harvest the
grains on the edges of their field, or pick up the grains that the harvesters
may let drop to the ground” (Leviticus 19:9-10 & Deuteronomy 24:19-21). It must
all be left for those who are poor, and, for the foreigners who lived among
them.
And
so, just as the priests needs were met by GOD through the sacrificial offerings
of the feasts, so the needs of the poor and the strangers would be met by the
people through the gleanings of the harvest. The lesson we take away from this
passage is that, we are to, first, thank GOD for HIS blessings, and then, bless
others with what we’ve been blessed with.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official
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