Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

23:1-25:55 Holy Times. Following chs. 18-22 (which addressed the theme of human behavioral holiness), these chapters address holiness in relation to time.

23:1-44 Holy Feasts. This chapter is a systematic presentation of the festal calendar in Israel (cf. Ex. 23:10-19; 34:18-26; Numbers 28-29; Deut. 16:1-17; see chart). It is based on three national pilgrim festivals: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of Booths. The foundation of these three feasts is the Sabbath. Keeping this calendar sets Israel apart from all the surrounding nations.

23:1-3 Introduction and Weekly Sabbath. On the Lord's appointed feasts, people are to meet with the Lord. The Sabbath is a day of solemn rest. Therefore, no work is to be done on that day. This idea of "rest" is the basis for all the following feasts. The day is also one of holy convocation, i.e., of public assembly for worship (cf. the term in vv. 2, 4, 7, 21).

23:4-8 The Passover. It is also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The basic rule is set out in Ex. 12:16-19. In addition to eating unleavened bread and doing no ordinary work, this rule adds another element, namely, presenting a food offering to the Lord (Lev. 23:8).

23:9-14 The Firstfruits. The rule applies to the life of the people in the Promised Land. For the relevant laws, see Ex. 23:15 and 34:18-20. The feast consists of two stages. It begins with the waving of the sheaves before the Lord. Then comes a series of sacrifices that include a whole burnt offering, a grain offering, and a drink offering (reflecting the grape harvest). These two acts are to dedicate and celebrate the entire harvest as a blessing from God given to his people.

23:15-22 The Weeks. The Feast of Weeks begins fifty days after the sheaf of the wave offering is brought to the priest (vv. 15-16). This feast is also called "the Feast of the Harvest" (Ex. 23:16) and "the day of the firstfruits" (Num. 28:26); in the NT it is called "Pentecost" (Acts 2:1, from the Gk. word for "fiftieth"). The purpose of this celebration is to recognize the Lord as the provider of all crops and as the One who deserves the firstfruits of all produce. The added rule concerning the harvest (Lev. 23:22) is also in tune with the generosity that is expected of the people on this occasion. In v. 22 God commands Israel not to forget the less fortunate during a time of national celebration of abundance.

23:23-25 The Trumpets. The trumpet blasts and a solemn assembly on the first day of the seventh month call the people to prepare for the most sacred month of the Hebrew calendar. In addition, the day marks the end of one agricultural year and the beginning of another. Postexilic Judaism celebrates this day as Rosh Hashanah, i.e., New Year's Day.

23:26-32 The Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement is on the tenth day of the seventh month. The special nature of this feast is marked by now in v. 27. Although ch. 16 already prescribed the ritual and explained what the people were to do on that day, the emphasis here is on the people's afflicting themselves (see note on 16:29-34), not doing any work, and the possibility of punishment if they do not observe the regulations of this day.

23:33-36 The Booths. The Feast of Booths was a weeklong feast that began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Since it celebrates the people's salvation from Egypt, it was fitting for them to cease from work and to worship before the Lord.

23:37-44 Summary of the Annual Feasts. Judging from v. 38, the appointed feasts in v. 37 refers to the six feasts over and above the weekly Sabbath. The purpose of these feasts is to help the people remember the Lord and his work on their behalf and to worship him appropriately. Verses 37-38 summarize the festal calendar, but vv. 39-44 return to a discussion of the Feast of Booths. These verses may simply be a further elaboration because of the lack of detail in the earlier explanation of the festival.