New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Leviticus 23
1
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
2
"Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'Here are my appointed feast days. They are the appointed feast days of the Lord. Tell the people that they must come together for these sacred feasts.
Reference
Holy
Leviticus 23:37
Leviticus 23:4
Parallel theme
Psalm 81:3
Joel 2:15
Hosea 2:11
References Lord
Numbers 10:10
Numbers 29:39
3
" 'There are six days when you can work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath. You must rest on it. Come together on that sacred day. You must not do any work on it. No matter where you live, it is a Sabbath day in my honor.
Reference
Holy
Isaiah 58:13
Parallel theme
Exodus 23:12
Exodus 34:21
Luke 13:14
Isaiah 56:2
Acts 15:21
References Lord
Leviticus 19:3
Revelation 1:10
Isaiah 56:6
Exodus 16:29
4
" 'Here are my appointed feasts. Tell the people that they must come together for these sacred feasts at their appointed times.
Reference
6
" 'My Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th day of that month. For seven days you must eat bread that is made without yeast.
Reference
7
On the first day you must come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work on that day.
Reference
Holy
Leviticus 23:8
8
On each of the seven days bring an offering that is made to me with fire. On the seventh day come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work on that day.' "
9
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
10
"Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'When you enter the land I am going to give you, bring an offering to me. Gather your crops. Bring the first bundle of grain to the priest.
Reference
11
He must lift the grain up and wave it in front of me. Then I will accept it from you. The priest must wave it on the day after the Sabbath.
Reference
References Lord
Exodus 29:24
12
" 'On the day he waves the grain for you, you must sacrifice a burnt offering to me. It must be a lamb that does not have any flaws. It must be a year old.
Reference
13
You must bring it together with its grain offering. The grain offering must be 16 cups of fine flour. Mix it with olive oil. It is an offering that is made to me with fire. It has a pleasant smell. You must offer a drink offering along with the burnt offering. It must be a quart of wine.
14
" 'You must not eat any bread until the very day you bring your offering to me. You must not eat any grain that has been cooked or any of your first grain until that time. That is a law that will last for all time to come. It applies no matter where you live.
Reference
References God
Exodus 34:26
15
" 'The day you brought the grain for the wave offering was the day after the Sabbath. Count off seven full weeks from that day.
Reference
16
Count off 50 days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath. On that day bring me an offering of your first grain.
Reference
17
Bring two loaves of bread that are made with 16 cups of fine flour. They must be baked with yeast. Bring them to me as a wave offering from the first share of your crops. That applies no matter where you live.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 23:10
Exodus 34:22
Leviticus 7:13
References Lord
Exodus 23:19
Exodus 34:26
Numbers 28:26
18
" 'Together with the bread, bring seven male lambs. Each lamb must be a year old. It must not have any flaws. Also bring one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to me. They will be offered together with their grain offerings and drink offerings. They are an offering that is made with fire. They give a pleasant smell to me.
19
" 'Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering. Also sacrifice two lambs for a friendship offering. Each of the lambs must be a year old.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 28:30
20
The priest must lift the two lambs up and wave them in front of me as a wave offering. He must offer them together with the bread that is made out of the first share of your crops. They are a sacred offering to me. They will be given to the priest.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 18:4
21
" 'On that same day tell the people that they must come together for a special service. They must not do any regular work. That is a law that will last for all time to come. It applies no matter where you live.
Reference
22
" 'Suppose you are gathering your crops. Then do not harvest all the way to the edges of your field. And do not pick up the grain you missed. Leave some for poor people and outsiders. I am the Lord your God.' "
Reference
23
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
24
"Say to the people of Israel, 'On the first day of the seventh month you must have a day of rest. It must be a special service that is announced with trumpet blasts.
Reference
Holy
Isaiah 27:13
Parallel theme
1 Corinthians 15:52
1 Thessalonians 4:16
Leviticus 25:9
Psalm 98:6
2 Chronicles 5:13
Ezra 3:6
25
Do not do any regular work on that day. Instead, bring an offering that is made to me with fire.' "
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 23:21
26
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
27
"The tenth day of the seventh month is the day when sin is paid for. Come together for a special service. Do not eat any food. Bring an offering that is made to me with fire.
Reference
Holy
Exodus 30:10
Leviticus 16:24
Parallel theme
Zechariah 12:10
Leviticus 25:9
Ezra 8:21
James 4:9
References Lord
Isaiah 58:5
Sacrifice
Leviticus 16:15
Leviticus 16:11
28
Do not do any work on that day. It is the day when sin is paid for. On that day your sin will be paid for in my sight. I am the Lord your God.
Reference
30
I will destroy anyone among your people who does any work on that day.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 20:3
31
You must not do any work at all. That is a law that will last for all time to come. It applies no matter where you live.
32
"That day is a sabbath for you. You must rest on it. You must not eat anything on that day. You must keep your sabbath from the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening."
33
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
34
"Say to the people of Israel, 'On the 15th day of the seventh month my Feast of Booths begins. It lasts for seven days.
Reference
35
" 'On the first day you must come together for a special service. Do not do any regular work on that day.
36
On each of the seven days bring an offering that is made to me with fire. On the eighth day come together for a special service. Bring an offering that is made to me with fire. That special service is the closing service. Do not do any regular work on that day.
Reference
37
" 'Those are my appointed feasts. Tell the people that they must come together for those sacred feasts. During those times, the people must bring offerings that are made to me with fire. They are burnt offerings and grain offerings. They are sacrifices and drink offerings. Each offering must be brought at its required time.
Reference
38
" 'The feasts are in addition to my Sabbath days. The offerings are in addition to your gifts and anything you have promised. They are also in addition to all of the offerings you choose to give me.
Reference
Sacrifice
Numbers 29:39
39
" 'Begin with the 15th day of the seventh month. That is after you have gathered your crops. On that day celebrate my Feast of Booths for seven days. The first day is a day of rest. The eighth day is also a day of rest.
Reference
40
On the first day you must get the best fruit from the trees. You must also get palm leaves, leafy branches and poplar branches. You must be filled with joy in my sight for seven days. I am the Lord your God.
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 7:9
John 16:22
References God
Romans 5:11
References Lord
Philippians 4:4
Isaiah 35:10
John 12:13
41
" 'Celebrate my Feast of Booths for seven days each year. That is a law that will last for all time to come. Celebrate the feast in the seventh month.
Reference
References Lord
Numbers 29:12
43
Then your children after you will know that I made the people of Israel live in booths. I made them do it after I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.' "
44
So Moses announced to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the Lord.
Summary of Leviticus 23
Leviticus chapter 23 contains the instructions concerning the feasts and holy days that the children of Israel were commanded to observe. These sacred days were a form of worship to God because they provided them with regular occasions for rest, gathering, remembrance, and bringing offerings before Him. These instructions cover the weekly Sabbath, Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Each of these festivals had specific requirements or purposes, as well as connections to remembering God and honoring Him.
The weekly Sabbath is the first instruction of Leviticus chapter 23. God commanded Moses to tell the children of Israel to proclaim the feasts of the LORD, which were to be kept as holy convocations. Before describing the first yearly festivals in detail, God instructed that every seventh day shall be a Sabbath of rest. In other words, they were to work for six days, but on the seventh day, it shall be a Sabbath of the LORD. This weekly day of rest was to be observed wherever the Israelites lived (Leviticus 23:1-3). The first feast mentioned is the Passover. It was to be observed on the fourteenth day of the first month at evening (Leviticus 23:4-5). Passover was to remind the Israelites of the time when God led them out of Egypt. The fifteenth day of the month then marked the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and lasted for seven days. During this time, the Israelites were to eat unleavened bread and on the first and seventh days, observe a day of worship and rest (Leviticus 23:6-8). The Israelites were to also bring offerings to the LORD during this feast.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted for seven days, giving the Israelites an annual opportunity to remember the time when God delivered them from Egypt and set them free from slavery.
The next appointed time concerned the firstfruits of any harvest. When the Israelites came into the land that God had promised them and harvested it, they were to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of their harvest to the priest. The priest was to wave the sheaf before the LORD on the day after the Sabbath and the people were to offer with it a male lamb without blemish, a meat offering, and a drink offering (Leviticus 23:9-14). The firstfruits offering recognized the fact that the harvest was ultimately God’s provision. The people were not to eat bread, parched corn, or green ears until they offered it to God. In other words, they were instructed to be grateful to God for His provision and to place faith in it.
The people were to count seven complete Sabbaths from the time of the firstfruits offering. On the day after the seventh Sabbath, the Israelites were to observe another important feast. This feast became known as the Feast of Weeks and is associated with Pentecost. The Israelites were to bring a new meat offering from the firstfruits of the harvest and present to the LORD two wave loaves baked with leaven, together with animal sacrifices and other offerings (Leviticus 23:15-21).
The Feast of Weeks was a day of rejoicing. It was also associated with generous giving to poor people living among the Israelites. When harvesting their fields, the Israelites were to not reap the whole crop, but leave some of it for the poor and for the stranger (Leviticus 23:22). The Israelites were thus reminded to care for poor people, particularly those among them, while rejoicing with their harvest.
The next festival mentioned in the chapter was to be observed in the seventh month. On the first day of the month, the Israelites were to observe a day of rest and remembrance announced with the sound of trumpets. They were to gather for a holy convocation and present an offering made by fire to the LORD (Leviticus 23:23-25). This day is known as the Feast of Trumpets, and it marks the beginning of a new year.
Ten days later came the Day of Atonement. One of the most solemn days in Israel’s religious year, the people were to afflict their souls and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. They were to refrain from doing any ordinary work because it was to be a day of atonement for them before God (Leviticus 23:26-32).
The Day of Atonement was to be observed as a very solemn day. Anyone who refused to humble himself and observe it was to be cut off from among his people and anyone who did work on this day would be brought to judgment. From evening to evening, the people were to observe their Sabbath. The solemnity of this day emphasized the need for repentancy and atonement. On this day, the people were to make offerings to God and seek to re-establish communion with Him.
Finally, the last feast described in this chapter was the Feast of Tabernacles, which began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. It was to last for seven days and an additional one solemn day, and the Israelites were to rejoice before the LORD because He had blessed them with the produce of the land.
They were to take branches from different trees and rejoice before the LORD for seven days, dwelling in booths or temporary shelters during the feast. This practice was to remind future generations that God caused the children of Israel to dwell in booths when He brought them out of Egypt (Leviticus 23:39-43).
The Feast of Tabernacles looked back on God’s provision during Israel’s journey through the wilderness. The people could enjoy the blessings of the land while remembering that they had once been in the wilderness. Their success, prosperity, and even continued existence were all God’s provisions.
Leviticus chapter 23 provides the people of Israel with a yearly pattern of worship centered on remembering, rest, gratitude, repentance, and celebration. The weekly Sabbath provided them with a regular opportunity to rest and to pause their worldly activities, while the yearly festivals marked important events in their relationship with God. Passover reminded them of God’s deliverance them from Egypt, the firstfruits acknowledged God’s provision, the Feast of Weeks celebrated the harvest, the Day of Atonement focused on atonement and repentance, and the Feast of Tabernacles remembered God’s care for them during their travels through the wilderness. The various appointed days or times thus served as sacred reminders that their land, harvest, freedom from slavery, and even their very existence as a nation all depended on God’s care. These instructions also served to bring together the entire nation of Israel in worshipping God, while bringing family offerings, observing times of rest, and refraining from work. The chapter shows God’s desire to draw the entire nation into worship, not only of the priests within the tabernacle.
The weekly Sabbath is the first instruction of Leviticus chapter 23. God commanded Moses to tell the children of Israel to proclaim the feasts of the LORD, which were to be kept as holy convocations. Before describing the first yearly festivals in detail, God instructed that every seventh day shall be a Sabbath of rest. In other words, they were to work for six days, but on the seventh day, it shall be a Sabbath of the LORD. This weekly day of rest was to be observed wherever the Israelites lived (Leviticus 23:1-3). The first feast mentioned is the Passover. It was to be observed on the fourteenth day of the first month at evening (Leviticus 23:4-5). Passover was to remind the Israelites of the time when God led them out of Egypt. The fifteenth day of the month then marked the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and lasted for seven days. During this time, the Israelites were to eat unleavened bread and on the first and seventh days, observe a day of worship and rest (Leviticus 23:6-8). The Israelites were to also bring offerings to the LORD during this feast.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted for seven days, giving the Israelites an annual opportunity to remember the time when God delivered them from Egypt and set them free from slavery.
The next appointed time concerned the firstfruits of any harvest. When the Israelites came into the land that God had promised them and harvested it, they were to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of their harvest to the priest. The priest was to wave the sheaf before the LORD on the day after the Sabbath and the people were to offer with it a male lamb without blemish, a meat offering, and a drink offering (Leviticus 23:9-14). The firstfruits offering recognized the fact that the harvest was ultimately God’s provision. The people were not to eat bread, parched corn, or green ears until they offered it to God. In other words, they were instructed to be grateful to God for His provision and to place faith in it.
The people were to count seven complete Sabbaths from the time of the firstfruits offering. On the day after the seventh Sabbath, the Israelites were to observe another important feast. This feast became known as the Feast of Weeks and is associated with Pentecost. The Israelites were to bring a new meat offering from the firstfruits of the harvest and present to the LORD two wave loaves baked with leaven, together with animal sacrifices and other offerings (Leviticus 23:15-21).
The Feast of Weeks was a day of rejoicing. It was also associated with generous giving to poor people living among the Israelites. When harvesting their fields, the Israelites were to not reap the whole crop, but leave some of it for the poor and for the stranger (Leviticus 23:22). The Israelites were thus reminded to care for poor people, particularly those among them, while rejoicing with their harvest.
The next festival mentioned in the chapter was to be observed in the seventh month. On the first day of the month, the Israelites were to observe a day of rest and remembrance announced with the sound of trumpets. They were to gather for a holy convocation and present an offering made by fire to the LORD (Leviticus 23:23-25). This day is known as the Feast of Trumpets, and it marks the beginning of a new year.
Ten days later came the Day of Atonement. One of the most solemn days in Israel’s religious year, the people were to afflict their souls and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. They were to refrain from doing any ordinary work because it was to be a day of atonement for them before God (Leviticus 23:26-32).
The Day of Atonement was to be observed as a very solemn day. Anyone who refused to humble himself and observe it was to be cut off from among his people and anyone who did work on this day would be brought to judgment. From evening to evening, the people were to observe their Sabbath. The solemnity of this day emphasized the need for repentancy and atonement. On this day, the people were to make offerings to God and seek to re-establish communion with Him.
Finally, the last feast described in this chapter was the Feast of Tabernacles, which began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. It was to last for seven days and an additional one solemn day, and the Israelites were to rejoice before the LORD because He had blessed them with the produce of the land.
They were to take branches from different trees and rejoice before the LORD for seven days, dwelling in booths or temporary shelters during the feast. This practice was to remind future generations that God caused the children of Israel to dwell in booths when He brought them out of Egypt (Leviticus 23:39-43).
The Feast of Tabernacles looked back on God’s provision during Israel’s journey through the wilderness. The people could enjoy the blessings of the land while remembering that they had once been in the wilderness. Their success, prosperity, and even continued existence were all God’s provisions.
Leviticus chapter 23 provides the people of Israel with a yearly pattern of worship centered on remembering, rest, gratitude, repentance, and celebration. The weekly Sabbath provided them with a regular opportunity to rest and to pause their worldly activities, while the yearly festivals marked important events in their relationship with God. Passover reminded them of God’s deliverance them from Egypt, the firstfruits acknowledged God’s provision, the Feast of Weeks celebrated the harvest, the Day of Atonement focused on atonement and repentance, and the Feast of Tabernacles remembered God’s care for them during their travels through the wilderness. The various appointed days or times thus served as sacred reminders that their land, harvest, freedom from slavery, and even their very existence as a nation all depended on God’s care. These instructions also served to bring together the entire nation of Israel in worshipping God, while bringing family offerings, observing times of rest, and refraining from work. The chapter shows God’s desire to draw the entire nation into worship, not only of the priests within the tabernacle.