11 February 2020
Devotion
Today, we will briefly introduce the significance of the concept of feasts in the Old Testament. There are seven major feasts that we find scattered throughout it. They are - in calendar order - the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
Why are these feasts significant? Israel's festivals were fourfold - communal, commemorative, theological and typological. Big concepts, but don’t worry, easy enough to grasp! The communal aspect of the feasts drew the nation of Israel together for celebration and thanksgiving. These were ‘earmarked’ in their national calendar where everyone gave thanks together. That is what we are doing - stopping for 21 days to pray, to feast and to give thanks! The feasts were also commemorative in that they kept alive the story of what God did in the exodus and in the wilderness. How does this apply to us today in the New Covenant? Well, we can similarly keep alive our stories or testimonies as we come with thankfulness towards God in the next 20 days!
Theologically, the Israelites’ observance of the festivals caused them to reflect on the realities of sin, judgement and forgiveness, culminating with thanksgiving for the merciful hand of God. This is simple for us as New Testament believers. Thank Him for Jesus, for the work of the Cross and the eternal victory won for us! Finally, the feasts of Israel were typological, helping the Israelites remember that the feasts pointed to a greater fulfillment that was coming! Guess what? That fulfillment has already come in Christ and it is not surprising that each of the major feasts is in some way alludes to the New Covenant.
To summarize, today we come in unity to give thanks, we remember the goodness and faithfulness of God by sharing our testimonies, we thank Him for defeating sin, the grave and death and finally we praise Him that Jesus has come and we have full access as sons and daughters! We have the whole ‘package, if you’d like. I don’t know about you, but I feel blessed and thankful because of that! Hallelujah!
Prayer
God, Thank You!! Thank you for Jesus and His completed work. I choose today to remember with thankfulness, but not only that, to share my testimony and continue to declare the finished work of Jesus. I come into unity with my Church family Your Body throughout the Earth and declare blessing and favor over us in 2020!
Amen.
Revelation 12:11
And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
