Posted on 09/26/2005 6:29:50 PM PDT by laney
Completely agree.
The "holy days" were part and parcel of the Levitical system.
Not so. God's feast days fall outside of any covenant and here's why.
1. Passover, one of God's festivals, was established and inaugerated before the covenant was struck at Mt. Sinai. This occurs in Exodus chapter 12 and was not part of any covenant.
2. Jesus Christ always kept the holy days even though he routinely eschewed non-biblical Jewish traditions. BTW, this should be reason enough for any follower of Christ to keep the Lord's holy days.
3. Paul expressly says in scripture that the feast of unleavened bread is to be kept:
1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
4. God's Holy Days are prophesized to be kept in the future. For example, Zechariah prophesizes that after the day of the Lord:
Zec 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
ALL nations. And what is the price of not keeping the feast of tabernacles in the future?
Zec 14:18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Zec 14:19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Therefore the holy days are not part of any covenant, but instead are days that God created to help us understand and celebrate his plan of salvation.
Another interesting verse is Genesis 1:14
Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
The word translated "seasons" is the same hebrew word used in reference to God's feast days. It's the "set time" when we are to come before the Lord.
The sacrifices were never a part of the original law. "They were added because of transgressions (Galatians 3:19) until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come." This sacrificial law constantly reminded Israel of their failure to live up to the terms of the Covenant. It involved laborious sacrifices and ritualistic washings, rites and ceremonies.
The Holy Days did not originate with Leviticus. The Levitical system did not begin to function until one year after Israel had left Egypt. The Holy Days were instituted when Israel left Egypt(Exodus 23:14)......conversely, the abolition of the sacrificial system did not abolish the Holy Days, (Hebrews 9:10 "They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings-external regulations applying until the time of the new order."
I Corinthians 11:1 Paul says, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ". Jesus observed all of the Feasts and Paul observed all of the Feasts. The New Testament Church of God observed all of the Feasts. We will observe the Feasts in the next age (Zechariah 14:16-19.
:^)
Dear Diary,
Moo.
he he....
You are plainly incorrect. The "holy days" were added in the same context as the sacrifices. There is no biblical reason to divide the cultic law that was given to Israel through Moses over a relatively short period of time. It's an arbitrary decision on your part in order to make some theological point.
The fact remains that the "holy days" were part and parcel with the Levitical system. E.g., the are given their fullest expression in the book of Leviticus. Any attempt to bring them into the new covenant, even in an expurgated form, is a denial of the finish work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Not so. God's feast days fall outside of any covenant and here's why.
No so. See post #66.
Your verses that you have offered do not amount to any proof of your theory.
1. Passover, one of God's festivals, was established and inaugerated before the covenant was struck at Mt. Sinai. This occurs in Exodus chapter 12 and was not part of any covenant.
While Passover may have technically been given prior to the events of Mount Sinai, they are obviously linked, e.g.,
"And God spoke all these words, saying: 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ... '" (Exodus 20:1,2)
The redemption of the people from Egypt, when the Passover was originally given, is highlighted during the Mount Sinai experience. We also have the fact that the "law" concerning Passover was given again after Sinai (Exodus 34) and in Leviticus 23.
2. Jesus Christ always kept the holy days even though he routinely eschewed non-biblical Jewish traditions. BTW, this should be reason enough for any follower of Christ to keep the Lord's holy days.
Jesus kept all the provisions of the holy days because He came to "fulfill all righteousness." He kept them perfectly and completely as they were given in the law of Moses. He did not keep the ersatz version that modern "messianic" are fond of keeping today. So to say that "we keep the holy days just like Jesus and Paul did" is a patently false and self-deceived statement. The ersatz "holy days" of the messianc are not the Lord's Holy Days, since they do not conform to His commandment's (Deut 12:32).
3. Paul expressly says in scripture that the feast of unleavened bread is to be kept:
Paul is speaking of spiritual things, not fleshly. There is no physical "unleavened bread" in Paul's comments. Rather, we are to observe these matters spiritually, i.e., "but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." To take Paul's words with any other meaning is proof that you misunderstand the plain words he wrote and the very nature of the gospel.
4. God's Holy Days are prophesized to be kept in the future. For example, Zechariah prophesizes that after the day of the Lord:
Christ's coming was still future from Zechariah's point of view. Christ came and perfectly kept the law so we do not have to. Are things are fulfilled in Him, including Zech. 14, etc. When we worship Him in spirit and truth we also fulfill the law by virtue of His finished work. There will be no future holy day keeping. That's a fabrication of "literal" dispensational hermeneutics.
The word translated "seasons" is the same hebrew word used in reference to God's feast days. It's the "set time" when we are to come before the Lord.
This proves nothing. In fact it appears the argument is based on several logical fallacies, including hasty generalization and false analogy. Just because the same word is used in two different places does not mean that word has the same meaning in both.
Exodus 12:14-16, "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord-a lasting ordinance. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh day must be cut off from Israel. On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days except to prepare food for everyone to eat-that is all you may do."
Later on in verse 29 the Lord struck down all the first born in Egypt. In verse 51 all the Israelites were brought out of Egypt by their divisions.
It wasn't until a year later that the sacrificial system was instituted (Galatians 3:19). It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.
The fact remains that the "holy days" were part and parcel with the Levitical system
I was quoting Exodus....and now I will quote Mark. "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." (7:6-8)
"Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. ... And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance." (Exodus 12:3-6, 11-14).
The commandment that God gave to Israel as an "everlasting ordinance" was not just unleavened bread, as your selective quote would seem to indicate without checking the context. The entire passage describes the "everlasting ordinance" of the bloody passover and unleavened bread together.
Just as Christ is our passover and has fulfilled the laws demand of blood sacrifice, so Christ is our "unleavened bread". When we feast on Him we spiritually partake of the ordinances, since they are fulfilled in Him.
It wasn't until a year later that the sacrificial system was instituted
So, according to your theory what was going on in Exodus 12:3ff with the bloody sacrifice of a lamb?
What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.
Galatians 3:19 does not say the "sacrificial law" as you read it. It does not differentiate between the parts of the ceremonial laws; sacrifices, holy days, etc. You are sorely misinterpreting the texts.
Just what do the words "throughout your generations" and "everlasting ordinance" mean to you?
Well, interpreting them in light of the New Testament and the finished work of Jesus Christ, we understand those ordinances to be completed in Christ. He fulfilled them. They did not simply vanish from sight, but, rather, they find their echaton in Him.
Tell me, which of these "everlasting ordinances" are still observed according to God's commandments rather than man's traditions?
Clearly Passover was instituted BEFORE God struck the old covenant with Israel. There's really no disputing this. You make the argument that it's "obviously linked" and then attempt to discount it. Well yes, they ARE obviously linked. Adam and Eve are also obviously linked. Noah is obviously linked. Abraham is obviously linked. Christians today are obviously linked. Everything that appears in all of scripture is obviously linked to everything else. That in and of itself isn't a valid reason for discounting the holy days. You must prove from scripture that the holy days were ever intended to be non-binding on future generations of Israel, both physical and spiritual Israelites.
Jesus kept all the provisions of the holy days because He came to "fulfill all righteousness." He kept them perfectly and completely as they were given in the law of Moses.
Where does it say that in scripture? Jesus kept the holy days because HE created the holy days and they are HIS holy days:
Lev 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
See, they are the "feasts of the Lord". Who is the Lord? Jesus Christ or course. Who created the "feasts of the Lord"?
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
See that? Christ created the holy days that are called "his". That's why he kept them...because they are important and meaningful to God and ourselves.
Paul is speaking of spiritual things, not fleshly. There is no physical "unleavened bread" in Paul's comments. Rather, we are to observe these matters spiritually, i.e., "but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." To take Paul's words with any other meaning is proof that you misunderstand the plain words he wrote and the very nature of the gospel.
You're exactly right and that is the purpose of observing the feast of unleavened bread. It's an annual reminder that we are to examine ourselves and eliminate sin from our lives. The physical act of deleavening and avoid leaven is to remind us of this spiritual lesson. Humans are a combination of matter and spirit. God knows that we can learn spiritual lessons through physical reminders.
Christ's coming was still future from Zechariah's point of view. Christ came and perfectly kept the law so we do not have to.
That's correct, but not in the way you think. Christ *always* keeps the law. Always. He must. Christ DOES live in Christians today. Christians who allow Christ to live IN and THROUGH them will appear to be keeping the law, but really it's Christ. Paul understood this:
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Are things are fulfilled in Him, including Zech. 14, etc. When we worship Him in spirit and truth we also fulfill the law by virtue of His finished work. There will be no future holy day keeping. That's a fabrication of "literal" dispensational hermeneutics.
Sorry, that's what scripture says. Zechariah is clearly a prophetic book that deals with the end times. Now if you believe that the end days have come and gone, or don't believe what God says in prophecy, I guess that's your choice.
This proves nothing. In fact it appears the argument is based on several logical fallacies, including hasty generalization and false analogy. Just because the same word is used in two different places does not mean that word has the same meaning in both.
Perhaps, but this is the definition of the word translated "season" in Genesis 1:14:
moed
From H3259; properly an appointment, that is, a fixed time or season; specifically a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand): - appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn (-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed).
"2. Jesus Christ always kept the holy days even though he routinely eschewed non-biblical Jewish traditions. BTW, this should be reason enough for any follower of Christ to keep the Lord's holy days."
Jesus kept all the provisions of the holy days because He came to "fulfill all righteousness." He kept them perfectly and completely as they were given in the law of Moses. He did not keep the ersatz version that modern "messianic" are fond of keeping today. So to say that "we keep the holy days just like Jesus and Paul did" is a patently false and self-deceived statement. The ersatz "holy days" of the messianc are not the Lord's Holy Days, since they do not conform to His commandment's (Deut 12:32).
Do you admit that modern messianics keep an ersatz version of the holy days? Where would you go in Scripture to find a commandment from God authorizing a change to match the ersatz form of today?
How did God tell us to observe his holy days? Chapter and verse.
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. 'Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.This is the only place where God gave detailed instructions on the holy days to old covenant national Israel. He didn't give "us" any instructions.'These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.' " And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the Lord. Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the Lord, for a sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
'And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord. And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be as a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the Lord. Then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering, and two male lambs of the first year as a sacrifice of a peace offering. The priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. 'When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the Lord your God.' "
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.' " And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath."
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it. These are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day-- besides the Sabbaths of the Lord, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord. 'Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.' " So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord. (Lev. 23)
So the question remains, how does one reconcile ersatz messianic practice with the Word of God?
1. Do you rest and praise the L-rd on the day He requires or on some man-defined day?
2. Do you celebrate the feasts of the L-rd or pagan holidays as defined by man ?
e.g. Easter and Christmas.
b'shem Y'shua
On the day He requires, after the practice of the apostles.
"Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen." (Mark 16:2)
"Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'" (John 20:19)
"Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight." (Acts 20:7)
"On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come." (1 Cor. 16:2)
There is no record in Scripture of the early church meeting on the last day of the week for the "breaking of bread" and to hear the apostles' teaching. We do have a record of Paul going to the place of the Jews on their "Sabbath" in order to reason with them about Jesus Christ. But that was not the Church. They were unbelieving Jews. We do not follow unbelievers in their worship patterns.
2. Do you celebrate the feasts of the L-rd or pagan holidays as defined by man ? e.g. Easter and Christmas.
I do not celebrate Christmas and Easter as religious holy days. I celebrate the only legitimate "holy day" under the new covenant, that is, the Lord's Day which is the new covenant Sabbath.
I'm not exactly sure what ersatz messianic practices you're talking about, but if you take out all of the things that require sacrifices and/or the Levitical priesthood because Hebrews clearly says that Christ is only sacrifice needed then you pretty much have this:
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. 'Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.
'These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.' " And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the Lord. Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the Lord, for a sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
'And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord. And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be as a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the Lord. Then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering, and two male lambs of the first year as a sacrifice of a peace offering. The priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. 'When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the Lord your God.' "
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.' " And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath."
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it. These are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day-- besides the Sabbaths of the Lord, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord. 'Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.' " So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord. (Lev. 23)
The main points are here now: No work on holy days. Have a holy convocation...gathering, meeting, of those who worship God.
In the new testament are additional instructions for Passover:
Luk 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luk 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
Joh 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Other passages in both the old and new testament give instruction on how to worship God. Prayer, singing of Psalms and spiritual songs. Reading of scripture, etc.
Of course the new covenant teaches that there is spiritual significance behind these physical examples. Paul's example of the "unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" is an example.
Each of the seven festivals does have meaning. There are plenty of references on the internet if you would like to study them more.
b'shem Y'shua
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