“There you will eat in the presence of Adonai your God; and you will rejoice over everything you set out to do, you and your households, in which Adonai your God has blessed you.”-Deuteronomy 12:7
Deuteronomy Chapter 12 is giving us a nice little review of many of the fundamentals we were first exposed to in the Book of Exodus and Leviticus.
Note that verse 7 commands that one’s entire household was to participate in the giving of the many different “sacrifices and offerings” including the feasting.
Do you know what this is referring to specifically?
It is talking about the 3 yearly pilgrimage festivals that required each family to journey to the Tabernacle (which later became the Temple) to sacrifice and celebrate.
Again, Deuteronomy stresses that not just the male head of the household, but the whole family was to go up.
Why?
Because this was to be a rockin’ celebration man!
These appointed times of God were to be feasts of joy!
Remember that when we studied the seven Biblical Feasts in the books of Exodus and Leviticus, three of the feasts were called CHAG.
Do you remember what this means?
CHAG means a pilgrimage festival meaning one had to make a journey to the central sanctuary which for the majority of Israel’s history was located in Jerusalem.
Since three of the festivals were CHAG (pilgrimage festivals), by definition the remaining four festivals were NOT pilgrimage festivals.
In other words, no journey was required and a family was allowed to celebrate those feasts locally in their own homes.
However, if they wanted to, they certainly had the option of traveling to the Tabernacle or Temple.
One thing I should point out is that although there are only three CHAGs, there was one Biblical feast that over time became a CHAG or pilgrimage feast even though technically it shouldn’t be placed in that category.
Do you know which feast I’m talking about?
I’m talking about PESACH (Passover).
PESACH is not a pilgrimage feast but over time came to be treated as one.
The reason is simply because it falls immediately before the Feast of Unleavened Bread which is a CHAG or pilgrimage feast.
Since these two festivals are held on two consecutive days, it just made sense to celebrate both of them at the Temple.
Besides, just as most folks prefer to celebrate special events at special locations, so too did many Hebrew families prefer observing Passover in at the central sanctuary in Jerusalem.
They would arrive in Jerusalem one day earlier, celebrate Passover and then celebrate MATZAH, the real CHAG.
Exo 12:18 – In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
I just read this today and this is what I see: On the 14th “day in the Evening( after sunset) eat Unleavened Bread. this is the Night before Passover “day..evening and Morning are a Full “period of time”= One DAY. But evening and “day” are two halves that make the whole. I simply suggest to you that UNLEavened starts the Evening before Passover. and then we eat for 7 “days”, thanks !! for your consideration.
Thanks for sharing Mary. Be blessed and Shalom!