Thoughts on the readings for March 15th (Leviticus 23,Psalms 128, 129, 130, Luke 6)

Leviticus 23 deals with the feasts of Yahweh, of which there were 8 – the weekly Sabbath, the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, the festival of the Blowing of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and lastly the Feast of the Eighth Day (called by the Jews Shemini Azaret, or Day of the Righteous). Note the repetition of patterns of 7 and 8 associated with these Feasts. The term “convocation” used of the Feasts means
“an appointment”, or a “rehearsal”. These were typical of our Lord Jesus Christ. They were the shadow, he was the reality. The chapter breakdown is as follows: Verses 1-2 the holy convocation;
Verse 3 the Sabbath;
Verses 4 to5 the Passover;
Verses 6 to 8 the feast of unleavened bread;
Verses 9 to 14 the sheaf of the first fruits;
Verses 15to 21 the feast of weeks;
Verse 22 the gleanings of the stranger;
Verses 23 to 25 the feast of trumpets;
Verses 26 to 32 the Day of Atonement;
Verses 33 to 44 the feast of Tabernacles;
Verse 36 the feast of the eighth day.
Eight is the number in the New Testament, which speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The following analysis of the Feasts is presented for the reader’s’ consideration:
The weekly Passover spoke of the rest Christ at initially gives to the followers –
Matthew 11 verses 28,30 to 12 verse 8; and finally completed in the Kingdom rest Hebrews 4 verses 7 to 11.
The Passover and the Feast of unleavened bread
1 Corinthians 5 verses 7 and 8.
(Christ the sheaf of the first fruits 1 Corinthians 15 verse 23)
The Feast of Weeks (called in the New Testament, “Pentecost”) the time when the old covenant, or the Ten Commandments, was first given at Sinai; and the ecclesia founded by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
(Acts 2 the entire chapter).
These all related to our Lord’s first advent.
Then the Feast of Trumpets speaking of the judgments at the commencement of Jesus’ coming and preliminary to the setting up of his kingdom – Revelation 10, 11 verses 15 to19.
The Day of Atonement speaks of the sacrifice of Christ, in which God’s righteousness is upheld, revealed and demonstrated, and by which God has reconciled the world to Himself. It also speaks of Israel’s national conversion; their acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour – Zechariah 12 verse 7-13.
The Feast of Tabernacles, or booths, tells us that our Lord Jesus Christ has found rest for his faithful followers and they must come apart and contemplate the grace of their God and His incomparable Son. It will also be the festival observed by the mortal nations during the Kingdom Age – Zechariah 14 verses 9, and 16 where the nations of the entire earth will have their minds focused on the same lessons.
The eighth day speaks of the fulfilling of God’s purpose after the Millennium, and the following resurrection and judgment when every remaining mortal person, will be immortalised –
1 Corinthians 15 verses 24 to28.

Psalm 128 talks of the blessing to those who reverence their God and walk before Him in the paths of righteousness. The labours of the faithful will be productive and their will blessings on family life. But the ultimate blessing is peace ie fellowship with our Sovereign in the Kingdom Age; for says the Psalm, the blessings flow from Zion (Isaiah 2 verses 1 to 4).
Psalm 129 tells us that the path of the righteous is strewn with obstacles and trials. But never lose heart for in due season we shall reap if we faint not
(Galatians 6 verses 6 to10).
Psalm 130 provides us with great consolation. It was the Apostle John who said, “if your heart condemns you, Fear not for God is greater than your heart”. The Psalmist tells us that the LORD does not mark sin against those who have confessed to Him and been forgiven. What an awesome God is ours. But this forgiveness brings immense responsibility for His children, who reverence Him; who desire to walk faithfully wrapped in His love; and whose conscience smites them when they fail their gracious Father, so they immediately turn to God, and confess and acknowledge their sin; they repent and renounce their sin, and they humbly seek forgiveness of their sin.

Luke chapter 6 tells us of the rebuke that our Lord Jesus’ foes issues to Jesus’ disciples for supposedly breaking the Sabbath. The Lord shows from the Scriptures that, based on the record of David in 1 Samuel 21 – the disciples, like David were blameless and that the Son of God was “the Lord of the Sabbath”. Next our Lord cures a man with a withered hand, again on the Sabbath. This man had undoubtedly been placed in the synagogue to trap the Lord. Instead Jesus’ enemies found that they themselves had the tables turned on them. Jesus uses the occasion to teach the lessons of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is for helping and healing: Isaiah 561-8; 58 verses 6 to14. Read those words aloud and ponder their meaning for the way we must live. After a night in prayer to His Father Christ chose his twelve Apostles. The record says that multitudes come to him and are cured. The chapter follows by outlining our Lord Jesus Sermon on the Plain. No doubt this is a separate occasion from Matthew 5-7. The themes are common as the message did not change. The Beatitudes, or blessings producing happiness, to the citizens of Zion who will be granted glory in Messiah’s kingdom are outlined. They present a complete picture of the character of our Lord Jesus Christ. On this occasion the counterpart of the curses upon the enemies of the Kingdom are enumerated. Like the Matthew record, we are once more told, that we 1) need to love our enemies in order to be as our Father; 2) must not to be censorious and hypocritical by finding fault in others; 3) a tree is be known by its fruits ie the outcomes, or behaviours, of our lives; 4) need to build our faith and lives on the rock that is our Lord Jesus Christ: Ephesians 2 verses 17 to 22.