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 12:14
Both Memorial Day and Pentecost blew by me in a blur this year. So, today, I am pausing to reflect.
Remembrance is important to God. He instituted seven feast days as memorials for all generations. God created the feast days to encourage a thankful heart, and to invite us into His presence.
As gentile believers, we like to celebrate Jesus in the biblical feasts. And we should. God established the feasts also as “memorials.” So, we should also spend some time looking back - remembering.
The Feast of Weeks is the biblical feast we call Pentecost. The main activity listed in Leviticus at this feast was the presentation of a wave offering to the Lord. Two loaves of bread baked with fine flour and leaven were waved as an offering. This action expressed their dependency on God for the harvest and their daily bread. It was a thanksgiving offering. God intended it to be enjoyed in His presence, in His house (the Temple). It was for fellowship, thanksgiving, and intimacy.
As the Jews were scattered among the nations, the Feast of Weeks lost its harvest significance. The Jews celebrated it as a memorial to the time God gave them (Moses) the Law on Mount Sinai.
Yes, the very day that Jews celebrated God writing His words on tablets of stone (Ex. 19:16-20), we Christians celebrate the Holy Spirit writing His laws on the tablets of our hearts (Acts 2:1-6). There are no coincidences in the Kingdom of God. These two events are meant to be intertwined in our memories.
So, I want to take these next few moments to remember:
Thank You, Father, for our daily bread. Thank You for Jesus, Who is The Bread of Life. Thank You for Your constant care and provision.
God, I thank You for giving us Your law which highlights our need for Your grace and mercy. Your Word is life and breath to me. In it I find peace, direction, and hope for each new day. Thank You for Your people, the Jews, who faithfully stewarded Your word for centuries. Bless them.
Jesus, thank You for giving us Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for the power of the Spirit enabling us to keep Your law. And thank You for memorial days when we have the opportunity to honor YOU! Amen!