16:9,10
Next up is the Feast of Weeks, which coincides with our Pentecost. Here it is associated with the start of the harvest. In this way it is quite appropriate that it is associated with Pentecost. They were to celebrate the Feast by giving a freewill offering. Now it looks rather odd that a freewill offering can be mandated, it seems to be something of a contradiction. Well let’s look at one aspect of what I believe the Law is (and I stress it is only one part of the purpose, there are many others as well). And that is it indicates what things would be like in the perfect kingdom. In the perfect kingdom God’s people will freely and gladly give to God, celebrating the harvest with gratitude.
16:11,12
They were to rejoice before the Lord. Again, rejoicing cannot be mandated, but the normal and proper attitude of God’s people is to be one of rejoicing. In Philippians rejoicing is a major theme. Yet again we have emphasis on “the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name”. Then we see that the rejoicing involved the whole family, servants, Levites and foreigners, and the widows and fatherless. It was all inclusive. And yet again they are reminded that they were once slaves in Egypt. As Jesus said, freely you have received, freely give (Matt 10:8).
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