The rationale for the Lord´s Sabbaths (part 3)

  

4.      Sabbath/s is a time to have a holy convocation

For thus says the Lord, “The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.” And again, “These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times” (Leviticus 23:2, 4).

And He went on to mention all the times the Lord has ordained for His people to have a holy convocation, beginning with;

1. The seventh day weekly Sabbath which commemorates the creation.
2. The Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread which commemorates Christ as our Passover and the days of Unleavened Bread commemorating Christ our Redeemer and Savior.
3.  The feast of first fruits which is the Sunday during the days of Unleavened Bread commemorating Jesus Christ as the resurrection and the life, the day He ascended to the heaven and presented Himself to the Father after His resurrection.
4. Pentecost, fifty days after the feast of first fruits, the day the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples commemorating Jesus Christ as the Comforter, Helper and Teacher.
5. The feast of trumpets, the first day of the seventh month, a day to warn God`s people and prepare them for the upcoming fall festival.
6.  The Day of Atonement, a day to be at one with the Father and commemorates Jesus Christ as our High Priest who ever lives to intercede on our behalf.
7.  The Feast of Tabernacles, the time to commemorate the arrival of Jesus Christ in the flesh as the King of kings and Lord of lords: Remember, when Pilate asked Jesus the question and said, “Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice" (John 18:37).
8.  The Eighth day, commemorating the Lord´s circumcision which entitles everyone to become heirs of the promise which God made to Abraham, and also foreshadows eternity.

5. The Sabbaths are appointed times to offer the Lord the food for His offerings

For this is what the Lord spoke to Moses saying; “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” (Leviticus 23: 37-38).

Please note carefully that, offering the Lord the food for His offerings is besides or in addition to observing the Sabbaths, it is besides gifts, any vows or any freewill offerings which one gives to the Lord.

And so, we have been duly cautioned saying; “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time” (Numbers 28:2).

Offering the Lord the food for His offerings is what grants us access to the presence of the Most High as alluded to by the apostle Paul who wrote; “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus (represented by the wine), by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh (represented by the bread), and having a High Priest (Jesus Christ) over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:19-25).

This is how Jesus Christ fulfills His word to Thomas when He said to him; “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” The way to the Father is through the flesh of Jesus Christ represented by the unleavened bread, the truth, is Jesus Christ Himself our High Priest, the Word of God which is spirit and truth, and the life is the blood of Jesus: For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and God has given it to us upon the altar to make atonement for our souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul and it is represented by the wine.

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph