Bringing in the Sheaves!!!

Day 23: Leviticus 20–23; Psalms 91–96: Luke 19–21

Just when I thought discovering a connecting theme between an Old Testament history lesson, an Old Testament Poetry or Prophets selection, and a New Testament reading was impossible today, I was taken by surprise. The streak continues and I am blessed.

Leviticus is primarily a book written for priests.  It covers the religious ritual practices around sacrifices and offerings, procedures of cleansing the unclean, etc.  But I acknowledge that this book of Moses was written for all of Israel to hear. This is history, even if it is specific to priestly duties, and as history it becomes a source for Israel's identity. 

This section in Leviticus 20-23 covers punitive measures for sin (even death penalties), holiness procedures for priests to maintain since they are the ones dedicated to serving the Lord sacrifices and offerings (they must be especially clean and holy in order to stand before a Holy God (Lev. 22:31)), and religious festivals.

The weekly festival is Sabbath Day. Every seventh day all Israel shall cease from any work and rest. 

Then there are other festivals that help Israel remember God's deliverance and providence.  The festival of Passover helps them remember that God delivered them from slavery in Egypt when the angel of death passed over their homes, but destroyed all the firstborn of Egypt.  The blood of a lamb on their door frames was the means by which they were spared. A week of celebration and offerings are made during the festival of Unleavened Bread.  They remember they left Egypt in such haste they had no time to bake bread with leavening for the journey.  When God acts to save, it is finally with swift and decisive timing. 

The Festival of Firstfruits celebrates God's providence.  He brought them to the promised land.  Now they enjoy its produce under God's blessing. "When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest (Lev. 23:10)."  There is a church hymn called “Bringing in the Sheaves” that points to this celebration.  The song talks about a different kind of harvest that comes from "sowing seeds of kindness."   The great festival celebration is the harvest of souls for the kingdom of heaven and we Christians are called the firstfruits of a new kind of humanity, a resurrected people.

Another 50 days after Firstfruits, there is the Festival of Weeks, the celebration after the harvest of barely and the firstfruits of the wheat harvest. The fullness of God's blessings for the season is celebrated. And there is plenty for all, so do not glean the fields and orchards of what naturally falls to the ground or reap the edges of the field.  Leave these for the poor and remember them (Lev. 23:22).

A Festival of Booths or Tabernacles celebrates God's providing in the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.  It is the final festival for the agricultural year.  The Israelites built shelters of palm branches and wood and stay in them for the week's celebration.  Over time however the Feast of Booths has also been called the Feast of the Ingathering.  There is a hope expressed of God bringing in the fullness of His harvest of souls, that all the nations with be gathered to Jerusalem and join Israel in worship and service to the Holy One.  It became a practice to bring palm branches tied together with myrtle and fig branches as a way of signifying God gathering in the various peoples from the gentile nations (depicted by the number 70) to join Israel in worship.

Psalm 96 directs the people of God (Israel) to:

Declare His glory among the nations,
    His wonderful works among all peoples.
For the LORD is great and is highly praised;
    He is feared above all gods. (Psa 96:3-4)

And the response from the Gentiles should be...

Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples,
    ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
    Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name;
    bring an offering and enter His courts.
    Worship the LORD in the splendor of [His] holiness;
    tremble before Him, all the earth.
    Say among the nations: "The LORD reigns.  (Psa. 96:7-10a)

Jesus entered Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives as the Messiah (fulfilling Zech. 14:14).  His disciples celebrated Him with shouts of joy, casting garments across the road for the humble king of the Jews.  Luke leaves out palm branch waving.  The Passover is coming and the city is filling with pilgrims, but we are not told in Luke that this is the week prior to Passover.  Instead Jesus is in the Holy City for an undisclosed period of time prior to Passover.

I had begun picking up on themes of ingathering and celebrating harvest, but Luke doesn't use the palm branches instead there is Jesus entering humbly the city and temple and teaching every day in the courts of God.  At night He sleeps on the Mount of Olives and every morning He teaches in the temple courts.  How long did this go on?  We are not told.

The terrible tragedy in Luke is that instead of the gentile nations’ coming together with Isarel to worship the Lord who reigns, Israel misses the Day of God's visitation.  Jesus wept over the city.  Instead of the gentiles uniting in the worship of the God of Israel, they come in the armies of Rome and tear down His temple.

The great ingathering of souls must wait.  But the firstfruits of a new Israel were there that day celebrating the Messiah and I believe today because they went and declared Christ Jesus to the nations.

God, I am thankful for the hope You give to gather all souls unto Yourself by lifting up the Son.  I join the shouts of joy and praise for the Messiah Jesus and lay down my life like a garment spread before His feet. Amen.