Just as the risen Lord appeared to His disciples and taught them, may the Lord Jesus Christ, as we meet on His resurrected day, show us things in the Old Testament that speak about Him. May we see—we who are foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have written and spoken—our Savior therein. And may we leave this place with burning hearts inflamed with love for our Lord.
The Panorama of God’s Appointed Festivals
Climbing chapter by chapter, we have come to the twenty-third chapter of the most difficult book of the Bible, Leviticus. Like an instruction manual to operate a machine or fly a plane, the book of Leviticus gives us all instructions about godliness. Chapters 1–7 explain how to approach God through five sacrifices. Chapter 8 details through whom to approach God—the High Priest’s ministry. Chapters 9–10 teach how to worship God, and chapters 11–20 explain how to live as God’s people with a lifestyle of holiness, without defiling themselves through foods, dietary laws, childbirth purity, skin diseases (especially being careful about leprosy), bodily discharges, the Day of Atonement, and social holiness involving submitting to parents and maintaining sexual purity. That section concludes with a warning in chapter 20 that these are not optional; any man who breaks these laws will face terrible consequences, which the history of every man proves. Chapters 21–22 move from the people to the holiness of the priests.
We come today to chapter 23, which is the chapter on festivals. In our country, India, we have many festivals starting from the beginning of the year to the end: New Year’s Day, two weeks of Pongal, Republic Day, Shivaratri on February 15, Ugadi and Holi in March, Good Friday and Easter in April, school holidays in May and June, Independence Day on August 15, Dussehra, Deepavali, and Christmas. Though we love all holidays as Indians, these are man-made festivals. But in the Old Testament, God made His people celebrate His festivals—these are God-ordained festivals, as stated at the end of verse 2: கர்த்தருடைய பண்டிகை நாட்களாவன (These are the feasts of the Lord).
Leviticus 23 is an almanac, an annual calendar that gives a list of important feasts for God’s people. They are pre-scheduled on an annual calendar. There are seven appointed feasts, before all of which the weekly festival of the Sabbath is added. First is the weekly Sabbath. Then come the seven feasts:
- Passover (பஸ்கா பண்டிகை)
- Unleavened Bread (புளிப்பில்லாத அப்பப் பண்டிகை)
- First Fruits (முதற்பலன் பண்டிகை)
- Pentecost (பெந்தெகொஸ்தே)
- Feast of Trumpets (எக்காளம் ஊதும் பண்டிகை)
- Day of Atonement (பாவநிவாரண நாள்)
- Feast of Booths (கூடாரப் பண்டிகை)
These run from the year’s beginning all the way through to the year’s end. You will see this pattern come up again and again in the Bible.
God gave these festivals not as meaningless rituals, but as seven festivals from beginning to end that, like a painting, show the full panorama view (அகலப் பரப்பு காட்சி) of God’s redemptive work in the world. These are shadows (முன்னடையாளம்) of the glorious truths of the New Testament. To the ancient people, God gave these divine rehearsals (பயிற்சி ஒத்திகை) to teach His redemptive history. From the beginning of the year through the end of the year for a thousand years, they practiced these rehearsals, for to an Israelite, it was a great spiritual parable showing the grand mural panorama (சுவரோவிய அகலப் பரப்பு காட்சி) of God’s redemptive work in history from beginning to end.
I want us to see each festival one by one, and then, when we put them all together, it will be like examining seven distinct drawings. After looking at the full collection, I want us to be able to stand back and see the entirety of the panorama of God’s great redemptive plan from beginning to end, revealed year after year through these festivals for thousands of years. You will be awed when you see the full picture—spanning from the spring of salvation in the past eternity of election to the final harvest and gathering of all the elect in God’s presence in eternal heaven.
The Weekly Sabbath
Let us start with the first weekly festival and examine the Sabbath day today. Verse 3 states: “For six days work may be done, but the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work.”
ஆறுநாளும் வேலைசெய்யவேண்டும்; ஏழாம்நாள் பரிசுத்த சபைகூடுதலான ஓய்வுநாள், அதில் ஒரு வேலையும் செய்யவேண்டாம்; அது உங்கள் வாசஸ்தலங்களிலெல்லாம் கர்த்தருக்கென்று ஓய்ந்திருக்கும் நாளாயிருப்பதாக.
Though it is not technically an annual feast, it is a sacred weekly feast day, which is why it is included in their annual feast calendar. It is a weekly divine rhythm.
When we talk to people about the Sabbath, most Christians today say the New Testament has no Sabbaths, arguing that it all ended with the Old Testament. A strong primary verse often cited is Colossians 2:16–17. Turn to it, because someone will come and argue with you using this verse:
ஆகையால், போஜனத்தையும் பானத்தையும்குறித்தாவது, பண்டிகைநாளையும் மாதப்பிறப்பையும் ஓய்வுநாட்களையுங்குறித்தாவது, ஒருவனும் உங்களைக் குற்றப்படுத்தாதிருப்பானாக.
Yet we always accuse people of not keeping the Sabbath. Is Paul referring to the weekly Sabbath here? Today in Leviticus 23, we should be able to pull that false argument up from its root. Let us see.
Notice all of the feasts that are described here for the ancient Israelites; they were all called Sabbaths. Notice with me in verse 32, for instance, referring to the Day of Atonement: it is to be a Sabbath of complete rest to you (அது உங்களுக்கு விசேஷித்த ஓய்வுநாள்). Also look at verse 25, which speaks of the Feast of the Trumpets: “You shall not do any laborious work on that day” (அதிலே சாதாரணமான யாதொரு வேலையும் செய்யாமல்). You see, that too is a Sabbath; it was a day of rest. We find also in verse 35 regarding the Feast of Booths: “On the first day, a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind” (முதலாம் நாள் சபைகூடும் பரிசுத்தநாள்; அதிலே சாதாரணமான யாதொரு வேலையும் செய்யலாகாது).
All these festivals were also called Sabbaths. Why? Because they all come in a cycle of seven, functioning as a Sabbath.
- Verse 5: Passover occurs on the 14th day of the first month, acting as a second Sabbath.
- Verse 6: Unleavened Bread starts immediately after Passover and lasts for seven days.
- Verse 16: Pentecost comes after 7 x 7 days—49 days after seven Sabbaths following the first harvest.
- Verse 24: The Feast of the Trumpets is celebrated on the 1st day of the 7th month.
- Verse 34: The Feast of Booths begins on the 15th day of the 7th month and lasts for seven days.
Do you see the Sabbath concept mixed into all these festivals? That is why the Old Testament also called all these festivals Sabbaths.
When you properly read the background of Colossians 2:16 and understand that very verse—which mentions feasts, new moons, and Sabbath days—is he referring to the weekly Sabbath? No. He is talking about these festival feasts of the Jews, such as Pentecost, Trumpets, and the Day of Atonement, which Christ fulfilled and which have passed away. Judaizers had come to Colossae saying they still had to continue observing them. Paul is not referring to the weekly Sabbath, which is part of the Ten Commandments; God did not reduce them to nine in the New Testament. Following the resurrection on the first day of the week, the Sabbath shifted from the old seventh day of the Jewish Sabbath to the new Christian Sabbath on the first day—the Lord’s Day. We see by example that the New Testament church always gathered on the first day of the week.
We have studied this extensively, but it is so important for us to sharpen our consciences regarding the Sabbath. If you read about all other ancient civilizations—Babylonian, Roman, Greek, Assyrian, or Canaanite—they all had a seven-day cycle. Why? Not because they possessed the written law, but because of God’s law written in the heart and in nature, through which they saw the consequences of breaking that cycle. That is why even today, 6,000 years after creation, with all our technology, every nation and culture still follows a seven-day cycle, and we all have a Sunday holiday following that pattern. Six days shall you labor, and one day shall you rest.
What Does It Mean to Rest?
Fallen man knows he has to stop work every seventh day, but he doesn’t realize what he should do with that seventh day. These verses teach us: no regular work that you do in the six days should be done; cease from all of that. It is a day of rest.
So what does it mean to rest? Does it mean waking up, lounging around the house, falling into a recliner sofa, switching on the TV, relaxing, and doing nothing? Is that a rest day? If the Lord says rest, we have to understand what He means by rest. It is not complete inactivity altogether. It means resting from regular work and engaging in work of a different kind. What kind of work?
Notice verse 3 calls it a day of holy convocation:
ஆறுநாளும் வேலைசெய்யவேண்டும்; ஏழாம்நாள் பரிசுத்த சபைகூடுதலான ஓய்வுநாள், அதில் ஒரு வேலையும் செய்யவேண்டாம்.
The Hebrew word for holy convocation is mikra, which in its basic root refers to a call or a summons. The same word is used in Numbers 10:2 and Isaiah 1:13. The trumpets would be blown to summon the whole congregation to a sacred assembly. God called His Old Covenant people to a corporate gathering, to a public convention for corporate worship to the living God. Today, even Muslims follow that kind of summons.
Not all tribes went up to Jerusalem because those living far away in Dan or down in Beersheba went to local synagogues instead. What for? To hear God’s word and unite their hearts, ears, and voices in corporate public worship. That is how you rest and honor the Sabbath.
This has to be our practice as creatures of God if we respect the Creator who created for six days, rested, sanctified and blessed the Sabbath, and made it part of the Ten Commandments. If you say you are a follower of Jesus Christ, consider what His practice was, as recorded in Luke 4:16:
தாம் வளர்ந்த ஊராகிய நாசரேத்துக்கு அவர் வந்து, தம்முடைய வழக்கத்தின்படியே ஓய்வுநாளில் ஜெபஆலயத்திலே பிரவேசித்து, வாசிக்க எழுந்து நின்றார்.
“And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.”
What did the Lord Jesus do on the Sabbath? Did He keep running to work, or rest in the house watching TV? He got up, washed Himself, and traveled to the synagogue wherever He was found. Clearly, rest means holy gatherings. We come morning and evening to worship God, filling our souls with truth and with God’s wisdom.
Someone might ask, “Pastor, how is this any rest? We get up early, get all the kids bathed, ensure they have matching, proper clothes, comb hair, grab the Bibles, make sure all things are in order, take a bike, car, or auto to get there, rush through, go home in a hurry, cook, eat, and then come back again in the evening. Where is the rest in this, Pastor?”
Sometimes I tell my friends that my most busy, hectic day is Sunday. You see, rest is not just lounging lazily on a sofa, watching TV, or scrolling through useless reels. God promises true rest in this life and eternal rest in the afterlife when we keep the Sabbath. How is it rest? Sabbath-keeping helps us spend our weekdays restfully (நிம்மதி) and safely takes us to eternal rest in heaven. That is God’s idea of rest. Let me show you how this brings restful lives here and leads to eternal rest.
Two Powerful Reasons for Sabbath Observance
Modern Christianity largely ignores the Sabbath; 99% of modern Christianity rejects this law. Just because everyone does not obey God’s command does not mean it is right. World history always shows that generations realize the error of their lifestyle only after facing terrible consequences.
What is the major problem with today’s generation? No rest. Many studies show that up to 80% of diseases are stress-related. This is the most stressed generation, mainly because we do not pause. Failing to pause keeps the body in a state of chronic high activation and cortisol overload, which is linked to hypertension, weight gain, impaired immune function, diabetes, burnout, anxiety, depression, irritability, and other mental health problems. As Romans 1 suggests, I believe this is an expression of God’s wrath for breaking His fourth commandment.
New Covenant Christians are solemnly obligated to keep the Sabbath by meeting for holy convocations. Let me give two powerful reasons why we should be careful about Sabbath observance: it helps us spend our six weekdays restfully (நிம்மதி) and safely takes us to heaven.
1. A Restful Life in the Weekdays
Humans were made to operate out of rest, not out of tension, anxiety, or pressure—not in a rat race where we are constantly hounded, harassed, driven (விரட்டப்பட்ட), and hassled (அலைக்கழிக்கப்பட்ட). These are the exact opposite of what God intended when He made man. We were meant to operate in activity that proceeds out of rest.
The pattern God established at creation was six days of calm, creative work which is very good, followed by resting one day. When you follow that divine rhythm of resting from all work, we can do our weekly work creatively, with innovation, thinking, and wisdom—which is only possible when we are calm, rather than hurried and stressed all the time. What makes our six days calm and restful? It is Sabbath rest. We switch off on that day.
Heb 4: 10 it says, “He who has entered into rest has ceased from his own labors, as God did from his…” (Hebrews 4:10 KJV). ஏனெனில், அவருடைய இளைப்பாறுதலில் பிரவேசித்தவன், தேவன் தம்முடைய கிரியைகளை முடித்து ஓய்ந்ததுபோல, தானும் தன் கிரியைகளை முடித்து ஓய்ந்திருப்பான். When you trust and depend on your creator; When you stop your work however important big, and don’t go through any worldly tension activities, pause and observe the Sabbath, you deeply honestly learn practice Sabbath regularly, the divine principle starts working in you; you are operating out of dependence upon God at work in you. You know that one principle of living dependent on God is greatest stress buster. OT Psalm 55:22 “கர்த்தர்மேல் உன் பாரத்தை வைத்துவிடு, அவர் உன்னை ஆதரிப்பார்; நீதிமானை ஒருபோதும் தள்ளாடவொட்டார்.” 1 Peter 5:7 “அவர் உங்களை விசாரிக்கிறவரானபடியால், உங்கள் கவலைகளையெல்லாம் அவர்மேல் வைத்துவிடுங்கள்.”
You learn to live in dependence on God by Sabbath.. then you don’t try to do it all yourself — don’t feel as if everything depends upon you, depends only on your efforts, your success, don’t fume, stew and fret குமுறுதல் மனக்கலக்கம் (Thodar pathattram) தொடர் பதற்றம் and aren’t anxious and troubled because you have got to get it done — but instead learn to rest on what God is ready to do in you and through you and around you, and expect him to do it, then you learn to live calmly trusting God, and escape from the always busy, tension filled course of the world.
This is the greatest indispensable creation secret for humanity life, but largely unlearned secret on how to operate out of rest. That is why God highlights the sabbath at the beginning of this list of feasts.
My life, personal life I have learnt to live more calmly without tension because of Sabbath, and I have always seen people who are always tensed, upset, frustrated.. worried about future, work, money, family… because who regularly break Sabbath.. though they may come to church… their body come to church .. going home… but their heart doesn’t truly joyfully keep the Sabbath… as God promises in Isaiah “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the Lord honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
என் பரிசுத்தநாளாகிய ஓய்வுநாளிலே உனக்கு இஷ்டமானதைச் செய்யாதபடி, உன் காலை விலக்கி, Stopping the “hounded” rate race, pace of the week. ஓய்வுநாளை மனமகிழ்ச்சியுண்டான நாளென்றும், கர்த்தருடைய பரிசுத்த நாளைக் கனமுள்ள நாளென்றும் சொல்லி, அதை உன்னதமானதாக எண்ணி, உன்னுடைய வழிகளின்படி நடவாமலும், உனக்கு இஷ்டமானதைச் செய்யாமலும், Moving from self-centered “stewing” to God-centered delight. உன் சொந்தப் பேச்சைப் பேசாமலிருந்து, Silencing the “fuming and fretting” of the mind. அதைச் சிறப்பிப்பாயானால்;” Shifting from “duty” to “delight.”
“அப்பொழுது கர்த்தரில் மனமகிழ்ச்சியாயிருப்பாய்; This is the ultimate “stress buster.” Your happiness shifts from your circumstances to God’s character. .. that joy will never change on circumstances… பூமியின் உயர்ந்த இடங்களின்மேல் உன்னை ஏறியிருக்கப்பண்ணி, Instead of being “hounded” on the ground by problems, God lifts you to a place of perspective and victory உன் தகப்பனாகிய யாக்கோபுடைய சுதந்தரத்தினால் உன்னைப் போஷிப்பேன்; He provides for you out of His “Superabundance” rather than your own self-effort. கர்த்தருடைய வாய் இதைச் சொல்லிற்று.”
The Sabbath is the “Regulator” of the entire week. முழு வாரத்தையும் சீர்ப்படுத்தும் ஒரு கருவியாகும். isn’t just about what happens on that one day; it changes the “Vibe” of the six days that follow. When you stop your “own ways” and “own work” on the Sabbath, you are making a public declaration that God is the Boss, CEO of your life. On Monday morning, you don’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You realize you are a steward, not the owner. All under God’s providence control; so the pressure to “perform or perish” is gone, replaced by a calm peace. By stepping out of the race for 24 hours, you break the psychological power of the continual stressed lifesetyle.
Much of our stress comes from our own anxious talk—complaining and murmuring, worrying “hassling” others. By practicing silence and God-focused speech on the Sabbath, you train your tongue. During the week, when a crisis hits, you don’t react with the “words of the world” (fear/anger); you respond with the peaceful words of the Spirit.
Oh if no pressure, then I will be lazy… and not achieve. This is the “Great Lie” of our modern hustle culture— Pathattramana ottam ஓயாத உழைப்பு கலாச்சாரம் the idea that pressure anxiety is the necessary fuel for achievement. Very wrong. It is pressure that blinds us and makes us do things in hurry without strategy, plan, and do wrong things and not focus on anything, finally fail. A calm mind produces makes us do high-quality, creative and impactful, productive work. One hour of a peaceful, inspired mind is worth ten hours of a “stressed ” mind.
God promises we will “ride on the high hills on earth, பூமியின் உயர்ந்த இடங்களின்மேல் உன்னை ஏறியிருக்கப்பண்ணி there will be divine help and energy for us to do our work in 6 things and achieve things for God’s glory. The world thinks that 7 days of work equals 100% output. God’s math says 6 days of work + 1 day of Delight = “The Heritage of Jacob.. abundance of blessings. So . You have tensions, papilations, learn to strictly keep the Sabbath, no phones, no worldly entertainment, no functions. You will see amazing calmness peace in your life growing for rest of the week, and then experience promises of delighting in God, ride high on earth, and heritage of Jacob.
Not only make you live calm peace, but safely go to heaven.
You see, there is this hypnotizing, addictive and monotonous rhythm of life. மயக்குகிற / வசியப்படுத்துகிற) அடிமையாக்குகிற / போதையேற்றுகிற சலிப்பூட்டும் வாழ்க்கையின் We get up, we till the soil, today office, we eat, we go to sleep. We get up, we till the soil, we eat, we go to sleep. You multiply that six times and then everything stops cold. The rhythm is to be broken. Rhythm is broken once per week. Old Israelite instead of picking up your plough and going to the field, you pick up your Bible l and you go to the holy assembly place for the people of God to worship Jehovah.
There is a breaking of this pattern is so important to prepare and take you safely to heaven. Why? There is dangerous magnetic effect in this world to pull and drag us consciously and make us forget eternity, forget God, forget our soul, like Eph 2 course of the world; river dragging us to lake of lake of fire. Rev talks about wine of Babylon that harlot gives and makes them all forget God and eternity and enjoy the world till suddenly their end comes. மயக்குகிற / வசியப்படுத்துகிற) அடிமையாக்குகிற / போதையேற்றுகிற
God graciously uses Sabbath to break that cycle. The pulling of oneself away from a preoccupation with the earth, so that for one day at least, we can become preoccupied with heaven. You show by breaking that though you are in the world, you are not of the world. We can always notice when Christian keep missing church, and breaking Sabbath, more and more they are dragged by this world.. some I know completely dragged and even made shipwreck of their faith… they are path to hell.
So on that day, the Sabbath, the ancient Israelite not only laid down his plow, brethren, but he also got up, he washed himself, dressed, and he went off to holy convocation in the presence of the living God. So don’t follow this perishing perverted generation, olden days heathen Babylon, Assyrians, even Canaanites had more common grace than many professing Christians in our day.
Again, some people will argue a lot using Colossians 2.16 we do not have keep Sabbath today. I have realized after arging, the issue is not a theological problem or an exegetical problem. it’s a personal spiritual problem. Because nominal Christian may put all outward show, may even come to church, give tithes, but they will not give up what they very closely hold to their heart. One of the things they hold is pleasures of Sunday; most valuable possession for him; work all week, one day peculiarly mine, to do what he likes, no boss, no one ask what we do. When God asks to give that, it is not ordinary sacrifice, but rather the crown of all sacrifices, so they refuses to give that portion of it to God. They say I’m not willing to trade away my leisure to seek God, my TV, Instagram, family get together, shopping time. God can have left overs, but not the crown of my time.
It is very very difficult, but only born again believer has gratitude and motivation to give that to God and come to holy convocations, gatherings morning and evenings. … that is why so important to take born again people into membership.. you take others… whatever you say, they will never change…