Daily Devotional Podcasts

85_Gathering before the Lord Ex 23:14-17 “Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. 15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. 16 You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. 17 Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God.” A certain man spent years working tirelessly, never taking a break, never pausing to reflect or celebrate life. His self-worth was measured solely by his productivity. One day, exhausted and disillusioned, he realized that he had lost touch with himself, his family, his faith, and his purpose in life. Surrounded by constant demands for our time and energy, we may easily forget to step out and rejoice in God who gives rest. The trap of endless toil ignores the set times for rest, recollection, and rejoicing in the presence of God who gives us life and happiness. In Egypt, the Israelites moved to the crushing rhythm of Pharaoh’s slavery. They had no seasons, no feasts, and no days of rest. Under Pharaoh’s rule, every day was the same relentless cycle of labor, devoid of worship and divine communion. When Moses and Aaron came before Pharaoh and declared, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness'" (Exodus 5:1), Pharaoh scoffed. "They are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’" Pharaoh saw no value in worship, no purpose in rest. To him, the Israelites existed only to serve his agenda. "Why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens!" (Exodus 5:4). The world demands that we never pause, never cease striving, never turn our attention to the One who truly matters. But God’s program for his people was always different. Man’s life on earth began with a day of rest, amid a feast of plenty, provided by the bounteous hand of God. Here, too, God appointed sacred times—holy gatherings that marked their journey through each year. These reminded them of redemption and encouraged communion with Him. These were not elaborate meals; they were divine appointments, opportunities to step away from daily toil and enter into God’s purposes. The seven feasts of the Lord—Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Weeks, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles—formed a prophetic calendar, revealing His plan of salvation, culminating in Christ’s work. But among them, three stood out, where every Israelite male was required to present himself before the Lord: the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover), the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of Tabernacles. The Passover feast and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were the first of these.