Gathering for a Purpose (Leviticus 21-23)

 ² “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts,” Leviticus 22:2.

One of the most important parts of my week is Saturday night. The reason it is important is because it is when I make sure I get more sleep and more preparation for the Lord’s Day is coming in the next 24 hours. According to Scripture God’s people are to not forsake our gathering (Hebrews 10:25).

One might ask, what is the value in gathering? Here are a few valuable reasons for gathering: We gather to lift up the praises of our Lord, we exhort and encourage one another, we are reminded of who God is and what He does, we are reminded of our desperate need of Him, and we are equipped to enter the world to do Kingdom Work. 

These are truly valuable reasons to gather, but there is one more that I want to highlight: We gather to remember!!! 

According to Leviticus 22, Israel was given specific times to gather for the purpose of remembering God and His great acts among them. Here is one example, the nation was to gather for the Feast of First Fruits, Leviticus 22: 9-15.

This feast took place at the beginning of harvest season. God’s people were to gather to bring an offering of the first tenth of their harvest to God. The priest was to take a sheaf and wave it before the Lord as a symbol of their offering to God in thanks for His blessing of a harvest. 

But there was more here. This was a picture of One who was to come. Issac Ambrose explained this as he wrote the following:

“After Christ rose from the dead, Paul called Him “the first fruits of them that slept” (I Cor. 15:22). He rose first as on this day, for the full harvest is not till the general resurrection. Jesus, the first fruits from the dead, sanctifies all those who are lying in the grave to rise again by His power, even when they are in the dust of death.” (ESV Church History Study Bible, Pg. 173)

Wow! The people of God were reminded to look forward to the coming of the Lord. Brothers and sisters, God calls for His people, in these last days, to gather every Sunday to be reminded to look forward to the day when He will come again.

Please grasp the truth God has given us today. Do not fail to assemble each week in God’s House. Those who fail to assemble will begin to fall from the assembly.