Marking Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year

Ses s i on 4: God’ s T imep i ece and God’ s Te l os 89

c. The Feast of Trumpets, in the seventh month, was the most significant new moon festival, (Lev. 23.23-25; Num. 29.1-6).

4. The three annual pilgrimage festivals required all Israelite males to come to the sanctuary (Exod. 23.14, 17; 34.23; Deut. 16.16-17).

a. The Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread were celebrated from the sunset of the 14th to the 21st day of the first month (Exod. 12; 23.15; 34.18, 25; Lev. 23.5-8; Num. 9.1-14; 28.16-25; Deut. 16.1-8; Ezek. 45.21-24).

b. The Feast of Weeks was celebrated at the beginning of the wheat harvest seven weeks after the presenta tion of the barley loaf (Exod. 23.16; 34.22; Lev. 23.15-21; Num. 28.26-31; Deut. 16.9-10).

c. The Feast of Booths was observed on th 15th through the 22nd days of the seventh month, at harvest time (Exod. 23.16; 34.22; Lev. 23.33-36; Num. 28.12-39; Deut. 16.13-18; Ezek. 45.25).

5. The seventh year (Sabbatical Year)

a. Slaves in Israel were to be freed (Exod. 21.2-6; Deut. 15.12-18).

b. All land was to be unplowed, lying fallow (Exod. 23.10-11; Lev. 25.1-7).

c. All Israelite debts to be cancelled (Deut. 15.1-6).