Don't Miss These Appointments

Have you ever experienced that “sunken” feeling that you possibly have missed or were going to be late to an important scheduled meeting? If you’re like me, I live by what I put down on my calendar; i.e., birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Mother’s & Father’s Day, speaking engagements and the more mundane appointments like doctors visits and tax deadlines. Some appointments certainly have greater consequences when missed. Sir, if you miss your wedding anniversary, Mother’s Day and your wife’s birthday you could very well be in the proverbial “dog house”, or worse, for the rest of the year - or longer!

Scripture reminds us that there are 3 festivals that every man in Israel MUST not forget. And more than simply “not forgetting” is each man MUST participate in these festivals. There is no choice!

“Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the Lord without a gift for him.” Deuteronomy 16:16 (NLT)

1. Festival of Unleavened Bread, or the Passover. The Lord wanted every person in Israel to never forget their miraculous deliverance from Egypt and this was done my partaking of the annual meal of remembrance, Passover. Passover was fulfilled by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Every person MUST participate by putting faith in the sacrifice of Jesus and applying Him to their life. The rejection of Jesus has eternal consequences.

2. Festival of Harvest or Pentecost. This festival was celebrated 50 days (pente) after Passover and was instituted to show gratitude for the physical harvest of food provision. This festival was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost after the crucifixion of Jesus

and was represented by the only harvest that matters, people giving their lives to Jesus. The infilling of believers with the Holy Spirit took place on the Day of Harvest, Pentecost, and is for the purpose of harvest - receiving boldness to share the good news of Jesus to everyone. We MUST be filled and stay filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8, Acts 2:38 & 39, Ephesians 5:18

3. And lastly every person MUST participate in the Festival of Shelters for seven days after harvest. This represents your eternal home. The only question is where we will spend eternity? The scriptures tell us that we must die and we must stand before the judgment. Hebrews 9:26

Leviticus 23

39“Remember that this seven-day festival to the Lord—the Festival of Shelters—begins on the fifteenth day of the appointed month, after you have harvested all the produce of the land. The first day and the eighth day of the festival will be days of complete rest. 40On the first day gather branches from magnificent trees—palm fronds, boughs from leafy trees, and willows that grow by the streams. Then celebrate with joy before the Lord your God for seven days. 41You must observe this festival to the Lord for seven days every year. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed in the appointed month from generation to generation. 42For seven days you must live outside in little shelters. All native-born Israelites must live in shelters. 43This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

This is wonderful reminder that this world is not our home and we are only passing through. This festival will certainly be fulfilled when we are in our eternal home with Jesus, living in the place that He has gone to prepare for us. John 14:1-4

Dear friend, scripture tells us that you don’t want to miss these 3 festivals, or the fulfillment thereof: Passover (our personal salvation), Harvest (salvation for others), the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and Shelters (our eternal home with Jesus). Don’t miss these 3 appointments!