What are Feast / Festivals?
Festivals are regular religious celebrations remembering God’s great acts of salvation in the history of His people (Holman BD). This means that many of the festivals that the people in the Bible do before are in relation with the religious beliefs. But of course there are also feasts that are dedicated to someone in show of hospitality and acceptance. A good example of this is the feast that the father prepared for his prodigal son. Wedding celebrations and banquets are also called feasts in the Bible. Feasts literally mean celebration of something.
Most Bible feasts and festivals are categorized based on its frequency of celebration. Like for example, Sabbath Day is being celebrated on the 7th day of the week so as the feast of the unleavened bread and the feasts of Tabernacles lasted for seven days.
Do we really need to celebrate Biblical festivals?
In the Old Testament times even up to the New Testament Times, Israelites (later known to be Jews), and Christian Isrealites celebrates these festivals. In the Old Testament to which most of these festivals originated, feasts were instituted by “Yahweh” through his servant Moses. Good examples of these festivals were the feast of the Passover, feast of the unleavened bread, the Sabbath, the Day of Atonement. Jesus himself participated in some feasts. Luke 14:12-13 the disciples asked him where to celebrate the Passover. John 10:22 Jesus was present during the feast of Dedication (feast of Hannukah, celebration of the victories of Judas Maccabeus in 167 BC).
In here we can see that feasts and festivals are not bad at all. However, we can see here the sincerity of the people in celebration of their religious festivals. Not only that, we can also see that they really know the meaning of their celebration.
In today’s lesson we will be focusing in religious festivals and try to compare the celebration before and the celebration in our time.
YESTERDAY TODAY
1. Biblical Religious Festivals were instituted by “Yahweh”. Example: Exodus 20:8-9 talks about the Sabbath; Leviticus 23:27 talks about the Day of Atonement - Most religious festivals were given by Yahweh himself as a part of his commandments to the people. 1. Religious Festivals today are instituted by men. Today most of the feasts are instituted by people who have patronized saints to whom they believe that it was the saint who helped them in their needs.
2. Religious Festivals were in accordance to personal encounter of God’s saving power. Example: Exodus 12 that talks about how the Passover is to be celebrated. 2. Religious Festivals today are based on human’s personal experience of the past. Many of our feasts today are pagan based practices. People tend to honor someone who is “usually (maybe preferably) dead”. Instead of calling for the living God, they call on the dead saints.
3. Religious Festivals were celebrated in accordance to the law that was written in the Old Testament. Examples: Exodus 20:8-9, Exodus 23:16-18 which talks about the Pentecost or sometimes called feast of the week. 3. Religious Festivals are celebrated in accordance to traditions being passed on from generation to generation.
4. Some of the Religious Festivals before are covenant related were God is the initiator Example: Exodus 34:22-24 were God had his covenant with the Israelites, protecting them and ensuring them that they will succeed. 4. In festivals nowadays that concerns covenant, men are the initiator of the covenant and not God.
5. Religious Festivals were God centered Festivals - Festivals were celebrated in honor of “Yahweh”. 5. Religious Festivals nowadays are “patron” centered. – Festivals are celebrated in honor of the “patron saint” of the particular place.
1. Before, religious feasts are instituted by Yahweh Himself. He is the one who gives the command to have festivals. However, compared today feasts are merely instituted by men. Many of them patronized saints. They celebrate feasts in honor of this particular saint that was declared by the big church to have lived a holy life.
The main issue is a matter is “authority”, to whom it came from? Now we have to be very careful as Christians in living our lives. We now live for Christ and his words and not on human standards. Authority in feasts does matter because in our feasts, it is God who needs to be glorified the most.
2. Before, most festivals are celebrated in commemorating God’s saving power, but what about today? Many of us are puzzled how did we arrive in celebrating feasts nowadays? If we try to see in birds eye view, today’s feasts came from experiences of some people in their devotion to a certain saint, they believe that it was the saint who blessed them. What we can learn from this difference is that the reasons for celebration are completely different from each other. Not only the reason is the problem but also the nature of this reason.
Before, people celebrates for the living God in contrast today, people have their feasts for the dead saints. And what can the dead do with the living? One funny thing in feasts is that it is both celebration and supplication. Asking for more additional blessings from the saints.
3. In the Bible we can actually see a series of step by step instructions on how to celebrate festivals. Bible is even more specific on what and how to celebrate it. The instructions were placed into writing by the leaders and scribes of Israel so that people in future generations may know it and follow it. Nowadays, many of our festivals were passed through oral and actual traditions. By the way, most Filipino festivals originated from pagan animistic practices. Some of the good examples of this festival were the Ati-atihan of Iloilo, Sinulog of Cebu, and Panag benga of Baguio. We can tell that they originate from a pagan practice by just looking at their costumes and the way they dance.
4. There were some of the feasts that are covenant related. The Lord our God is the initiator of these covenants. He’s the one who makes promises to His people. As we have learned before the initiator of our reconciliation to God is God Himself and not us. We consistently fail that is why no matter how we work hard for our salvation, we cannot be saved through it (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Today, people tend to make covenant with God. They will do this, and they will do that if God will bless them or grant their prayers. The truth is, people always fail. And who are we to demand something to God? Do we really need to demand from God what we want? Are we really in the position of making a deal with God? Is it not God who has the right to demand obedience from us?
5. Feasts before are God centered compared today, feasts are patron centered. Almost every barangay in the Philippines has its own patron saint. Feast celebration is usually in the honor of their patron saint. Granting them favors in whatever they do. For example the Our Lady of Good Voyage in Antipolo. People have Alay-Lakad every year in honor of the patron saint. But sad to know that because people give commitments to patrons but not to God. It is God who protects and is the source of life. Unfortunately people gave honor to creation not the creator.
Isaiah 1:10-17
10 Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the law of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the LORD.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;
16 wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,
17 learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.
