During our extended teaching series on the Book of Deuteronomy, we have been studying a lot of ancient rituals and traditions observed by the Israelites. Pastors Jason English and Josh Anderson sat down together in theHeart office to talk about what the Levitical festivals are and why it matters for Christ-followers.
Stop me if you've heard this one: A Jew and a Gentile sit down for a conversation in a church office. Perhaps a bit irreverent, but that's exactly what happened the other day when Jason (Jewish on his mother's side) and I (Gentile in every way) decided to record a discussion about some of the Levitical festivals that are appointed by God to the Israelites in the Old Testament.
Jason has studied the festivals in great detail, even having written his seminary master's thesis in part on the subject. And I simply wanted to understand better how to approach these set-apart days with greater intentionality and reverence.
“If I am truly grafted into the family of God through Christ, then the ancient traditions and practices mentioned in the Bible matter.” —Josh Anderson
There are seven feasts (eight if you count Sabbath) that were given to Moses on Mount Sinai: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Weeks (Pentecost), Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles.
For the modern-day Christ-follower, these holy holidays can seem obscure at best. What's the point of knowing them or even understanding the ritualistic ways they are still honored and observed by Jewish people today? As it turns out, there's much we can learn by studying these festivals and why they truly matter to God and His people.
“So often as Christ-followers we jump to the answer of Jesus. And while that's not wrong, it can result in a shallow understanding of Scripture if we don't also understand the richness of the question.” —Jason English
This is a discussion about faith and religion between two friends. It's also a visit with the posture of us learning from one another. Our shared desire is that this 40-minute podcast edifies and encourages you. Perhaps even more so, we hope this serves as a model of sorts for how you might engage in meaningful conversations with others that lead to a deeper understanding of why you believe what you believe.
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The Spirit of the Law
For the next several months, we'll be studying the entire book of Deuteronomy together. Join us as we take a deeper look beyond just the words of God's perfect instruction of how best to live. We'll explore the question, "What is the spirit of the law?"
We encourage you to read ahead each week leading up to our Sunday Gatherings. Check out the reading plan.