← All Chapters The Book of Leviticus · Chapter 23

Leviticus 23: The Appointed Feasts

God sets a sacred calendar of feasts and holy convocations that shape Israel's year around remembrance, rest, and rejoicing in him.

Coming soon

Leviticus 23 (WEB)

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The set feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts.

3 “‘Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no kind of work. It is a Sabbath to Yahweh in all your dwellings.

4 “‘These are the set feasts of Yahweh, even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their appointed season.

5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is Yahweh’s Passover.

6 On the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to Yahweh. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.

7 In the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.

8 But you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh seven days. In the seventh day is a holy convocation: you shall do no regular work.’”

9 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest:

11 and he shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted for you. On the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

12 On the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb without defect a year old for a burnt offering to Yahweh.

13 The meal offering with it shall be two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire to Yahweh for a pleasant aroma; and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin.

14 You shall eat neither bread, nor roasted grain, nor fresh grain, until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God. This is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

15 “‘You shall count from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be completed:

16 even to the next day after the seventh Sabbath you shall number fifty days; and you shall offer a new meal offering to Yahweh.

17 You shall bring out of your habitations two loaves of bread for a wave offering made of two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour. They shall be baked with yeast, for first fruits to Yahweh.

18 You shall present with the bread seven lambs without defect a year old, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to Yahweh, with their meal offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet aroma to Yahweh.

19 You shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings.

20 The priest shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering before Yahweh, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to Yahweh for the priest.

21 You shall make proclamation on the same day: there shall be a holy convocation to you; you shall do no regular work. This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

22 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap into the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest: you shall leave them for the poor, and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God.’”

23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

24 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest to you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.

25 You shall do no regular work; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh.’”

26 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

27 “However on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement: it shall be a holy convocation to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh.

28 You shall do no kind of work in that same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before Yahweh your God.

29 For whoever it is who shall not deny himself in that same day; shall be cut off from his people.

30 Whoever it is who does any kind of work in that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.

31 You shall do no kind of work: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

32 It shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall deny yourselves. In the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall keep your Sabbath.”

33 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

34 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of tents for seven days to Yahweh.

35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation: you shall do no regular work.

36 Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh. It is a solemn assembly; you shall do no regular work.

37 “‘These are the appointed feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh, a burnt offering, and a meal offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its own day;

38 besides the Sabbaths of Yahweh, and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to Yahweh.

39 “‘So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruits of the land, you shall keep the feast of Yahweh seven days: on the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest.

40 You shall take on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God seven days.

41 You shall keep it a feast to Yahweh seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations. You shall keep it in the seventh month.

42 You shall dwell in booths seven days. All who are native-born in Israel shall dwell in booths,

43 that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.’”

44 Moses declared to the children of Israel the appointed feasts of Yahweh.

Summary

Yahweh declares the set feasts that Israel is to proclaim as holy convocations, gifts of sacred time woven through their year. First comes the weekly Sabbath, a day of solemn rest. Then the spring feasts: Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the offering of the sheaf of firstfruits waved before the LORD. Fifty days later comes the Feast of Weeks, when two loaves baked with yeast are presented as firstfruits. Even here God repeats his care for the poor and the foreigner, commanding that the corners of the field be left for them. The autumn feasts follow in the seventh month: the memorial of trumpet blasts, the solemn Day of Atonement when the people afflict themselves and do no work, and the joyful Feast of Tents, when Israel dwells in booths for seven days to remember how God brought them out of Egypt. Each appointment carries its own offerings, its own rhythm of rest, and its own remembrance of God's saving acts. The calendar trained Israel to mark time by grace, returning again and again to worship. These feasts also unfold the gospel story, finding their fulfillment in Christ—our Passover, our firstfruits, the giver of the Spirit at Pentecost, and the one in whom God tabernacles among us.

Key Themes

  • Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who appoints sacred times and calls his people to rest, remember, and rejoice in his saving acts.
  • The set feasts — The Sabbath, Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Weeks, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tents that structure Israel's year.
  • The holy convocations — The gathered assemblies of God's people, called together to worship and remember at each appointed time.

Key Verse

Leviticus 23:2 (WEB)

“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The set feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts.

Lessons Learned

  • God graciously gives his people sacred time—rhythms of rest, worship, and celebration—as a gift.
  • Israel's calendar centered on remembering God's saving acts, especially the deliverance from Egypt.
  • Even amid feasting, God's heart for the poor and the foreigner is not forgotten.
  • The feasts unfold the story of redemption and find their fulfillment in Christ.
  • Sacred time is God's gift. The feasts are “my set feasts,” appointed by God for his people's worship and rest (Leviticus 23:2, WEB).
  • Rest is built into God's rhythm. “On the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation” (Leviticus 23:3, WEB), shaping the whole calendar.
  • Worship remembers God's salvation. Israel dwells in booths so generations “may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths” (Leviticus 23:43, WEB).
  • Generosity belongs in celebration. Even at harvest, leave the gleanings “for the poor, and for the foreigner” (Leviticus 23:22, WEB).
  1. What does it tell us about God that he built feasts, rest, and celebration into his people's calendar?
  2. How did the feasts help Israel remember and rehearse God's saving acts?
  3. Why might God include a command about caring for the poor right in the middle of the feast laws?
  4. How do you see the gospel anticipated in these feasts—Passover, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Atonement, and Tabernacles?
  5. What rhythms of rest, worship, and remembrance might you build into your own life to keep grace before your eyes?
  1. It reveals a God who delights to give his people joy, rest, and worship, not merely labor and law. The sacred calendar shows that God cares about the shape of our time and wants us to pause regularly to remember and rejoice in him.
  2. The feasts re-enacted and recalled key moments of God's deliverance, especially the exodus. Dwelling in booths, eating unleavened bread, and waving the firstfruits all kept the story of God's salvation tangible and repeated, so each generation would know and trust him.
  3. Placing the gleaning command among the feasts (23:22) shows that worship and justice belong together. True celebration before God remembers those in need. Israel's joy was never meant to be self-absorbed; it overflowed in generosity to the poor and the foreigner.
  4. Christ is our Passover Lamb, sacrificed for us; he is the firstfruits of the resurrection; the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost (the Feast of Weeks); the Day of Atonement points to his once-for-all sacrifice; and in him God tabernacles among us. The feasts trace the gospel story.
  5. This is a personal-application question. Encourage members to consider practical rhythms—a weekly Sabbath, regular worship, marking God's faithfulness, celebrating his goodness. The aim is to let grace be regularly remembered rather than crowded out by busyness.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), the King James Version (KJV), and the American Standard Version (ASV), all of which are in the public domain.