Tag Archives: Celebrate

New Wine in New Wineskins (Matthew 9:14-17)

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Bible Summary:

Followers of John the Baptist ask Jesus why they and the Pharisees fast often but the disciples do not. Jesus tells them wedding guests need to be happy until the bridegroom is taken away, and then they will fast. He also says no one patches an old coat with new cloth since it would shrink and make a bigger hole, nor pours new wine in old wineskins that would burst. New wine in new wineskins keeps both in good condition.

My Thoughts:

Celebrate: Jesus says the disciples should celebrate while he is with them.

New Message: Jesus’ new message was not taken well by the establishment, so he focused on telling his new message (i.e. new wine) to new people (i.e. new wineskins), including Gentiles.

Religious Festivals (Leviticus 23)

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Bible Summary:

God gives Moses festival regulations. Normally you have six days to work and a seventh to rest and worship. He proclaims these festivals in addition to the Sabbath responsibilities:

  • Passover begins at sunset on the 14th day of the 1st month. For seven days only eat unleavened bread. On the 1st and 7th days worship and do not work, otherwise give an offering to God each day. The priest shall present the 1st harvest offering the day after the Sabbath as 1 burnt lamb, 4 pounds of flour mixed with oil, and 1 quart of wine.
  • Harvest festival begins 50 days after the 1st Sabbath. Each family presents another grain offering of 2 loaves of bread made from 4 pounds of flour with yeast. The community offers 7 lambs, 1 bull, and 2 goats as burnt offerings to God with the grain (bread) and wine. They present 1 goat for sin offering plus 2 lambs for the fellowship offering. During harvest, do not cut the edges and leave anything left for the poor and foreigners.
  • New Year Festival begins the 1st day of 7th month to observe a special day of rest and present a food offering.
  • Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) begins at sunset of the 9th day of the 7th month as the annual ritual to take away everyone’s sins and continues through sunset of the 10th day. Do not eat all day or God will put you to death. Gather to worship and present a food offering.
  • Festival of Shelters begins the 15th day of the 7th month for a week. Worship and do not work on the 1st day, take the best fruit to celebrate. The next 7 days, live in shelters and offer food. On the 8th day, worship, do not work, and offer food.

My Thoughts:

Celebrate: We learn one of the key things in life (and business), to take periodic breaks from the daily grind to celebrate and give thanks.

Good Laws to Live By (Exodus 23)

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Bible Summary:

God provides additional laws and guidelines to live by to Moses and the Israelites:

  • Do not spread false rumors or help a guilty man by giving false testimony.
  • Do not do wrong or injustice even if the majority of people do.
  • If you see your enemy’s animal run loose, take it back to him, do not just walk off.
  • Do not put an innocent person to death. God will condemn anyone who does such evil.
  • Do not accept bribes since they make people blind to what is right.
  • Do not mistreat foreigners.
  • Plant your land for six years and rest it on the seventh.
  • Celebrate three festivals each year: the Festival of Unleavened Bread to celebrate leaving Egypt, the Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Shelter when fruit is gathered.

God also tells Moses He will send an angel ahead of the Israelites to protect them, but they must obey him. He will drive their enemies out little by little until there are enough Israelites to take possession of the land.

My Thoughts:

Immoral Majority: I think God was talking to teenagers when he said not to follow the majority if they do wrong.  It is really hard, but stick up for yourself and others of the minority.

Help your enemies: God tells us to help our enemies so that one day they may become our friends.

Celebrate: Be sure to celebrate your and others successes, no matter how small.