Leviticus 23 and 25
These chapters are an outline of the different festivals through the year, I know that I tend to be a tad outspoken on my views on secular takes on religious festivals (like Christmas, Easter and Halloween (or all saints eve), but the idea of holidays is quite clearly in the Bible.
For starters, one day in 7 is a day off for all people (52 days a year). the Sabbath or 7th day is a day of holiday.
Passover and unleavened bread- this is a week long celebration of the events we have looked at in Exodus, there are 2 additional days off in this week.This is in March/April
First fruits is the ceremonial first sheaf of harvest and early summer (May/June), time off is not mandatory on this one as there is a lot of work to be done
Weeks (this is 7 weeks after first fruit) is the mid/end of harvest - we are probably around the end of July, we have a day of no work and a celebration of the end of harvest with an injunction not to go back and glean, harvest the edges, pick up anything dropped it is to be left as social security for the poor and destitute.
Festival of turmpets is in September and has a day of no working - these days it is celebrated as Jewish New Year, The name comes from an injunction to blow on horns around the land in celebration.
Day of atonement - this is another day of no work (or eating) this is in September or October (The Jewish calender is lunar based and does not always follow the Gregorian calendar that we use.
Festival of Shelters starts 5 days after the day of atonement and lasts for 8 days.
In this festival Jews remember the time living in the desert and live in temporary shelters and there are 2 additional days off in this festival.
Chapter 25 has a couple of more, non annual events - every 7th year is to be a year where no agriculture is carried out - no planting, tending or harvesting, the land is to be left fallow for the year, you can only eat what is stored or what grows wild this year.
In Medieval times in the UK they had a 4 year cycle in the fields and one year was always a year of rest for that field.
Every 50 years is a Jubilee, this time the land is to be returned to the family that owned it before the last Jubilee. This only applies to land, and houses in the country, houses in a walled city can be bought back for a year, then the sale is final.
There is a question from the open letter to Dr Laura here - in Leviticus it says that Israelites can own slaves but not from their own people - the question is asked (by an American) "Why can't I own Canadians?"
For me the whole issue of slavery needs to be looked at with the benefit of hindsight - slavery has been illegal in the UK for more than 200 years and the church has preached against slavery as long ago as 1435 (and probably before) - slavery was common in the ancient world, but slaves were not to be harmed or maimed and if they were they were to be given their liberty in compensation. and a slave was still regarded as a person and killing a slave was murder in the Bible.
Chapter 24 seems a bit misplaced here - Some of the duties of the priests are outlined, tending the lamps would be a 24 hour job and every day fresh bread is presented (and eaten by the priests)
The next bit is a man who used God's name in a curse during an argument, interestingly they do not do anything immediately but ask God.
God's judgement seems a bit harsh to me, the last human touch the guy has is the people who heard him blaspheme put their hands on his head, and he is then executed by stoning
We then get the famous "Lex Talionis" An eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, and life for life.
In any person is harmed by your deliberate action, the same happens to you.
These chapters are an outline of the different festivals through the year, I know that I tend to be a tad outspoken on my views on secular takes on religious festivals (like Christmas, Easter and Halloween (or all saints eve), but the idea of holidays is quite clearly in the Bible.
For starters, one day in 7 is a day off for all people (52 days a year). the Sabbath or 7th day is a day of holiday.
Passover and unleavened bread- this is a week long celebration of the events we have looked at in Exodus, there are 2 additional days off in this week.This is in March/April
First fruits is the ceremonial first sheaf of harvest and early summer (May/June), time off is not mandatory on this one as there is a lot of work to be done
Weeks (this is 7 weeks after first fruit) is the mid/end of harvest - we are probably around the end of July, we have a day of no work and a celebration of the end of harvest with an injunction not to go back and glean, harvest the edges, pick up anything dropped it is to be left as social security for the poor and destitute.
Festival of turmpets is in September and has a day of no working - these days it is celebrated as Jewish New Year, The name comes from an injunction to blow on horns around the land in celebration.
Day of atonement - this is another day of no work (or eating) this is in September or October (The Jewish calender is lunar based and does not always follow the Gregorian calendar that we use.
Festival of Shelters starts 5 days after the day of atonement and lasts for 8 days.
In this festival Jews remember the time living in the desert and live in temporary shelters and there are 2 additional days off in this festival.
Chapter 25 has a couple of more, non annual events - every 7th year is to be a year where no agriculture is carried out - no planting, tending or harvesting, the land is to be left fallow for the year, you can only eat what is stored or what grows wild this year.
In Medieval times in the UK they had a 4 year cycle in the fields and one year was always a year of rest for that field.
Every 50 years is a Jubilee, this time the land is to be returned to the family that owned it before the last Jubilee. This only applies to land, and houses in the country, houses in a walled city can be bought back for a year, then the sale is final.
There is a question from the open letter to Dr Laura here - in Leviticus it says that Israelites can own slaves but not from their own people - the question is asked (by an American) "Why can't I own Canadians?"
For me the whole issue of slavery needs to be looked at with the benefit of hindsight - slavery has been illegal in the UK for more than 200 years and the church has preached against slavery as long ago as 1435 (and probably before) - slavery was common in the ancient world, but slaves were not to be harmed or maimed and if they were they were to be given their liberty in compensation. and a slave was still regarded as a person and killing a slave was murder in the Bible.
Chapter 24 seems a bit misplaced here - Some of the duties of the priests are outlined, tending the lamps would be a 24 hour job and every day fresh bread is presented (and eaten by the priests)
The next bit is a man who used God's name in a curse during an argument, interestingly they do not do anything immediately but ask God.
God's judgement seems a bit harsh to me, the last human touch the guy has is the people who heard him blaspheme put their hands on his head, and he is then executed by stoning
We then get the famous "Lex Talionis" An eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, and life for life.
In any person is harmed by your deliberate action, the same happens to you.
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