Numbers 29:12-16: a reflection

12“‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work. You shall keep a feast to the LORD seven days. 13You shall offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD: thirteen young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect; 14and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three tenths for every bull of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each ram of the two rams, 15and one tenth for every lamb of the fourteen lambs; 16and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its drink offering.

In the calendar of Israel's feasts, God appoints a great festival, a holy convocation lasting seven days, when the people were to gather, do no ordinary work, and keep a feast to the LORD with abundant offerings. It was a time set apart from ordinary labor for celebration and rejoicing before God. God did not fill his people's calendar with only labor and duty; he appointed feasts, times of holy celebration, when ordinary work was set aside for gladness and worship before him.

Notice that God appointed times of holy celebration, setting aside ordinary work. He did not intend his people to know only labor; he built into their year appointed feasts, days of holy convocation, when regular work was laid aside and they gathered to celebrate and rejoice before him. These were not burdens but gifts, times of gladness and worship set apart from the ordinary round of work. God made room in his people's lives for celebration before him, appointing feasts when they were to rejoice and worship rather than labor.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can fill our lives with only labor and duty, leaving no room for holy celebration before God. We can let the ordinary round of work and busyness crowd out any time of celebration and rejoicing before God, as though life were only labor; but God appointed feasts for his people, times to set aside ordinary work and celebrate before him. Make room in your life for holy celebration and rejoicing before God, setting aside the ordinary round of work as God's people set aside their labor for the feasts. Do not let your life be only labor and duty, with no room for gladness and celebration before God; God appointed feasts of rejoicing for his people, and we too are to make room for celebration and worship, setting aside ordinary work to rejoice before God, as Israel kept the feast to the LORD for seven days with gladness.

Lord, in the calendar of Israel's feasts, you appoint a great festival, a holy convocation lasting seven days, when the people were to gather, do no ordinary work, and keep a feast to you with abundant offerings. It was a time set apart from ordinary labor for celebration and rejoicing before you. You did not fill your people's calendar with only labor and duty; you appointed feasts, times of holy celebration, when ordinary work was set aside for gladness and worship. Show me that you appointed times of holy celebration, setting aside ordinary work. You did not intend your people to know only labor; you built into their year appointed feasts, days of holy convocation, when they gathered to celebrate and rejoice before you. These were not burdens but gifts. You made room in your people's lives for celebration before you. Take that to my heart, for I can fill my life with only labor and duty, leaving no room for holy celebration before you. I can let the ordinary round of work and busyness crowd out any time of celebration and rejoicing before you; but you appointed feasts for your people. Help me make room in my life for holy celebration and rejoicing before you, Lord, setting aside the ordinary round of work as your people set aside their labor for the feasts. Keep my life from being only labor and duty, with no room for gladness and celebration before you.