Parents, Consider Celebrating The Biblical Festivals
Darren Huckey, Emet HaTorah
If your family is anything like ours, we are always looking for opportunities to connect our children to biblical values. When we learned that the biblical festivals weren’t just for the Jewish people it changed our world. Here are five reasons you should consider celebrating the biblical festivals with your family.
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They Are Biblical
Whereas many of the holidays we celebrate today have no direct biblical connection, the biblical festivals were given directly by God and are found right on the pages of our Bibles. We don’t have to question their origins or agendas. They are a gift from God, given to draw us closer to Him and teach us more about Him, which I will explain below.
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They Are Fun
Let’s be honest. Most of the biblical festivals (outside of the Day of Atonement) are just plain fun for the whole family. Who doesn’t like having a wonderful meal, singing fun songs, and playing a little game to try and win a prize? If you’re not familiar, this is what happens at Passover. This is just one example. Each of the festivals has its own traditions and particular ways of engaging our families. Each one is highlight in its own unique way.
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They Are Educational
If your children learn better from a field trip than from a book, then the biblical festivals are your best friend. Each of the biblical festivals teaches us powerful biblical truths, but those truths are often hidden until they are experienced. It’s only when we go from being observers to becoming active participants that these truths come alive. One huge lesson we have learned by participating in the festivals over the last two decades is that God reveals a certain aspect of His character in each of the festivals. This is a powerful lesson for our children. But this isn’t the only lesson we have learned. It’s only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many more hidden gems waiting to be uncovered.
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They Help Us Imitate Jesus
Luke 2:41–42 says, “Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.” Jesus grew up celebrating the festivals and he continued when he was an adult. His parents taught him a love for the festivals when they traveled to Jerusalem for each of the three pilgrimage festivals: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. We constantly read about him making the three-day journey to Jerusalem to be in the Temple, a sign that he was there for a pilgrimage festival. When we celebrate the biblical festivals we imitate our Messiah.
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They Promote Spiritual Growth
The biblical festivals are designed to help us draw closer to the God we serve. As I mentioned earlier, each of the biblical festivals are designed to teach us more about the God we serve. This deep revelation helps us to appreciate Him and His ways. Each of the festivals point back to what God has already done for His people, as well as points forward to what He will one day do again. Since there are several festivals throughout the entire year, they are a constant reminder that God is faithful and loves His children. They not only teach us more about Him and His ways but draw us closer to Him and His love.
Where Can I Learn More?
All of the essential festivals can be found in Leviticus 23. And although there are instructions there for how to observe most of them, some of them (like Tabernacles and the Day of Atonement) have little to no instructions. For instance, the only instructions for the Festival of Trumpet is that it is, “a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation” (Leviticus 23:24). But we are left with questions such as: What are we supposed to be remembering? What type of trumpet do we blow? What sounds are we supposed to be making when we blow it? And the instructions for the Day of Atonement say, “you shall afflict yourselves” (Leviticus 23:27). What does this mean and how is it done?
This where we have to turn to Jewish tradition to learn how these have historically been understood. Rather than reinventing the wheel and ending up somewhere in left field, learning from Jewish tradition provides us an easy and proven way to engage in these things. There are many online resources you can find to help guide you in your journey, but one trustworthy source is my good friends at First Fruits of Zion (ffoz.org). They have a wealth of resources available online and various other resources available to help you learn more about the biblical festivals.
I pray that as you begin your journey, you will encounter the LORD in new and exciting ways together as a family, and that you are all drawn closer to Him in the process.
