Thinking Out Loud

For the past few weeks, I have been teaching about the Feasts of Israel as listed in Leviticus 23. Last Sunday morning at Journey Church, I started a two-part study of the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot. 

When I read Leviticus 23:33-44 in front of my church, I skipped verses 37-38 because many scholars consider these verses to be a type of parenthesis within the text. In fact, the New International Version and the New Living Translation put these verses in parenthesis, and I wasn’t even going to mention them.

However, one morning something prompted me to read them closely and consider why these verses interrupt the narrative about the Feast.  Verse 37 says the people presented “special gifts to the Lord—burnt offerings, grain offerings, sacrifices, and liquid offerings—each on its proper day.” Then Moses writes, “These festivals must be observed in addition to the LORD’S regular Sabbath days, and the offerings are in addition to your personal gifts, the offerings you give to fulfill your vows, and the voluntary offerings you present to the LORD” (Lev. 23:38).

As I considered why these verses seem to interrupt the narrative, I remembered God also instructed Israel to take a Sabbath year (Ex. 23:10-11), and my mind began to race! Israel, unique among all the nations of the world, had the blessed opportunity to trust God on such a grand scale they would astound other nations and show, without a doubt, the generosity of the LORD who cares for His people in miraculous ways—if they would only trust Him.

When you read about the festivals, you encounter so many different types of offerings you can’t keep track of them in your head. Then, as we just read, the gifts, sacrifices, and offerings that are unique to each Feast are in addition to the regular offerings and, if that isn’t enough offering, you can also include personal gifts and voluntary offerings. It was then I began to wonder, “With all these offerings given to the LORD, what’s left to eat?”

What we have trouble understanding is the sheer abundance of produce that can be grown and harvested in the Promised Land—a land the people didn’t possess when Moses wrote God’s instructions. However, God has repeated His instructions to “Trust Me” to every successive generation since Adam and Eve, reminding us to give and it will be given back, pressed down, shaken together and poured into our lap (Luke 6:38). While hearing about all the different gifts and sacrifices God required, the Israelites could have complained and said, “Wow, does God want a lot from us!” Or, they could have rejoiced and said, “Wow, do we ever have an abundance to give God, and we still have an abundance left over!”

 “Trust Me,” God was saying, and take off one day in seven, one year in seven, and a year following seven weeks of years. Don’t work. Don’t plant. Don’t store. Don’t do “normal.” Allow alternative thinking, experiences, hopes, anticipations, conversations, and observances to take place when you don’t work for a year and trust God to take care of you for three, without ever failing to provide for all the sacrifices and offerings God described. God wanted Israel to trust His story as He was writing it and while they watched it play out among the nations around them. What a wonderful opportunity that was, but they wouldn’t do it. And in so many ways, neither do we.

But we could.

Think about the ways God wants to provide for us, but in our fear, we don’t let Him. We work things out on our own and never see God provide for us in the seventh year because we don’t trust Him.   

A while back, I asked God why I keep doing the things I don’t want to do. Why do I keep entertaining my doubts, or keep having that same conversation in my head as I justify my actions towards someone who hasn’t even thought about me? Why do I stay angry with people who are completely unaware of my hurt or worse, are no longer alive? Why do I desire a relationship I cannot have or deny a relationship I should be giving? Why do I worry about money and retirement and if I’m still doing enough in the world to please God and still fool my neighbor into thinking I’m a nicer guy than really I am? Can I get a witness?

Why, God? Why do I keep doing the things I don’t want to do? And God’s answer? Because you believe your desires are more important than My provision.

Perhaps that is the reason for Israel’s failure to keep all the feasts, to observe a Sabbath year, to trust God as a nation when the doubts began to rise and the powerful nations around them seem to be succeeding where they are failing. Like Israel, I’m prone to take my eyes off the Lord God our Creator and focus them on my circumstances, my fears of not having enough, and my doubts that override my faith.

Then again, one of the beautiful things committed Christians all have in common is our ability to recognize our doubts about God and life, admit them, then turn to God and seek His help. Why would we seek God? Because He invited us to seek Him. Jesus said, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). However, I really like the way Eugene Peterson phrases it in The Message.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matt. 11:28-30).

Perhaps it is time for the true disciples of Christ to move on from saying, “Wow, does God want a lot from me,” and begin saying, “Wow, do I ever have an abundance to give to God, and I still have an abundance left over!”