Leviticus 23:1 44 Significance Of Celebrations

Target year level: Year Six

Scripture text

Introduction

Leviticus 23:1-44 is situated in the Book of Leviticus in a section dealing with Holy Living (Leviticus 17-26).

Leviticus is one of the first five books of the Old Testament, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy that are collectively known as the Pentateuch or Torah. The content of the Pentateuch includes stories, characters, sagas, laws, regulations, rituals and historical narratives all at the service of establishing the foundational identity of the People of Israel and the Covenant relationship between Israel and Yahweh their God. The texts of the Torah-Pentateuch are assembled from a variety of sources and historical periods and edited in their present form by a variety of authors. The name Leviticus means ‘relating to the Levites, the priestly tribe of Israel.

Go to the the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), Introduction to Leviticus for more information

World behind the text

The traditional view held that the Book of Leviticus was composed by Moses or that the material in Leviticus goes back to the time of Moses. However, based on internal evidence in the text, most scholars suggest that the Book of Leviticus has a long history of composition and reached its final stages of composition near the end of the Judean monarchy in the late seventh century BCE and into the period of the Babylonian Exile and its aftermath in the sixth century BCE.

The Book of Leviticus as we have it in the Bible is thought to have reached its present form during the Persian Period (538 – 332 BCE. Go to Composition for further background on the composition and authorship of the Book of Leviticus.

World of the text

As noted in the Introduction above, the text Leviticus 23:1-44 is situated in a section of Leviticus focused on Holy Living (Leviticus 17-26). A perusal of the content headings of this section indicates that ‘holy living’, for the authors of Leviticus, touches upon topics as diverse as dietary regulations, sexual morality, punishments for sin, regulation of priestly conduct, rubrics for worship, punishment for blasphemy, observance of the Sabbath, celebration Jubilee Years and blessings and curses. To a contemporary reader in a western secular society, a lot of this can seem overly prescriptive and more than a little grim. The festivals treated in Leviticus 23 touch on the human and in particular the human need to acknowledge the bounty of God, to celebrate the goodness of God, to take some time out from the daily round and to gather with fellow believers in worship and celebration. The following are proclaimed as appointed festivals and holy gatherings in Leviticus 23:1-44: The Sabbath, Passover and Unleavened Bread Festivals ; The Offering of First Fruits Festival; The Festival of Weeks ; The Festival of Trumpets ; The Day of Atonement and The Festival of Booths. Go to Michael Fallon 263-268 (pdf) for a more detailed commentary on Leviticus 23:1-44

World in front of the text

Festivals have an important role in the collective life of any community, religious or secular. The ceremonial, the associated rituals and festivities and the gathering of citizens on Anzac Day and Australia Day help Australians understand and express who they are as a people. These Aussie festivals express Australian identity, celebrate that identity and contribute to the ongoing building of the national identity. Such festivals help Australians recall their history as a People, together with the diverse events and groups who have contributed to that history.

As with the People of Israel these Aussie festivals remind Australians that they have much to be grateful for, a good deal to be proud of and a certain amount to regret in their collective history. So Australian festivals, as with the festivals of the People of Israel are times of relaxation and celebration certainly but also occasions to be reflective and to express sorrow for the wrongs of the past and the present.