Daily Devotion | Leviticus 23:15–25 | 2026 March 17

Title: Daily Devotion | Leviticus 23:15–25 | 2026 March 17

Scripture: Leviticus 23:15–25 (ESV, reference only)

Date: 2026 March 17

Speaker: Rev. John Chen

Transcribed, translated & edited by: Joseph Wang (Yufan)

Alright, dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you. We thank God for His grace, that we come to a new day to study the daily devotion. Today the passage we are studying is Leviticus chapter 23, verses 15 to 25. Let us pray. Lord, we thank You, we thank You that You allow us to understand these feasts, and within these feasts, our spiritual life may also come closer to You. Lord, may You be with us, enlighten us, and bless us. In these feasts, let us more deeply experience Your real presence. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Alright, let us look at Leviticus chapter 23.

Today we are going to speak about two feasts: the Feast of Weeks, that is Pentecost, and also the New Year. Yesterday, when we were talking about the holy feasts, we spoke about the meaning of the feasts, their spiritual significance, and also their application for today. Today, we want to connect the dates of these feasts with our solar calendar, and we want to see how they correspond.

We see that when God created all things, there is time, right? There are the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter. And within these four seasons, within this natural law, we consider how the operation of spring, summer, autumn, and winter—within this natural order—how we can see God’s abundant provision for us.

Because very clearly, according to our orthodox Reformed theology, when we look at everything in creation, we still regard it as God’s blessing to us. It is not that Christians should reject material blessings. It is not that Christians should avoid touching anything material, as if to become super spiritual. That is not the orthodox Reformed view. On the contrary, we believe that the natural world itself is also a manifestation of God’s glory.

Although because of man’s fall, the natural world has suffered some corruption and damage, yet we can still see God’s glory within creation. And we also gladly receive the blessings that God gives to His people through this created order. This is the orthodox Reformed understanding.

Alright, let us look at the timing of the feasts. Yesterday we talked about the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover. So what is the approximate timing? Generally speaking, the Jewish feasts are about two to three months later than our solar calendar. It is not exact, but roughly like this. Each month is slightly later. For example, what they call the first month is actually later than our lunar calendar, just roughly speaking it is like this—slightly delayed.

So for example, when they say the first month, it is roughly around February or March for us. Then Pentecost is counted by fifty days—fifty days, that is less than two months, a little over one and a half months, so roughly around May. And then the New Year, for example the first day of the seventh month, that would correspond roughly to October in our solar calendar.

So if you align these times, then you can roughly say that Passover is in the spring, around that time. Then Pentecost is during the spring harvest, the harvest in springtime. And when it comes to the New Year, that is during autumn, the time of autumn harvest. One is spring harvest, the other is autumn harvest.

I have not personally been a farmer, so if what I say is not very precise, you can check it yourselves, but roughly the pattern of these feasts is like this.

Now, whether it is spring harvest or autumn harvest, these are all seasons of abundance. They are all seasons of thanksgiving to God. So these feasts become very good occasions for expressing gratitude to God. From the perspective of natural law, spring harvest and autumn harvest show God’s blessing upon His people.

In these feasts, God’s people both celebrate the feast and also enjoy God’s provision and supply. That is the process.

Now regarding the Feast of Firstfruits, which we mentioned yesterday—when exactly is it? The Bible does not explicitly state the exact timing of the Feast of Firstfruits. But based on the context, we can infer that it is very close to the Passover. The actual time should be very near, because it is counted from the day after the Sabbath, and then counting toward Pentecost—seven Sabbaths, as verse 15 says, starting from the day the sheaf is waved.

So the Feast of Firstfruits is likely during Passover, or during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on one of those days. Then Pentecost comes afterward. During the spring harvest, you offer these sacrifices, bringing these offerings, and giving thanks to God for His provision.

So here there are repeated regulations concerning sacrifices: offerings of one-year-old male lambs without blemish, a bull, rams, and also sin offerings—one male goat—and peace offerings—two rams. So these sacrificial regulations, we have already explained before: burnt offering, sin offering, peace offering, in that order. The meaning of this order we have already discussed earlier, so we will not repeat it here.

Also, during Pentecost there is to be a holy convocation; no laborious work is to be done. That is, during this feast, the Israelites are to properly observe the feast.

Then regarding the New Year in the seventh month—this is about the span from May to October in our calendar. Pentecost is around May, and the New Year is around October, so there are about five months in between. Then comes the New Year, which is during the autumn harvest. So this is also a very significant and grand feast.

Now that we have finished explaining the passage, I think we need to apply it to us as Christians. How should we understand these feasts? In fact, the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus on earth are closely connected with these feasts. I want to remind everyone of this. Otherwise, when you read about these feasts, you may feel that they have nothing to do with you.

But clearly, according to the New Testament, the Lord Jesus was crucified on the day of Passover. So you can apply all the regulations of Passover to the Lord Jesus Christ. For example, examining the lamb, and then on that day the lamb is slain and offered. And very clearly, the death of the Lord Jesus corresponds with Passover, to show Israel that He Himself is the Passover Lamb—the true Lamb—who is slain and whose blood is shed to redeem His people and lead them out of Egypt.

That is roughly the process. Then on the third day, the Lord Jesus rose from the dead. According to the feast calendar, this would be during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, likely around the middle of that period. Now whether this connects with the “time, times, and half a time” in Revelation—we cannot say for sure. We should not overly spiritualize the interpretation. But it is certain that the Lord Jesus rose during the middle of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Then Pentecost is something we are very familiar with, because on Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended. This is very clearly recorded in the New Testament. If you place it within the Old Testament feast framework, it connects like this: after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples for forty days—remember those forty days—from His resurrection until His ascension.

If you calculate, from the resurrection (after three days from Passover), then forty days, that brings you to about forty-three days, and then shortly after comes Pentecost. Jesus told them to wait. How long did they wait? About a week. They were praying and waiting for about a week, and then on Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended.

So the timing roughly aligns. Jesus rose and appeared to His disciples for forty days, then ascended from the Mount of Olives, and told them to wait in Jerusalem. They waited for about a week, and then on Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down. Then they spoke in tongues, Peter preached, and the New Testament church was established.

So we can roughly align this timeline. That is to say, in the spring, the church is established. Corresponding to the feasts, you can understand that Jesus Christ presents Himself as the firstfruits—this is Paul’s perspective—that after the firstfruits are offered to God, Christ rises from the dead. Then the continuation of the firstfruits is expressed in Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit descends, and the church is established.

And then the next thing is that when the new heavens come, when Jesus Christ returns the second time, then the whole of human history will come to an end, and God’s people will be taken up. So these feasts can be connected to the whole history of redemption. Originally, God uses these feasts as a way to foreshadow His redemption.

So we can imagine that after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, during those forty days when He was with His disciples, communicating with them and teaching them about the kingdom of God, and then telling them to go preach the gospel and wait in Jerusalem—this connects directly to Pentecost. So Pentecost becomes the day when the Holy Spirit descends, and in that day it signifies the harvest of God’s people.

On that day, I believe that Jesus Christ becomes the most perfect burnt offering, sin offering, and peace offering, so that God’s people may receive a complete harvest in Him. So this picture of harvest—Pentecost is a spring harvest—this picture of abundance represents the gathering in of God’s people.

So here we thank the Lord. For us Christians, Pentecost is the beginning of the New Covenant, the beginning of the New Testament church. On that day, God harvested His first group of people, and this group of people also became the prototype for the church throughout all generations, continuously proclaiming the gospel.

Now we have explained the relationship between Pentecost and Passover. Then we come to the New Year. At the New Year, when God returns the second time, He will judge the world. Now let us go back to the leaven mentioned in verse 17.

Verse 17 says that from your dwelling places you shall bring two loaves of bread to be waved, made of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven. Now why is there leaven here? Previously, when we talked about sacrifices, we especially mentioned this issue. Some offerings must be without leaven, but I also reminded everyone that not all offerings are without leaven.

On the contrary, here it is specifically emphasized that in the wave offering of Pentecost, leaven must be added. Why must leaven be added? Now when we place it in the context of today’s passage, it becomes very clear.

Because leaven itself does not simply represent sin. When we speak of removing leaven, it means removing the evil leaven that comes from the world, from evil spirits, and from our inner sinful nature. That is what we must remove.

Then why must the offering at Pentecost include leaven? Because the development of the church is like dough that is leavened. The gospel of God is like leaven—it spreads and expands, extending His kingdom throughout the whole world. So this is why in verse 17, leaven is added into the fine flour. It signifies that the kingdom of God is to expand.

If you place this within the background of Pentecost, within the context of the Holy Spirit descending in the New Testament church, then you can especially understand why. Because on Pentecost, we long for the kingdom of God to spread like leaven, rapidly extending to the ends of the earth. This is about the expansion of God’s kingdom and the spread of the gospel.

This is the relationship between Passover, Pentecost, and the New Year in terms of our spiritual understanding of the feasts. Because of this agricultural background, we again see the picture that God presents before us—the picture of harvest. Then we understand more clearly what God’s purpose is. What does God want us to do? God wants us to harvest the crops.

You see that the fields are already white for harvest. So we ask God to send out laborers into His harvest. This imagery is also the imagery of Pentecost, the imagery of abundance. So we ask God to have mercy on us in this generation, that we may faithfully preach the gospel, build God’s church, build God’s house, and gather in the harvest.

Then verse 22 says: when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner. I am the Lord your God.

Now this verse seems a little abrupt, right? The passage is talking about the regulations of Pentecost, all about feast regulations, and suddenly comes what seems like a moral law in verse 22. But actually, based on the context we have just explained, it is very easy to understand. It is not inserted randomly.

Because during the spring harvest, the same principle must be practiced. When you harvest, you must not reap to the very edges of your field, and you must not gather everything that is left. We have explained this before. This is a very merciful command.

As humans, when we harvest, we naturally want to take everything—after all, it is our land, so we harvest everything. But we are not allowed to do that. If we do, we violate God’s command.

Why must we leave some behind? For the poor and for the sojourner. This expresses that all our harvest and all our crops come entirely from God’s mercy and grace. God gives to us, and so we follow His law in how we harvest, leaving some for the poor.

Because God also provides for the poor and the sojourner through this means. The poor and the sojourner either have no land, or they have sold their land. So they can eat from what remains in the fields. This shows God’s mercy.

So verse 22, after speaking about Pentecost, especially reminds us that during harvest—whether spring harvest or autumn harvest—the same applies: do not reap to the edges of your field.

We have applied this many times in our lives, especially in connection with the eighth commandment. For example, when you buy something and bargain over the price, do not “reap to the edges,” do not squeeze others to the extreme.

We have mentioned this many times, and I will say it again here because it is very important. Usually, when we buy something cheaply, we feel happy. We think bargaining well is a kind of ability. We press the other person to the lowest possible price and feel that is good.

But now that you have learned God’s law, you must not do this. You must give grace to others. As I have said, if you are buying something large, you may allow a bit more—you can even give 5% more. If it is something small, also try to let the other person earn something.

This is God’s principle: do not reap to the edges, do not squeeze others’ profit to the extreme. This is God’s will. So Christians may seem to take a loss, may seem foolish, may seem not good at bargaining.

But actually it is not so. We have our theology to support us. We seek to show grace to others. It shows that what we have is given by God, and God can also bless others through us, so that those who interact with us may see God’s grace in us.

Next is the New Year. Israel had two kinds of New Year. One is in the first month, related to Passover, which is around March in our calendar. This is more like a religious New Year.

Then there is the one mentioned here in verse 23, the first day of the seventh month. This can be considered a civil New Year. So the Israelites have two New Years.

As I said, their calendar is about two to three months later than ours. So they celebrate two kinds of New Year: one centered on Passover, the religious calendar, and one centered on autumn harvest, around October, which is the civil calendar.

Even today, some people still observe these dates. You can look it up online; every year they have the Day of Atonement and other feasts. This autumn New Year represents God’s blessing for the year, and it is more of a joyful and celebratory occasion.

Finally, let me especially remind you: although we have explained the spiritual meanings of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and the New Year, should Christians today still observe these feasts? The answer is no—we do not need to observe them.

Some groups, especially certain charismatic groups, like to celebrate these feasts—Pentecost, New Year, and especially the Feast of Booths. They gather and build booths, and it looks very lively. I will talk more about this tomorrow.

But this kind of thinking still seeks to experience God through visible, external forms. However, we know that in the New Testament, the Lord Jesus has already fulfilled all the feasts. We should no longer observe them.

If we continue to observe these feasts, it implies that we are still living in the Old Testament shadow of these typological times. But these realities are now written in our hearts. We know clearly that Christ has come as the firstfruits, that Pentecost marks the coming of the Holy Spirit and the building of the church, and that the New Year and the later feasts point to Christ’s second coming.

So now, what we are to do is to preach the gospel. That is sufficient for us to know. These feasts themselves are not something we need to observe. This is something we must especially remember.

I know that some people pay special attention to these things, even longing for the temple to be rebuilt. These are expressions of immature theology. They do not fully understand that all these feasts—Passover, Pentecost, the seventh-month feasts—are all pointing to Christ. They all belong to the substance of our faith.

We are not to find peace in these old forms of observance. I also know that some people travel to Jerusalem to celebrate these feasts, thinking there is special meaning in doing so, and even go to the Jordan River to be baptized. But for us today, there is no need to do this.

Because everything has already been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. However, it is still meaningful for us to read and record these things, because they help us better understand the Old Testament and more faithfully follow God’s statutes and ordinances in Christ.

Alright, today’s sharing ends here. Thank you, everyone.