Overview
Deuteronomy 16 discusses the observance of three major Israelite festivals: Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. These festivals are central to Israelite religious and communal life, celebrating God's providence and faithfulness. Key elements include:
Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread: The chapter begins with instructions for observing Passover in the month of Abib, commemorating the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. This is to be followed by the seven-day Festival of Unleavened Bread, during which no yeast is to be found in their possession, and they must eat unleavened bread.
Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost): Next, Moses instructs the observance of the Feast of Weeks, which occurs seven weeks after Passover. This festival, also known as Shavuot or Pentecost, involves presenting a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings received from the LORD. It is a time to rejoice before God with family, servants, Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.
Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot): The Feast of Tabernacles, also called Sukkot, is to be celebrated for seven days after the harvest in the fall. This joyous festival involves living in temporary shelters (booths or tabernacles) and commemorates the Israelites' time in the wilderness and God's provision.
Administration of Justice: In addition to the festival instructions, Moses emphasizes the importance of appointing judges and officials for each tribe in every town. These judges are to render just decisions and must not pervert justice or show partiality.
Prohibition of Idolatrous Worship: The chapter concludes with a warning against setting up Asherah poles or sacred stones for worship, which are considered idolatrous practices.
Deuteronomy 16 highlights the importance of these communal festivals in remembering God’s past acts of salvation, celebrating His ongoing provision, and promoting community solidarity and joy. The emphasis on just and fair administration of the law during these times also reflects the intertwining of religious observance with social and communal ethics. This chapter underscores the Israelites' identity as a people chosen by God, called to remember their history and live according to His laws.
Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread: The chapter begins with instructions for observing Passover in the month of Abib, commemorating the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. This is to be followed by the seven-day Festival of Unleavened Bread, during which no yeast is to be found in their possession, and they must eat unleavened bread.
Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost): Next, Moses instructs the observance of the Feast of Weeks, which occurs seven weeks after Passover. This festival, also known as Shavuot or Pentecost, involves presenting a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings received from the LORD. It is a time to rejoice before God with family, servants, Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.
Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot): The Feast of Tabernacles, also called Sukkot, is to be celebrated for seven days after the harvest in the fall. This joyous festival involves living in temporary shelters (booths or tabernacles) and commemorates the Israelites' time in the wilderness and God's provision.
Administration of Justice: In addition to the festival instructions, Moses emphasizes the importance of appointing judges and officials for each tribe in every town. These judges are to render just decisions and must not pervert justice or show partiality.
Prohibition of Idolatrous Worship: The chapter concludes with a warning against setting up Asherah poles or sacred stones for worship, which are considered idolatrous practices.
Deuteronomy 16 highlights the importance of these communal festivals in remembering God’s past acts of salvation, celebrating His ongoing provision, and promoting community solidarity and joy. The emphasis on just and fair administration of the law during these times also reflects the intertwining of religious observance with social and communal ethics. This chapter underscores the Israelites' identity as a people chosen by God, called to remember their history and live according to His laws.
Deuteronomy 16
1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.
2 Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there.
3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning.
5 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee:
6 But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.
7 And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.
8 Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.
9 Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.
10 And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
11 And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there.
12 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.
13 Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:
14 And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.
15 Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.
16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
🔑 Devotion
17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.
🔑 Confess Your Faith
18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
20 That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
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21 Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
22 Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.
End of Deuteronomy 16
1 Year Plan: Mar 21 - Deut 16, Deut 17, Luk 13
2 Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there.
3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning.
5 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee:
6 But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.
7 And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.
8 Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.
9 Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.
10 And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
11 And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there.
12 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.
13 Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:
14 And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.
15 Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.
16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
🔑 Devotion
17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.
🔑 Confess Your Faith
18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
20 That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
🔑 See & Share Jesus
21 Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
22 Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.
End of Deuteronomy 16
1 Year Plan: Mar 21 - Deut 16, Deut 17, Luk 13
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