This month as we look at biblical festivities, we see that celebration is a theme that runs throughout the Bible: everything from King David dancing before the Ark of the Covenant to the angels rejoicing at the birth of Jesus Christ. Scripture teaches that God is a God of joy and that His people should be marked by a spirit of celebration….
Biblical Celebrations:
Throughout scripture, we see different types of celebrations…some as remembrances, some as responses and some as unconditional acts. Here’s a look at why all are important.
The concept of celebrations as remembrances began with the Passover in Exodus 12. Passover was meant to be a perpetual reminder of what God did in Egypt, and celebrating it would create a rhythm of reflecting on what God had done in the past and a rhythm of sharing that testimony of faithfulness to future generations.
In Leviticus, God laid out even more festivals and celebrations for the Israelites — all with the theme of remembering what He had done in the past and rejoicing in who He is in the present. God knew His people would need constant reminding of this.
We also see in Scripture that celebration can be very spontaneous and reactive to a situation or circumstance. 2 Samuel 6:14 teaches us, When the Ark of the Covenant was being returned to Israel, King David “danced before the Lord with all his might …” David also celebrated through authoring many psalms, rejoicing in God’s faithfulness and goodness — both personally and for the Israelites collectively.
Celebrating God should also not be a give and take practice with God, but it should be done unconditionally. In Acts 16:25-34, When Paul and Silas praised God in prison, they had no clue what was about to happen in their life, but God set them free miraculously.
To God be the Glory! God is clear in scripture that He wants His people to stop and remember what He has done — but not only to remember, but to rejoice and celebrate unconditionally!
Sister Cathy Black
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