Remember and Rejoice in Faith
It’s easy to think of Sunday worship as an obligation—just another item on the weekend to-do list. Maybe it’s tradition. Maybe it’s habit. Maybe it’s the thing you feel you “ought” to do, whether or not your heart is fully in it.
But what if gathering for worship isn’t just a duty to fulfill, but an invitation from God himself? What if worship was less about what we “have to do” and more about what we’ve been graciously invited into?
That’s the question at the heart of this week’s sermon from Deuteronomy 15:19–16:17. In it, we walk through key celebrations in Israel’s calendar—the consecration of the firstborn, the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Weeks and Feast of Booths—and see how each points to a powerful truth:
God desires His people to gather before Him for worship—to remember, rejoice, and trust in what He has done, is doing, and will do.
In other words, true worship is lived out in three tenses: past, present, and future. It’s a rhythm that’s as necessary today as it was in ancient Israel.
The first instruction in Deuteronomy 15:19–23 is about consecrating the firstborn male of the flock. It’s not just about giving God the first portion—it’s about remembering what He did in Egypt, when He spared Israel’s firstborn during the tenth plague and delivered them from slavery.
God commands His people to bring the firstborn to Him, not to burden them, but to help them rehearse redemption. Every time a family brought an animal to be sacrificed, they were tangibly reminded: We live because God saved us.
And isn’t that still our need today? In a world full of distractions, fear, and amnesia, we forget the most foundational truths of our faith. That’s why worship starts with remembering: who God is, what He’s done, and how far He’s brought us.
2. Worship Calls Us to Rejoice in What God Is Doing
From there, Moses turns to the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread (Deut. 16:1–8), the Feast of Weeks (16:9–12), and the Feast of Booths (16:13–15). Each of these were communal, embodied, joyful festivals—celebrations full of food, fellowship, and feasting in the presence of God.
Yes, there were solemn elements. Yes, there were rituals and requirements. But above all, these feasts were meant to be moments of joy. Over and over again, Moses repeats the command to “rejoice before the Lord” (16:11, 14, 15). Why? Because rejoicing roots us in the present goodness of God.
Too often, we gather weighed down with burdens and blind to blessings. Worship lifts our heads to see that God is at work—even now, even in the mess, even in the middle of uncertainty.
3. Worship Trains Us to Trust in What God Will Do
Every act of obedience in these festivals required faith. Giving the firstborn required faith that God would provide more. Leaving your home three times a year to worship required faith that God would protect your land and livestock while you were gone. Giving generously at the Feast of Weeks meant trusting God would continue to bless.
Worship that looks backward and rejoices in the present naturally leads forward—to faith in God’s future promises. Israel was being taught that God’s past faithfulness and present goodness are the foundation for their future hope.
And for us today? That means trusting not only in what Christ has done on the cross, and not only rejoicing in His presence through the Spirit now, but also living in hope of His return. Worship isn’t escapism—it’s practice in perseverance.
A Word for Today: More Than a Gathering
These are not required of Gods people any longer, because Jesus has come and brought each to their rightful end.
Because of Him, we no longer keep these festivals in their Old Testament form. But we do continue their spirit: in the Lord’s Supper, in gathered worship, and in every act of remembering, rejoicing, and trusting in our Redeemer.
So what would change if we saw Sunday worship this way—not as a burden to bear, but as a gift to enjoy? What if we trained our hearts to see worship as a rhythm of remembering, rejoicing, and trusting together?
But what if gathering for worship isn’t just a duty to fulfill, but an invitation from God himself? What if worship was less about what we “have to do” and more about what we’ve been graciously invited into?
That’s the question at the heart of this week’s sermon from Deuteronomy 15:19–16:17. In it, we walk through key celebrations in Israel’s calendar—the consecration of the firstborn, the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Weeks and Feast of Booths—and see how each points to a powerful truth:
God desires His people to gather before Him for worship—to remember, rejoice, and trust in what He has done, is doing, and will do.
In other words, true worship is lived out in three tenses: past, present, and future. It’s a rhythm that’s as necessary today as it was in ancient Israel.
- Worship Helps Us Remember What God Has Done
The first instruction in Deuteronomy 15:19–23 is about consecrating the firstborn male of the flock. It’s not just about giving God the first portion—it’s about remembering what He did in Egypt, when He spared Israel’s firstborn during the tenth plague and delivered them from slavery.
God commands His people to bring the firstborn to Him, not to burden them, but to help them rehearse redemption. Every time a family brought an animal to be sacrificed, they were tangibly reminded: We live because God saved us.
And isn’t that still our need today? In a world full of distractions, fear, and amnesia, we forget the most foundational truths of our faith. That’s why worship starts with remembering: who God is, what He’s done, and how far He’s brought us.
2. Worship Calls Us to Rejoice in What God Is Doing
From there, Moses turns to the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread (Deut. 16:1–8), the Feast of Weeks (16:9–12), and the Feast of Booths (16:13–15). Each of these were communal, embodied, joyful festivals—celebrations full of food, fellowship, and feasting in the presence of God.
Yes, there were solemn elements. Yes, there were rituals and requirements. But above all, these feasts were meant to be moments of joy. Over and over again, Moses repeats the command to “rejoice before the Lord” (16:11, 14, 15). Why? Because rejoicing roots us in the present goodness of God.
Too often, we gather weighed down with burdens and blind to blessings. Worship lifts our heads to see that God is at work—even now, even in the mess, even in the middle of uncertainty.
3. Worship Trains Us to Trust in What God Will Do
Every act of obedience in these festivals required faith. Giving the firstborn required faith that God would provide more. Leaving your home three times a year to worship required faith that God would protect your land and livestock while you were gone. Giving generously at the Feast of Weeks meant trusting God would continue to bless.
Worship that looks backward and rejoices in the present naturally leads forward—to faith in God’s future promises. Israel was being taught that God’s past faithfulness and present goodness are the foundation for their future hope.
And for us today? That means trusting not only in what Christ has done on the cross, and not only rejoicing in His presence through the Spirit now, but also living in hope of His return. Worship isn’t escapism—it’s practice in perseverance.
A Word for Today: More Than a Gathering
These are not required of Gods people any longer, because Jesus has come and brought each to their rightful end.
- Jesus is the firstborn Son, consecrated and given for us.
- Jesus is our Passover Lamb, whose blood delivers us from judgment.
- Jesus is the reason we are no longer slaves, but sons and daughters.
- Jesus is the presence of God dwelling with us in the wilderness.
- And Jesus is the guarantee that one day, we’ll reach the land He’s prepared for us.
Because of Him, we no longer keep these festivals in their Old Testament form. But we do continue their spirit: in the Lord’s Supper, in gathered worship, and in every act of remembering, rejoicing, and trusting in our Redeemer.
So what would change if we saw Sunday worship this way—not as a burden to bear, but as a gift to enjoy? What if we trained our hearts to see worship as a rhythm of remembering, rejoicing, and trusting together?
Posted in Sermon Recaps
Posted in Deuteronomy, Worship, Old Testament, Old Testament Feasts, Tithing
Posted in Deuteronomy, Worship, Old Testament, Old Testament Feasts, Tithing
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