The Celebration of the Sacred Festivals Resumed
William Jones. Ezra 3:1-13 And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities… I. THE COMMEMORATION IN DIVINE. WORSHIP OF NATIONAL EXPERIENCES AND BLESSINGS. 1. It was a memorial of the emancipation of Israel from Egypt, teaching us that we should cherish the memory of former mercies (Leviticus 23. 43). 2. It was a memorial of their life in the wilderness, reminding us that our present condition is that of strangers and pilgrims (Leviticus 23. 40-43; Hebrews 13:14). 3. It was a thanksgiving for rest and a settled abode in the promised land, suggesting the certainty and blessedness of the rest which remains for the people of God (Leviticus 23:40; Revelation 7:9). 4. It was a thanksgiving for the completed harvest, teaching us to receive the precious fruits of the earth as the kind gifts of a bountiful Providence (Exodus 23:16; Leviticus 23:39; Deuteronomy 16:13-15). II. THE CELEBRATION IN RELIGIOUS WORSHIP OF THE NATURAL DIVISIONS OF TIME. "And of the new moons." What was the design of this religious celebration of "the beginning of their months"? 1. To impress them with the value of time. 2. To assist them to form a correct estimate of their life upon earth. 3. To arouse them to make a wise use of the time which remained to them. III. THE PRESENTATION IN DIVINE WORSHIP OF PERSONAL VOLUNTARY OFFERINGS. (William Jones.) Parallel Verses KJV: And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. WEB: When the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.