Question 1

What are the three feasts God commands in this passage?

Accepted Answer

God names three yearly feasts. First is the feast of unleavened bread, linked to the Passover, when they remembered leaving Egypt in haste and ate bread without leaven for seven days. Second is the feast of harvest, also called the feast of weeks, when they brought the firstfruits of the wheat harvest. Third is the feast of ingathering, later called the feast of tabernacles, at the end of the year when all the crops and fruits were gathered in. These feasts tied worship to God’s rescue and His daily provision.

Question 2

Why does God say, “None shall appear before me empty”?

Accepted Answer

God tells the people not to appear before Him empty-handed when they come to these feasts. He had blessed them with rescue from Egypt and with crops from their fields, so they were to bring offerings that matched how He had blessed them. This showed thankfulness, respect, and dependence. It was not about a fixed amount, but about each person coming with something to give. In the same way, when we come to God, we should come with thankful hearts, ready to give Him honor, not just to receive.

Question 3

What is the feast of harvest and why is it important?

Accepted Answer

The feast of harvest happens after the early harvest, when the wheat is gathered. At this time, the people brought the firstfruits of their work in the fields to God. They did not wait until they had everything stored away, but brought the first and best to Him. This showed that the whole harvest belonged to God and that they trusted Him for the rest. It joined their daily work in the fields with worship, reminding them that every crop, every grain, came from His hand and not just from their effort.

Question 4

What does it mean not to offer the blood of God’s sacrifice with leavened bread?

Accepted Answer

This rule is tied especially to the Passover and feast of unleavened bread. At that time, all leaven was to be removed from their houses. When the lamb was killed and its blood shed, there was to be no leavened bread with it. The meal was to be eaten with unleavened bread, and nothing of the fat or meat was to be left until the morning. This strict pattern kept the memory of their quick escape from Egypt, and it also pictured a clean, set-apart worship, without mixture or carelessness.

Question 5

Why did God command, “Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk”?

Accepted Answer

This line has been read in more than one way, but in this context it most likely points to a pagan custom. Some nations around Israel are said to have boiled a young goat in its mother’s milk and then sprinkled the mixture on their fields, hoping for better harvests. God’s people were not to copy that. Their fruitfulness was to come from His blessing, not from magic or cruel and twisted rituals. So this rule protected both kindness toward animals and the purity of Israel’s worship and trust in God alone.

Question 6

What does this passage teach about bringing firstfruits to God?

Accepted Answer

God tells Israel to bring “the first of the firstfruits” of their land into His house. That means the earliest and best parts of the harvest were set aside for Him. By doing this at the start of harvest, they were saying, “Everything we have is from you, and we trust you for what comes next.” It was an act of thankfulness and trust. It also supported the priests who served in God’s house. This pattern shows that honoring God first, with what we receive, is part of true worship.

Question 7

Who had to appear before the Lord three times a year, and where?

Accepted Answer

All the males of Israel were required to go up three times a year for these feasts. Later, when Israel was in the land and the temple was built, this meant traveling to the place God chose for His name, in Jerusalem. The idea was that the whole people, represented by their men, would stand before God as His own, enjoy a shared meal in His presence, and renew their sense of being His special people. Those who were unable, like the very weak or seriously ill, were not expected to make the journey.

Question 8

What does this passage show about God’s character and worship?

Accepted Answer

These verses show that God cares about how His people worship. He ties worship to clear memories of what He has done, like bringing them out of Egypt, and to their everyday life, like sowing and gathering in the fields. He invites them to feast and rejoice before Him, not to be gloomy. At the same time, He draws lines to keep worship pure: no leaven at Passover, no leaving sacrifice fat until morning, no copying pagan magic. God is generous and kind, but also holy, and He wants both joy and reverence.

Question 9

How can the three yearly feasts speak to believers today?

Accepted Answer

These feasts were given to Israel, not to Christians as laws to keep, but they still speak to us. They show the rhythm of remembering God’s rescue, thanking Him for daily provision, and gathering with others to rejoice before Him. They remind us not to separate worship from work, harvest, and meals. They also warn us not to mix God’s worship with superstitious or worldly practices. While we may not travel three times a year to one place, we can still build habits of regular, thankful gathering and clear, honest worship.

Exodus 23:14

¶ Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.

The Three Feasts of Pilgrimage

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Exodus 23:14

¶ Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.

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The Three Feasts of Pilgrimage

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