Holy Days

THE GENTILE BELIEVER AND THE HOLY DAYS OF ISRAEL

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2004

What is the gentile believer's relationship to the holy days of Israel? That is, what should he observe today? The answer lies with identifying which of God's commands apply in the absence of the temple and in view of the varying relationships gentiles have to God's people.

I. The enduring (permanent) responsibilities of God's people

Several phrases in Torah indicate the abiding relevance of divine ordinances in the divine economy.

A. Phrases that mark permanent responsibilities

1. An "eternal covenant" is a contract with no termination in view.¹
2. An "eternal ordinance" is legislation that also
3. bears no expiration date.²
4. The phrase "throughout your/their generations" indicates continuation as long as the nation exists.³

To stress the ongoing importance of certain commands, two or three phrases will appear in combination,⁴ although most of those instructions pertain to the sanctuary and are not possible to observe apart from it. The phrase "before the Lord" (146x after construction of the tabernacle) also marks activity in the sanctuary and applies to most holiday observances.⁵ In contrast, the phrase "in all your dwellings" (9x) marks a practice that obtains beyond the sanctuary into the local community and may, thus, designate what is pertinent today (in the absence of a temple),⁶ especially when this phrase⁷ appears with those marking permanent responsibilities.

B. Holidays that are permanent responsibilities

Some of the festivals have explicit application (underlined), and all of them have limited application because of their dependence on the sanctuary or their restriction to the land.⁸ In certain cases, the sanctuary plays a central role.

1. Festival of Weeks

Lev 23:21 'On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.

2. Day of Atonement

Lev 23:31 "You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 32 "It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath."

For other festivals with this designation, the sanctuary plays a lessor role, making the setting broader.⁹

3. Festival of Unleavened Bread

Exod 12:14 'Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it [as] a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it [as] a permanent ordinance.... 17 'You shall also observe the [Feast of] Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance.... 20 'You shall not eat anything leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread...."' 42 It is a night to he observed for the LORD for having brought them out from the land of Egypt; this night is for the LORD, to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations.

4. Sabbath

Exod 35:2 "For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy [day], a sabbath of complete rest to the LORD; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 "You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the sabbath day."

Lev 23:3 'For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings.

Observing most holy days today (Weeks, Trumpets, Tabernacles¹⁰) entails refraining from "laborious labor" and, if possible, gathering for a "holy convocation." Other holy days have more specific applications. The Festival of Unleavened Bread adds abstaining from leaven and the "memorial" of Passover. The Sabbath requires "complete rest" as well as a "holy convocation." The Day of Atonement requires "complete rest" and the fast (see the explanation of abstaining from food in n. 8).

II. The varying (possible) relationships to God's people

A. Hebrew phrases that mark varying relationships

While these commands certainly apply to God's people, Israel, to what extent do they also apply to others? In the Old Testament, especially in Torah, three Hebrew terms describe gentiles who have differing relationships to the native Israelite and who have differing responsibilities to abide by the same rules.

1. The permanent resident ("alien/stranger") is a gentile'¹¹ who lives in the land of Israel¹² and whose obedience to torah is obligatory.

Consequently, he participates in many aspects of Israelite society. The biblical record says much about his inclusion in holy day observances.¹³

a. Passover¹⁴

Exod 12:19 Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether [he is] an alien or a native of the land.... 48 But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it. 49 The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you.

Num 9:14 'If an alien sojourns among you and observes the Passover to the LORD, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its ordinance, so he shall do; you shall have one statute, both for the alien and for the native of the land."

b. Sabbath

Exod 20:10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; un it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your [stranger] who stays with you.

Exod 23:12 Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease [from labor] so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves.

Deut 5:14 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; [in it] you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your I stranger l who stays with You....

c. Day of Atonement

Lev 16:29 [This] shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you;

d. Feast of Weeks

Deut 16:11 and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite who is in your town, and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst, in the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish His name....

e. Feast of Booths¹⁵

Deut 16:14 and you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your towns.

Moreover, the inclusion of permanent residents in covenant renewal ceremonies indicates that God expects them to participate as fully as they are able.¹⁶

2. The temporary resident ("sojourner" often in parallel with "hireling") is a gentile who lives in the land of Israel for a time and whose obedience to torah is voluntary.

Consequently, he participates in few aspects of Israelite society. The biblical
record says nothing about his involvement in holy day observances, issuing only one prohibition.¹⁷

• Passover sacrifice¹⁸

Exod 12:45 A sojourner or a hired servant shall not eat of it.

3. The foreign national ("foreigner") is a gentile who lives outside the land of Israel (although he may visit the land) and whose obedience to torah is voluntary.

Consequently, he also participates in few aspects of Israelite society. Again, the biblical record says nothing about his involvement in holy day observances, issuing only one prohibition.¹⁹

• Passover sacrifice²⁰

Exod 12:43 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "This is the ordinance of the Passover: no foreigner is to eat of it....

That the Passover is the sole annual festival mentioned in connection with the temporary resident and the foreign national, suggests it may have been especially appealing to them.²¹ Gentiles may have enjoyed dining with Jews on this occasion and, while not eating the paschal lamb, experiencing the rehearsal of God's great deliverance. Other festivals, whose observance had more to do with the sanctuary, may not have been as attractive and would not have involved them.

The Sabbath also seems to appeal to gentiles, including those outside the land,
and God encourages them to keep it.

Isa 56:6 Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath and holds fast My covenant; 7 Even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.

God states that obedience is meritorious for gentiles who identify with the Diaspora (i.e., the Jewish community in exile).²² The reference to covenant indicates that He has more than just the Sabbath in view, yet, by singling out that holiday, He indicates its particular appropriateness for gentiles who seek Him. While most foreign nationals in scripture (even those who visit Israel) probably have no interest in Israel's God, being more concerned with commercial or political matters, for those who do turn to Him and embrace His law, He promises divine favor.²³

B. Greek phrases that mark varying relationships

In the New Testament, especially in Acts, two Greek terms describe gentiles who have differing relationships to the native Jew and who have differing responsibilities to God's law.

1. The proselyte is a gentile who converts to Judaism, undergoing circumcision and immersion, and whose obedience to torah is obligatory.

Consequently, he participates in most aspects of Israelite society. The biblical
record says nothing about his participation in holy day observances, but he would keep all of them, as would the native-born (see n. 13).²⁴

2. The God-fearer is a gentile who comes to Judaism, without undergoing circumcision and immersion, and whose obedience to torah is voluntary.

Consequently, he participates in some aspects of Israelite society.²⁵ The biblical record says little about his involvement in holy day observances, mentioning only two precepts.

a. Sabbath²⁶

Acts 13:14 [Paul and Barnabas] arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue.... 16 Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: ...26 "Brethren, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent.

Acts 17:1 b ...they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures.... 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.... 17 So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.

The earliest gentile believers were God-fearers and may account for the majority of non-Jews in the early church.²⁷

b. Passover²⁸

1 Cor 5:8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Cor 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same way [He took] the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink [it], in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

Despite the eventual separation of church and synagogue, Judaism continued to attract gentile believers, significantly enough that ecclesiastical officials had to issue legislation prohibiting participation in Jewish activities, such as holidays. While some of these church dicta forbade observing any Jewish holidays, the two that receive explicit mention are the Sabbath and the Passover, which indicates that many Christians did, indeed, keep them.²⁹

What is the gentile believer's relationship to the holy days of Israel? That is, what should he observe today? Because most gentile believers are not residents of Israel, they do not have the same obligation to God's law as Israelites do. Their responsibility is akin to that of the (Old Testament) foreigner. Because most gentile believers are not converts to Judaism, they do not have the same obligation to God's law as Jews do. Their responsibility is akin to that of the (New Testament) God-fearer. Nevertheless, the Lord invites both foreigner and God-fearer to join God's people, and He encourages them specifically to keep the Sabbath and (to the extent permissible) the Passover.³⁰

For a pdf including Bibliography and Endnotes see here.