"7 Feasts" (Erin Davis)

TITLE: 7 Feasts: Finding Christ in the Sacred Celebrations of the Old Testament
AUTHOR: Erin Davis
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2020, (192 pages).

Food brings people together. Whether it is breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any other time, it is always a good opportunity to meet people. In times of celebration, we feast and enjoy the lavish food. Across all countries, cultures, and communities, if there is any one timeless tradition, eating and drinking would be it. One of the best ways to understand the roots of this tradition is to learn from ancient cultures. Such historical surveys will inform the modern mind that there is really nothing new under the sun. Author Erin Davis takes the reader through seven Jewish feasts over an eight week period. For each week, there are five daily studies that we can accompany with a Bible, a pen, and some friends to ponder over the message. Instead of jumping straight into the feasts, Davis dedicates the first week to teaching some basics of how to rightly handle the Word of God. By providing some guidelines on how to read the Bible, readers are reminded to learn to handle the Word with care, before jumping into the text. Such reminders are necessary to warn us against spiritual amnesia. Gradually, she encourages us to change our pattern for living, in order to live out biblical principles in all that we do. After the first week of preparing the heart and mind, readers will then be ready to plunge into the study of the sacred celebrations of the Old Testament.


The first feast is the Passover. We learn about the origins of the sacrificial lamb as God's way of freeing Israelites from Egyptian slavery. Such a sacrifice is needed to cover our sins. We are made new and given a new lease of life. The second feast is the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, which comes the night after the Passover. We go through lessons to be aware of the dangers of sin which threaten our spiritual lives with Christ. The Feast of First-Fruits reminds us to give God our very best. The author guides us through various ways in which the gospel enables us to give our best to God. That is because God has led by giving us His very best. The Feast of Weeks is an opportunity to be grateful to God. While we are called to be grateful for all things at all times, it is helpful to sharpen our gratitude from time to time. This we can do during the remembrance of this period. We also learn not to be wimps but spiritual lions. The Feast of Trumpets celebrate the triumph of God. Like the horn of God that proclaims salvation and victory, we too rejoice to know that God's Kingdom has come and will come again. The Day of Atonement is that day when priests enter the holy of holies to atone for the sins of God's people. One cannot miss the significance of the atonement as each day of that week, we are reminded of the Perfect Atonement: Jesus Christ. The Feast of Booths is that 8-day celebration in autumn after harvest. We are told not to forget the benefits God has bestowed on us. In all of these feasts reminders, we see clearly how Christ completely fulfilled the essence of the feasts. He is the perfect Passover Lamb. He guides us away from sin. He shows us how to give thanks and to celebrate the triumph at the cross. He is the Perfect Sacrifice, the Perfect Example, and the Perfect Victory.


My Thoughts
I appreciate Davis's many reminders about the nature of reading the Bible. Let me highlight three of them. First, I appreciate the reminder about how to handle the Word of God. There are some Christians who tend to be too hasty about reading the Bible. They jump in with a laserlike focus on what and how the text can benefit them. It is like saying to God, "Ok, what can YOU do for me!" attitude. Such a behaviour would lead one to eisegesis (reading our thoughts into the Bible) instead of exegesis (Drawing out the meaning from the Bible). Any Bible Study book will need to provide helpful guides not only for the novice but also the experienced Bible study group member. For the newbie, it is a welcome introduction to the world of Bible studies. For the experienced, it keeps us away from spiritual amnesia.

Second, I like the constant explicit reminders to the Person of Christ. For Jesus Himself has said that He came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill them. In Him, the Law is Perfectly satisfied. Thus, when we study the Old Testament and the feasts, we must remember to always come back to Jesus, who epitomizes the ultimate fulfillment of the purpose of the Law. Some feasts are easier to identify with Christ, like the Passover Lamb and the Day of Atonement.

Third, we are reminded to take what we learn and put them into practice. Davis leaves ample space for us to do just that. We are encouraged to take notes, to write down our thoughts, and to apply what we learn into our own lives. Through the discussion, not only can we expand on the meaning and applications, we can also hold one another accountable.

This short guide through the seven feasts is a creative way to bridge the historical Old Testament feasts with the New Testament focus on Christ. One will learn a lot just by going through the series. Davis did not give us a lot of background with regard to the feasts, but just enough for us to apply gospel eyes to the meaning and significance of the ancient rituals.

Erin Davis is popular speaker, author, and blogger who has authored several books such as Connected, Beyond Bath Time, and books in the My Name is Erin series. She contributes regularly to True Woman blog.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Moody Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.