Though not commanded by God, there are some Jewish festivals mentioned favorably in God’s Word that celebrate God’s deliverance for His people. For example: Christ went to Temple on Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication (John 10:22-23). Hanukkah celebrates the cleansing and rededicating of the Temple after it was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes. The other Jewish holiday mentioned favorably in God’s Word is Purim. The book of Esther is quite passionate about the importance of the Festival of Purim to celebrate God’s salvation from the evil ploys of the Edomites to destroy all Jews. Special prayers and meals, and especially the giving of gifts to the poor is usually done on Purim. These festivals can perhaps be compared to our national day of Thanksgiving, in that they are important and valuable days – but they are not Sabbaths and God does not command us to observe them. We should not judge those who wish to express their thanks to God by celebrating these days. (More will be written about the meaning of these days, so check back.)

Sermons

Oracles, Statutes, New Moons & Jewish Holidays (Pt.1) ~ Don Haney

Oracles, Statutes, New Moons & Jewish Holidays (Pt.2) ~ Don Haney

The Foundational Roots of Purim ~ Don Haney