Exodus 23:10-12 English Standard Version

Laws About the Sabbath and Festivals

10 “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.

12 “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.

“The Holy One, blessed be He, created seven ages, and of them all He chose the seventh age only, the six ages are for the going in and coming out (of God’s creatures) for war and peace. The seventh age is entirely Sabbath and rest in the life everlasting.” – Rabbi Eliezer

The seven festivals or feasts in the Jewish sacred calendar are integral to understanding the theme of the seventh-day rest in the Bible. These feasts have symbolic meaning connecting back to the creation account in Genesis and the story of the Exodus. They are meant to act as a way to remember and teach. (The Bible Project)

In the Jewish tradition there appears the creation of traditions by God for all mankind or otherwise God would not have included slaves and aliens in the tradition of Shabbat.

As we noted yesterday man creates their own traditions for reasons long forgotten as to the source and reasons. Today in America we hold certain traditions and create new ones in the same way for the same reason. We need not list them to know them.

Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Some are godly, some are not. Some are God centered and over time reduced to secular celebrations that seek to forget those origins. I need not name those either.

This is not said to condemn anyone for how and why they keep traditions, only that we are clear on why we celebrate them. What we teach our children may last or not. Each generation has a responsibility to examine their own heart as to why.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Tradition!

Ephesians 4:29  Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Recently I asked my accountability partner why 12 baskets were left over after feeding the five thousand. He replied “Only you would ask a question like that.” It occurs to me that there are many questions that are not asked by believers but scoffers might.

If I am going to ask the question then I better have an answer for if someone who is weak in the faith should ask. So I will answer my own question.

The simple answer for twelve baskets is twelve disciples went into the crowd that had been divided up into smaller groups so that no one should be left out in the blessing.

The larger answer is ceremonial tradition. Twelve appears throughout history by tradition and the ceremonial beginnings of the number might have been lost to history but the tradition continues.

When Israel was freed from Egypt twelve tribes were numbered in the division of the promised land. Jacob had twelve sons but Joseph and Levi were not named in the inheritance. Levi’s portion was the Lord, they did not participate in the inheritance but rather the sons of Joseph, Manassas and Ephrim were included in the tribes of inheritance.

When Jesus ministry with twelve disciples was disrupted by Judas committing suicide the eleven were compelled by tradition to select a replacement and keep their numbers at twelve. They cast lots and added Matthias to return their numbers to twelve. Since Jesus promised them 12 thrones to sit in judgment over Israel in Matthew 19:28. Traditions hold meaning in this world and numbers throughout the history of Israel and the bible. Some are at the direction of God while others are created by man.

Jesus received only thirty-nine stripes and I have been taught that forty was a number of blessing and the unbelieving thought enough about traditions of others not to grant a blessing in His torture and death. Three crosses at His crucifixion. Three is the number of man by tradition. Traditions hold meaning even if only symbolic.

• Matthew 15:2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.”
• Matthew 15:3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
• Matthew 15:6he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.