Deuteronomy 16:16, commentary and pictures

God required every male Israelite to come into His chosen place three times each year for the Feast of Unleavened Bread called the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. That chosen center was first the tabernacle at Shiloh and afterward Jerusalem, with fathers and sons bound to come and the whole household, servants, strangers, Levites, poor, fatherless, and widows welcomed to share the rejoicing. None were to come empty-handed, but each was to bring tithes, sin, trespass, thank, and freewill offerings according to his ability and the blessing God had given, as grateful tokens of His continual care. The gatherings joined solemn worship with joy to recall deliverance from bondage, recount God's mercies, keep faith and gratitude alive against worldliness and idolatry, while their many sacrifices pointed to Christ as the Lamb through whom every earthly bounty comes. The same command lays obligation for yearly convocations and camp-meetings now, calling all who possibly can to set aside time and means, to bring offerings in keeping with God's blessing, and not to let prosperity bind them to possessions and keep them from worship.

Three Yearly Gatherings Commanded

All males were to appear before the Lord three times in the year in the place He would choose, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread also called Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The requirement was for Jewish men to assemble at Jerusalem three times each year for religious purposes.

The place He chose was first the tabernacle at Shiloh and later Jerusalem with its national altar. People came from Dan to Beersheba to the place He chose. Psalms were composed for them to sing on those journeys to the annual feasts.

Fathers and sons were required to attend, while the rest of the household came whenever possible. Manservants and maidservants were included in the rejoicing, together with strangers, Levites, the poor, the fatherless, and widows. All shared in household hospitality and generous hospitality was shown toward strangers, Levites, and the poor.

Attendance meant leaving ordinary business and sacrificing considerable time and means. For those living far away it took more than a month each year, including the week spent living in booths. The journeys amid the changing beauty of the seasons gave time to set aside worldly cares, commune with God, and consider unseen realities. They also provided outdoor recreation and social life.

The command bound even the tribes east of the Jordan despite distance and expense. That sacrifice of effort and means was purposeful to lead them to place higher value on religious privileges and on every provision for salvation. Gideon's plan to provide sacrifice and worship at home to save those tribes trouble and expense was an assumption of authority contrary to God's established order. It displeased God and proved disastrous and a snare. Seeking worship nearer home to save trouble and expense indulges indolence and shunning of sacrifice and self-denial for eternal interest while readily spending strength for temporal advantage, showing higher estimate of earthly things than heavenly treasure, and finally leads to forsaking the Lord altogether for idols.

Jewish males were to assemble in Jerusalem three times each year for religious purposes, but Jesus missed several of these gatherings because of hostility and danger from the Jewish leaders. He came to Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles and taught in the temple.

Worship With Grateful Offerings

They were not to appear empty-handed, but to come bringing tithes, sin offerings, freewill offerings, thank offerings, and trespass offerings as tokens of gratitude for God's continual care. Each was to give according to ability and in keeping with the blessing God had given, as the next verse adds, so that no less than one-third of income was devoted to sacred and religious purposes. Willing obedience to this systematic giving carried the promise of prosperity upon increase and work, while withholding offerings limited the blessings received, and the principle of sacrificial giving remains for God's people in the last days with its spirit to deepen for the work ahead.

Neither poverty nor wealth excused giving, for offerings were to reflect what each could give according to how he had prospered. The poor were not excused but were to practice economy and self-denial rather than come empty. When sickness or misfortune left someone unable to give, those with wealth were to help that person bring even a humble or small offering, and this shared responsibility preserved mutual care and interest.

The size of each offering revealed the giver's heart, showing whether people valued God's gifts and loved their Benefactor with gratitude or were ruled by selfishness, attachment to possessions, and love of the gifts above the Giver. Gratitude and love for God led to generous gifts, while selfishness and prizing the gifts rather than the Giver led to meager ones. These occasions for bringing gifts, freewill offerings, and thank-offerings in keeping with blessings received were for recalling God's blessings and setting aside unnecessary work to remember and rejoice together.

The feasts combined solemn holy convocation with joy and rejoicing to recall God's blessings and deliverance from bondage with its gift of freedom, recount His mercies and wonderful works, and give praise and thanks. They were to keep faith, love, and gratitude alive, guard against worldliness and idolatry, draw the people closer to God and one another, and give better knowledge of spiritual service with light for spiritual advantage. Their shared sacrificial service and many sacrifices with profusion of blood pointed to Christ as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, and taught that even the bounties of the earth come only through the cross of Calvary. Israel's worship thus made a public witness giving surrounding nations opportunity to learn of the living God and of the coming Saviour who would take and possess the kingdoms forever, and in Christ's time true worship at feasts drawing multitudes from many lands could have carried the light of truth to all nations.

The Passover was to be commemorated each year. The feast at the commencement of the season was to entreat God's blessing upon families, lands, flocks, and herds. The crowning feast at the close of harvest brought offerings and tributes of thanksgiving after corn and wine were gathered and increase and firstfruits stored, acknowledging the Lord as giver of all blessings.

Call to Gather Today

The ancient command to assemble three times a year lays obligation for yearly convocation meetings and camp-meetings now, so all who possibly can attend should do so. As Israel left ordinary business to gather from Dan to Beersheba in the place God chose, worshipers today are to set aside time and means for assembling without begrudging it as loss and without putting worldly interests first. Those gatherings are for good and spiritual advantage, giving better knowledge of spiritual service and opportunity to receive light, with the opening feast of the season entreating blessing on families, lands, flocks and herds and the crowning feast at the close of harvest bringing offerings and tributes of thanksgiving after corn and wine were gathered and increase and firstfruits stored. Joy and rejoicing combined with solemn holy convocation acknowledged the Lord as Giver of all blessings, Israel's faithfulness is to be imitated and the sins that brought God's displeasure shunned, and neglecting to improve such light, privileges and blessings brings responsibility before God.

Worshipers at meetings are not to come empty but to bring offerings in keeping with how God has blessed them. Giving is to be freewill expression of gratitude to the Creator and Giver of every benefit, measured in proportion to means and blessings received and offered in a spirit of gratitude and self-sacrifice. Prosperity should lead to honoring God, not bind people more tightly to possessions and worldly business and keep them from worship and religious gatherings. Neglecting worship and withholding offerings for that reason turns blessings into a curse.

Festal occasions are for bringing glory to God and acknowledging Him as Giver, with gifts and offerings consecrated to Him at the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles and none coming empty-handed. Special obligation rests on those blessed with prosperity, where much is given. Observing holidays by diverting the mind from God and lavishing gifts upon one another is condemned, for it gives to poor mortals the praise and offerings that belong to God.

No one was to appear empty-handed, but each was to give according to ability and in keeping with the blessing God had given, with every male Israelite appearing in the chosen place at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. A person should first be reconciled to a brother before presenting an offering. These gatherings and gifts devoted a substantial part of income to sacred purposes, and willing obedience to this systematic giving carried the promise of prosperity for increase and work, while withholding offerings limited blessings received. The principles of that instruction would place church institutions on stronger ground if practiced, and the principle of sacrificial giving remains for God's people in the last days with its spirit to deepen for the work ahead.