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God spoke through Moses to the Israelites about the three annual festivals they must observe when they arrive at the Promised Land; a part of Israel’s covenant obligations given at Sinai
First, the festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest to be celebrated with firstfruits, and the Festival of Ingathering to be observed at the end of the agricultural year
All Israelite males must appear before the Sovereign Lord these three times sacrificing the best portions
The blood of sacrifice must be void of anything containing yeast, fats of festival offerings must not be kept till morning and young goat must not be cooked in its mother’s milk
On their journey to the Promised Land, they should obey God’s angel (also closely identified with God himself) would prepare the way and be an enemy to their enemies if they listen to and do what he says.
The second lesson covers three short parables about the kingdom of heaven
The parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl emphasizes that the kingdom is worth sacrificing whatever is necessary to be a part of it
While the parable of the net stresses the necessity of final sorting and separation to confirm being in the kingdom
The fishermen sort and separate the good ones and the bad ones, and the bad ones will be discarded
Jesus used this fishing illustration they are familiar with to establish that at the end of time; there will be sorting and separation of people, based on good and evil, righteousness and wickedness
The angels of God shall carry this out and the evil people will be thrown into the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth
Friends, the celebration of the annual harvest ceremony without a personal salvation experience is in vain.
Hence, the basis of harvest thanksgiving should be salvation