Leviticus 23-24; Psalm 31:1-8; Acts 21

Leviticus 23 - Appointed Festivals
1-8 - Sabbath, Passover, Unleavened Bread

• Sabbath - 7th day of the week
• Passover - 14th day of 1st month
• Unleavened Bread - 15th day of 1st month

9-14 - Firstfruits

• Bring sheaf of first fruits of the harvest
• Also burnt offering, grain offering, and drink offering

15-22 - Festival of Weeks

• 7 weeks from day after the offering of first fruits
• Grain offering
• Burnt offering of 7 lambs, 1 young bull, 2 rams
• Drink offering
• Sin offering of 1 male goat and 2 male lambs
• Day of rest
• Leave harvest gleanings for the poor

23-25 - Festival of Trumpets

• 1st day of 7th month
• Day of rest, commemorated with trumpet blasts

26-32 - Day of Atonement

• 10th day of 7th month
• Day of rest

33-44 - Festival of Booths

• 15th day of 7th month, for 7 days
• 1st day a day of rest
• To "present the LORD's offering" for 7 days
• 8th day a day of rest
• All people to live in booths for 7 days, so that "your generations may know that I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God."

Leviticus 24
1-4 - The Lamp - to burn night and day
5-9 - Bread for the Tabernacle - 12 loaves set out each sabbath
10-23 - Punishment for blasphemy

• Son of Israelite woman and Egyptian man, in a fight, "blasphemed the Name in a curse."
• To be stoned to death by whole congregation
• Other laws demanding restitution: Murder, killing an animal, maiming another.
• One law for the alien and the citizen, "for I am the LORD your God."

Psalm 31:1-8
3 - "You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name's sake lead me and guide me."

Acts 21
1-16 - Journey to Jerusalem

• "We" sail to Tyre, via Cos, Rhodes, and Patara, stay 7 days
• Paul warned not to go to Jerusalem
• Sail to Ptolemais, stay for one day, then to Caesarea to stay with Philip
• Paul warned by prophet Agabus not to go to Jerusalem
• Paul: Don't weep and break my heart. I am ready to be bound and even to die.
• Some disciples from Caesarea accompany them to Jerusalem

17-26 - With James in Jerusalem

• Reports to James and the elders
• They warn him of Judaizing teachers, encourage him to go through rite of purification with 4 men under a vow, to show that he still observes the law
• Paul does so the next day

27-36 - Paul arrested in Temple

• Accused by Jews of taking Greeks into the temple, because he had been seen with Trophimus the Ephesian in the city
• Mob gathers, drags Paul out of the temple, tries to kill him
• Rescued by the tribune of the cohort, who chains him, and takes him toward the barracks, followed by crowds shouting "Away with him!"

37-40 - Paul defends himself

• Surprises tribune by speaking in Greek, asks permission to speak to the people
• Granted permission, stands on barracks steps and speaks to the people in Hebrew