This small group Deuteronomy 16 Bible study guide contains commentary, discussion questions, cross-references, and application to encourage life change. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Deuteronomy 16 Bible Study And Questions – Old Testament Feasts, Festivals
Outline
I. The Passover (1-8)
II. The Feast of Weeks (9-12)
III. The Feast of Booths (13-17)
IV. Justice in Israel (18-22)
I. The Passover (1-8)
Discussion Questions
• What was the general purpose of these religious festivals?
• What is the Passover?
• Why was this holiday important for Israel and their relationship with God?
• Why is remembering important for believers?
• Is there a milestone or event in your relationship with God that is worth remembering? If so, share.
• Why were they not allowed to eat leavened bread during the seven days?
• How does the Passover point us to Jesus?
• How did Jesus celebrate the Passover?
• Should Christians celebrate the Passover today? Why or why not? If so, how?
Cross-References
Exodus 12:12-14 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.
Luke 22:19 – And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Matthew 26:28 – For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Verse by Verse Commentary
Suggested Reading – For more on the Passover, you can read our Bible study on “The Passover Points to Jesus.”
1. The Passover marked the beginning of Israel as a nation –
Deuteronomy 16:1 – Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night.
Exodus 12:2 – This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.
This verse shows us how important this event is for Israel. It marks their turning point. Before this day, they were a tribe of sojourners. First, they were immigrants. Then they became slaves. The Passover and Exodus marked their birth as a nation. They were going to get their own calendar. It will mark their independence. Like our calendar is marked in two parts, B.C. and the Year of Our Lord, their history was marked in two parts, before the Passover and after the Passover. Their faith in God’s promise and obedience to His command would result in their deliverance and freedom.
In many ways, the Passover points to Christ. The Passover is to Israel what Jesus is to us.
As the Passover marked their birth as a nation, so when we accept Christ, we are born again. Our lives can also be divided into two parts. The first part is marked by slavery to sin and bondage to this world. Then Christ delivers us. He sets us free. He gives us a future. He makes us be born again. And everything changes. The old has passed away and the new has come. Our spiritual journey with God begins. Our born-again day is our spiritual birthday, day one of a new calendar.
Application – If you have been born again already, think back and thank God for that day and the changes He has made in your life. If you haven’t yet been born again, then pay attention to the rest of the message so that you can learn how.
2. The Passover Lamb –
A. Characteristics of the Lamb
Deuteronomy 16:2 – And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the Lord your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place that the Lord will choose, to make his name dwell there.
• Without blemish – Exodus 12:5, 1 Peter 1:19
• Male – (Exodus 12:5)
• Every person/household had to have their own lamb – Every person ate of it. In like manner, each person must repent of their own sins and trust Jesus personally.
• No bones can be broken (Exodus 12:46, John 19:31-36)
• No leftovers. All signs of the lamb should be gone by morning. Jesus was taken down from the cross before nightfall, which was unusual because the next day was the Sabbath.
• They were to eat it in haste. If they delayed a day, it would too late. In a similar manner, salvation is urgent. You must make haste to believe while there is still opportunity.
• Blood. The blood of the lamb was to be displayed publicly on the doorposts of the houses as a reminder of the faith and obedience of those within.
• The blood showed that they had made the sacrifice and were under God’s protection. In a similar manner, Jesus bled on the cross in public for all to see. His blood cleanses those who trust in Him.
• Jesus died during the festival of the Passover like the Passover lamb.
On the night before Jesus died, He celebrated the Passover with His disciples. They were partaking of the Passover meal. They were remembering this amazing event in history. But when Jesus was eating it, He did something remarkable. He changed the festival.
As Jesus was eating the unleavened bread, He told them that it now represented His body. And the drink represented His blood. Before they remembered the Exodus. Now they were to remember Jesus. He is the once-for-all Passover lamb.
In a way, every time we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are celebrating the Passover. We celebrate God passing over our sins and Jesus taking our judgment on our behalf.
B. Connection to the Lamb –
Exodus 12:3, 6 – Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household… And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
Reflect – How long after they selected the lamb were they to keep it before killing it? What are the reasons for this wait time?
In many readings of this passage, I had never noticed this before.
First, they select the lamb and get it from the flock. Then they keep it for four days. Some translations actually say to “take care of it” for that amount of time.
Why is that? What would this accomplish?
Requiring the families to care for the lamb separately from the flock for four days would help them to realize that the sacrifice was personal. It was not just a nameless, faceless lamb from among many. It was a lamb that had been with them. They would feed it and care for it. Perhaps they would grow to be fond of the lamb. They would see its personality. And they would know it was innocent of what was going to happen. All of this was designed by God to help them understand that the sacrifice was personal. This innocent lamb was taking the punishment for their sins.
That lamb’s sacrifice was directly connected to their own deliverance. It wasn’t just some lamb somewhere who died for some person somewhere. That specific lamb died for them. And it died by their own hand.
God designed this entire ritual to point to Christ.
Just as those lambs were a personal sacrifice for individuals, so Jesus is a personal sacrifice for each of us. Jesus did not die for a bunch of nameless, faceless people. He did not just die for the world in general. He died for each of us personally.
Just as those people killed the lamb, so we are responsible for Jesus’ death. We were not there, but our sins put him there.
Think about some of the sins you are most ashamed of. Perhaps no one but you knows about it. That is why Jesus had to die.
But there is a difference between the Passover lamb and Jesus. The Passover lamb could not choose its fate. Jesus did. He gave up His life to bring us out of slavery to sin. He gave up His life to bring us freedom. He knew what it was going to cost and He went willingly. He did it because He loves you. He did it because He wants to cleanse you.
Application – In order to receive this salvation, you must have a personal connection to the lamb. He is not just a sacrifice for the world. He is your Passover lamb. He must be the sacrifice for you and for your sins specifically. You must come to Him and ask Him to save you, admitting that you cannot save yourself.
Do you have a personal connection to Jesus, the lamb of God?
3. Remembering the Passover –
Exodus 12:14 – This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.
The Passover and the Exodus were the most important events in Israel’s history. It was their Independence Day. And more than that, through the events surrounding the Passover, God revealed Himself to His people. They saw firsthand God’s power, God’s authority, God’s sovereignty, God’s rule over nature, God’s defeat of His enemies, and His personal grace and care for His people.
But people have short-term memories. It was so easy for them to forget what God had done on their behalf.
Therefore God instituted the Passover in order that they would remember these things. If they remembered and appreciated what God had done for them, they would be much less likely to stray away from Him. But when they forgot God, then they would go after the world and idols.
This event was important. God would remind them of it many times. The statement,
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt” occurs at least ten times in Scripture (Exodus [1], Leviticus [6], Numbers [1], Deuteronomy [1], and Psalms [1])
Time and again throughout the Old Testament, God’s people look back on the Exodus to remind themselves of God’s faithfulness (Psalm 29, 78).
But at other times, they forgot. For much of the period of the kings, they did not celebrate this festival. They forgot what God had done for them. Forgetting God’s miracles and providence were part of the reason they abandoned their faith, doubted God, and turned to idols. After all, we have seen that God completely destroyed the pagan gods of Egypt, the most powerful nation on earth at this time. What person in their right mind would trust in one of these or a similar failed idol instead of God?
Commanding them to remember the Exodus was one way to protect them from straying.
Deuteronomy 6:12 – Then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Psalm 77:11 – I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
The concept of remembering is very important in the Bible. I found at least 22 commands from God to His people to not forget what He did for them and over 200 commands to remember Him and His works. God repeats commands many times. He repeats His covenants. He reminds His people of what He has done for them.
The same lessons and principles are taught again and again. The reason is simple. We are forgetful. We have short-term memories. We forget the good things God has done for us. Other times, our memories twist the facts.
Look at how the Israelites would remember their time in Egypt later on.
Numbers 11:5 – “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost–also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.”
Wow, Egypt was so wonderful! They were just lounging around, feasting to their heart’s content, and for free!
That had a serious case of selective memory.
We do the same thing. We forget God’s mercies, forget to say “thank you,” and forget the consequences of sin, the guilt and the shame when we repeat the same sin again.
My daughter likes to climb. Often recklessly. Once, she climbed on a piece of furniture and fell off and got hurt. So I comforted her. And hugged her. And let her go. And then what did she do? Go to climb again on the same piece of furniture.
Adults are often like this, too.
Why do we forget? We forget because we don’t value something enough. We forget because we don’t make the proper effort to remember. Here, God has the people take very specific steps to memorialize this event to ensure that they won’t forget what God has done. Every aspect of this festival serves a purpose to remind them of some aspect of the Exodus.
• Time of year
• Unleavened bread
• Lamb
• Bitter herbs
Application – What are some specific ways you can remember God’s work in your life?
Here a few ideas.
• Write down and share your testimony with others. The more you talk about God’s work in your life, the more you will be aware of it and the more you will remember it.
• A retreat – Verse 16, “No work shall be done on those days.” The first and last days of the festival were holy. The people were to rest from their labors and focus fully on God. We also need time to rest from our labors and focus on God. Plan a spiritual retreat.
• Holidays – The Passover was a special holiday designed to help the people remember God. Secular holidays and ways of celebrating often distract us from God. With the holidays coming up, consider how you can design your celebration and your family interactions to better remember God’s work. One example is to have a Christmas Eve service at home, read the Bible stories about Jesus’ birth, and take communion together.
• Communion is a way to remember what Jesus has done for us.
4. Eat only unleavened bread – This point is stressed throughout this passage. The Jews were not to eat any leavened (with yeast) bread during the Passover week.
Deuteronomy 16:3 – You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.
The unleavened bread was a tangible reminder of the Exodus. There was no time to cook normal loaves of bread. Therefore, the people had to take food that could be cooked quickly and that would last. Unleavened bread fits the bill. It wasn’t very tasty. That is why it is not the go-to for chefs. But it is efficient.
Eating it yearly during this feast would help them more fully remember the Exodus. It involved more of the senses than just listening to a recitation of Scripture.
II. The Feast of Weeks (9-12)
Discussion Questions
• What is the purpose of the feast of weeks festival?
• What is it commemorating?
• What were they to do during the feast of weeks?
• Where were they to worship?
• What was to be their attitude during this week?
Cross-References
Leviticus 23:15-17 – You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord.
Numbers 28:26 – “On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work.
Exodus 23:16 – You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor.
John 14:16-17 – And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. The Feast of Weeks – This is the second of three major Jewish festivals that required all Jewish men to go to the tabernacle (later temple) for corporate worship. It was a harvest festival, generally taking place in May or June each year, to celebrate the beginning of the wheat harvest and thank the Lord for His provision.
In Hebrew, it is called “Shavuot,” which means “weeks.” Another name for it is Pentecost, due to it being exactly 50 days after the Passover. The term “Pentecost” means “fiftieth.”
The Old Testament festivals point to many aspects of the Messiah and His ministry. Jesus died as the Passover Lamb and was raised from the dead at the Feast of Firstfruits.
After spending forty days teaching the disciples, Jesus ascended to heaven. The Holy Spirit was sent to indwell believers and help the church on the day of Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks.
The Feast of Weeks is a harvest festival and on this day, 3000 people were added to the church as the firstfruits of a large harvest to come (Acts 2).
2. They were to bring a freewill offering – Some sacrifices were compulsory. This one was not. The offering for the Feast of Weeks was to be given freely from the heart. It was to come out of their own generosity as a gesture of thanks to the Lord, who blessed them with a harvest.
Application – In the New Testament era, we are not to give from compulsion but from our hearts. Spend some time to evaluate your giving. Do you give generously and happily from the heart? Or do you begrudge it?
3. Everyone was to celebrate – Old and young, male and female, orphan, widow, and traveler were all to join in and celebrate this weeklong festival. It was a time to remember God’s goodness and rejoice in His blessings.
III. The Feast of Booths (13-17)
Discussion Questions
• What was the Feast of Booths about?
• How could celebrating this festival strengthen their faith and walk with the Lord?
• What were they to do?
• What was their attitude to be?
• Who was to rejoice?
• What reasons would a widow or orphan have to rejoice?
• What can we learn from these festivals about the place for celebrating in the life of believers?
• What principles can we learn from this passage that relate to holidays and how we celebrate them today?
• How many times were Jewish males to go to a central place for worship every year?
• What are some of the reasons God may have required them to go up for corporate worship three times a year?
• Were these commands followed for most of Israel’s history?
Cross-References
Leviticus 23:34 – Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the Lord.
Leviticus 23:40-43 – And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Feast of booths / tabernacles – This is one of the three yearly festivals where all Jewish males were to appear in a common place of worship (eventually Jerusalem).
The people were to construct temporary shelters made from tree branches and live in them for seven days (Leviticus 23:40-43). It would serve as a very palpable way to remember their time in the wilderness and God’s provision of them there.
The process of building these shelters and then living in them would bring the people together with the Lord at the center. Lives get busy. It is easy for busyness to choke out one’s relationship with God and others.
The Feast of Booths was akin to an annual weeklong camping trip mandated by God. It would provide more time for fruitful conversation and reflection. In addition, it would remind them not to take their nice homes for granted.
Many scholars believe that the Feast of Tabernacles points to Jesus’ time dwelling with us at the first coming (John 1:14) and again at the second coming during the millennium.
Application – It is beneficial for believers to schedule time for a retreat, personally or with their family. Do you have a regular retreat scheduled? Some already have vacations or retreats. How can you adjust these so that the Lord is at the center?
2. Rejoice in your feast –
Deuteronomy 16:14-15 – You shall rejoice in your feast… because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.
These feasts were to be a time of remembrance. They were also to be times of rejoicing. The people had a lot to celebrate, both historically and personally. God had delivered them from Egypt and established a new nation. He was about to bring them into the Promised Land.
Living in tents would remind them of God’s provision in the wilderness. It would also be a time to thank God for the homes and land they had after they were brought into the Promised Land.
Many have the wrong impression that believers are to live dull, boring lives. We shouldn’t smile or laugh or joke. They may think of a Catholic monk or a serious 17th-century Puritan.
What we see in this passage is that God wants His people to celebrate. Festivals are joyous occasions and reminders of God’s goodness. These good gifts are to be enjoyed.
They are not to be enjoyed by divorcing the gifts from the Creator and forgetting Him. But they are to be enjoyed within the context of appreciating Him as the giver.
Reflection – What principles can we learn from this passage that relate to holidays and how we celebrate them today?
3. Corporate worship for every Jewish male three times a year –
Deuteronomy 16:16 – Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.
Every male was to appear before the Lord (at the tabernacle or temple) three times a year. This practice was followed at the time of Christ, which is why the gospels often record Jesus’ visits to Jerusalem.
This had many positive effects on society.
Firstly, it ensured that none of the people would stray from the Lord. It helped the people maintain fellowship and accountability, which we need to stay on track.
It would also encourage national unity, a problem that often plagued the 12 tribes. It would serve as a time to gather together in thanks to share what God had done for each individual. If someone didn’t come, others would know that this person didn’t value God’s commands.
Having a common place to worship and sacrifice helped keep their faith pure. If every person followed God in their own way and by their own ideas, false doctrine would soon creep in.
4. They were not to come empty-handed – Besides being a time for unity, worship, and fellowship, it was a time for sacrifice. The people were not to come empty-handed. They were to bring gifts to God from their soil of the firstfruits. Why firstfruits? This was the best and the first of the harvest. It ensured that God was the priority and people gave to God first before keeping for themselves. It was a recognition that everything they had was from God to begin with.
IV. Justice in Israel (18-22)
Discussion Questions
• How was the nation to ensure that justice was carried out?
• What does this passage teach us about God’s character?
• What are some practical ways you can stand for justice today? In your family? In your work? In your community?
Cross-References
Isaiah 1:17 – Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
Micah 6:8 – He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
Amos 5:24 – But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Proverbs 17:8 – A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers.
Proverbs 17:23 – The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Judges and officers appointed to judge – After the people came into the Promised Land, judges and officers were to be appointed to help judge the people. These would have helped solve disputes and decide criminal cases. God is a God of order and justice.
2. You shall not pervert justice – A clear code of conduct was given here for these officials. Their purpose was to dispense justice. They were not allowed to show partiality.
Justice is often corrupted when officials side with the right in disputes because of their money and power. However, it is just as easy for judges to favor the poor against the rich out of sympathy, pity, or a desire to “stick it” to the wealthy. Both forms of bias are wrong.
In some famous cases in the U.S., juries sometimes have heavily punished corporations and favored the poor because that is seen as the “kind” thing to do. It is easy for the commoner to disdain the rich and use a legal case as a way to “stick it” to those in power.
God desires justice and fairness to both sides.
Exodus 23:2-3 – You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.
Application – Those in authority should be fair to both sides. This can apply to teachers, bosses, jurors, officials, parents, and even babysitters. One simple way to help ensure justice is to listen to both sides fully before giving a verdict.
Proverbs 18:17 – The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.
3. A bribe blinds the eyes of the wise – It is wrong to take or require a bribe to do what it is your job to do. In this context, this refers to a judge. A judge should give justice. Taking a bribe will result in corrupt decisions.
Reflect – If accepting a bribe is wrong, how about giving a bribe?
Giving a bribe to encourage someone to do something wrong is always sinful. However, it may not be sinful to give a bribe to pay someone to do what they should do (Proverbs 17:8).
4. Be alert and avoid cult practices – The local religions had many superstitious and cultish pagan practices. Israel was to be holy to the Lord and avoid all of these like the plague.
Reflect – How can you apply what you learned about religious festivals to your life or holiday celebrations?
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