On the first day of the festival you are to gather for worship, and no work is to be done.

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: NUMBERS 28:18
On the first day of the festival you are to gather for worship, and no work is to be done.
TODAY'S READING:
The Offerings at the Festival of Unleavened Bread
(Leviticus 23.5-14)
16 The Passover Festival in honor of the Lord is to be held on the fourteenth day of the first month.17 On the fifteenth day a religious festival begins which lasts seven days, during which only bread prepared without yeast is to be eaten.18On the first day of the festival you are to gather for worship, and no work is to be done.19Offer a burnt offering as a food offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all without any defects.20Offer the proper grain offering of flour mixed with olive oil: 6 pounds with each bull, 4 pounds with the ram,21and 2 pounds with each lamb.22Also offer one male goat as a sin offering, and in this way perform the ritual of purification for the people.23Offer these in addition to the regular morning burnt offering.24In the same way, for seven days offer to the Lord a food offering, an odor pleasing to him. Offer this in addition to the daily burnt offering and wine offering.25Meet for worship on the seventh day and do no work.
The Offerings at the Harvest Festival
(Leviticus 23.15-22)
26 On the first day of the Harvest Festival, when you present the offering of new grain to the Lord, you are to gather for worship, and no work is to be done.27Offer a burnt offering as an odor pleasing to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all without any defects.28Offer the proper grain offering of flour mixed with olive oil: 6 pounds with each bull, 4 pounds with the ram,29and 2 pounds with each lamb.30Also offer one male goat as a sin offering, and in this way perform the ritual of purification for the people.31Offer these and the wine offering in addition to the daily burnt offering and grain offering.
REFLECT:
What regulations were the people to follow for celebrating the Festival of Unleavened Bread? What offerings were to be made for celebrating the Harvest Festival? On both occasions, why was it important for the people to gather for worship? In the life of your community of faith, are there commemorations that are celebrated with special offerings?
#PRAY
Lord God, you have called us to be your people. When we gather for worship, we praise you and offer you our gifts in thankfulness for your steadfast love and care. Amen.