The three pilgrimage feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles… were appointed times when all Israelite males were to appear before the Lord at the place He chose. These feasts were significant because they commemorated God’s acts of deliverance, provision, and covenant faithfulness, and they reinforced the unity and identity of the nation.
“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles.” (Deuteronomy 16:16)
Passover remembered the Exodus, the foundational act of redemption. Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) celebrated the firstfruits of the harvest and reminded them that every blessing came from God. Tabernacles (Feast of Ingathering) looked back on God’s provision in the wilderness and forward to His continued faithfulness.
“And they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.” (Deuteronomy 16:16–17)
These feasts were not only religious events but covenant renewals. They brought the entire nation together in worship, thanksgiving, and remembrance. By returning year after year, Israel maintained its connection to God’s work in their history and to each other.
The feasts also trained the people to live in cycles of gratitude and generosity, always acknowledging God as the source of life and provision.
