Holy Day Offerings
Holy Day
Offerings, Special offerings,
passing the plate, HDO, Church of God offerings, three times a year,
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For
many years the main non-Jewish group honoring the annual festivals of the Creator has
collected special offerings on the seven annual holy days. These
collections are done twice during Unleavened Bread, once at Pentecost, once on
the day of Trumpets, again on the day of Atonement,
once during the Feast of Tabernacles and finally again on the Eight Day
following the Feast of Tabernacles. The main scripture used in support of
these offerings has been Deuteronomy 16:16.
"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; and they shall not appear
before the LORD empty-handed. 17 Every man shall give as he is able,
according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you."
A surface reading of this verse would lead one to assume that the
Creator requested Israel gather and give an offering only three times.
However, over the years a number of reasons have been put forward that appear
to indicate more than just three offerings should be given. This document
hopes to bring up all these various explanations and examine
them. To this author the straightforward reading is indeed what the
Creator intended. It is clear from the text, clear in light of other
scripture and clear from history.
Frequently it will be explained that 'three times' means 'three
seasons'. However, if one actually checks the meaning of "pa'am". the Hebrew word in question, in a
Hebrew lexicon one will probably not find ‘seasons’ has any association with "pa’am". That meaning is certainly not
mentioned in roughly 15 lexicons checked by this author, including: The
Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Vol. 3) by Ludwig Hocklen and Walter Baumgartner translated by M. Richardson
(1994), the Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by William Gesenius, translated and edited by Edward Robinson, the Brown,
Driver & Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1981,
edited by Francis Brown, with cooperation of S.R. Driver & Charles Briggs,
or The Complete Word Study Old Testament, published by AMG
International. The word 'seasons' does not appear anywhere under the
definition of "pa'am" in any of
these sources.
The above lexicons generally agreed that the word really means, "stroke, beat, step, foot or occurrence". This
makes perfect sense since the scripture is talking of the occurrence of the;
"Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of
Tabernacles". (see also Ex 23:14 &
17) No particular day is specified on which the offering is to be given
except possibly on the occasion of the Feast of Weeks.
I can understand that 'season' could be stretched to be equivalent to 'occurrence',
but that is not my impression of how those who claim biblical authority for
collections on all annual holy days have used it. After being present
during at least 280 of these occasions my impression is they have used 'season'
to designate spring, summer and fall. This is stretching the meaning of
occurrence and then stretching it again into season of the year. This is
unjustified by the ancient Hebrew original.
This connection with season of the year also strikes me as odd since
nothing else in the Old Testament seems to recognize spring or fall at
all. The only seasons mentioned somewhat equivalent to what we call
seasons, are summer and winter. Actually in a few cases the NKJV uses the
term 'spring', as in 2Chronicles 24:23. However the original Hebrew is
'end of the year' as the KJV specifies. If anything, this is an
indication that the ancient Hebrews didn't recognize spring as we know
it. Where modern translators understand 'spring' to be appropriate, the
original writers did not think of it that way.
This is somewhat reinforced by Song of Solomon 2:11, "For, lo, the
winter is past, the rain is over [and] gone". The rains
being past indicated winter was over, not the equinox. Also, "Be glad then, ye
children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he
hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for
you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first [month]."
(Joel 2:23 KJV) When they were obedient the rain continued during the
first month. So what we consider the 'spring' Holy days were probably in
what they considered the end of winter, the season of the latter rain.
This use of 'seasons' is evidently supposed to allow the inclusion of
Trumpets and Atonement in the offering instruction of Deuteronomy 16:16.
However considering that Hebrew speakers frequently repeat their thoughts in
their speaking, or use what are called parallel
expressions, there appears to be no
justification for the inclusion of Trumpets
and Atonement. Deuteronomy
16:16 is being quite clear that there are three
occasions when all the males
are to appear and those occasions are Unleavened
Bread, Pentecost and
Tabernacles.
Where Deuteronomy 16:16 mentions the three ‘feasts’ the Hebrew word is ‘chag’
or ‘hag’. Similar instruction in Exodus 23:14-16 uses ‘chag’ as a verb and
instructs Israel “Three times you shall ‘keep a feast’ (Heb ‘chagag’) to Me
in the year”. A ‘chag’ is a joyous festival. Although Leviticus 23 in many
translations indicates many more occasions are ‘feasts’ the word used there is
not ‘chag’, but “mo’ed”. It indicates special appointments of the Creator, but
not necessarily joyous occasions. Atonement, for instance, is really a solemn
occasion, not a time to have a festival. Deuteronomy 16 and Exodus 23:14-17
are focusing on the joyous occasions. All the ‘chag’s are mo’edim, but not all
mo’edim are ‘chag’s. Israel was expected to travel to God’s house for the
‘chag’s.
These pilgrimage festivals were the occasions an offering was to be
brought. In an agrarian society this only makes sense. They
harvested
the crops, made the pilgrimage and gave an offering. At
Unleavened Bread,
if they didn't have any new harvest, they probably had a
surplus from the previous
year. Why go to the trouble to give part
of their offering on the
first of Unleavened Bread and then another portion on
the last day of Unleavened
Bread? Their offering was probably decided at
the time they left home at
the start of their journey. It would make
little sense to withhold some of
it just so they would have something to give
again a few days later. That
would have only multiplied the work.
The fact that we are not generally an agrarian society does not require
that things be done differently. Yes, most of us can divide our offering
into multiple pieces depending on how many collections are being taken.
Does that mean that multiple collections should be taken? The answer
seems self-evident. No it does not.
Actually it makes more sense that the offerings were not given on the
Holy days at all. What chaos that would have been to have literally every
head of household in the country show up at once on the Holy day to drop off
their sheep, ox, cow, doves or pigeons and multiple sacks of multiple grains
and dried fruit. That would have made the moneychangers in Messiah's day
look like amateurs.
Perhaps if we thought about
this we could come up with a much better
system. A box in the back of
the auditorium would allow everyone to more
freely give as opposed to being
subject to a collection. This would
eliminate work and free up the time
taken from services. It would also
allow everyone to actually hear the
message instead of needing to count the
profits like money changers. It
would also put the responsibility for
making the gift more squarely on the
one responsible for giving. Finally
it could eliminate almost entirely
the need to handle this on the Holy days.
Passing the plate by everyone in a church service is an act of
intimidation to a certain degree. The Creator is not looking to intimidate
His people into obedience. He wants us to willingly live to His expectation.
The instruction in Deuteronomy is to the people to give, not to the ministry
to extract an offering. The heart of each person is evident when they are
allowed to give. It is not so evident when there is intimidation involved.
The tradition at the “Fall” Holy days seems to
have little in common with what the scripture says. Where one offering is
specified the tradition dictates four. One is during the Feast of
Tabernacles as specified and three others not on the occasion of the Feast of
Tabernacles. Certainly for an agrarian society this makes no sense at
all. If I have one calf to give, how do I do that? If the ancient
examples are for our benefit it appears they are being ignored. All in all this author is baffled trying to reconcile
this practice to scripture and the historical record.
Even for modern society the offering on the 8th Day makes little
sense. Since the offering is to be based, "according to the blessing
of the Lord your God which He has given you." (Deut 16:17bc) How
many who have attended the entire eight day festival have
had a significant additional unexpected blessing for which it would be
appropriate to give another offering? Certainly the Feast is a blessing
of itself, but this should not be any great surprise to anyone. The
blessing in verse 17 seems to be referring back to verse 15, "because the Lord
your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands
so that you surely rejoice." We are to give according as
God has blessed what we have produced. Generally this would be based on
our income. Many earn no income while they are attending the Feast.
So why should there be a second offering?
Because of the nature of travel, only those living a great distance from
Jerusalem arrived very early. Anyone living in Israel itself could walk
to Jerusalem in a few days. Most would not "appear before the
Lord" until about the time of the Feast. Were those that arrived in Jerusalem
early required to give an offering on Trumpets and Atonement, but those that
came on time were not? Or did they give it in their home areas? If
so, why did they have to go to Jerusalem to appear before the
Lord? In any case did they save part of their offering for
the Last Great Day? Why bother with that? It makes more sense that
they gave it as they arrived, before the Holy day or possibly after. They
then had to concern themselves about it no more.
The offering on Atonement is particularly troubling. Absolutely no
work was to be done on that day. Yet the tradition would have ancient
Israel loading up their grain, animals and dried fruit and trucking it to the
temple to be sorted, arranged and stacked by the Levites. Granted cash
and checks are not heavy, but typically they are counted, checked and balanced
immediately after the offering. So is the work of an accountant the only
exception to God's direction of Leviticus 23:28-32? How do we know that
to be so?
According to Jewish tradition in the Talmud only on the weeks of
Unleavened Bread, Pentecost and Tabernacles were all the courses of the priests
present in Jerusalem to handle the increased workload. “At the three
Feasts all twenty-four Courses of priests were present at the Temple and shared
equally in the offerings.”(Sukkot 5.6,
footnote 13 of The Mishnah
translated by H. Danby) Of the annual festivals, only on the pilgrimage festivals was there an offering that was determined by the
people. “The following are the things
for which no definite quantity is prescribed.
The corners [of the field],
first fruits, [the offerings brought] on appearing
[before the Lord at the three
pilgrim festivals]…” (Pe'ah 1, The
Babylonian Talmud translated by Dr. S. Lehrman).
It should be noted that all the priests were
at hand for the entire week
around Pentecost. There would have been no need
for everyone to show up
with their offering on the Holy day itself. Because
of many differences in our
practice and the minimal amount of effort required
to handle a Holy day
offering it might not be contrary to the spirit of God’s
instruction to give
the offering on the actual Holy day. On the other hand
it would not be
contrary to mail it somewhere either. In any case a box in
the back of
the meeting hall with the contents organized after the Sabbath would
certainly
be superior to a collection during the service with the offering
organized and
rushed to the bank at the earliest possible
moment.
According to the Talmud, the priests expected only one offering for each
festival. "He who did not bring his festal offering on the first
festival day
of the Feast, may bring it during the whole of the Festival even
on the last
festival day!": (Babylonian Talmud - Chagigah 17a, Soncino, Ed.
Rabbi Dr. I.
Epstein).
On each of the Holy days
Leviticus 23 specifies that ‘no customary work’
should be done except one.
That one day is Atonement. On that day
absolutely no work of any sort was
to be done (except of course what was
required for the high Priest and the
Atonement ceremony). This
prohibition is repeated three times, once in
each of the following verses; 28,
30, 31. Did all Israel show up on that
day with an offering for the
priests to handle? God forbid! Yet this
tradition has been to
not only collect an offering, but have a group of
members waiting in the back
room to count and organize it for banking, immediately
after it is collected.
Is it wrong to give to
God? Certainly not.
However we are to honor
God the way he wants to be honored, not how we, or the
leadership in the church corporation wants to do
it. What we do must be in
harmony with God’s way. To suggest that
people give extra on the occasion
of the Holy days would not be a
problem. However if one claims that the
word of God says we are to give
multiple times during a festival or on a day
that is not one of the three festivals,
one is miss-speaking for God.
This
is called taking the name of God in vain! It misrepresents His published
will.
I have heard some suggest that because offerings were offered on the
altar on each Holy day, we take up a collection on each Holy day.
Actually an offering on the altar made by fire was done every day of the
year.
(Num. 28:3) So these specifically designated offerings on the
altar are
not unique to the Holy days at all. Extra offerings were offered on the
Holy days, but extra offerings were also offered on the non-holy days during
Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles too. If these extra offerings are the
reason for the collections on all the Holy days, in order to be consistent an
offering should also be collected on every day of Unleavened Bread and every
day of the Feast of Tabernacles too, if not every day of the year.
If the reason for our holy day offerings are these extra specifically
prescribed offerings what does Deuteronomy 16:16 have to do with our
offering? Why do we read it almost every time we take up an
offering?
It is concerned with the free will offerings from all the
people. 17
"Every man shall give as he is able.." What does that
have to do with the
"
offering made by fire" each
sacrifice of which was dictated
specifically by God in Numbers 28-29 and was
performed exclusively by the
Priests? There is really no connection
between the freewill offering of Deuteronomy 16:16 and
the precisely prescribed
offerings 'made by fire'.
In the time of Hezekiah, he contributed the offerings made by fire all
year, not the common people. "[He appointed] also the king's portion of his
substance for the burnt offerings, [to wit], for the morning and evening burnt
offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths,
and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as [it is] written in the law of
the LORD" (II Chr. 31:3). This practice of the ruler
providing the special offerings is affirmed in Ezekiel 45:17.
All things considered this tradition of collecting offerings on all annual holy
days has no basis in scripture. It is a twisting of the instruction of
the Creator. It is also a testament to the intransigence that can form
when men put their trust in themselves and other humans instead of their
Creator.