I. Among the Is'ra-el-ites certain institutions of worship were observed
at regular intervals of time which have been called the =Periodical
Institutions=. These were:
1. =The Sabbath=, observed one day in seven; of which the root idea is
the giving to God a portion of our time. (See references in the Old
Testament: Gen. 2. 3; Exod. 20. 8-11; Isa. 56. 2; 58. 13.) In the New
Testament we find the first day of the week gradually taking its place
among the early Christians (Acts 20. 7; 1 Cor. 26. 2; Rev. 1. 10).
2. =The New Moon=, which was the opening day of each month; regarded as
a sacred day, and celebrated with religious services (Num. 10. 10; 2
Kings 4. 23).
3. =The Seven Annual Solemnities=, the important occasions of the year,
six feasts and one fast day.
4. =The Sabbatical Year.= One year in every seven was to be observed as
a year of rest, and the ground was not to be tilled (Lev. 25. 2-7).
5. =The Year of Jubilee.= Once in fifty years the Is'ra-el-ites were
commanded to give liberty to slaves, freedom to debtors, and general
restitution of alienated inheritances (Lev. 25. 9, 10). How far the
"Sabbatical Year" and "the Year of Jubilee" were actually kept among the
Is'ra-el-ites we have no means of knowing; but the commands concerning
them were given in the law.
II. We take for special notice among these periodical institutions the
=Seven Annual Solemnities= of the =Sacred Year=. Most of these were
instituted in the time of Mo'ses, but two of them arose later. We
consider them all, however, in this place, rather than at the closing of
the history, where two of the feasts properly belong. These may be
classified as:
1. =The Three Great Feasts=: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles; all
observed at the capital, and requiring the people to make annual
pilgrimages to Je-ru'sa-lem.