Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exodus 23:14-16
Why did God institute these festivals? Are they relevant for us today? What lessons does God want us to learn from these feasts? First of all, God wanted the emancipated slaves not to forget where He brought them from. Humans can forget or lightly esteem sacred things, depriving the coming generations of the true knowledge of God. Again, by these festivals God wanted them to keep in their memory that He is the Creator and supreme owner of the earth and therefore the God of Harvest and the One from whom all blessings flow. Many heathen nations and people attribute harvest to their idols. The Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. Happy Harvest Thanksgiving!