Interlude: Beyond Leviticus 23 — Purim, Hanukkah, and God’s Ongoing Faithfulness

Up to this point in our journey, we have been walking through the LORD’s appointed feasts—the sacred times God Himself gave to Israel in Leviticus 23. These days are unique in Scripture. They are called appointed times because they were not invented by a culture, adopted by a community, or developed through tradition. They were instituted by God, woven into Israel’s covenant life at Sinai, and designed to teach His people—and ultimately the world—about redemption.

That is why we have treated them with special care.

Why This Pause Matters

Each feast in Leviticus 23 carried divine authority. Each was anchored to the sacrificial system. Each functioned within the Mosaic covenant as a holy appointment between God and His people. And each, as we have seen, pointed forward to Jesus Christ—the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.

And yet, as the biblical story continues beyond Sinai, two other festivals rise naturally into view: Purim and Hanukkah.

• They are not part of Leviticus 23.
• They are not called “the feasts of the LORD.”
• They are not grounded in the sacrificial calendar of Moses.

So why include them?

Because while they are not covenant commands, they are biblical in storyline, deeply formative in Jewish life, and essential for understanding how God continued to preserve His people long after the giving of the Law. Including them also allows us to address—clearly and pastorally—questions many believers are asking today, especially questions stirred up by Hebrew Roots–style teaching.

Purim and Hanukkah help us answer those questions with both biblical clarity and Christian charity.

Commanded Feasts and Commemorative Festivals

One of the most important distinctions Scripture itself makes is between what God commands and what God’s people commemorate.

Purim emerges from Israel’s exile in Persia, centuries after Moses. Hanukkah arises from persecution during the intertestamental period and the fight to worship God faithfully. Neither festival adds to the Law. Neither replaces the feasts of Leviticus 23. Instead, they bear witness to the same faithful God working beyond the covenant framework of Sinai.

This distinction matters.

Without it, we risk flattening Scripture—treating all biblical practices as equally binding—or drifting toward a form of Torah obligation the New Testament does not support. With it, we are free to honor God’s work in history without confusing remembrance with requirement.

God’s Faithfulness Beyond Sinai

What Purim and Hanukkah share—despite their different historical settings—is a single, powerful theme we have already seen again and again: God preserves His people and keeps His promises.

Purim tells the story of preservation in exile—when God’s people had no temple, no sacrifices, no king, and no prophet. Hanukkah tells the story of preservation under persecution—when faithful worship was threatened and obedience came at great cost.

Neither festival is rooted at Sinai. Yet both testify to the same covenant-keeping God who never abandons His people.

And in a series centered on Jesus, that matters deeply—because the God who preserved Israel through exile and persecution is the God who brought the Messiah into the world at exactly the right time.

Why We Include Purim and Hanukkah

We include Purim and Hanukkah for three clear reasons:

1. They belong to the Bible’s story-world. Purim is explicitly instituted in the book of Esther. Hanukkah, though rooted in the intertestamental period, appears in the New Testament as the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22).
2. They help us clarify categories. Commanded feasts versus commemorative festivals. Meaningful without being binding. Significant without being salvific. Instructive without being obligatory.
3. They deepen the Christ-centered arc of the series. Purim highlights God’s hidden providence. Hanukkah highlights faithfulness under pressure and the triumph of light over darkness. Together, they prepare our hearts to recognize Jesus—the greater Deliverer, the true Light, and the fulfillment of all God’s promises.