The Work We Don’t Do

Discovering Rest and Redemption
in God’s Feast Days

In the rhythm of God’s calendar found in Leviticus 23, there’s a beautiful detail tucked into the commands for Israel’s sacred feasts—two distinct Hebrew phrases that both speak of rest but carry very different implications.

Some of these holy days are marked by the phrase “you shall do no ordinary work” (Hebrew: melekhet avodah), while others are more stringent, commanding “you shall do no work at all” (kol-melekah). This isn’t just a difference in intensity—it’s a difference in meaning. And when we look closely, we discover that these distinctions shine light on God’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ.

The Feasts: A Divine Blueprint
​The seven biblical feasts outlined in Leviticus 23 are more than historical or agricultural observances. They are prophetic appointments—a divine blueprint pointing to the redemptive work of Jesus.

The Four Spring Feasts (Fulfilled in Jesus’ First Coming):

1. The Feast of Passover – His death
2. The Feast of Unleavened Bread – His burial and removal of sin
3. The Feast of Firstfruits – His resurrection
4. The Feast of Pentecost – The giving of the Holy Spirit

The Three Fall Feasts (Foreshadowing His Second Coming):

1. The Feast of Trumpets – The rapture and announcement of judgment
2. The Fest of The Day of Atonement – Final judgment and national atonement
3. The Feast of Tabernacles – His millennial reign and eternal dwelling with His people

Each feast reveals a unique aspect of God's redemptive story—and at the heart of every one is Jesus.

1. “Do No Ordinary Work” — A Call to Reflect
   Six of these feasts—Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost (Weeks), Trumpets, and Tabernacles—use the Hebrew phrase: “You shall do no ordinary work.” (melekhet avodah)
   
   This refers to regular occupational work, the kind we do to earn a living or provide for our needs. God calls His people to pause from striving on these days—not because work is bad, but because remembrance is better.
   
   These are days for gathering, rejoicing, and reflecting. They invite us to participate—through worship, obedience, and celebration—but they never suggest that we earn anything from God.
   
   Prophetic meaning: These feasts symbolize our response to what God has done, reminding us of His deliverance, receiving His Spirit, and preparing for His return. We are active in worship but passive in redemption—it is God who saves.
   
   
2. “Do No Work at All” — A Call to Rest Completely
   There are only two occasions where the command intensifies:
   The weekly Sabbath (Leviticus 23:3)
   The Feast of The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:28, 30–31)
   
   Here, the Hebrew phrase is kol-melekah—literally, “no work of any kind.” This is not just a break from your job; it’s a total ceasing, a sacred pause so complete that all striving must stop.
   
   The Feast of The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
   This most solemn of days focuses entirely on God’s work of atonement. The people were called to afflict themselves (fast) in repentance and rest while the high priest carried out the sacrificial rites.
   
   “It is a Sabbath of solemn rest… you shall afflict yourselves.” Leviticus 23:32
   
   Prophetic meaning: This foreshadows Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice. On the cross, He did the full work of atonement. We bring nothing to the altar but our sin and sorrow. He provides the rest, the cleansing, and the restoration.
   
   We contribute nothing to our salvation.
   It is a complete, divine act.
   Our role is simply to receive, repent, and rest.
   
   The Weekly Sabbath
   Each Sabbath is a weekly rhythm of grace, a reminder that God is Creator, Provider, and Sustainer. It’s not just about ceasing work; it’s about trusting Him to uphold the world—and us—without our help.
   
   “There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God… for the one who has entered His rest has also rested from his own works, as God did from His.” Hebrews 4:9–10
   
   ​Prophetic meaning: The Sabbath points to our eternal rest in Christ. Just as God rested after creation, so we rest in the finished work of Jesus.

The Work We Don’t Do
God built rhythms of remembrance and rest into His calendar—and into ours.

• Six feasts that prohibit “ordinary work” remind us that while we may participate in the celebration, God is the source of every good gift.
• Two sacred times that demand complete rest remind us that the work of creation and salvation belongs to Him alone.

We live in a culture that prizes hustle and glorifies self-effort. But the biblical feasts tell another story—a story of grace, where the greatest spiritual breakthroughs happen not when we strive, but when we stop. In both creation and redemption, the message is clear: God works. We rest. Jesus is enough.

​What if the deepest spiritual breakthroughs in your life aren’t found in doing more—but in learning to truly rest in what Jesus has already done?