Thank you so much to NetGalley and Moody Publishing for my copy of 7 Feasts by Erin Davis in exchange for an honest review. It published June 2, 2020.
The set up of this book is really interesting and awesome. This would definitely be a great set up to read with a small group! Such an important topic.

This was such an amazing study. I enjoyed learning about the different feasts and all that was taught. The devotional style of this study was beautifully done. I adored it and definitely recommend it !

A great study tool to understanding who God is thru the Old Testament Feasts. Going thru each feasts and the purpose that the feast accomplish can set our heart on heavenly things. The feasts were given as an object lesson and application for the Jewish people. It also is a form of worship and devotion.

This is a great resource to learn about the Feasts and to dive deeper into God's word.

A special Thank you to Moody Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

7 Feasts is a better book than I am able to give it credit for. I read it on my Kindle and it's not a book that is conducive to online reading. I'm pretty sure that my enjoyment (or lack thereof) is a direct result of reading it online rather than in print. The formatting is all off online and I found it difficult to be able to tell when one day ended and another began. I honestly have not finished reading it because I find it too confusing to focus on due to the formatting problems. I'd love to read 7 Feasts in print form. I'm sorry I can't really comment on the content of the book. The formatting problems were just too distracting. Of what I did manage to read, I enjoyed.

2 stars
7 Feasts
by Erin Davis
The whole premise of this book is so good and I was very excited to read it. However, Davis did not deliver at all. For example, I very much disagree with the author's take on generational sin. It makes me wonder if the rest of her theology is suspect too.
There is minimal good information in this book but the farther I read, the more suspect the author's theology gets. I am rather disappointed as this had the potential to be a very powerful learning tool.
I, unfortunately, cannot recommend this book at all.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own.

"7 Feasts" is an eight-week Bible study. Each week had an introduction, then five days of study on one of the feasts, and a final section that asked three questions about what we learned. After a week introducing the study and how we're going to use Scripture to interpret Scripture, each week focused on one of the feasts: The Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, The Feast of Firstfruits, The Feast of Weeks, The Feast of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement, The Feast of Booths. The author had you read the regulations for each feast as recorded in Leviticus and then brought out related verses (mostly from the New Testament) that help the reader better understand the feast and how Jesus fulfilled the intent of feast. Since I've studied the feasts before, this information was not new for me. However, I would recommend this study for personal or group study if you've never studied this information before.

Unformatted advance copy difficult to work with, gave up; hopefully finished product is much better....

7 Feasts is an 8 week Bible study with a focus of finding Jesus in the 7 feasts/sacred celebrations in the Old Testament. These feasts include Passover, Feast of the Unleavened Bread, Feast of First-Fruits, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths. I had heard of all of these feasts before, but the only one I was really familiar with was Passover. So, I appreciated gaining more insight about each of these feasts, and connecting them to Jesus. There was one week of study dedicated to each feast, and the weekly material was broken into 5 daily sessions. Each day had a big idea and a scripture to look up. There are also questions throughout the study. An example of something that was meaningful to me in this study was thinking about the Feast of First-Fruits. This feast serves as a reminder that we need to give our best to God. God gave us His best with Jesus, so we need to give it all to Him.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, through Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

Food brings people together. Whether it is breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any other time, it is always a good opportunity to meet people. In times of celebration, we feast and enjoy the lavish food. Across all countries, cultures, and communities, if there is any one timeless tradition, eating and drinking would be it. One of the best ways to understand the roots of this tradition is to learn from ancient cultures. Such historical surveys will inform the modern mind that there is really nothing new under the sun. Author Erin Davis takes the reader through seven Jewish feasts over an eight week period. For each week, there are five daily studies that we can accompany with a Bible, a pen, and some friends to ponder over the message. Instead of jumping straight into the feasts, Davis dedicates the first week to teaching some basics of how to rightly handle the Word of God. By providing some guidelines on how to read the Bible, readers are reminded to learn to handle the Word with care, before jumping into the text. Such reminders are necessary to warn us against spiritual amnesia. Gradually, she encourages us to change our pattern for living, in order to live out biblical principles in all that we do. After the first week of preparing the heart and mind, readers will then be ready to plunge into the study of the sacred celebrations of the Old Testament.


The first feast is the Passover. We learn about the origins of the sacrificial lamb as God's way of freeing Israelites from Egyptian slavery. Such a sacrifice is needed to cover our sins. We are made new and given a new lease of life. The second feast is the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, which comes the night after the Passover. We go through lessons to be aware of the dangers of sin which threaten our spiritual lives with Christ. The Feast of First-Fruits reminds us to give God our very best. The author guides us through various ways in which the gospel enables us to give our best to God. That is because God has led by giving us His very best. The Feast of Weeks is an opportunity to be grateful to God. While we are called to be grateful for all things at all times, it is helpful to sharpen our gratitude from time to time. This we can do during the remembrance of this period. We also learn not to be wimps but spiritual lions. The Feast of Trumpets celebrate the triumph of God. Like the horn of God that proclaims salvation and victory, we too rejoice to know that God's Kingdom has come and will come again. The Day of Atonement is that day when priests enter the holy of holies to atone for the sins of God's people. One cannot miss the significance of the atonement as each day of that week, we are reminded of the Perfect Atonement: Jesus Christ. The Feast of Booths is that 8-day celebration in autumn after harvest. We are told not to forget the benefits God has bestowed on us. In all of these feasts reminders, we see clearly how Christ completely fulfilled the essence of the feasts. He is the perfect Passover Lamb. He guides us away from sin. He shows us how to give thanks and to celebrate the triumph at the cross. He is the Perfect Sacrifice, the Perfect Example, and the Perfect Victory.

My Thoughts
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I appreciate Davis's many reminders about the nature of reading the Bible. Let me highlight three of them. First, I appreciate the reminder about how to handle the Word of God. There are some Christians who tend to be too hasty about reading the Bible. They jump in with a laserlike focus on what and how the text can benefit them. It is like saying to God, "Ok, what can YOU do for me!" attitude. Such a behaviour would lead one to eisegesis (reading our thoughts into the Bible) instead of exegesis (Drawing out the meaning from the Bible). Any Bible Study book will need to provide helpful guides not only for the novice but also the experienced Bible study group member. For the newbie, it is a welcome introduction to the world of Bible studies. For the experienced, it keeps us away from spiritual amnesia.

Second, I like the constant explicit reminders to the Person of Christ. For Jesus Himself has said that He came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill them. In Him, the Law is Perfectly satisfied. Thus, when we study the Old Testament and the feasts, we must remember to always come back to Jesus, who epitomizes the ultimate fulfillment of the purpose of the Law. Some feasts are easier to identify with Christ, like the Passover Lamb and the Day of Atonement.

Third, we are reminded to take what we learn and put them into practice. Davis leaves ample space for us to do just that. We are encouraged to take notes, to write down our thoughts, and to apply what we learn into our own lives. Through the discussion, not only can we expand on the meaning and applications, we can also hold one another accountable.

This short guide through the seven feasts is a creative way to bridge the historical Old Testament feasts with the New Testament focus on Christ. One will learn a lot just by going through the series. Davis did not give us a lot of background with regard to the feasts, but just enough for us to apply gospel eyes to the meaning and significance of the ancient rituals.

Erin Davis is popular speaker, author, and blogger who has authored several books such as Connected, Beyond Bath Time, and books in the My Name is Erin series. She contributes regularly to True Woman blog.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Moody Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

“7 Feasts” by Erin Davis is a 8 week Bible study which focuses on creating a link from the feasts of the Old Testament, through the Gospel, to the reader’s life today. Leviticus 23 is the starting point but this is not a book centered on the history and traditions of the feasts but rather how they foreshadow Jesus’ arrival and His life on earth and then what they teach the reader.

Each week Erin shares a big idea related to one feast creating context for the week ahead. Each day she unpacks pieces of the big idea giving the reader plenty of Biblical exploration tasks and reflection questions. I took it day by day and found myself eager to dig in each day! It surprised me to see beautiful connections in the Old Testament to Jesus and excited me to know I could live out the lessons the next day.

This is one not to be rushed if you are going to get the most out of it. It is one to park in, ponder over and enjoy! There are large Biblical constructs like sacrifice to digest and simple practices like Sabbath rest to work into your day. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, I feel more connected to God and grateful for my fresh understanding of the feasts. It is a five out of five on the enJOYment scale and highly recommended.

I am so thankful to have received a copy of Erin Davis' study on the 7 Feasts of the Old Testament. I learned so much about the significance of the feasts and how it connects to us now. It's a lot of information to take in, especially if you're a newly born again Christian, but Erin is so encouraging with each day's devotion. I'm challenged to include the celebration of these feasts in my own life. I went through this study on my own, but I would also recommend this book for a women's Bible study group, I would go through this study again with a group!

*The only thing I noticed that should be corrected is in Week 3, Day 3 (page 114 I believe). Scripture reference says Hebrews 21:1, but should be 12:1. I'm sure someone will catch this leading up to the publication date, but I thought I'd include it in here :)

This is a good general overview of the 7 Feasts. There is an introductory week and then one week on each feast. From a study perspective, the author has a LOT of references back and forth throughout the Bible. This is one of those studies where the user will be doing a lot of flipping pages, copying verses, underlining, drawing arrows, etc. What I felt was missing was an in depth explanation of exactly how each of these feasts was held and how these feasts are practiced today. The reader was directed to look at the verses about each feast, but rarely were more specific details provided. The author referenced meeting with a rabbi, so it was disappointing that there was little information provided about how the current Jewish population celebrates these feasts. Overall, this is a good introduction to the feasts, but not a lot of in depth detail is provided.

I received an ARC via NetGalley.

First sentence: I learned from my grandma to love puzzles.

7 Feasts is a Bible Study drawn from a study of Leviticus 23. Intimidated by Leviticus? Don't be. For while the study theoretically should be largely drawn from Leviticus--this particular chapter--Davis pulls in texts from the Old Testament and New Testament that shed some light on what is being studied. There is an introductory chapter about the importance of remembering and observing; included in this first week's study is the importance of handling Scripture rightly. Readers are taught six rules. (I'll quote them below). Then the subsequent seven chapters are about the seven feasts: The Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, The Feast of Firstfruits, The Feast of Weeks, The Feast of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement, The Feast of Booths. Each week has five devotions or studies.

The six rules of handling Scripture rightly:

Rule #1: We let Scripture interpret Scripture. It is essential for us to interpret a passage in light of what the rest of Scripture says on the topic.

Rule #2: We pay close attention to context. Every word in the Bible is part of a verse. Every verse is part of a paragraph. Every paragraph is part of a book. Every book is part of the whole of Scripture. No verse of Scripture should be divorced from the verses around it.

Rule #3: Pause to consider what type of book or passage you’re reading. Here are some broad categories that can be used to help us understand the context of most Scripture passages: 1) Epistles or Letters 2) Gospels 3) Parables 4) Eschatology 5) Apocalyptic 6) Law 7) Historical Narrative 8) Hebrew Poetry 9) Prophecy 10) Wisdom

Rule #4: Try to discern the writer’s intentions when he wrote the text. A passage cannot mean something to us today that it was never intended to mean to the original audience. The Bible is unique in its timelessness.

Rule #5: Keep it simple. The Bible is not a book of riddles to be solved. God is not a God of confusion, but of clarity (1 Cor. 14:33). He has not spoken in order to conceal, but to be understood and known (Isa. 48:6, Jer. 33:3). When we open God’s Word, it is the plain meaning of the text we are seeking to understand.

Rule #6: Always take a God-centered approach. Avoid looking at Scripture primarily to better understand yourself or correct your actions. Ask yourself “What does this show me about God?” before you ask, “What does this tell me about me?” or “What should I do?” Right application of Scripture is only ever an outflow of right understanding of who God is.

These are rules that readers can take with them and use every time they read and study Scripture. These are also helpful rules when it comes to DISCERNING another person's preaching or teaching. If someone is telling you something is true that clearly violates one or more of these rules of how to interpret and understand Scripture--you can spot it.

The rules are definitely one of the most practical takeaways from reading the book.

The weekly studies. For better or worse. The studies keep thing very simple, very basic. The activities are definitely more about understanding the original context of the seven feasts and less on the actual details of the feasts and how specifically Christ is to be found. So if you come to this one specifically looking for Christ-types, Christ-symbols, talk of imagery, meaning, significance, etc., you might be disappointed. Or if you come seeking a geeky-guide to the actual feasts and how they were and how they are celebrated by Jews...you might be slightly disappointed.

That being said, what is here is of value and worth. The activities are more LOOK UP THESE SCRIPTURES, WRITE OUT THESE SCRIPTURES, WHAT IS BEING SAID, WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT GOD, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, etc. And the activities are not ridiculous me-centered activities. We don't get any of the absurd: WHAT DOES THIS VERSE MEAN TO YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS PASSAGE MIGHT MEAN, HOW DOES THIS MAKE YOU FEEL. The questions are solid enough that there's no wish-washiness.

The book definitely teaches about the doctrines of sin correctly. And the book is grounded in the gospel of truth and grace as laid out clearly in the Word of God.

There are definite application moments throughout the book.

7 Feasts by Erin Davis helps women dig into God's Word and learn the significance of Old Testament festivals and celebrations. While it's not necessary to celebrate the feasts, our understanding of them can certainly help us see how Jesus fulfills them all. What a beatiful journey Davis takes readers on! And she doesn't just spoon feed you, but she guides you to study the Word for yourself. Not only that, but she'll help you to apply and pray God's Word like never before.

Whether you study through Erin Davis's 7 Feasts alone or in a group, you're guaranteed to be floored once again by how beautiful God's Word is and how Jesus fulfills every promise and every word picture. It's a beautifully laid out Bible study, one to be savored and feasted upon. Thanks, Erin, for helping us see Jesus in the Old Testament.

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

7 Feasts by Erin Davis is a solid and thought provoking Bible study. Erin takes the reader through the feasts of the Bible and helps the reader study and understand their importance.

The books description says:
The significance of these feasts and why God wanted His people to celebrate
How each of them point to Jesus and His work in redemption
Why all of this matters for our lives today
You will discover that passages you once skimmed over are now rich and meaningful in your life today.
I have learned a lot from this study and recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand the feasts.

It's an OK study. Pretty basic, but I guess this would be useful for fairly new converts. The author covers some of the feasts in more detail than others, but I would've liked a bit more historical background.

7 FEASTS, Finding Christ in the Sacred Celebrations of the Old Testament, by ERIN DAVIS is a wonderful book, well researched and well written, easy to read and understand. Based largely on Leviticus, the author shows us the gospel in the feasts. The book is full of scriptural references between the Old and New Testaments, and the reader is encouraged to really take part in the study. It could also be used in a group bible study. It is encouraging and, I would say, a "must read" for any woman who is serious about living for Christ. Although the author speaks to women the truths in this book apply to everyone. She has a lovely, easy way of writing that really involves the reader on every level.
Having been blessed to be part of a church where the biblical feasts and what Jesus did for us in His death and resurrection were celebrated, the book really resonated with me and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Moody Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.