Commemorating the Feast of Tabernacle
This festival was the third great occasion that all Hebrew males were required to
observe every year (Leviticus 23:33-44) “and the Lord Yahweh spoke to Moses,
saying, speak to the children of Israel, saying, the fifteenth day of this seventh
month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days to the Lord Yahweh. On
the first day shall be an holy convocation; you shall do no servile work therein.
Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord Yahweh o the
eighth day shall be an holy convocation to you; and you shall offer an offering
made by fire to the Lord Yahweh; it is a solemn assembly; and you shall do no
servile work therein. These are the feasts of the Lord Yahweh, which you shall
proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord
Yahweh; a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings,
every thing upon its day. Beside the Sabbaths of the Lord Yahweh and beside
your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which
you give to the Lord Yahweh. Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month,
when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep a feast to the
Lord Yahweh seven days; on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth
day shall be a Sabbath. And you shall take you on the first day the boughs of
goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall
rejoice before the Lord Yahweh your God seven days. And you shall keep it a
feast to the Lord Yahweh seven days in the year, it shall be a statute for ever in
your generations, you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in
booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths. That your
generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when
I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am the Lord Yahweh your God. And
Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord Yahweh”.
This festival began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month shortly after the
observance of the Day of Atonement, which fell on the tenth day. The Festival
of Booths lasted for one week and involved a pilgrimage. It fell at the end of the
year (Exodus 34:22) when all the work of farming had been completed.
On the first and eighth days of the festival, no one was to do any work, and
burnt offerings were given to the Lord. During the other days, the people were
to gather palm fronds and tree branches to construct rough shelters in which
they would live during the week of the festival. This served as a vivid reminder
to the people of how God had protected and guided them when they had lived in
portable, temporary structures in the wilderness.
The people publicly recited the covenant between them and God as given to
them by Moses. This was meant to keep fresh in their minds the obligations as
well as the blessings of their special relationship with God (Numbers 6:22-27)
“and the Lord Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying. Speak to Aaron and to his
sons, saying, On this wise you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them.
The Lord Yahweh bless you, and keep you. The Lord Yahweh make His face
shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord Yahweh lift up His
countenance upon you, and give you peace. And they shall put My name upon
the children of Israel, and I will bless them”.
This weeklong celebration reminded the people of God’s protection and
guidance in the desert (Psalms 105:37, 41-45) “He brought them forth also with
silver and gold; and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. He
opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a
river. For He remembered His holy promise, and Abraham His servant. And He
brought forth His people with joy, and His chosen with gladness. And gave them
the lands of the heathen; and they inherited the labor of the people. That they
might observe His statutes, and keep His laws. Praise you the Lord Yahweh”.
This festival renewed Israel’s commitment to God and inspired trust in His
continued guidance and protection (Deuteronomy 16:13-17) “you shall observe
the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that you have gathered in your corn
and your wine. And you shall rejoice in your feast, you, and your son, and your
daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, the
stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are inside your gates. Seven
days shall you keep a solemn feast to the Lord Yahweh your God in the place
which the Lord Yahweh shall choose; because the Lord Yahweh your God in the
place which the Lord Yahweh your God shall bless in all your increase, and in all
the works of your hands, therefore you shall surely rejoice. Three times in a
year shall all your males appear before the Lord Yahweh your God in the place
which He shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of
weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the
Lord empty. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the
Lord Yahweh your God which He has given you”.
A particularly significant observance of the festival of booths took place in the
time of Ezra after the exiles joyously returned from Babylon (Nehemiah 8:13-18)
“and on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all
the people, the priest, and the Levites, to Ezra.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: September 10, 2010
This festival was the third great occasion that all Hebrew males were required to
observe every year (Leviticus 23:33-44) “and the Lord Yahweh spoke to Moses,
saying, speak to the children of Israel, saying, the fifteenth day of this seventh
month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days to the Lord Yahweh. On
the first day shall be an holy convocation; you shall do no servile work therein.
Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord Yahweh o the
eighth day shall be an holy convocation to you; and you shall offer an offering
made by fire to the Lord Yahweh; it is a solemn assembly; and you shall do no
servile work therein. These are the feasts of the Lord Yahweh, which you shall
proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord
Yahweh; a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings,
every thing upon its day. Beside the Sabbaths of the Lord Yahweh and beside
your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which
you give to the Lord Yahweh. Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month,
when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep a feast to the
Lord Yahweh seven days; on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth
day shall be a Sabbath. And you shall take you on the first day the boughs of
goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall
rejoice before the Lord Yahweh your God seven days. And you shall keep it a
feast to the Lord Yahweh seven days in the year, it shall be a statute for ever in
your generations, you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in
booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths. That your
generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when
I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am the Lord Yahweh your God. And
Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord Yahweh”.
This festival began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month shortly after the
observance of the Day of Atonement, which fell on the tenth day. The Festival
of Booths lasted for one week and involved a pilgrimage. It fell at the end of the
year (Exodus 34:22) when all the work of farming had been completed.
On the first and eighth days of the festival, no one was to do any work, and
burnt offerings were given to the Lord. During the other days, the people were
to gather palm fronds and tree branches to construct rough shelters in which
they would live during the week of the festival. This served as a vivid reminder
to the people of how God had protected and guided them when they had lived in
portable, temporary structures in the wilderness.
The people publicly recited the covenant between them and God as given to
them by Moses. This was meant to keep fresh in their minds the obligations as
well as the blessings of their special relationship with God (Numbers 6:22-27)
“and the Lord Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying. Speak to Aaron and to his
sons, saying, On this wise you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them.
The Lord Yahweh bless you, and keep you. The Lord Yahweh make His face
shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord Yahweh lift up His
countenance upon you, and give you peace. And they shall put My name upon
the children of Israel, and I will bless them”.
This weeklong celebration reminded the people of God’s protection and
guidance in the desert (Psalms 105:37, 41-45) “He brought them forth also with
silver and gold; and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. He
opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a
river. For He remembered His holy promise, and Abraham His servant. And He
brought forth His people with joy, and His chosen with gladness. And gave them
the lands of the heathen; and they inherited the labor of the people. That they
might observe His statutes, and keep His laws. Praise you the Lord Yahweh”.
This festival renewed Israel’s commitment to God and inspired trust in His
continued guidance and protection (Deuteronomy 16:13-17) “you shall observe
the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that you have gathered in your corn
and your wine. And you shall rejoice in your feast, you, and your son, and your
daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, the
stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are inside your gates. Seven
days shall you keep a solemn feast to the Lord Yahweh your God in the place
which the Lord Yahweh shall choose; because the Lord Yahweh your God in the
place which the Lord Yahweh your God shall bless in all your increase, and in all
the works of your hands, therefore you shall surely rejoice. Three times in a
year shall all your males appear before the Lord Yahweh your God in the place
which He shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of
weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the
Lord empty. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the
Lord Yahweh your God which He has given you”.
A particularly significant observance of the festival of booths took place in the
time of Ezra after the exiles joyously returned from Babylon (Nehemiah 8:13-18)
“and on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all
the people, the priest, and the Levites, to Ezra.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: September 10, 2010
