Feast of Tabernacles 

Devotional Reading:Deuteronomy 8:1-11 Background Scripture:Numbers 29:12-40; Leviticus 23:33-43; Deuteronomy 16:13-17; Revelation 14:1-5; 1 Corinthians 15:20-29 Leviticus 23:33-43   33 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. 35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. 37 These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: 38 Beside the sabbaths of the Lord, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the Lord.

 39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. 40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. 41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: 43 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 your God. Key Verses Ye 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 your God. —Leviticus 23:42, 43 Lesson Aims After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to: 1. Describe the historical background for the Feast of Tabernacles

and the ways that the celebration helped the people to remember it. 2. Tell why commemorating significant milestones in one’s heritage is helpful in passing one’s faith to the next generation. 3. Help plan a special service of remembrance for God’s historical blessings of his or her church.  Introduction  A. A Good Feeling The farmer is able to track his progress visually as he plants fields. He can see at a glance how many acres are yet to be sown, and he may experience a sense of accomplishment as each section is completed. After God gives the increase, the harvest is next. An abundant harvest may result in a good feeling in knowing that the work for the year has been done properly. Farm families of the past prepared for winter by accumulating and storing foods and fuel (usually wood) for the months ahead. The preparations could include storing hay and grain for livestock; preserving vegetables and fruits by canning, drying, or freezing; and curing hams. As the winds of winter began, the family could have a good, secure feeling of having prepared properly. Today’s lesson is about the third of the three major annual feasts for Israel: the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast has parallels with the situation of the farmer who has come to the end of the harvest season, just before winter begins. That good feeling of a finished harvest was a positive emotion for the ancient Israelites in the fall of the year. It was a time to celebrate with others. But there was more to it than celebration of “harvest home.”

 B. Lesson Background The first day of every month on the Hebrew calendar was to be observed by the blowing of trumpets and offering of special sacrifices (Numbers 10:10; 28:11-15). The seventh month—known as Tishri, which is late September and early October—was different, however. Its first day was designated for blowing of trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-6), and regular labor was forbidden on that day. That was the first of several special events in this special month. The Day of Atonement (see lesson 12) occurred on the tenth day—the most sacred day of the year—and again normal labor was prohibited. The Feast of Tabernacles added two or three more days of rest to the list (see discussion on Leviticus 23:35, 36 in today’s lesson). Beginning five days after the Day of Atonement, this feast replaced the Day of Atonement’s solemnity with a joyful atmosphere of thanksgiving. The Feast of Tabernacles, like Passover (lesson 10), had a distinct historical connection. For Tabernacles, that connection was the 40 years that the Israelites lived in tents during the wilderness sojourn. The three major pilgrimage feasts are mentioned together, in highly condensed form, in Exodus 23:14-17 (compare Deuteronomy 16:16). The Feast of Tabernacles is also known as the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Ingathering. The latter designation recognizes a harvest motif (not the harvest of barley or wheat, but of olives, dates, etc.) I. Observance Established                                                                 (Leviticus 23:33-36) A. Month and Days (vv. 33, 34)

 33. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, The Bible in its entirety is the Word of God, but in a specific sense the book of Leviticus contains more direct words of the Lord than any other book of the Bible. Dozens of sections begin with the phrase the Lord spake. 34. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. The Feast of Tabernacles is similar to the Feast of Unleavened Bread in that both begin on the fifteenth day of a month and both last for seven days, through the twenty-first day of the month. A new moon determines when a month begins, so a feast that starts on the fifteenth day is accompanied by the brightness of a full moon. This was not only helpful to the Israelites as they left Egypt after the first Passover, it is also a blessing to subsequent celebrants of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Tabernacles. The full moon provides illumination throughout the night. A contrast in diet characterizes these two seven-day feasts. The restriction on leaven (yeast) in the spring feast is a way to recall the haste in the departure from Egypt. For the Feast of Tabernacles, there is on hand an abundance of grain for the breads that are a daily staple, with no restriction on leaven. B. Rest and Sacrifices (vv. 35, 36) 35, 36. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an

offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. A new thought here is that there is an eighth day that is added to the seven days. The eighth day is given a special name that is translated as solemn assembly. (The word being translated is different from those translated holy convocation twice.) It is interesting that the observance in the spring features the one-day Passover followed by the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread, while the fall observance has the reverse: the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles is followed by the one-day solemn assembly. The first day and the eighth day are periods in which no normal work is to be done. These two days of rest are in addition to the regular Sabbath of the week, unless it coincides with one of them (see further in v. 39, below). What Do You Think? What improvements can you make regarding your time-off days? Why is it important to do so? Points for Your Discussion Regarding increased focus on God Regarding the need for rest itself Regarding reexamination of priorities Other Most Christians are aware that Jesus’ death and resurrection occurred at the time of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the first of the three annual pilgrimage feasts. Most also

know that the church began seven weeks later on the Day of Pentecost (the Feast of Weeks), the second annual pilgrimage feast. Many may not be aware, however, that an entire chapter of the Gospel of John, chapter 7, is devoted to describing Jesus attending and teaching at a Feast of Tabernacles. John 7:37, 38 notes His declaration, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” Jesus made this statement on “the last day, that great day of the feast” (7:37), and this raises the question of which day is meant. The seventh day is the last day of the feast proper, while the eighth day can be thought of as closing ceremonies. Opinion is divided, but the eighth day is more likely. II. Special Days Reviewed                                                                (Leviticus 23:37, 38) A. Observances and Offerings (v. 37) 37. These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, everything upon his day. Aaron (the high priest) and his sons have much to learn about the regular and special sacrifices, as the Lord keeps adding to the information that was initially given. This verse and the next constitute a brief digression to emphasize that the feast days are mandated by God. These observances are not to be carried out thoughtlessly or insincerely (compare Isaiah 1:11-15). Each has its purposes and procedures. They teach about God’s provisions in past and present and expectations for the future. 

What Do You Think? Besides Christmas and Easter, what significant regular celebrations or observances does your church maintain? Why are these important?  Points for Your Discussion For new Christians For seekers For spiritually mature Christians The required sacrifices for the Feast of Tabernacles involve more animals than any other feast. The details are given in Numbers 29:12-38. Each day, for seven days, there are 2 rams and 14 lambs sacrificed. The bulls total 70 for the week, but they are offered in a different way, and no reason is given why: 13 the first day, decreasing by 1 each subsequent day so that 7 are offered on the seventh day. These are burnt offerings to be totally consumed on the altar, in addition to the regular burnt offerings. Eight male goats are to be sacrificed as sin offerings, one each day. The total for these special offerings is 199. That’s impressive! B. Sabbaths, Vows, and Offerings (v. 38) 38. Beside the sabbaths of the Lord, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the Lord. This verse sets up a comparison with general references to relatively routine items. God provides instructions concerning

gifts, vows, and offerings after the Israelites arrive at Sinai. The Sinai encampment lasts almost one year, so by now the people have been practicing these instructions on a regular basis. It is not necessary to provide specifics about these again. What Do You Think? What is significant about keeping vows that have been made to and before God? Points for Your Discussion Concerning marriage vows Concerning oaths of office Concerning financial promises Concerning courtroom oaths or affirmations Other The Privilege of “Over and Above” All of us have things we do regularly, and then there are things we do “over and above.” The regular is what is expected in the normal course of events. I am expected to mow the grass, trim the bushes, wash the car, and clean out the garage. If my wife is tired or ill, I may also run the vacuum cleaner, wash the dishes, or even cook a meal. Such things are over and above the call of normal duty for me, but they need to be done. The same is true in church. I give regularly, but sometimes there is a special need, so I give over and above what I regularly give. This raises the question of attitude. God established what was to

be the regular giving pattern of the Israelites. But He also established the “over and above” obligation, as noted by the four occurrences of the word beside in verse 38. When an “over and above” need presents itself to us today, how do we react? With an “Oh no, not again!” grumbling? Or with a spirit of gratitude toward God, who makes it possible for us to meet the need?—J. B. N. III. Observance Explained                                                                (Leviticus 23:39-43) A. Basic Facts Stated (v. 39) 39. Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. The Lord is now ready to provide new information on how to observe the Feast of Tabernacles. He prefaces this with a review of the basic data about when the feast is to begin, its length, and the essential factor that it has two Sabbaths. Those two are in addition to the regular Sabbath of the week if that Sabbath doesn’t fall on the first or eighth days. The word translated a sabbath (twice) is not the regular word for Sabbath, because it has an extra syllable at the end. This creates an abstract reference to rest that is to characterize the days in question. How to Say It Apocrypha Uh-paw-kruh-fuh. Babylon Bab-uh-lun. Judas Maccabaeus Joo-dus Mah-kuh-bee-us.

 Maccabees Mack-uh-bees. Nehemiah Nee-huh-my-uh. Persia Per-zhuh. Solomon Sol-o-mun. Syrians Sear-ee-unz. Tabernacles Tah-burr-nah-kulz. Tishri Tish-ree. Zechariah Zek-uh-rye-uh.   As Moses receives this legislation, it is evident that he is privileged to anticipate the time when the goals of the new nation are realized and the people actually occupy and harvest the land that the Lord has promised. Harvesting involves much physical labor, and it is a slow process. Harvesting in ancient times is entirely different from what is seen today as large combines harvest more in a few minutes than several ancient people can in an entire day. The successful completion of such arduous labor is to be celebrated by taking time to remember the Lord, who makes it possible. Lengthy Celebrations Question: What do America’s 10 annual federal holidays all have in common? Answer: each is of only a single day’s duration! The same is true of all statutory holidays in Canada. At least officially,

that is. Whether by ingenuity or necessity, we seem to have unofficial ways of turning holidays into celebrations of more than just a single day. Some years ago, one of our daughters traveled 2,000 miles to come home for Christmas. Because of schedule complications, she arrived about December 15 and stayed for a week. Then our other daughter arrived on Christmas Day from 600 miles’ distance. We didn’t complain. The result was that we celebrated Christmas twice over a three-week period. Other cultures have national holidays of more than one day’s duration. Golden Week, for example, is a weeklong celebration in the People’s Republic of China. God gave the ancient Israelites two weeklong observances (Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles), and that may make us wonder if longer celebrations should be a model for us. Are the seven or more consecutive days that many Christians take off around Christmas and New Year’s Day a good idea, or is that often just “too much time on our hands”?—J. B. N. B. Tree Branches Collected (v. 40) 40. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. The people are to use the first day of the feast for gathering boughs and branches of trees that have broader leaves. Other guidelines develop over time—the exact types of trees, in which hand each branch is to be carried, and prohibitions regarding trees from places where idols are worshipped. A natural response while carrying the branches is to enjoy waving them. This joy should characterize the attitude of the people for all seven days. 

C. Yearly Observance Mandated (v. 41) 41. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. This verse repeats previous information, with a new element added: It shall be a statute for ever in your generations. Do the people of Israel indeed keep this mandate from the Lord? There are several biblical references to indicate that it is kept at times, but not in a faithfully consistent way. The next reference to it is when Solomon dedicates the temple in 959 BC (1 Kings 8:2), and that is almost 500 years after the legislation is given to Moses. The nation of Israel divides after the death of Solomon in 930 BC—Israel to the north and Judah in the south. Judah has the temple, so the first king of the northern nation institutes “a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah. . . . So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel” (1 Kings 12:32, 33). It is rather evident that his purpose is to provide an alternative to the popular Feast of Tabernacles, held in Jerusalem in the seventh month. When the first group of exiles returns to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon in about 538 BC, one of the first things they do is construct the altar of burnt offerings so that sacrifices can resume (Ezra 3:1-3). Then they celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, the first of the three major feasts that this group is able to keep after their return (3:4). The exile teaches them how serious God is about obedience. The for ever in your generations stipulation still applies after 900 years! Even so, people in all circumstances have a way of drifting away

from God and His requirements. Nehemiah comes from Persia to Jerusalem in 444 BC to provide a wall for the city. As Ezra reads Scripture at the dedication of the wall, information about the Feast of Tabernacles is discovered anew, and the feast is celebrated (Nehemiah 8:14-17). We can only wonder why the feast falls into oblivion in the 94 years since being observed in 538 BC, especially since those returning from Babylon had suffered their own wilderness experience! What Do You Think? What causes churches in general and Christians in particular to stop observing special days or milestones they once did? Points for Your Discussion Good reasons Poor reasons Concerning Romans 14:5, 6 Concerning Colossians 2:16 Moses writes that the law is to be read every seven years at this feast (Deuteronomy 31:10-13). The account in Nehemiah is interesting in that the two are reversed: it is in the process of the law being read that the people discover they are to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. The prophet Zechariah, a contemporary of Ezra (see Ezra 5:1; 6:14), predicts a time when those who had attacked Jerusalem would go there not to attack but to worship the Lord of hosts and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16). During the period between the Old and New Testaments, Jews

under Judas Maccabaeus recapture Jerusalem from the Syrians on December 14, 164 BC. The rededication of the temple becomes an eight-day ceremony, and 2 Maccabees 10:6 (in the nonbiblical Apocrypha) says that this occurs “as in the feast of the tabernacles.” D. Booth-living Required (vv. 42, 43) 42. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths. The alternative designation Feast of Booths is based on this verse. The branches that are collected are not just to wave; they are to be used to make small huts in which families live for a period of seven days (compare Nehemiah 8:15, 16). Along the way, traditions develop about these booths or shelters. Each one is to have three walls made of the branches. The top is to provide shade, but some sunlight should also shine through. Those able to do so are to sleep, eat, and generally live in the booths for the seven days. Exceptions are made for unusual circumstances such as hard rains—the proximity of the rainy season making that a distinct possibility. What Do You Think? How can we make better use of tangible objects as aids to worship? Points for Your Discussion At Christmas At Easter 

On Palm Sunday During the Lord’s Supper Other 43. 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 your God. Each generation has the responsibility to teach the next generation concerning the history of and reasons for this annual, joyous event (Deuteronomy 31:13). The example above reveals a period of time when those who came back from Babylon failed to do so. We have all heard the dire warning that Christianity is always only one generation away from extinction. We prevent that warning from becoming reality by teaching children everything that Jesus commanded. Conclusion A. The Blessing of Memory Memory is a special gift from God. The word remember has been used in slogans to make sure that events and the lessons they impart remain in a nation’s memory. Sometimes the word remember is used to stimulate people for a determined effort in a war. Two rallying cries that were popular in that regard in years past are Remember the Alamo! and Remember Pearl Harbor! Sometimes remember is substituted by never forget, as in Never forget 9/11! Two famous “remember passages” in the Bible are “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8) and “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32; compare Genesis 19:26). Combining both

remember and forget not is Deuteronomy 9:7: “Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness.” God designed the Feast of Tabernacles precisely so that the Israelites would keep in their hearts that 40-year period in their nation’s history. It is helpful to have a way to remember significant events of the past. For Israel, the holidays that were scattered through the year helped to achieve this, but the evidence is that the flow of events pushed the past out of their minds. The same temptations and tendencies are still with us. It is easy to allow the tyranny of the urgent to overwhelm what is really important: remembering God’s redemptive act through Jesus Christ. If we become too busy to remember what God has done, then we are too busy. A reordering of priorities is in order! What examples in this regard are we setting for the next generation? B. Prayer O Lord, thank You for the gift of memory that I may ever remember the price of my salvation and then give thanks for the people who taught me about it. Those are precious memories indeed! In Jesus’ name. Amen. C. Thought to Remember Remember to remember the things of God.