Feast of Booths

Leviticus 23:33-44

What Takes Place?

Holy Convocation at Beginning and End

v.35-36

This means a worship service. Corporate readings and repentance.

God wanted this feast, this celebration to be centered around worship.

How sad it is when God’s people today gather, and nothing is thought of our God.

When church gatherings, bible studies that barley pass for worship is centered around self help or worship of ourselves.

This was accompanied by solemn rest.

Rest because God had already completed it all.

Seven Days of Sacrifices

Numbers 29:13-38

This was to be a time of giving unto the Lord, and worshipping God for all that He has done.

Numbers states it is to be a burnt offereing.

Burnt offerings were the offerings of imputation unto the LORD, the transferring of sin.

They were also to be completely burnt to show the total commitment and total surrender unto God.

Rejoice With Branches Before the Lord

v.40

This was waving the branches as well as using them to build their booths with.

Palm Branches

A sign of victory

Of rejoicing.

Tied to the palm branch was..

Willow Branch

Willow was symbolic of sorrow, weeping.

On the other side was...

Myrtle Branch

The myrtle branch symbolic of the rest that God gives.

When we look at the branches that God gave them to use. We see that they show this life.

There is times of sorrow, of weeping.

Times that are bitter.

But we see that God has the victory, that He is sovereign and in control; and that God is the one who gives us times of rest.

Citron Branch

A type of citrus

Slightly bitter and sour

This represents the times of bitterness.

Building Booths

v.42-43

They would take these branches and makes booths. Temporary dwellings.

They would dwell in these booths during the seven days.

This was to remember the provision of God. That He was the one who had brought them out of Egypt, and through the wilderness.

That “I Am the LORD your God.”

What It Celebrates

God’s Provision in the Wilderness

This the where the booths came into play.

Israel was called to remember how they slept when they traveled through the wilderness.

Remembering how God had provided for them the whole time they were going through the wilderness.

God’s Provision in the Harvest

Do we see the hand of God in all things around us?

Psalm 104:14

God is the one who causes grass to grow.

He provides for the livestock.

Deuteronomy 16:13

This feast takes place after the harvest. After they had gathered all from the threshing floor.

After they had seen God provide for them.

Deuteronomy 16:16

They were not to show up empty handed.

To show up without anything, would be to say God hasn’t provided for me at all.

Are we grateful for God’s provision in our life?

Do you thank God when you have a good harvest?

Do you thank God for getting the large job coming up?

Do you thank God for the abundance of work, and that you aren’t wondering if you have another job coming up.

This is why we pray before we eat, thanking Him for what we have.

Do we thank Him with what we bring?

Sometimes giving financially back to God.

Out of what He has given us, giving back.

Sometimes with time.

Getting involved doing work and things around the church.

It is good to set up reminders, times that we stop and remember what it is that God has done for us.

Jesus Celebrating The Feast

John 7:2-3

Jesus’ brothers trying to get Him to come with them to the feast.

John 7:37-39

The last day

On the last day of the feast there was a water libation ceremony.

(Libation being a drink offering)

Where water was brought up by the priest from the pool of Shiloah.

This was done to remember God providing water while they wandered in the wilderness.

Hallel, Psalms 113-118

This was done to the sound of the Hallel psalms being sung and the three trumpet blasts from the silver trumpets would be heard.

Then the priest would pour the water over the alter, as they asked the Lord to bless them with rain in the year to come.

While this is happening, somewhere in the temple Jesus stands and says these words!! v.37-38

Jesus instructing them, you pray for the rain, but He will bring the Holy Spirit, living waters to come upon you!!

They are praying for their temporal state, Jesus will provide for their eternal state.

How often do we pray for the wrong thing?

We pray for healing, while what they need is Jesus.

John 8:12

There are many who believe this took place at at the feast, but we are unsure…but I’m going to use it like it is.

Jerusalem at the feast of tabernacles, had columns around the temple.

These columns stood 15’ high and had oil in the top.

At night they would light the oil on fire to remember the Lord leading them by the pillar of fire by night.

Some said it almost seemed as if the temple was on fire.

Then they would worship and praise God, thanking God, all through the night.

To which Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.”

At a time when they were remembering God continuing to lead them with His light.

Jesus shows us that He is the light, He is the one who will lead us through this dark world.

As we travel through the wilderness of this land, anticipating the promised land, Jesus is the one who will lead us.

This Feast Remind us:

God provides for us.

As the Israelites lived in tabernacles when they were in a land not their own.

We have been released from our own Egypt, for we were slaves to sin, and Christ has made us free.

We are exiles 1 Peter says. Wandering now in a land that isn’t our home, longing for our promised land, longing for heaven.

Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit, poured out in our hearts to lead us.

In a world of darkness, we have the light of the world to guide us.