Purpose of the Feast of Tabernacles
Many of us for many years focused on rejoicing at the Feast (see Leviticus 23:40). We also traditionally rehearsed the meanings of the Feast, both for Israel of old and for the Church. We understood the Feast of Tabernacles is a picture tightly woven into the fabric of God's salvation plan and the work of Jesus Christ.
While we would never want to lose sight of those significant meanings, the Bible shows us that God used the Feast for other purposes as well.
In the Book of Nehemiah we see the Jews, having returned from captivity to rebuild the temple wall and temple in Jerusalem, had lost sight of their purpose. The rebuilding project was floundering. God, through the prophet Haggai, a contemporary of Nehemiah, said that the people had built their own houses but had neglected the building of His temple.
To resolve this problem, God sent Ezra, a "ready scribe" in the law of God, to Jerusalem. He and Nehemiah, the governor, arranged to hold a Feast of Tabernacles there. The account shows us the most detailed example of a Feast of Tabernacles in all the Bible. The people assembled and every day they studied the Word of God. This study yielded two results.
The people realized the Feast was a commanded observance. They whole heartedly began to keep it with rejoicing.
The second result was a reawakening of the people to the purpose of their calling. They rededicated themselves to work that God had sent them to Jerusalem to do - rebuild the temple.
Please allow me offer a challenge. Do you think that it is possible that we have failed to understand the significance of this highly detailed account of the Feast? Is it possible that there is more to the Feast than simply understanding what it means and rejoicing for eight days?
We know that today the Church is the temple. Perhaps God has always wanted to use the Feast to build up his Church, in love, in bonds of loving relationships, in equipping us with the spiritual skills we need to do His work.
As yourself a question: When was the last time you learned anything signifcant to your spiritual life at the Feast?
We believe we have missed a good part of the meaning of the Feast. Besides going to have fun and rehearse the meaning, we also ought to go expecting vibrant spiritual rejuvenation and spiritual training for the work ahead.
How can we accomplish this goal?
Return to the LifeResource Approach.
