I Made The People Of
Live In Booths
The
LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the people of
These
are the appointed festivals of the LORD, which you shall celebrate as times of
holy convocation, for presenting to the LORD offerings by fire – burnt
offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its
proper day – apart from the sabbaths of the LORD, and
apart from your gifts, and apart from all your votive offerings, and apart from
all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD.
Now,
the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce
of the land, you shall keep the festival of the LORD, lasting seven days; a
complete rest on the first day, and a complete rest on the eighth day. On the
first day you shall take the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, boughs
of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD
your God for seven days. You shall keep it as a festival to the LORD seven days
in the year; you shall keep it in the seventh month as a statute forever
throughout your generations. You shall live in booths for seven days; all that
are citizens in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know
that I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the
Land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Thus
Moses declared to the people of
Leviticus 23:33-44
Most
homes are built to keep its inhabitants safe from ill effects of the weather,
but not the dwellings built for Succoth. During this Jewish holiday,
also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, worshippers live in dwellings made of
leaves and branches. One requirement is that the stars must be visible through
the “roof.” Obviously, this dwelling provided little protection from the
elements, and that was the point. Living in this type of vulnerable shelter
reminded the Jews of their dependency on God. Succoth calls us to
examine our lives to make sure that our security rests not on lies but on God’s
truth. The Feast of Tabernacles reminds us that all of life is sustained by
God’s goodness. When we make truth our refuge, no storm can threaten us, for we
can depend on God to sustain us.
God is a safe dwelling place in life’s storms.
Our Daily Bread –