“Hear And Learn

To Fear

The LORD Your God”

Then Moses wrote down this law, and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. Moses commanded them: “Every seventh year, in the scheduled year of remission, during the festival of booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Assemble the people – men, women, and children, as well as the aliens residing in your towns – so that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God and to observe diligently all the words of this law, and so that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are crossing over the Jordan to possess.”

Deuteronomy 31:9-13

No one knows for sure when Jesus was born, but we do know that He was crucified on Passover, and that the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost. Some scholars have reasoned that Jesus’ birth may have occurred on another Jewish holiday, the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot. We do not know for sure, but it would be in keeping with God’s way of working to send His Son – the Word made flesh to us during the Feast of Tabernacles. Sukkot was a time when observant Jews lived in temporary dwellings and listened to the Word of the LORD being read.

For Jews, Sukkot is “the time of our rejoicing.” For all of us, our time of rejoicing is the birth of Christ, who brings the joy of salvation to all the world.

The date of Christ’s birth may be debatable, but the fact of His life is indisputable.

Our Daily Bread – October 15, 2008