128_The feast of Tabernacles
Lev 23:33-44 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths[f] to the Lord. 35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 36 For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.
37 “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, 38 besides the Lord’s Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the Lord.
39 “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. 41 You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
44 Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the Lord.
A businessman went camping with his family for the first time. Used to luxury and efficiency, he found the whole experience quite uncomfortable. Sleeping in a tent, cooking over an open fire, and hearing strange noises at night unsettled him, though he tried to be a good sport and hide his feelings. His kids, however, loved it. When they got home, it was a favorite topic of conversation for months afterwards. Their father realized that the appeal of camping out wasn’t its comfort but the fun of being together without the familiar comforts of home, making do with what they had, and getting a new perspective on everything.
This story echoes the heart of the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot. During this time Israel was commanded to stay out of their homes, in temporary shelters made of branches. It commemorated their journey through the wilderness. But more than a camping trip, it echoed their worship, gratitude, hope, and obedience to God.
The Feast of Tabernacles was the last of the seven feasts, and one of the three great pilgrim feasts that all Israelite men had to keep at Jerusalem. Five days after the Day of Atonement, in the seventh month, it was the climax of the Jewish festival calendar. It coincided with the ingathering of harvest, which made it a time of celebration and thanksgiving. It pointed backward to the past, grounded them in the present, and lifted their eyes toward the future.
The feast reminded Israel of their past deliverance and the sustaining care of God in the wilderness. It was a living reenactment of God’s faithfulness during their most fragile and dependent years. This feast of remembrance continued even after they were in the land, living in walled cities with cultivated fields. It reminded them of the days when God was all they had. It’s so easy to forget where we came from. It’s easy to trust in what we can see and touch. But Sukkot was a living reminder that our true security isn’t material but in the mighty hand of God.
It was also a time to celebrate God’s present goodness in the ingathered harvest. All the people were commanded to rejoice: “For seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God at the place that the Lord will choose… so that you will be altogether joyful” (Deut 16:15). This included servants, strangers, the fatherless, the widow – a celebration marked by inclusion, generosity, and overflowing joy.
It was a welcome time of rest after the unremitting toil of gathering in the harvest. Both the first and the eighth days were holy sabbaths of rest, a picture of contentment and satisfaction. God not only brought them out of bondage, but brought them into blessing.
This feast also pointed forward to the future kingdom, when God would reign and the earth would worship him in unity and in peace. Sacrifices were offered in abundance—199 animals over the seven days, in addition to the gifts offered by each person. None were to come empty handed.
This act of giving and sharing in the worship of God reminded Israel of the center of their lives and the owner of their resources. Their identity was in being the people of God.
In Deuteronomy 16:15, we read that the feast was to be celebrated “at the place that the Lord will choose”—the sanctuary. Today, we who know Christ see the fulfilment of the feast. For the place God has chosen now is Christ Himself—“in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily.” (Col 2:9). The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us (John 1:14). He is the true temple, the Chosen one, where God’s glory dwells.
As all Israel’s families rejoiced in the Feast of Booths, we rejoice in Christ with the family of God. In Him, we are no longer strangers and exiles but citizens of the Kingdom. In Him, we are being built together into a spiritual house.
The Feast of Tabernacles foreshadows the great harvest when God will gather together his people from the ends of the earth. Revelation 21:3 describes it: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Rev 21:3). No more tears. No more wandering. Home at last.
The eighth day of the feast, known as the “great day,” was a unique day, given that Sukkot only lasts seven days. It was the final sabbath but it had no specific ceremonies or sacrifices. Where seven speaks of completeness, eight speaks of newness and of eternity. A new beginning after the fullness of time. A rest that has no end.
John 7:37 records the Savior’s words. “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Yeshua stood up and cried out loudly, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, ‘out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ” ” The Lord identified himself as the source of eternal life and the one who transforms the thirsty soul into one that overflows with living water.”
In the days of Nehemiah, the Feast of Tabernacles became a catalyst for revival. After generations of rebellion, idolatry, and disobedience, the returned exiles listened eagerly to the reading of the Law. They observed this feast with great gladness, rediscovering the joy of obedience, of worship in simplicity. “From the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so” (Neh 8:17).
Today, we live in the body, our tents, temporary shelters for the spirit, that will one day give way as we are clothed upon with the radiant glory of the body’s resurrection. We are pilgrims here, journeying to the eternal city whose builder and maker is God.
Throughout our lives, we are called to remember and rejoice in God as we renew our living hope. Remember our deliverance, rejoice in his providence and sustenance, and look forward with hope to the ingathering when we will be with him forever. It’s like a simple space in our heart, a small space in our lives, set apart for gratitude and renewal. Sharing joy even in lean times. Fixing our eyes on the glorious future.
In a world chasing permanence in things that fade, the Feast of Tabernacles reminds us that our only lasting joy is in our God of the wilderness, the God who brings us home, when tents will be no more, and the dwelling of God will be with man, forever. Let us gratefully and readily take time to remember our past, reflect and realign our priorities, and look forward with hope in Christ our dwelling place. God bless.