How does Leviticus 23:34 instruct us to observe the Feast of Booths today? Setting the Verse before Us “On the fifteenth day of this seventh month the LORD’s Feast of Booths begins, and it continues for seven days.” (Leviticus 23:34) What the Command Literally Requires • Specific schedule: The fifteenth day of the seventh biblical month (Tishri). • Duration: Seven complete days. • Identity: A feast “of the LORD,” not merely a cultural holiday. • Name and symbol: “Booths” (sukkot)—simple, temporary shelters. Timeless Purposes Behind the Feast • Remember God’s wilderness provision (Leviticus 23:42–43). • Rejoice before the LORD with gladness (Deuteronomy 16:13–15). • Gather as a covenant community (Nehemiah 8:14–18). • Offer sacrifices—now fulfilled in Christ yet still expressed through praise and thanksgiving (Hebrews 13:15). Practical Ways to Observe Today • Set the dates on your calendar each year (mid-September / mid-October). • Construct or decorate a simple booth—backyard, porch, even an indoor corner—to sit, eat, and read Scripture in for the week. • Read key passages nightly: Leviticus 23; Deuteronomy 8; Psalm 105; John 7. • Share meals with family, friends, and newcomers to demonstrate God’s hospitality (Luke 14:13–14). • Praise God aloud for daily provision—food, shelter, salvation. • Give to the needy, mirroring God’s generosity in the desert (2 Corinthians 9:6-11). • Close the week with exuberant worship, anticipating the ultimate ingathering of all nations (Zechariah 14:16). Christ at the Center • John 1:14—“The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us”; the booth points to Jesus dwelling with humanity. • John 7:37-38—During this feast Jesus offers living water, revealing Himself as the source the water-drawing ceremony pictured. • Colossians 2:16-17—The feast is “a shadow of the things to come, but the body is Christ.” We honor the shadow while embracing the substance. Looking Forward • Revelation 21:3—“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” Booths anticipate the day when temporary shelters give way to the permanent presence of God with His redeemed forever. |
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