"Lighting the Fire"
Jotting – Week 44

Celebrate! With Feasting

Following on the heels of the day of repentance for God’s newly formed nation came another celebration day, the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-43). God set this feast to come five days after The Day of Atonement and to continue for eight days, seven of which the people live in tents made of tree leaves and branches. God wanted His people remember His care of them during the 40 years spent in the wilderness before claiming the Promised Land. “You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God’” (Leviticus 23:42-43).

According to Leviticus 23:35-36, “On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.”
 
The eighth day was also a major feast day with a gathering of all people: “men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates” (Deuteronomy 31:12) to listen to the Word of God to hear it and to learn to fear the Lord and observe His commands .

“The tradition of the Jews is that they were to express their joy by dancing, and singing hymns of praise to God, with musical instruments: and not the common people only, but the wise men of Israel, and their elders, were to do it in the court of the sanctuary: for [say they] the joy with which a man rejoices in doing a commandment is really a great service” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Deuteronomy).

According to Judaism 101 (http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday4.htm): “It is common practice, and highly commendable, to decorate the sukkah. In the northeastern United States, Jews commonly hang dried squash and corn in the sukkah to decorate it, because these vegetables are readily available at that time for the American holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving.”

The writer of that piece also mentions that the decorated booths remind people of Thanksgiving. “The pilgrims were deeply religious people. When they were trying to find a way to express their thanks for their survival and for the harvest, they looked to the Bible for an appropriate way of celebrating and found Sukkot.”

While Sukkot and Thanksgiving may be times to give thanks to God for the harvest, for good crops and the security of food, Christians thank God for much more than that–at Thanksgiving and all other times of the year. We celebrate our own faith in God–our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. We acknowledge God’s mercy to us in every worship service through the liturgy and through specific prayers of thanks. We rejoice in families, at Baptisms and weddings, we give thanks at funerals. There is no time that we cannot give thanks to God.

It just makes sense then, to “give thanks to the Lord, for He is good” when a person who has struggled with the depths of darkness, has felt hopeless in overwhelming circumstances, finally comes into the light of God’s grace and love, acknowledging his or her sin and asking for forgiveness. What better reason for giving thanks, for worshiping with others–with those who have known the Lord for a long time, and with those who have just come to know Him through our invitation, through our reaching out and proclaiming the love of God in Jesus. We rejoice together because “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).

Many congregations have a dinner to welcome new members into the congregation. Families often hold open houses with a wide-spread table when their child has been brought into God’s family through Baptism. Set the table then! Make a joyful noise! Shout to the Lord with thanksgiving and praise whenever God enlarges His family.

“Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You” (Psalm 5:11).

“Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, ‘The LORD be magnified!’” (Psalm 40:16).

“Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. The LORD has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. Sing to the LORD with the harp, With the harp and the sound of a psalm, With trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King. Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell in it; Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together before the LORD, For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity” (Psalm 98).

One of my favorite verses tells us that God rejoices over us! “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). Surely this is no more true than at the time a new Christian is born.
Pray: We give thanks to You, O Father, for enlarging Your family. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, You use us to touch the lives and hearts of others–those who might never hear Your gracious Word of love to them, those who might otherwise remain in the darkness and dread of sin and Satan. Thank You for choosing us. Thank You for opening the hearts of those who have been reborn into Your family,  who now have a place at Your feasting table. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.