Week Eight | The Feast of Tabernacles
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7 Feasts Online Biblical Study
Reading Assignment – Week Eight (Pg. 250-298)
Listen to the Audio version | Reading Time: 3 minutes
Camping is one of my favorite things to do, but to be honest, I don’t actually do much “real” camping. I would say a good description of what I do is “glamping”. Instead of packing and setting up a tent, I opt for my air-conditioned camper, and instead of a sleeping bag, I spend the week enjoying the comfort of my memory foam padded bed.
Now don’t get me wrong, I also enjoy the old-school camping methods that require me to “rough it” for a week, but it wouldn’t be my first choice. If I had to choose, I would pick comfort every time.
Stepping out of my comfort zone is not something I often enjoy doing.
The Feast of Tabernacles
The final of the seven feasts, the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as The Feast of Booths, or Sukkot in Hebrew, is a feast that happens in September/October and lasts for seven days.
In Leviticus 23:42, God instructs the entire nation of Israel to gather sticks and branches and leaves to construct temporary shelters or sukkot for their families. Once the sukkot were built, entire families would take shelter, share meals, fellowship, read scripture, pray, and sleep within them. Dwelling within these temporary tabernacles served as a reminder of how God met and dwelt with His people in the wilderness.
Friends, imagine taking your entire family out to the wilderness, gathering supplies to build a tent, and then spending a week with your family in this handcrafted shelter. I don’t know about you, but I know when it comes to my family, disagreements would begin the moment we start collecting supplies. Thinking about it this way, I can’t say this task sounds the least bit enjoyable, let alone comfortable.
It is human nature to desire comfort and convenience, but the thing is, God doesn’t call us to be comfortable. In Luke 9:23, NIV, Jesus says:
“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.“
Luke 9:23, NIV
Jesus very clearly states that following Him comes with a cost. It will not be easy. It will not be comfortable. Erin Davis shares on page 279 of 7 Feasts,
“The Bible never calls us to comfortable Christianity, but instead to regular rhythms of sacrifice, surrender and stretching.”
erin davis, Pg. 279 of “7 feasts”
Part of that cost requires the denial of self. Denying our comfort. As Erin Davis says in her video recap of this week’s reading,
“If I want God to use me, I have to surrender my constant cravings for comfort.”
erin davis, Pg. 125 of “7 feasts”
With Us
As we step out of our comfort zones, rejoice in the fact that we don’t have to go through life alone. Jesus entered into the chaos of the world as our “Emmanuel”, God with us, and after his crucifixion and resurrection sent His Spirit to dwell WITHIN us.
“The Feast of Booths was an annual, physical reminder that no matter where the Israelites lived, God was their True Shelter.”
erin davis, Pg. 271 of “7 feasts”
Friends, when was the last time you surrendered your comfort to go where God has called you? Where in your life do you see opportunities to step forward bravely to seek after Him?
No matter what the cost of following Him may be, there is no doubt, He is worth it.
TODAY WE LEARNED:
1. The seventh and final feast is called the Feast of Tabernacles.
2. During this feast, the entire nation of Israel was called to build sukkot or booths in which they would live for the entirety of the festival.
3. Following God comes with a cost. It is not meant to be comfortable. We are meant to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, and follow Him.
4. Just as God dwelt with the Israelites in the wilderness, Jesus came to dwell with us.
ANSWER THIS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW:
Where in your life do you see opportunities to step out of your comfort zone and into the life that God has called you to?
