Good morning,
This week we are looking forward to Memorial Day weekend. So I thought it might be fitting to see what the Bible says about memorials.
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.
Each day this week we will look at a memorial or something God has told us to remember. Today is Feast of Tabernacles.
Feast of the Tabernacles
The fourth memorial is found in found in Leviticus 23:39-43.
“Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: 43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 23:39-43)
This is talking about the Feast of the Tabernacles. It fell in the autumn when the full harvest of corn, wine and oil had been gathered in. It was the last great feast of the year. It was a time of rejoicing and thanksgiving when Israel showed their gratitude to God and remembered that He had delivered them from Egyptian bondage and brought them into a land which produced so many good things.
As Israel was to remember the Feast of Tabernacles for God’s abundance, we should praise God daily for all the great things He has done for us. All of us have been abundantly blessed by God. At the top of that list should be the very fact that God saw fit to save sinners like us. We were undeserving, wayward, wicked, following the ways of this world. God through His mercy and grace extended a hand and allowed us to say “Yes” to Him.
Tomorrow we will look at Purim.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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