Feast of Tabernacles Lessons
This set of lessons (all nine) help explain the Feast of Tabernacles, what these days picture in the plan of salvation.
First Day 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, Leviticus 23:40 Building a Tabernacle
Second Day,“Come bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by might in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD!” Psalm 134:1-2 Rejoice!
Third Day, And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; Malachi 3:17, KJV Jewels!
Fourth Day, Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; Revelation 19:7 The Bride of Christ
Fifth Day, And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry . . . 1 Kings 6:7 (NKJV) Dedication of the Temple
Sixth Day . . . to make [the Church} holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word. Ephesians 5:26 Consecration of Priests
Seventh Day, . . . “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38b The Water Ceremony
Eighth Day, Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:38 Commence
Sabbath (A wrap-up lesson after the Feast), a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. Malachi 3:16 - A Scroll of Remembrance
Day One
Building a Tabernacle
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, Leviticus 23:40
Materials: branches, string
Each of God’s holy days has a specific action associated with it: During the Days of Unleavened Bread, we are to eat unleavened bread for seven days. We are commanded to count to the day of Pentecost. On Trumpets, we are to shout. On Atonement, we are to afflict our souls, i.e. fasting. During the Feast of Tabernacles we are to dwell in tabernacles.
The word “tabernacle” means temporary dwelling. It’s not a place where you are planning to stay for a long time. After God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, they wandered in the desert for 40 years, and that’s the reason God has given for why we live in temporary dwellings during the Feast of Tabernacles. God said it was to remind His people that He caused the Israelites to dwell in temporary dwellings when they wandered in the wilderness. Forty years is a long time to dwell in temporary dwellings! And for any of the Israelites who were older than 20 years old, they lived in temporary dwellings for the rest of their lives.
In reality, we are each of us living in temporary dwellings all of our lives. That is, these bodies are temporary. They will not last forever. Even Jesus, when He came to dwell in this earth as a human being, was living in a temporary human body. John says He came and tabernacled (dwelled temporarily) among us.
It’s interesting that God would tell His people to emphasize the temporariness of this life for an entire week.
Maybe He wants us to remember that this life is not long - just as the Feast of Tabernacles is not long. This week will be over before you know it.
Maybe He wants us to remember that this life is not perfect; the leaves of the tabernacle don’t keep all of the rain out.
Maybe He wants us to remember that these bodies are subject to decay and are wearing out bit by bit.
Maybe He wanted us to remember the temporariness and troubles of this life while we’re here at the Feast, while we’re dwelling with Him. He says that where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst. Maybe He wanted us to remember that He is with us through all of it.
And maybe God wanted to emphasize all of these things while we celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles so that we can remember that God has designed it to be that way. He has a reason. There are important things for us to learn from the temporariness of this life.
Regardless, make the most of the time God has given you - both here at the Feast and in this life - because it’s just temporary.
Day Two
Rejoice!
“Come bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by might in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD!” Psalm 134:1-2
Materials needed: helium, balloons, string, scissors, tape
It is not a coincidence that the last of the Psalms of Ascent is Psalm 134: “Come bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by might in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD!” (verses 1-2) What an expression of celebration and rejoicing! We’ve made it! We’re at the Feast of Tabernacles!!
So how do you rejoice? You might include some of these responses: jump up and down, go out for ice cream, throw confetti, sing, dance, smile, go out for ice cream, carry a balloon. All of the activities we do when we rejoice are evidence that we are rejoicing. That is, these actions show your attitude inside.
But why would we be talking about rejoicing on this second day of the Feast of Tabernacles? Maybe, like the author of Psalm 134, you’re rejoicing because you’re at the Feast of Tabernacles. That would be a good thing because one of the commands associated with the Feast of Tabernacles is to rejoice. It’s not a command of Moses; it’s a command from God. What makes it even more significant is the fact that the first mention of rejoicing in the Bible is here - in connection with the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles. God wants rejoicing to be a very important part of our Feast.
Therefore, it is very important to make sure you are rejoicing - all week long. Remember: it’s not a suggestion; it’s a command from God. So think about how you’re going to do that. The ice cream, balloons, jumping up and down - these actions are simply evidence of your attitude of rejoicing. How can you make sure that your internal attitude is rejoicing all week long?
First, it’s important to remember it is a choice to rejoice. You can have joy and rejoice even when things aren’t perfect - which is good - because these temporary dwellings aren’t perfect. Remember: the leaves let in the rain sometimes! And you choose to rejoice because it’s God’s command to you for this week. Secondly, you rejoice because you realize just how very blessed you are! You’re here at the Feast, you have a relationship with the Great God of the Universe, and you have assurance of eternal life in His kingdom where there will be no more tears or sorrow.
More practically, while you’re here at the Feast, make sure you get enough sleep, you drink enough water, you get enough exercise, and you don’t go crazy on sugar and very rich foods. If you don’t watch these four areas, as the week goes on, you’ll be less and less flexible in your temporary dwellings.
Also, as the week goes on, you’re going to get more tired. You’re not sleeping in your own bed. You’re out of your routine and away from your stuff. Even though the Feast is fun, it can be a lot. But that doesn’t mean you are excited from God’s commandment to rejoice.
You know what happens to a helium-filled balloon? As the days go by, the helium seeps out and the balloon droops more and more. Make sure that’s not what happens to your attitude of rejoicing before the Lord! Take the steps now to rejoice all week long!
Day Three
Jewels!
And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; Malachi 3:17, KJV
Materials: shiny rocks, beads, jewels
In the world, we often are not the one who is chosen first. Have you ever been in a situation where they were choosing up teams, and you were the last one chosen? Or even worse, when all the “good” players were chosen, the captains argued over who had to take you?! It doesn’t feel very good to be rejected, to have people think you aren’t valuable.
Praise God! You don’t have to worry about that with God! He has chosen you! He has called you a precious jewel. He has said you are His. Malachi 3:16-17 says, Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. (I like the KJV because it says “jewels.” Other translations say “treasured possessions.”)
We talked yesterday about rejoicing before God, and one the reasons we rejoice is because of the relationship with have with Him. Just like you choose a special rock or jewel from a box to be your own special treasure, God chose each of us to be in a relationship with Him, to come to know Him, to not just be a servant, but to be adopted into His family as His child, and to eventually dwell in His kingdom with Him forever.
As each of you chooses a rock or jewel, let’s talk about what you’re going to do with it: make a necklace, a pin, a keychain, or just have it as something to keep with you in your pocket because it’s special. Just like you having a plan for the jewel, God has a plan and a place in His family for each of us that He has chosen.
We’re going to spend the next several days talking about the plans God has for us and the rejoicing that will bring!! In the meantime, you rejoice now knowing that you are chosen by God, adopted into His family, to be His!
Day 4
The Bride of Christ
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; Revelation 19:7
Materials: blue yarn dolls (one for each student)
There’s an old rhyme associated with weddings about what the bride wears:
Something old, something new,
something borrowed, and something blue.
Because we know that marriage is a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ and the Church, perhaps we ought to think more about what the Bride is wearing.
The idea of the Bride of Christ and the marriage suppler fo the Lamb fits right in with our topic yesterday, of being chosen by God to fit into His family. This is just one more special reason to rejoice. God the Father has chosen us, the Church, to be the Bride for His Son. Talk about a special place, relationship, and role! As a bride and groom pledge themselves to each other until death, we will pledge ourselves to be united with Christ forever because there will be no more death in God’s kingdom. We get to be a helpmate to Jesus for eternity. Talk about a special reason to rejoice!
Because we know that this is what God has planned for us, we spend these days preparing for the wedding. We want to get as close to Jesus, knowing and doing His will. We study the Bible, spend time in prayer and meditation, and celebrate the Feast. God says He’s going to purify for Himself a Bride. So we accept, with joy, the cleansing process which may not be much fun. But we know it’s preparing us for a future in His kingdom as His bride.
We also need to think about what we will wear as the Bride of Christ. Revelation 19:8 says the Bride of Christ will be given fine linen, bright and pure, for fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. But we know that our righteousness comes from Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30). So the Bride puts on the Lord Jesus Christ, His righteousness (Romans 13:14). That’s definitely something old; nothing could be older than our eternal God. At the same time, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we become new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). The borrowed? Perhaps that’s the life, the existence, that He has given to us. And the blue? Isn’t it interesting that the tassels commanded to be worn were supposed to have a blue thread in them (Numbers 15:38)!!
Today, as you rejoice here at the Feast of Tabernacles, think about the marriage supper of the Lamb and think about the wedding garments of the Bride of Christ. What should you be wearing?
Day 5
Dedication of the Temple
And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry . . . 1 Kings 6:7 (NKJV)
Materials: rocks, chisels, hammers
Do you remember on the first day talking about building a tabernacle? God commands us to build a tabernacle and to dwell in it for seven days as a picture of the Israelites dwelling in the wilderness for 40 years. Eventually, however, the Israelites moved into the Promised Land and settled down. They were no longer wandering. Centuries later, King David had it in his heart to build a house for God, a more permanent place in which to worship God, a temple. God allowed King David’s son Solomon to do just that. Solomon’s temple was absolutely magnificent! It took seven years to complete. Although it was finished in the eighth month of the year (1 Kings 6:38), Solomon waited almost an entire year, until the next Feast of Tabernacles, to dedicate it.
Things don’t just happen. There’s a very special reason the temple was dedicated during the Feast of Tabernacles with much pomp, circumstance, and celebration. It’s a picture of you and me - having tabernacled in these bodies, these temporary dwellings all of our lives, we are also called temples of the living God, the place where God’s Spirit dwells. And in that day, when Christ returns, there will be a special dedication of our lives as temples of the Holy Spirit forever.
You see, just as David had a heart to build a house for God, God told David that He, God, would build a house for David. David’s house, David’s family, would extend all the way to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
In a similar way, we dedicate our lives to God, looking forward to our place in God’s kingdom. God tells us that the place He has prepared for us, the house where we will dwell forever, is His house, His family. We will be adopted into the family of God. In effect, we’re not building a house for God; God is building a house out of us.
Today, in preparation for that eventuality, we are being shaped and molded. The stones which were shaped and hewed out of the rock at the quarry were not chiseled to fit on the temple grounds. The stones were shaped, molded, and chiseled right where they were. Similarly, we are being formed into the image of Jesus Christ now so that we will fit directly into place in His house, that house built with the lively stones of mankind.
So as we have some of our rough edges shaved off and we go through difficult things in this life, we keep our eyes focused on Jesus Christ. We desire more than ever to be molded into His image so that we can slide into the position God is preparing for each one of us.
Another fantastic reason to rejoice!
Day 6
Consecration of Priests
. . . to make [the Church} holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word. Ephesians 5:26
Materials: basin, wash clothes
Yesterday we talked about the dedication of the temple of God. Part of the design of the temple was the priesthood. The priests would serve God day and night in His temple, interceding for the people of God. The priesthood was a picture of our High Priest, Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of God and ever lives to make intercession for us.
The first physical High Priest from the tribe of Levi was Aaron. When God declared that Aaron would be high priest, there was an elaborate ceremony for his consecration. Consecration is a synonym of dedication, but carries an additional meaning of being set apart as holy or sacred for a holy purpose.
First, Aaron was washed by Moses; he could not wash himself. Second, Moses dressed Aaron in fine white line, special clothing only to be used in the tabernacle (and later, the temple). Then there were special sin offerings to be made, followed by fellowship offerings. The entire period of consecration took seven days!
So here’s the parallel: God says that we will be a kingdom of priests to Him. First, we have to be washed by water - baptized into Jesus Christ. Just as Aaron could not wash himself, we can’t baptize ourselves. Secondly, we are dressed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. All of our sins and sinfulness is atoned for by the sacrifice, the crucifixion, the blood, of Jesus Christ. And at the return of Jesus Christ, we will be consecrated as priests in His service. We’ll teach the people. We’ll minister before God day and night in His temple.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the consecration of the priests took seven days. I believe that one of the pictures of the Feast of Tabernacles is our consecration as priests of God when Jesus returns to earth and sets up His kingdom.
Talk about a place prepared for us!! Talk about a reason to rejoice!! God is preparing us to be part of His government, a perfect government, forever.
Day 7
The Water Ceremony
. . . “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38b
Materials Needed: funnel, pitcher, basin, bottles labeled with children’s names
During the Feast of Tabernacles every year, the priests had a seven-day water ceremony in Jerusalem. Each day during the Feast, a priest drew an urn of water from the pool of Siloam and carried it through the Water Gate while the people recited Isaiah 12:3: "Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." Once inside the city, they paraded the urn of water to the altar accompanied by a choir singing Psalms 113—118. To conclude the ritual, the priest poured the water on the altar as an offering to God. However, on the last day, the great day of the Feast, they marched seven times around the altar. They would then pour that water down into a silver funnel that stood high above the altar and went down to it. Right afterwards they would chant, antiphonally, Psalms 113 to 118 inclusive, accompanied by the flute. They would repeat the last verse of Psalm 118 and shake their palms (in right hand). The offering of the special sacrifices would follow along with Psalm 118, the psalm of the day. Key verses in this psalm include
vs. 15: The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous.
vs. 22: The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
vs 26: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD.
vs. 29: Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
In John 7:37-39, John recorded this! On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, asf the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
What an incredible picture! Here we are. We’ve been celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles for six days. We’ve been learning more about God; we’ve been building closer relationships with His people; we’ve been rejoicing before Him; we’ve been rehearsing those things that are yet to come - the dedication of His people as the Temple of God, the marriage supper of the Lamb, the consecration of the priests of God, our adoption into the family of God. We have been in God’s presence, drinking in of the Holy Spirit for seven days. We should be filled! Filled with wonder, filled with joy, filled with peace, filled with messages about God, our relationship with Him, and what is to come.
Now. What will we do with all of this fullness? Let’s talk about that tomorrow.
The Eighth Day
Commence
Verse: “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:38
Materials: bags for each child with foam leaf, band-aid, balloon, jewels, blue yarn doll, rock, antiseptic wipe, heart
At the end of a class, a seminar, a training session, the students are gathered together, reminded of the lessons they’ve learned and sent off to get started on their jobs. That’s what today feels like! We’ve spent the past seven days learning, drinking in lots of information. Now we’re ready for our marching orders. We’re ready to go use what we’ve been given - to put it into practice.
(Heart) We’ve felt the Holy Spirit all week long. It has filled this place and us! Now, like the water ceremony portrays, we need to go home and let the living water flow out of our hearts and water our world. We came out of a dry and dusty land. It’s time to go home and make it blossom.
(wipes) After the priests were cleansed and consecrated in the tabernacle for seven days, they assumed their duties on the eighth day (Leviticus 8:33; 9:1). It’s time to get to work as part of God’s kingdom of priests. We may not be priests yet, but we must realize this is the place God is preparing for us and preparing us for. Live your life with that goal and reality in mind. Look for opportunities to share the gospel and to encourage people to seek God and to draw closer to Him.
(Rock) What happened in the temple once it had been dedicated? It was used for the glory of God. This week has been a reminder for us, that, as the temple of God, we are dedicated to His purposes. All of us are the lively stones that God is using for His purpose to His glory.
(yarn doll) Knowing that you are the Bride of Christ - His helpmate - be aware that God is preparing you for that role. You will be tried and purified. Stay close to God (prayer, Bible study, meditation, and fellowship) and trust Him! You are special to Him.
(Jewels) Just how special to Him we are is hard to wrap our minds around!! He calls us jewels! He gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for us so that we could be adopted into His family. He loves us beyond our imagination. Hold onto that trust no matter what!!
(Form leaf and Band-aid) On the first day, we talked about building a tabernacle according to God’s commands. Now, seven days later, the tabernacle looks like the weather has not been kind to it! Similarly, these temporary dwellings, our bodies, look a little worse for the wear as we live through the storms of life. But we keep our eyes focused on Him, knowing it’s part of His plan!
(Balloon) And we rejoice! We rejoice that we have a future in God’s kingdom as the temple of God, the Bride of Christ, priests of God, adopted into God’s family.
Are you ready to get started?
Sabbath (A Wrap-Up Lesson After the Feast)
A Scroll of Remembrance
Verse: a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. Malachi 3:16
Materials: little notebooks and pencils
What will you remember from this Feast? What will you and your family talk about for years to come?
Let me read Malachi 3:16-18 to you: 16Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17“They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
Many years ago (1997), we were traveling home from the Feast. We started talking about the Feast, the sermons we heard, the fun we had had. That evolved into talking about previous feasts. Eventually, we decided we’d better start writing down all these memories before we forgot them. At that time, it meant writing down memories for 26 feasts for Mom and me! After we’d all gotten home, Mom started a rough draft of those Feast memories and sent it to me. I took her drafts and emailed them to my brother in WY and sister in NY. Once all of their additions came back to me, I put them together. Then I raided Mom’s family photo albums for photos. Once I had it all put together, I made copies for my brother, my sister, and Mom and Dad. Over the years, the binder has grown. The family has grown! When we first started doing this, Jonathan hadn’t even been born yet! So many memories! So many sermons! So many Feasts!!
You may think that you’ll never forget this Feast and the stuff you did. But time and the human mind is a funny thing. It’s easy to forget or to not remember the events accurately! So write it down. Make a scrapbook. After all, Malachi tells us that God has a scroll of remembrance. It’s probably a good idea for us to have one too!
This set of lessons (all nine) help explain the Feast of Tabernacles, what these days picture in the plan of salvation.
First Day 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, Leviticus 23:40 Building a Tabernacle
Second Day,“Come bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by might in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD!” Psalm 134:1-2 Rejoice!
Third Day, And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; Malachi 3:17, KJV Jewels!
Fourth Day, Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; Revelation 19:7 The Bride of Christ
Fifth Day, And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry . . . 1 Kings 6:7 (NKJV) Dedication of the Temple
Sixth Day . . . to make [the Church} holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word. Ephesians 5:26 Consecration of Priests
Seventh Day, . . . “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38b The Water Ceremony
Eighth Day, Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:38 Commence
Sabbath (A wrap-up lesson after the Feast), a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. Malachi 3:16 - A Scroll of Remembrance
Day One
Building a Tabernacle
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, Leviticus 23:40
Materials: branches, string
Each of God’s holy days has a specific action associated with it: During the Days of Unleavened Bread, we are to eat unleavened bread for seven days. We are commanded to count to the day of Pentecost. On Trumpets, we are to shout. On Atonement, we are to afflict our souls, i.e. fasting. During the Feast of Tabernacles we are to dwell in tabernacles.
The word “tabernacle” means temporary dwelling. It’s not a place where you are planning to stay for a long time. After God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, they wandered in the desert for 40 years, and that’s the reason God has given for why we live in temporary dwellings during the Feast of Tabernacles. God said it was to remind His people that He caused the Israelites to dwell in temporary dwellings when they wandered in the wilderness. Forty years is a long time to dwell in temporary dwellings! And for any of the Israelites who were older than 20 years old, they lived in temporary dwellings for the rest of their lives.
In reality, we are each of us living in temporary dwellings all of our lives. That is, these bodies are temporary. They will not last forever. Even Jesus, when He came to dwell in this earth as a human being, was living in a temporary human body. John says He came and tabernacled (dwelled temporarily) among us.
It’s interesting that God would tell His people to emphasize the temporariness of this life for an entire week.
Maybe He wants us to remember that this life is not long - just as the Feast of Tabernacles is not long. This week will be over before you know it.
Maybe He wants us to remember that this life is not perfect; the leaves of the tabernacle don’t keep all of the rain out.
Maybe He wants us to remember that these bodies are subject to decay and are wearing out bit by bit.
Maybe He wanted us to remember the temporariness and troubles of this life while we’re here at the Feast, while we’re dwelling with Him. He says that where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst. Maybe He wanted us to remember that He is with us through all of it.
And maybe God wanted to emphasize all of these things while we celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles so that we can remember that God has designed it to be that way. He has a reason. There are important things for us to learn from the temporariness of this life.
Regardless, make the most of the time God has given you - both here at the Feast and in this life - because it’s just temporary.
Day Two
Rejoice!
“Come bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by might in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD!” Psalm 134:1-2
Materials needed: helium, balloons, string, scissors, tape
It is not a coincidence that the last of the Psalms of Ascent is Psalm 134: “Come bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by might in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD!” (verses 1-2) What an expression of celebration and rejoicing! We’ve made it! We’re at the Feast of Tabernacles!!
So how do you rejoice? You might include some of these responses: jump up and down, go out for ice cream, throw confetti, sing, dance, smile, go out for ice cream, carry a balloon. All of the activities we do when we rejoice are evidence that we are rejoicing. That is, these actions show your attitude inside.
But why would we be talking about rejoicing on this second day of the Feast of Tabernacles? Maybe, like the author of Psalm 134, you’re rejoicing because you’re at the Feast of Tabernacles. That would be a good thing because one of the commands associated with the Feast of Tabernacles is to rejoice. It’s not a command of Moses; it’s a command from God. What makes it even more significant is the fact that the first mention of rejoicing in the Bible is here - in connection with the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles. God wants rejoicing to be a very important part of our Feast.
Therefore, it is very important to make sure you are rejoicing - all week long. Remember: it’s not a suggestion; it’s a command from God. So think about how you’re going to do that. The ice cream, balloons, jumping up and down - these actions are simply evidence of your attitude of rejoicing. How can you make sure that your internal attitude is rejoicing all week long?
First, it’s important to remember it is a choice to rejoice. You can have joy and rejoice even when things aren’t perfect - which is good - because these temporary dwellings aren’t perfect. Remember: the leaves let in the rain sometimes! And you choose to rejoice because it’s God’s command to you for this week. Secondly, you rejoice because you realize just how very blessed you are! You’re here at the Feast, you have a relationship with the Great God of the Universe, and you have assurance of eternal life in His kingdom where there will be no more tears or sorrow.
More practically, while you’re here at the Feast, make sure you get enough sleep, you drink enough water, you get enough exercise, and you don’t go crazy on sugar and very rich foods. If you don’t watch these four areas, as the week goes on, you’ll be less and less flexible in your temporary dwellings.
Also, as the week goes on, you’re going to get more tired. You’re not sleeping in your own bed. You’re out of your routine and away from your stuff. Even though the Feast is fun, it can be a lot. But that doesn’t mean you are excited from God’s commandment to rejoice.
You know what happens to a helium-filled balloon? As the days go by, the helium seeps out and the balloon droops more and more. Make sure that’s not what happens to your attitude of rejoicing before the Lord! Take the steps now to rejoice all week long!
Day Three
Jewels!
And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; Malachi 3:17, KJV
Materials: shiny rocks, beads, jewels
In the world, we often are not the one who is chosen first. Have you ever been in a situation where they were choosing up teams, and you were the last one chosen? Or even worse, when all the “good” players were chosen, the captains argued over who had to take you?! It doesn’t feel very good to be rejected, to have people think you aren’t valuable.
Praise God! You don’t have to worry about that with God! He has chosen you! He has called you a precious jewel. He has said you are His. Malachi 3:16-17 says, Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. (I like the KJV because it says “jewels.” Other translations say “treasured possessions.”)
We talked yesterday about rejoicing before God, and one the reasons we rejoice is because of the relationship with have with Him. Just like you choose a special rock or jewel from a box to be your own special treasure, God chose each of us to be in a relationship with Him, to come to know Him, to not just be a servant, but to be adopted into His family as His child, and to eventually dwell in His kingdom with Him forever.
As each of you chooses a rock or jewel, let’s talk about what you’re going to do with it: make a necklace, a pin, a keychain, or just have it as something to keep with you in your pocket because it’s special. Just like you having a plan for the jewel, God has a plan and a place in His family for each of us that He has chosen.
We’re going to spend the next several days talking about the plans God has for us and the rejoicing that will bring!! In the meantime, you rejoice now knowing that you are chosen by God, adopted into His family, to be His!
Day 4
The Bride of Christ
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; Revelation 19:7
Materials: blue yarn dolls (one for each student)
There’s an old rhyme associated with weddings about what the bride wears:
Something old, something new,
something borrowed, and something blue.
Because we know that marriage is a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ and the Church, perhaps we ought to think more about what the Bride is wearing.
The idea of the Bride of Christ and the marriage suppler fo the Lamb fits right in with our topic yesterday, of being chosen by God to fit into His family. This is just one more special reason to rejoice. God the Father has chosen us, the Church, to be the Bride for His Son. Talk about a special place, relationship, and role! As a bride and groom pledge themselves to each other until death, we will pledge ourselves to be united with Christ forever because there will be no more death in God’s kingdom. We get to be a helpmate to Jesus for eternity. Talk about a special reason to rejoice!
Because we know that this is what God has planned for us, we spend these days preparing for the wedding. We want to get as close to Jesus, knowing and doing His will. We study the Bible, spend time in prayer and meditation, and celebrate the Feast. God says He’s going to purify for Himself a Bride. So we accept, with joy, the cleansing process which may not be much fun. But we know it’s preparing us for a future in His kingdom as His bride.
We also need to think about what we will wear as the Bride of Christ. Revelation 19:8 says the Bride of Christ will be given fine linen, bright and pure, for fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. But we know that our righteousness comes from Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30). So the Bride puts on the Lord Jesus Christ, His righteousness (Romans 13:14). That’s definitely something old; nothing could be older than our eternal God. At the same time, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we become new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). The borrowed? Perhaps that’s the life, the existence, that He has given to us. And the blue? Isn’t it interesting that the tassels commanded to be worn were supposed to have a blue thread in them (Numbers 15:38)!!
Today, as you rejoice here at the Feast of Tabernacles, think about the marriage supper of the Lamb and think about the wedding garments of the Bride of Christ. What should you be wearing?
Day 5
Dedication of the Temple
And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry . . . 1 Kings 6:7 (NKJV)
Materials: rocks, chisels, hammers
Do you remember on the first day talking about building a tabernacle? God commands us to build a tabernacle and to dwell in it for seven days as a picture of the Israelites dwelling in the wilderness for 40 years. Eventually, however, the Israelites moved into the Promised Land and settled down. They were no longer wandering. Centuries later, King David had it in his heart to build a house for God, a more permanent place in which to worship God, a temple. God allowed King David’s son Solomon to do just that. Solomon’s temple was absolutely magnificent! It took seven years to complete. Although it was finished in the eighth month of the year (1 Kings 6:38), Solomon waited almost an entire year, until the next Feast of Tabernacles, to dedicate it.
Things don’t just happen. There’s a very special reason the temple was dedicated during the Feast of Tabernacles with much pomp, circumstance, and celebration. It’s a picture of you and me - having tabernacled in these bodies, these temporary dwellings all of our lives, we are also called temples of the living God, the place where God’s Spirit dwells. And in that day, when Christ returns, there will be a special dedication of our lives as temples of the Holy Spirit forever.
You see, just as David had a heart to build a house for God, God told David that He, God, would build a house for David. David’s house, David’s family, would extend all the way to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
In a similar way, we dedicate our lives to God, looking forward to our place in God’s kingdom. God tells us that the place He has prepared for us, the house where we will dwell forever, is His house, His family. We will be adopted into the family of God. In effect, we’re not building a house for God; God is building a house out of us.
Today, in preparation for that eventuality, we are being shaped and molded. The stones which were shaped and hewed out of the rock at the quarry were not chiseled to fit on the temple grounds. The stones were shaped, molded, and chiseled right where they were. Similarly, we are being formed into the image of Jesus Christ now so that we will fit directly into place in His house, that house built with the lively stones of mankind.
So as we have some of our rough edges shaved off and we go through difficult things in this life, we keep our eyes focused on Jesus Christ. We desire more than ever to be molded into His image so that we can slide into the position God is preparing for each one of us.
Another fantastic reason to rejoice!
Day 6
Consecration of Priests
. . . to make [the Church} holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word. Ephesians 5:26
Materials: basin, wash clothes
Yesterday we talked about the dedication of the temple of God. Part of the design of the temple was the priesthood. The priests would serve God day and night in His temple, interceding for the people of God. The priesthood was a picture of our High Priest, Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of God and ever lives to make intercession for us.
The first physical High Priest from the tribe of Levi was Aaron. When God declared that Aaron would be high priest, there was an elaborate ceremony for his consecration. Consecration is a synonym of dedication, but carries an additional meaning of being set apart as holy or sacred for a holy purpose.
First, Aaron was washed by Moses; he could not wash himself. Second, Moses dressed Aaron in fine white line, special clothing only to be used in the tabernacle (and later, the temple). Then there were special sin offerings to be made, followed by fellowship offerings. The entire period of consecration took seven days!
So here’s the parallel: God says that we will be a kingdom of priests to Him. First, we have to be washed by water - baptized into Jesus Christ. Just as Aaron could not wash himself, we can’t baptize ourselves. Secondly, we are dressed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. All of our sins and sinfulness is atoned for by the sacrifice, the crucifixion, the blood, of Jesus Christ. And at the return of Jesus Christ, we will be consecrated as priests in His service. We’ll teach the people. We’ll minister before God day and night in His temple.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the consecration of the priests took seven days. I believe that one of the pictures of the Feast of Tabernacles is our consecration as priests of God when Jesus returns to earth and sets up His kingdom.
Talk about a place prepared for us!! Talk about a reason to rejoice!! God is preparing us to be part of His government, a perfect government, forever.
Day 7
The Water Ceremony
. . . “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38b
Materials Needed: funnel, pitcher, basin, bottles labeled with children’s names
During the Feast of Tabernacles every year, the priests had a seven-day water ceremony in Jerusalem. Each day during the Feast, a priest drew an urn of water from the pool of Siloam and carried it through the Water Gate while the people recited Isaiah 12:3: "Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." Once inside the city, they paraded the urn of water to the altar accompanied by a choir singing Psalms 113—118. To conclude the ritual, the priest poured the water on the altar as an offering to God. However, on the last day, the great day of the Feast, they marched seven times around the altar. They would then pour that water down into a silver funnel that stood high above the altar and went down to it. Right afterwards they would chant, antiphonally, Psalms 113 to 118 inclusive, accompanied by the flute. They would repeat the last verse of Psalm 118 and shake their palms (in right hand). The offering of the special sacrifices would follow along with Psalm 118, the psalm of the day. Key verses in this psalm include
vs. 15: The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous.
vs. 22: The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
vs 26: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD.
vs. 29: Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
In John 7:37-39, John recorded this! On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, asf the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
What an incredible picture! Here we are. We’ve been celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles for six days. We’ve been learning more about God; we’ve been building closer relationships with His people; we’ve been rejoicing before Him; we’ve been rehearsing those things that are yet to come - the dedication of His people as the Temple of God, the marriage supper of the Lamb, the consecration of the priests of God, our adoption into the family of God. We have been in God’s presence, drinking in of the Holy Spirit for seven days. We should be filled! Filled with wonder, filled with joy, filled with peace, filled with messages about God, our relationship with Him, and what is to come.
Now. What will we do with all of this fullness? Let’s talk about that tomorrow.
The Eighth Day
Commence
Verse: “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:38
Materials: bags for each child with foam leaf, band-aid, balloon, jewels, blue yarn doll, rock, antiseptic wipe, heart
At the end of a class, a seminar, a training session, the students are gathered together, reminded of the lessons they’ve learned and sent off to get started on their jobs. That’s what today feels like! We’ve spent the past seven days learning, drinking in lots of information. Now we’re ready for our marching orders. We’re ready to go use what we’ve been given - to put it into practice.
(Heart) We’ve felt the Holy Spirit all week long. It has filled this place and us! Now, like the water ceremony portrays, we need to go home and let the living water flow out of our hearts and water our world. We came out of a dry and dusty land. It’s time to go home and make it blossom.
(wipes) After the priests were cleansed and consecrated in the tabernacle for seven days, they assumed their duties on the eighth day (Leviticus 8:33; 9:1). It’s time to get to work as part of God’s kingdom of priests. We may not be priests yet, but we must realize this is the place God is preparing for us and preparing us for. Live your life with that goal and reality in mind. Look for opportunities to share the gospel and to encourage people to seek God and to draw closer to Him.
(Rock) What happened in the temple once it had been dedicated? It was used for the glory of God. This week has been a reminder for us, that, as the temple of God, we are dedicated to His purposes. All of us are the lively stones that God is using for His purpose to His glory.
(yarn doll) Knowing that you are the Bride of Christ - His helpmate - be aware that God is preparing you for that role. You will be tried and purified. Stay close to God (prayer, Bible study, meditation, and fellowship) and trust Him! You are special to Him.
(Jewels) Just how special to Him we are is hard to wrap our minds around!! He calls us jewels! He gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for us so that we could be adopted into His family. He loves us beyond our imagination. Hold onto that trust no matter what!!
(Form leaf and Band-aid) On the first day, we talked about building a tabernacle according to God’s commands. Now, seven days later, the tabernacle looks like the weather has not been kind to it! Similarly, these temporary dwellings, our bodies, look a little worse for the wear as we live through the storms of life. But we keep our eyes focused on Him, knowing it’s part of His plan!
(Balloon) And we rejoice! We rejoice that we have a future in God’s kingdom as the temple of God, the Bride of Christ, priests of God, adopted into God’s family.
Are you ready to get started?
Sabbath (A Wrap-Up Lesson After the Feast)
A Scroll of Remembrance
Verse: a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. Malachi 3:16
Materials: little notebooks and pencils
What will you remember from this Feast? What will you and your family talk about for years to come?
Let me read Malachi 3:16-18 to you: 16Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17“They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
Many years ago (1997), we were traveling home from the Feast. We started talking about the Feast, the sermons we heard, the fun we had had. That evolved into talking about previous feasts. Eventually, we decided we’d better start writing down all these memories before we forgot them. At that time, it meant writing down memories for 26 feasts for Mom and me! After we’d all gotten home, Mom started a rough draft of those Feast memories and sent it to me. I took her drafts and emailed them to my brother in WY and sister in NY. Once all of their additions came back to me, I put them together. Then I raided Mom’s family photo albums for photos. Once I had it all put together, I made copies for my brother, my sister, and Mom and Dad. Over the years, the binder has grown. The family has grown! When we first started doing this, Jonathan hadn’t even been born yet! So many memories! So many sermons! So many Feasts!!
You may think that you’ll never forget this Feast and the stuff you did. But time and the human mind is a funny thing. It’s easy to forget or to not remember the events accurately! So write it down. Make a scrapbook. After all, Malachi tells us that God has a scroll of remembrance. It’s probably a good idea for us to have one too!