Principle
Under the Law of Moses, Israel was to annually observe the Feast of Tabernacles between the fifteenth and twenty-first day of the seventh month.
Explanation
The seventh month of the religious calendar (September-October) held three significant events:
- Feast of Trumpets (day 1)
- Day of Atonement (day 10)
- Feast of Tabernacles (days 15-21)
The Feast of Tabernacles, which is also referred to as the Feast of Booths or Feast of Ingathering, was the third and final annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
13 “Now in everything I said to you, be circumspect and do not invoke the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth. 14 Keep a feast to Me three times in the year: 15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of new grains, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty); 16 and the Feast of Harvest, the first fruits of your labors you sowed in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. 17 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God.
Exodus 23:13-17 OSB
During the Feast of Tabernacles, the Israelites were to live in tents or booths, serving as a reminder that GOD had taken them from Egypt and saved them from slavery. It was a week-long sabbath without work.
33 Again, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. 35 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no service work on it. 36 For seven days you shall offer whole burnt offerings to the Lord. Then on the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer whole burnt offerings to the Lord. It is the final day of the festival for you, and you shall do no service work on it.
37 ‘These are the feasts to the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer whole burnt offerings to the Lord, whole burnt offerings and their grain and drink offerings, everything on its day— 38 besides the Sabbaths of the Lord, and besides your gifts, all your vows, and all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord.
39 ‘Also on the fifteenth day of this seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast to the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a rest, and on the eighth day a rest. 40 And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the ripe fruit of a tree, leaves of palm trees, the branches of leafy trees, and the pure willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be an ordinance forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 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 23:33-43 OSB
Specific events were prescribed for each day of the feast, with a special assembly on the first and last day of the Feast.
12 ‘Then on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no service work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days. 13 You shall offer whole burnt offerings, burnt offerings as a sweet aroma to the Lord.
‘On the first day offer thirteen young bulls from the oxen, two rams, and fourteen male lambs in their first year—they shall be unblemished, 14 with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams, 15 and one-tenth for each of the fourteen male lambs, 16 and one young male kid from the goats as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole burnt offering, with their grain offerings and drink offerings.
17 ‘On the second day you shall offer twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen unblemished male lambs in their first year, 18 with their grain offering and drink offering for the young bulls, the rams, and the male lambs, according to their number, according to their interpretation, 19 and one young male from the goats as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole burnt offering, with their grain offerings and drink offerings.
20 ‘On the third day you shall offer eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen unblemished male lambs in their first year, 21 with their grain offering and drink offering for the young bulls, the rams, and the male lambs, according to their number, according to their interpretation, 22 and one young male from the goats as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole burnt offering, with their grain offerings and drink offerings.
23 ‘On the fourth day you shall offer ten young bulls, two rams, and fourteen unblemished male lambs in their first year, 24 with their grain offerings and drink offerings for the young bulls, the rams, and the male lambs, according to their number, according to their interpretation, 25 and one young male from the goats as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole burnt offering, with their grain offerings and drink offerings.
26 ‘On the fifth day you shall offer nine young bulls, two rams, and fourteen unblemished male lambs in their first year, 27 with their grain offerings and drink offerings for the young bulls, the rams, and the male lambs, according to their number, according to their interpretation; 28 and one young male from the goats as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole burnt offering, with their grain offerings and drink offerings.
29 ‘On the sixth day you shall offer eight young bulls, two rams, and fourteen unblemished male lambs in their first year, 30 with their grain offerings and drink offerings for the young bulls, the rams, and the male lambs, according to their number, according to their interpretation, 31and one young male from the goats as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole burnt offering, with their grain offerings and drink offerings.
32 ‘On the seventh day you shall offer seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen unblemished male lambs in their first year, 33 with their grain offerings and drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the male lambs, according to their number, according to their interpretation, 34 and one young male from the goats as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole burnt offering, with their grain offerings and drink offerings.
35 ‘On the eighth day you shall have the final day of the festival. You shall do no service work on it. 36 You shall present whole burnt offerings, burnt offerings as a sweet aroma to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, seven unblemished male lambs in their first year, 37 with their grain offerings and drink offerings for the bull, the ram, and the male lambs, according to their number, according to their interpretation, 38 and one young male from the goats as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering, with their grain offerings and drink offerings.
Numbers 29:12-38 OSB
The feast was to be a joyful thanksgiving for all GOD had blessed the Israelites with in that year’s harvest.
13 “You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and winepress. 14 You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and daughter, your male servant and female servant, the Levite, the resident alien, the fatherless and the widow who are within your cities. 15 Seven days you shall keep a feast to the Lord your God in the place the Lord your God chooses for Himself, and if the Lord your God should bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, you will be rejoicing.
Deuteronomy 16:13-15 OSB
Leave a Reply