For some reason, this Feast is called a “solemn assembly.” One root meaning for this Hebrew noun (“atzsarah”) is “to shut up.” In fact, that root verb (“atzsar”) is translated that way (“shut up”) 15 times in the King James Version of the Old Testament.
I am wondering if it is “shut up” in the sense of the final feast of the Jewish year. (These Holy Days having now been “closed.” This God given Cycle.) And indeed “Tabernacles” is exactly that! The annual calendar has concluded!
The amazing Series of “Seven Feasts” has come to an end. If so, and if this Chapter (Leviticus 23) is a prototypical picture of God’s “Plan of the Ages” … then things are going to end in a wonderful manner!
Bight days are ultimately ahead!
Read the last two chapters in the New Testament Book of Revelation to validate that idea. Very encouraging days! For God’s redeemed people, I mean.
Plus … I just read this, in preparing for this morning’s Lesson. “Tabernacles” (with its emphasis on the crops being harvested) is similar (analogous) to our holiday called “Thanksgiving!” (And I am writing this two days before Thanksgiving, 2019. While preaching in a Thanksgiving Jubilee in Lebanon, Tennessee!)
One more observation today … Leviticus 23 dedicates a very full Paragraph to the “Tabernacles” legislation, sort of a “how-to-do-it” Manual for this last of Israel’s Holy Seasons.
Leviticus 23:33-44, a lot of Scripture! In preparation for tomorrow’s Lesson, let’s all read this thoroughly.
“33 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. 35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. 37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: 38 Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD. 39 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. 44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.”
Wow!
Yes, it will take several more days to finally get us through Leviticus 23, one of the Bible’s truly great Chapters!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
God is good.
.