Reading: Numbers 28-29
And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month,
ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile
work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. And
ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the
Lord; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the
first year without blemish(Num. 29:1-2).
The calendar under which the Israelites lived in Biblical times
can be difficult for modern-day Christian readers to decipher. That
is because their lives were actually governed by two separate
calendars. From the time of the Exodus, the sacred (spiritual)
year began in Nisan (Ex. 12:1-2), the month of the Passover,
which is observed in remembrance of God’s deliverance of His
people. However, the month that marked the official changing of
the year (year date) was Tishri (Ezek. 40:1). Thus, the seventh
month of the spiritual year was the first month of the civil year.
The Feast of Trumpets marked the beginning of a new year
in a civil legal sense, and it also served the purpose of calling
the Israelites' attention back to the Lord after a prolonged
period of intense physical labor. The four months between the
Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and the Feast of Trumpets were
spent working in the fields and preparing for harvest. The day
of blowing the trumpets served to remind them of the God
to whom they owed their bounty. This day of worship and rest was followed ten days later by
the Day of Atonement. This was a day of fasting, prayer, and
soul searching. It was the day in which the high priest entered
into the most holy place to make intercession with God for
the sins of the nation, and the scapegoat was released into
the wilderness (Lev. 16:2-34). This most solemn of holy days
preceded the joyous Feast of Tabernacles by only five days. The Feast of Tabernacles was the last feast of the religious
year. For seven days, all the residents of Israel dwelt in temporary
booths (shelters) as an annual reminder of the time when they
dwelt in tents during their 40 years in the wilderness, wholly
dependent on God for protection and provision. This celebration
has also been referred to as the Feast of Ingathering. It marked
the end of the harvest and called for the people to give thanks unto God, worshiping Him in joyous celebration. There were
far more sacrifices offered during this Feast than during any
other. Each one offered in acknowledgment of the provision,
protection, and mercy of God. Today, we look upon the Feast Days of the Lord, and we
see in them the foreshadowing of the Messiah. For instance,
Passover represents His atoning work upon the Cross, and
The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) marks His bodily ascension
to the throne room of God. It is both awe-inspiring and humbling
for us to be able to look back and realize that Jesus was
a source of hope and inspiration for His people long before
they even knew Him. Where most of the Feast Days now
commemorate events that have already taken place, there
is one that still urges us to look to the future. The joy of the
Feast of Tabernacles is representative of the joy that will fill our
hearts on the long-awaited day on which our blessed Savior
will return to collect His harvest. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the
clouds with great power and glory. And then shall He send
His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the
four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost
part of heaven(Mark 13:26-27). Thought For Today:The timetable of the world and the timetable
of God are two separate and wholly unequal things. The
world’s may keep us on schedule, but God’s is the one that
matters in the end. Christ Revealed:By the tabernacles (booths, temporary dwellings) (Num.
29:12-39; Lev. 23:34,42-43). The Word (logos, i.e. the sayings of God) was
made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14). The Greek word
translated dwelt means to “tabernacle or live in a tent temporarily.” Word Studies:28:2 sweet savour = pleasing fragrance; 28:3 spot = defect;
28:6 ordained = instituted by God; 28:13 several = separate. Pray For Staff:Judy McCrary • Government Officials: Rep. Darren Soto
(FL) • Country: Somalia (10,428,043) East Africa • Major Languages:
Somali, Arabic • Islam is the State Religion; Persecution & Execution by Al-
Shabaab (both Muslim and Christian) • Muslim; Small low-profile Christian
community, Small numbers of members of other religious groups • Prayer
Suggestion: Trust in the Lord and wait upon Him in your prayers, for He
will hear you (Mic. 7:7). Optional ReadingLuke 12