Leviticus 23: 33-44, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 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. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 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. 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: 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. 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. 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. 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. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: 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. And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.”
The day of Atonement was celebrated on tenth day of the seventh month and then on the fifteenth day of that month Israel was called upon to live in tents for seven days. When they came out of Egypt they lived in tents as they travelled towards the Promised Land. This festival was another reminder of all that the Lord had done for Israel. When they established their national identity they were slaves. Then they became a nomadic nation travelling for many years and living in tents. Finally, the Lord brought them into a Land of their own where they became settled, lived in houses and had land of their own to farm. On the first day of this feast they were to have a complete day of rest and then on the eighth day there were to have a day of rest as well. On each of those days they offered sacrifices to show gratitude to the Lord and help them to remember His goodness towards them. People who live in tents as nomads don’t have a chance to plant their own trees and have an assured supply of fruit from them. When Israel celebrated this feast they would take branches from various trees to celebrate the fact that they were now living the settled life and they could grow their own trees and farm the fruit.
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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