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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Nehemiah 8:13–18, “And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law. And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month: And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written. So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.”
As Ezra read the Law to the people, gathered in a public place inside their own holy city, they discovered that the Lord had commanded Israel to celebrate certain holidays on a yearly basis. One of these was the Feast of Tabernacles, which occurred during the autumn (fall). At this time, the people lived in tents for seven days to celebrate and remember that the Lord had kept them safe for forty years as they travelled through the terrible desert and, then, brought them safe and secure into their Promised Land. They were to bring fruit, palm branches and branches from other leafy trees to show how grateful they were to the Lord for giving them another harvest in the Promised Land. They ate manna for forty years before they took possession of their Promised Land but, once they came into Israel, the Lord gave them all the food they needed from the fruitful Land that He had given them. When the returnees heard this, they realised that it was the proper time of the year and they celebrated the Feast, just as the Lord commanded them. Lev 23: 39-43, “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 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, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
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