Celebrate the joy of welcoming God’s Word.

More than 90 years after the first exiles returned to Judah, Nehemiah led a company of exiles to return. They rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem in 52 days. Then, on the first day of the seventh month, all the people gathered in Jerusalem. For two days, Ezra the priest read to them from the book of the Law. As he read, they realized how far they had strayed from God’s ways. For one thing, they had not celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles God’s way:

They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: ‘Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters’ – as it is written. So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them (Neh. 8:14-17).

The returned exiles could deeply identify with their ancestors who had been slaves in Egypt. They too had been captives in a foreign land. They too had been sheltered by God during a long wilderness season. They too had seen his faithfulness in bringing them out from bondage and back to the land.

When they realized what Scripture said about how to celebrate Sukkot, they rushed out to do it. And they grieved that they had ignored God’s Word for so long. As a result, they experienced:

The joy that is a bedrock: Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10).

The joy that is a spring: From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great (Neh. 8:17).

Feast on the Word

Read the whole story of this three-week celebration in Nehemiah 8.

Chew on these statements from God’s Word about God’s words:

Jeremiah: When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty (Jer. 15:16).

Jesus: The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life (John 6:63 CEB).

James: Welcome the word planted deep inside you – the very word that is able to save you. You must be doers of the word and not only hearers who mislead themselves (James 1:21-22 CEB).

Celebrate the Feast

Does your experience of God’s Word reflect Jeremiah’s experience and the returned exiles’ experience? If so, rejoice! Pray to continue to discover and embrace what God has said.

Jesus made the way for all who know him as Lord to experience the living word. If you have rarely or never done so, ask for it! Ask the Spirit of Christ to show you the Word. Pray for grace to receive God’s truth from his own mouth and to walk in his ways.

Be blessed in him who is the Word to receive, delight in and act on whatever he says to you today.

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Image © David Ohmer, flickr, Evening Light on Cedar Lake Fountain, CC 2.0

See also

• The intro to this Feast of Tabernacles celebration guide and links to all 8 Days, at Sukkot: The Feast of Joy
• Celebrating God at his appointed times