|
Week:04, Season:1,
2014
Posted on Saturday by PCT
|
|
Relying on God, Building Faith
|
|
Scripture：《
Leviticus 23:33-44
》
23：33 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.
|
|
|
|
Festival of Tabernacles
Sukkot, the Festival of Tabernacles, is one of the three biggest Jewish festivals (the other two are Passover and the Feast of Weeks). Every year at these three festivals, all Jewish men must go to Shiloh to celebrate. At the Festival of Tabernacles, people must rejoice as required. The celebration starts from the 15th day of Tishrei, which is the 7th month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar (about September and October in the Western calendar) and is about the time near the end of harvest when people celebrate their achievements in the autumn. Therefore Sukkot is also called “the Festival of Tabernacles” in English. The Festival of Tabernacles is also on the 5th day after Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) which on this day, the day turns to be a most joyful day after the solemn Day of Atonement. On the day of the Festival of Tabernacles, a service will be held and all the people celebrating it must stay in tents. The Hebrew word “sukkot” is originally from the plural of sukkah, meaning "booth or tabernacle." In this festival people stay in tents to remember how God led the people of Israel out of Egypt.
Therefore strictly, all Jewish people need to stay in tents during the Festival of Tabernacles. The tents used in this festival are in different forms; some are made of wood, some are simply built with leaves. In recent years, more modern forms such as tents with aluminium structures and canvas covering are more popular. The top of the tents must be able to cover the sunlight in the daytime and open in the night time for star watching. Modern tents are now very creative with family all working together to build and decorate as a special piece of work. Some tents are built in family back yards, some are built in the Synagogue or community centres for public use. The public tents are usually the places for community group celebrations and decorating them has become a popular event in the community. Generally, staying in a tent means that all of the daily life events occur within it, such as eating, resting, entertaining, studying and sleeping but more commonly, many Jewish only use the tent as a place to eat. In other words, the important activity at the Festival of Tabernacles is to build tents. “Tent” is a sign of the history of the Jew escaping out of Egypt and living a nomadic life since then. The Tent became their shelter and a home wherever they went.
Urban nomad
In the school where my child studies, there are several indigenous students. Quite often the indigenous students come and go after a semester or in another new semester. These indigenous people left their home towns for to find work. They are like “urban nomads” moving around cities to find jobs. Sometimes they are one family; sometimes they are several families living together. Some are relatives and some are just friends. For these indigenous people, no matter where they go, the place will become their home anyway. Sometimes indigenous people will come to worship at my parish church but usually their attendance is irregular. I still spend my time providing pastoral care for them even though I know they will soon leave after a while. Each time when I think of them, I think of the Festival of Tabernacles. These indigenous people seem to live a life like celebrating the Festival of Tabernacles all the time. Wherever they move, there is joy and singing; after a while, they repack their belongings and become nomads again moving towards the next destination.
About tent
A “tent” is sometimes like a temporary shack for people to rest; not formal but acceptable as a place to stay. In early times, for farmers in the countryside and indigenous people in the mountain areas, shack (gōng liáo) is built to be a place to have a nap or sleep for a night because the places where they worked are often far from home. I remember when I was serving at the army, I sometimes needed to visit or have meetings with the reserve forces in the indigenous tribes. That is how I understand the need of a shack for indigenous people where they will stay for a while as their temporary home at work.
A “tent” is sometimes like a farmhouse although most of the conditions of a farmhouse are better and more comfortable than a tent or a shack. In Taiwan, some farmhouses can even be compared to a mansion. The farmhouse is the symbol of an agricultural society; a shuttle and a home for farmers. At the peak time of farming and after harvesting, the barn is filled with grains. The harvest celebration at a farmhouse is like rejoicing at the Festival of Tabernacles. In some rural churches, a thanksgiving day will be held after the harvest season. Everyone takes their fresh farm products to church to share their thanks with God and the congregation; how warm and joyful.
A tent has more meanings to the Israelis; it is not only as a temporary place for farmers to rest near farms at the harvest season, but to remember the nomadic history of the Israelis. The meaning of celebrating the Festival of Tabernacles is that people shall live by the mercy of the Lord and always give our thanks to God. When the Israelis were wandering in the wilderness, God provided all their needs. The Festival of Tabernacles sends a message to people that “Jehovah-jireh”, The LORD Will Provide! When the Israelis ran out of food and supplies, God gave them manna and quail, and water from the rock to satisfy their needs. This is one of the most important meanings of the Festival of Tabernacles.
Modern people are used to rely on the environment and materials for living and their own abilities and contacts for their desired life. Gradually, people lose the experiences of relying on God. The meaning of the Festival of Tabernacles reminds us that we shall learn to depend on the Lord and build such faith to remember the example of the elders of the faith and what they have done for us.
Faith and hope
In the Presbytery to which I belong, there are several countryside churches where the number of the congregations and the amount of offerings is like a curve which closely relates to the agricultural society; therefore, it results in an interesting phenomenon that the income of a church is higher at the sowing time or harvest time. On the other hand, in the farming season, farmers are busy at work whole day and sometimes even stop worshipping at church. After the season ends and the harvest completed, there comes the thanksgiving celebrations and everyone brings food and products to share generously.
This is the special circle in a farm village church: the members are enthusiastic but they live relying on the weather. If a typhoon comes, there is an impact on the harvest and their life. Or if too much is produced, the price of the farm products drop. It is not an easy way of life for the farmers. Whenever I see their generosity to the churches, I cannot help feeling joyful. A minister who used to serve at a farm village church did not get paid for three months after a typhoon struck Taiwan. Nearly all of the farm produce were destroyed with the wind and water and his church members could not give their offerings because of this serious impact. This minister is still serving at this village church because of his faith and hope in God. This is a faithful life; relying and looking upon the Lord in uncertainty. We can say that the Festival of Tabernacles is also a festival of faith.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 says, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.” Let us make the Festival of Tabernacles a thankful day.
Leviticus 23: 42-43 says, “Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’” Let us make the Festival of Tabernacles a commemoration day
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For discussion：
1.What does the Festival of Tabernacles in the Old Testament mean to or inspire us today?
2.What does the meaning of a “faithful life” of a Christian mean to or inspire you?
Please pray for：
1.For many “urban nomads” who live a drifting life. May God guide them, watch over them and protect them.
2.For those whose life is tough and lonely; for broken families. May God heal them, protect them and care them.
Prayer：
Dear Heavenly Father, when I complain about my family, my job and my colleagues, make me turn to give thanks to you for I have family to complain about (as we are able to see each other), for I still have a job to complain about (though the pay is low), for I still have colleagues around (although sometimes they are difficult to get along with). I need to think that there are broken families, unemployed people who have to survive by several part-time jobs, there are people who do not have stable employment and colleagues to share their working life with. When I think of them, I have to give thanks to God with joy and thanksgiving for what I have. In the name of Christ. Amen.
Something you can do：
1.In the weekly calendar booklet published by PCT Press, the 38th rule of “Happiness Practices” says, “Happiness is when you believe from your heart that when I live, I shall have God’s healing, protections pouring on me; thus each of my day is filled with peace, joy, happiness and abundance.” Try to think about what happiness means to you? Write down some ideas and give thanks for them to God.
2.Discuss with your church fellowship or groups about some doable community ministry; take real action work for caring charities.
|
|
|
|
|