Deuteronomy 16
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Deuteronomy 16:13-15, Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.
This chapter details the three festivals that commemorated the Hebrews' 40 year journey through the desert and eventually into the promised land. Today's focus verses highlight the Festival of Tabernacles, commonly called Sukkot. It was often considered the greatest of all feasts. It was to be celebrated in autumn, during the time of harvest. The word sukkot means "booths." Throughout this festival, the Jewish people built and dwelt in temporary shelters, just like the Hebrew people did while wandering in the desert. This joyous celebration is a reminder of God's deliverance, protection, provision, and faithfulness. Among the Jews, this festival also pointed to a time when God would again "tabernacle" among his people.
As Christians, we know that God "tabernacled" with his people through the person of Jesus Christ. Think of John 1:14, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Fun fact: it was at the Festival of Tabernacles that Jesus revealed his messianic identity. The festival was often seen as a sign of messianic hope, especially in the water libation portion of the ceremony. During this part, the priests gathered a pitcher of water from the pool of Siloam and poured it on the Temple altar. The pouring of the water was representative of Israel's hope for future rain to produce good harvests. However, during Jesus' time, the people were spiritually dry and desolate. Living under Roman rule, this ceremony was less a cry for physical rain and more a cry that God would indeed pour out his spirit, the living water they so longed for. So picture this - it's right in the middle of this ceremony on the final day of the feast, that Jesus stands up says loudly for all to hear, "...Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:37-38) What an amazing proclamation! The solution to their spiritual drought was found in him, the one who offered living water.
Do you feel spiritually dry right now, possibly disconnected from God and his people? Are you aware that the solution to your spiritual drought is also found in Jesus? He offers you living water, truly eternal hope, so you never need to be thirsty again.
Let's pray...Lord Jesus, thank you for living water. Thank you for filling us with your hope, renewing us, and allowing rivers of hope and love to flow within us. Help us share that same hope with those around us in ways that make a difference for a dry and desolate world. In Your Name, Amen.