Deuteronomy 16:15
For seven days you shall celebrate a feast to
The LORD your God
in the place He will choose, because
The LORD your God
will bless you in all your produce
and in the work of your hands,
so that your joy will be complete.
(Berean Study Bible)
The seven day feast referred to here in this passage is The Feast of Tabernacles, which was to be celebrated with joy for God's providence in their harvests. The first cutting of the harvest was to be brought before The Lord and given to Him joyfully and with a willing heart.
This week-long celebration was a remembrance feast, as all such feasts were. A tabernacle is a temporary shelter, like a tent, in which they were to stay for the seven days, remembering a time when they wandered in the desert after leaving Egypt. It is a time for giving God thanks for His caring of them at that time.
How does this apply to us today? We who wandered in the darkness of this world also dwelt in temporary structures, but now we reside in Christ. Even when we didn't know God and God's blessings, still God called us out of that darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). For this reason we rejoice with holy (sacred) joy. As they were to rejoice daily even after the feast had ended, we, too are encouraged to rejoice every day (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
Is my joy complete? Absolutely. I rejoice in The God of my salvation, too (Habakkuk 3:18). I rejoice with words spoken to Him. I rejoice with songs I write about Him. I rejoice with songs I sing about Him and to Him. I rejoice because I can't help it: I Want To Rejoice. I want to please God with my worship. I want Him to receive my worship, so therefore, I must, with all my heart and mind and soul endeavor to do that which pleases Him: obey His Word and receive His Son into my heart, His Holy Spirit into my life.
And in so doing The Lord God will bless me and you. He will bless whatever work we put our hands to doing for His service. He will bless our increase. And again, we rejoice in our God. We rise up and bless His holy Name, for it is this Name which saves us. It is this Name which heals us. It is this Name which covers us. It is this Name which we rejoice in. The Name of Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God.
No longer do we wander in the desert of this world, for Christ has become our Tabernacle. This Tabernacle is not temporary, but this body in which my soul and my spirit reside is. Someday I will leave it and be home with Christ evermore. This day when The Tabernacle of God is permanent is coming: Revelation 21:3 "And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, The Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God." For this cause also, I rejoice.
Soon and very soon Jesus will return for His people, His bride. And we will be gone in 'the twinkling of an eye' (1 Corinthians 15:52) and 'as a thief in the night' (2 Peter 3:10). Will you go with us? Or will you be left behind? It's your choice. Just hope you make the right choice.
10,000 REASONS - Matt Redman
BLESS GOD - Brooke Ligertwood
BLESS GOD - Cody Carnes
RUN TO THE FATHER - Cody Carnes
