Have you ever wondered how top musicians, athletes, and artists become so good in their craft? It is because they have mastered the fundamentals. You need to understand the fundamentals of your craft in order to build new skills and perform advanced feats. Without fundamentals, you’ll never have the right foundation where you can build your skills.
That’s why, in this post, I’m not going to teach you about anything new. I won’t introduce to you something that you haven’t heard before. I want to focus on answering this important question, a fundamental and basic question that we have already heard in the past.
The question is this, “Why are we in the Feast of Tabernacles?”
To answer this question, I want to share with you three fundamental reasons.
Why are we here?
Reason no. 1: To obey Yahweh
Most of us are familiar with Leviticus 23 where we read about the appointed times of Yahweh. Now, that’s part of the fundamentals. Let’s read Leviticus 23:33-36:
33 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD. 35 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. 36 For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.
Yahweh has commanded us to come out of this world for eight days. We are not supposed to be in our usual homes. We don’t go to work. We don’t simply keep the first and eighth days. We don’t simply be here in services and in the afternoon, you’re going to school.
The reason we are here, number 1 is that we are to obey Yahweh. We must and should put Him first. We don’t come together simply because we like to gather together. We come together because the Almighty commanded us and the reason you’re here is because we choose to obey Him.
So, that’s one of the fundamentals we need to understand.
The next reason why we are here is this:
Reason no. 2: To learn God’s way of life
We read in Deuteronomy 31:9-13:
9 So Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.”
Here’s another fundamental truth that we should always keep in mind. In the Feast, we don’t simply have time away from our work and schooling. It is not a time of vacation, but it is a time of learning.
That’s the reason that every day of the Feast, we have services. During these services, we listen to messages that help us learn what this day pictures, what our priorities should be, and most importantly, how we should live this life.
Reason no. 3: To rejoice in the Feast
Finally, the third reason why we are here, brethren, is to rejoice in the Feast. We read in Deuteronomy 16:13-15:
13 “You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. 14 And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates. 15 Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.
Rejoicing in the feast is not optional. It’s actually a command given by Yahweh. The Scripture doesn’t say, “Rejoice in the feast if you are in good health.” “Rejoice in the feast if all your friends and families are around.” “Rejoice in the feast if you have new shoes, new dresses, or new gadgets.” It didn’t say that. Instead, we read how that we must rejoice.
Why would God need to command us to rejoice? Because we live in a sad and depressed world. Did you know that according to the World Health Organization, there are over 264 million people who are depressed on a global scale? The Philippine population is just around 100 million. If only this world keeps the Feast of Tabernacles, we will have a happier world.
Notice as well brethren that it is not only you who must rejoice. You must rejoice with other people. It’s difficult to be happy by yourself. Have you tried celebrating your accomplishments in life alone? That’s not usually what you do. You want to share the good news. You want others to celebrate with you.
That’s why, in the feast, aim to make others happy and don’t just think about yourself. If you want to be happy, make others happy and the best way to do that is by serving, by sharing your blessings, and by just making yourself available.
Finally, brethren, do you know why we should rejoice, because this is the Feast of Yahweh. This Feast pictures the time when Yahshua would finally establish His Kingdom here on earth. That’s the time when all the suffering, the famine, the war, the diseases, and the sadness of this world would be replaced by God’s love, blessing, and grace.
Final words
So, there you have it brethren, the three reasons why we are here in the Feast. If have ever asked yourself or someone asked you, “Why do we keep the Feast?” Here are the three reasons you can give:
- Reason no. 1: To obey Yahweh
- Reason no. 2: To learn God’s way of life
- Reason no. 3: To rejoice in the Feast
These are the fundamental truths I want to share with you today. Once you have mastered and truly understand these fundamental truths brethren, just like a skilled and talented musician or athlete, you are ready to take on advanced biblical truths that will surely help you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Master and Savior Yahshua.