Title: Thanksgiving and the Feast of Tabernacles
Contents
Leviticus 23:33-43 Thanksgiving and the Feast of Tabernacles
Jesus said. “You search the Scriptures, thinking that you have eternal life in the Scriptures, but these Scriptures testify of Me” (John 5:39). In other words, the Old Testament describes Jesus in the New Testament and symbolizes Jesus. In particular, Leviticus 23 in the Old Testament is called the feast day, and this also describes the appearance of Jesus. Specifically:
Feast 1 : Passover (Leviticus 23:4-5)------The death of Christ
Second Feast: Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:5-8)------Communion with Christ
3rd Feast: Feast of First Fruits (Leviticus 23:9-14)-----Resurrection of Christ
Fourth Feast: Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-22)----Communion between Christ and the Holy Spirit
Feast of Feasts: Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25)----Calling of the Saints of Christ
Feast of Feasts: Feast of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32)----Christ's Atonement
Feast of Feasts: Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-43)----The Harvest of the Saints of Christ
However, Thanksgiving is the Feast of Tabernacles in today's text. The lesson taught by the Feast of Tabernacles is the lesson given to the Thanksgiving Day. What kind of house is the cottage? Chomak is literally like Korean Wondumak, which is made with grass and put fruits on it. Jesus took Peter, John, and James to a high mountain and was transformed. Jesus' face shone like the sun, and his clothes became whiter than snow. And I saw Moses and Elijah talking like Jesus.
At this time, Peter said: “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Matthew 17:4) Why did Peter ask Jesus? Wouldn't he have asked him to build a palace? Didn't you say that we should build a big mansion instead of building a shabby cottage?
Was it just because it was hard to build a large and splendid palace or mansion on a high mountain? no. For the Israelites, the tabernacle has a spiritual as well as a historical meaning. For this reason, the Israelites still make booths on Thanksgiving Day, or the Feast of Tabernacles, and spend a week in the tabernacles. Today, I want to share grace with you by learning about the Feast of Tabernacles, a symbol of Thanksgiving in the Old Testament.
1. On Thanksgiving, you should think about the law of sowing and reaping.
In all countries, including Canada and the United States, Thanksgiving is literally a harvest season. Chuseok in Korea and the Feast of Tabernacles in Israel are also harvest seasons. So this time it's rich. But before this bountiful harvest of autumn, we must not forget that the farmer sowed seeds in early spring and sweated and nurtured in summer. If there was no farmer's heart, without hard work and sweat, today's bountiful Thanksgiving would never have been achieved. In other words, if no one sows, Thanksgiving would be a rather miserable day. In other words, on Thanksgiving, we should think about the law of sowing and reaping.
The law of sowing and reaping is the law of the earth as well as the law of the sky. There is a Korean proverb that says, "When you plant beans, you get beans, and when you plant red beans, you get red beans." He planted it like dog bread, but to expect the perfect bread is to deceive himself. In other words, to reap good things, you must sow good things. There are quite a few students who come to Canada to study English. They need to study hard in order to be good at English. You can't speak English well if you don't study and do other things to meet.
Some people have questions about the law of sowing and reaping, and they ask this question. “Pastor, those who believe in Jesus say that they received salvation and went to heaven not by works but by the grace of God, and they were saved free and free, then they planted nothing, but just got salvation and heaven. So, while Christians say the law of sowing and reaping, aren't they going against that law?"
How would you guys answer this question? We answer: "Of course, we did nothing to gain salvation and the kingdom of heaven. If there is, it is that we believed in Jesus. But that faith does not come from us, it is a gift from God, so in the end, we did nothing to gain salvation. No. That is, we did not sow anything to obtain the fruit of salvation.
But there is someone who sowed the seed of salvation on our behalf. That is Jesus. He died on the cross for us, and as a result I live. That is, the farmer planted it and the farmer's son eats the fruit instead. So Jesus once said something like this. 'Therefore, it is true that one man sows and another reaps. I have sent you to reap what you have labored for; others have labored, and you have shared in their labor” (John 4:37-38).
In other words, the planting is by this person, and the harvesting is eaten by that person. For example, my parents believed in God and planted them well. As a result, it bore abundant fruit. The fruit is eaten by children and descendants. Their descendants are enjoying God's blessing. In other words, the law of sowing and reaping may not happen immediately, but in the end it becomes the law.
2. On Thanksgiving, we must think about judgment.
The Feast of Tabernacles is the feast of separating the wheat from the chaff. Chomak is like a Korean shed. The hut, which is a hut, is hung with grains. And the chaff is burned outside. This is the Feast of Tabernacles. So the Feast of Tabernacles, or Thanksgiving, reminds us of judgment. John the Baptist, who was born on this earth six months before Jesus and introduced Jesus, introduces Jesus like this:
“The ax has already been laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who comes after me is more powerful than I, and I lift his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and with his rudder in his hand he will clear his threshing floor, gathering the wheat into the barn, and burning the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:10- 12)
Jesus is now working as a savior who gives us salvation, gives us the Holy Spirit, gives us healing, and gives us blessings and mercy, but when that day comes, Jesus will return as the Judge. In other words, believers like wheat are gathered in the storehouse of heaven, but those who are like chaff are judged. Therefore, the Feast of Tabernacles, or Thanksgiving, signifies judgment. Therefore, while eating fruits or new grains on Thanksgiving Day, you should not only feel the taste but also think about the judgment. The Bible makes it clear. “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
A judge was passing by and rescued a man who was about to drown. As a result, the two became very close. Then one day, the man who was rescued from the water committed murder and was put on trial in court. It was a crime punishable by death. Coincidentally, the judge in the courtroom was the one who rescued him from the water. The criminal breathed a sigh of relief and said that the judge was acquainted with him. "Judge! Have pity on me. Haven't you saved my life before?"
At this point, the judge spoke sternly. "Come. I was the savior who saved you then, but now I am the judge who judges you." That's right. Gentlemen, Jesus is our Savior now. However, the time will come when he becomes the Judge and strictly separates life and death, sheep and goats, hell and heaven, darkness and light. In this case, bribes will not work. Tears and ejaculation will stop working. Only one accurate and sober judgment awaits.
We are all sinners. There is none righteous, not even one. Therefore, no one can be saved unless he washes away his sins with the blood of Jesus. That is why Jesus came into this world and bled and died on the cross. The Bible makes it clear. “The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.” (John 5:22) “He who believes in him will not be judged, and he who does not believe has already been judged because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. received” (John 3:18).
People often say, "What the hell is God doing without arresting such a person?" when the righteous suffer from the wicked and the good suffer injustice. But now is not the time to catch and imprison the wicked and judge them. It is a time of salvation and grace for both the wicked and sinners to repent and wait for their return. But when the harvest time comes, the wheat is gathered and put into storehouses, and the chaff is thrown into the fire. Therefore, on the Feast of Tabernacles, Thanksgiving, or Chuseok, we must think about God's judgment.
3. On Thanksgiving, we should think about heaven.
God told the people of Israel why they had to build booths and live on Thanksgiving, that is, the Feast of Tabernacles. "Remember that you are strangers in this land." So the Israelites remember the days when they were strangers in Egypt while staying in tabernacles at the 7-day Feast of Tabernacles every year. And it makes me think that this land is a stranger's land and the place we should go to is eternal heaven.
Folks, this earth is not a place where we will live forever. Everyone is a stranger. We all have to go back to our home when our traveler's life is over. The Israelites had a special sense of strangers. Israel, which had been taken over by Rome in AD 70, had to wander from country to country and from place to place to live. Until they regained independence in 1948, the Israelites had to live as strangers. Also, those who remained in Israel were nomads. Nomads did not settle in one place but lived a life of wandering sojourners.
Not only the Israelites, but our lives are all strangers. There is an old song like this in Korea. "Life is a traveler's road, where did it come from and where does it go? Let's not leave Jung Il-rang on the road that wanders like a cloud. Let's not leave it with regrets. Life is a stranger's road Where did it come from and where does it go?" This song is a song of the world, but it is like the lyrics of a hymn that contains the content of the Bible. If anyone knows this song, shall we sing it together like a hymn?
Everyone, life is a stranger, so you have to live with a traveler philosophy. A traveler must go home at some point. Therefore, we must always be prepared to go home. Peter is saying. “Beloved, I urge you, as strangers and passersby, to abstain from the lusts of the flesh, which fight against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
Ladies and gentlemen, as we celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, or Thanksgiving, we need to know that we are strangers. And we must also think about our eternal home, Heaven. And until you get to that heaven, you have to live a life of a stranger without regrets. Today's conclusion. We think of three things on Thanksgiving. 1 This is the law of sowing and reaping. 2. Think of the referee. 3. I think of my hometown, heaven.