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THE FESTIVALS OF BOOTHS (LEVITICUS 23:33-43)

The Israelites were instructed to observe the festival of Booths and commemorate it yearly.

REFLECTION 

The Festival of Booths is the theme for our reflection. Sukkot or the festival of Booths commemorates the years that the Jews spent in the desert on their way to the Promised Land, and celebrates how God protected them under difficult desert conditions. Feast of Booths is also known as the Feast of Tabernacles. You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 23:41-43)

One of the importance of yearly festivals or feasts is that it reminds us of our history, cultural heritage and our past events. The significance of today’s reflection to Christians is that God is faithful and continues to be gracious to us, once upon a time in the wilderness of sin we were completely lost but Jesus found us and saved us. I am compelled and I think it most appropriate to liken the Festival of Booth to Picnic Monday. On picnic Monday we express our joy and celebrate with one another our Salvation in Jesus Christ during Easter. Easter or Good Friday represents the day of Atonement and Picnic Monday represents the festival of Booths. We should always remember who we were “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.  More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (Romans 5:8-11). We are to be grateful to God for our salvation and occasionally celebrate with our friends and loved ones by sharing our testimony of what God has done and continue to do for us. We can also commemorate these events by taking part or supporting evangelistic activities and outreach programmes so that others may also be saved from the captivity of sin. We can also engage in social ministry by reaching out to the poor and less privileged just as Jesus reached out to us when we were also in such precarious situations. You have a lot to be thankful for considering your past and God’s faithfulness to you. How would you celebrate your freedom and joy in the Lord and which activities would engage in to glorify God? Shalom

PRAYER

GRACIOUS GOD, CONTINUALLY REMIND US OF WHO WE WERE AND WHO WE ARE NOW IN OUR LORD AND MASTER JESUS CHRIST. LET OUR NEW NATURE AND YOUR GRACE GIVE US EVERY REASON TO BE JOYFUL AND MOST IMPORTANTLY BEAR TESTIMONY OF YOUR GREATNESS AND GOSPEL TO THE WORLD. AMEN

Jean-Paul Agidi (Rev)