Slices
Prepare
Give thanks for material blessings.
Bible passage
The Festival of Trumpets
23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 ‘Say to the Israelites: “On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do not do any of your ordinary work, but present a food offering to the Lord.”’
The Day of Atonement
26 The Lord said to Moses, 27 ‘The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves,[a] and present a food offering to the Lord. 28 Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God. 29 Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people. 30 I will destroy from among their people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32 It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.’
The Festival of Tabernacles
33 The Lord said to Moses, 34 ‘Say to the Israelites: “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do not do any of your ordinary work. 36 For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do not do any of your ordinary work.
37 (‘“These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing food offerings to the Lord – the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbaths and[b] in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the Lord.)
39 ‘“So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. 40 On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees – from palms, willows and other leafy trees – and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in temporary shelters for seven days: all native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters 43 so that your descendants will know that I made the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”’
44 So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed festivals of the Lord.
Explore
For an agricultural community, the cycle of the seasons is important; for the Israelites, the end of the old year and the beginning of the new is marked with the sounding of trumpets (not brass but rams’ horns) (v 24). Nowadays Jews around the world mark this feast as Rosh Hashanah. It ushers in the holiest month.
The Day of Atonement (vs 26,27) has been described in detail in chapter 16. For many people today, New Year is a time to reflect on the past year and make resolutions for the coming 12 months (which rarely last more than a couple of weeks!). This Day of Atonement offered a way to be rid of the sins of the past. It anticipated the perfect ‘once for all’ sacrifice that Jesus would make for the sins of the world (Hebrews 7:27).
The Festival of Booths (or Tabernacles) would remind the Israelites, after they had settled in the Promised Land, of their journey through the wilderness. By living for a week each year in a temporary shelter they would not forget the journey that God had brought them on (vs 42,43). Yesterday I happened to visit the area where I lived while doing my first job. It made me think about the course my life has taken since then. Sometimes it is good to look back and reflect on God’s leading through life.
Respond
Reflect on the times when you have known God’s leading or provision and bring your current situation to him
Deeper Bible study
Pray today to be ready for God’s final call, whatever time it may be.
All the three festivals here take place in the seventh month of the Jewish religious calendar. However, the Festival of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah, is the New Years Day of the civil calendar. Trumpet blasts first brought the fear of God to the hearts of the Israelites on Mount Sinai at the giving of the Law. We are not told who blew the trumpets at that time,1 but it will be the responsibility of angels at the end of time.2 The sound of the trumpet, the shofar, summoned the nation to action, either in worship or in war, and blowing it was part of the responsibilities of the sons of Aaron as priests.3 Many consider it the main object of the Festival of Trumpets to prepare hearts and minds in repentance for the Day of Atonement which follows ten days later.
The children of Israel were familiar with the concept of atonement, from the ministries of both Moses and Aaron.4 It all culminated annually in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is regarded by Jews as the holiest day of the year. They observe it with fasting, confession and worship services.
Finally there is Sukkot, the Festival of Tabernacles (or Feast of Booths), which brings to annual remembrance the way Israel lived for 40 years in their journey through the wilderness. The lesson for us as Christians is that the Son of God came in person to ‘tabernacle’ – to pitch his tent – with the children of men. All these past events prepare us for the future. One of these days, the trumpet of God will sound and our atonement will be fully consummated.
‘When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there!’5 What are you doing today to be sure?
1 Exod 19:16,19; 20:18 2 1 Thess 4:16; Rev 8 3 Num 10:2–10 4 Exod 25:17; Lev 5:13,16 5 James M Black, ‘When the trumpet of the Lord’, 1893
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ruth 1,2; Mark 8
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for a growing sense of community amongst Faith Guides. Pray that as they share their stories, they will be able to affirm and encourage one another.
