The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-08-09

Practical Duties Taught By Stady OF the Inter-
national Sunday lesson Appointed for
August 49, Lev, % 33-ii.


indicated above.l
SUBJECT: Tue FEAST OF TABERNAcLEs.
The Jewish Church had Church year or
eeclesiastie calendar. Specially they had three
great national feasts: l. The Passover. 2. The
Pentecost 3. The Tabernaces. The 23d chap
ter of Lev. gives account of all three Of these
feasts. The Passover was celebrated in the
month of March or of April; Pentecost in
May, and the Tabernacles in September De-
tober Such feasts had great utility. They
tended to unity the nation. They conferred at
Jerusalem They brought the people together
from all parts of Palestine, and in turn the
people learned mutual sympathy and interest.
Such feasts were reereative. They rested the
Israelites from the drudgery of daily toll.
Away over the hills and along the streams and
through the valleys amid beautiful scenes, the
people stTolled toward the Capital, breathing
the fresh healthful atmosphere of Palestine,
singing religious and national hymns and aiTs.
The social qualities were cultivated Sectional
ism was prevented. The masses caught COM
mon sentiment and enthusiasm. There also
resulted more or less interchange In q COM
mercal way. Jerusalem became grand ma
tionsl headquarters. The people caught COM
mon manners had mutual hopes, and felt
oneness of interest. Ali males from II years
old were obliged to resort annually these three
times to Jerusalem. The dates for celebrating
these feasts were favorable, being at seasons Of
best suited for travel and outdoor existence.
Besides men, women and children often went
To favor such migration from their homes
special provision was made. God promised
that during such times, when homes were left
Without the protection of the men, no harm
should come; no enemy should attack. This
promise proved true We have no case where
the residence of a Jew was molested during the
absence of the father or brothers to attend one
of the feasts at Jerusalem. The Passover was
held in the month Nissan, beginning on the
14th and continuing seven days it kept IN
mind the preservation of the first born OF the
Israelties at the time of the 10th plague against
Pharaoh. Pentecost began 80 after Passover
day, and is believed to keep in mind the giving
of the law on Mt. Sinai. The Feast of Taber-
nacles began on the 18th day of the month
Tisri or Ethanim, and lasted seven days. This
is the feast to which We give special attention.
1. Whenf Where3
"The Lord spake unto Moses" (V. 33) Ia the
month Abb or Nissan. 1t Wzs about one year
after the departure from Egypt The year was
24l4 A. NJ, or 1491 b. G. The first Passover
festival was celebrated very soon after the
words of this lesson were indited. That feast
was the beginning of the ecclesiastic year, as
Easter is the true New Year day Of the Chris
tian Church. We find ourselves still at thu
base of BIT. Sinai. The communication to Moses
was made at the tabernacle, which was con-
structed to serve as a meeting-p place between
God and his people.
2. The Feast of Ta5ernacles
l. Names. l. Feast Of Tabernacles. Having
left Egypt they had no roof to cover them, and
for 40 years lived in tents or structures built
of branches of trees Hence the name SuccOth
| given to the first station where the IsFselites
rested after leaving Egypt. SUccoth means a
| booth or hut, and especially one made from
ri . kah z.
nacles were tents or extemporised resting
| places. The feast brought to mind the method
which the Israelites were forced to adopt TO So
| cure abodes in the wilderness. 2. The Feast Of
Ingatheriug. eek, %: 10; Lev, % &c., The
| harvest of this time was vintage in particular.
| 2. Ceremonies. Besides the daily offerings
| presented at the Tabernacle regularly through
out the year there were offered during the
seven days of the Feast Of Tabernacles Ii rams,
/ SO lambs, 20 buIlOcks and seven goats-IS9 ami
| mails in all. These were the public sacrifices.
Two rams were offered every day. also, IA
/ lambs and one goat. On the first day ID bull
/ Locke were sacrificed on the second IL, aud
thus one Less each day till the last when the num-
| Der was seven. The rams, lambs and bullooks
were burnt offerings: the goats were sin offer
/ ings. Meat offerings were also made. By meat
/ we mean fo0d-as corn, -four oil, ffankinCense,
! fruits. An ephab was three pecks and three
| pints. ree-tenths of an ephah Of -four were
| offered with each bullock two-tenths with each
ram and one-tenth with each lamb, making
about q bushels Of -four. Drink offerings, or
| libations, were also presented. Food and drink
were indicative of feast, and pointed to COM
| mnnon between God and his people. In ad-
| dition to sacrifices and offerings of public or
| general nature the people presented private de-
votions or gifts. For full account Of cere-
monies see NJ, %: 12-40 Deu., 10: 1915
| Each Individual in view of personal and peeu-
| 1fuP kov fov
taneous expression of thanks and prayer.
| 3. Object. This was to keep in memory the
| travelings through the wilderness on way from
Egypt TO the Promised Land They lived in
tents, booths, etc, during their journeys. (Y
4O-43.) Life itself is a pilgrimage. Nomansion
| is permanent
4. Parts The first day was as q Sabbath
| The six following days were also spent largely
in religious services. The eighth day was not
properly part of the Feast of Tabernacles. One
has said: 1.-THE eighth day was rather the sol
| emn close of the whole circle of yearly feasts
and, therefore, was appended to the close Of the
last of these foasts as the eighth day of the feast
ITSELF"
5. During the Feasts of TabernacIes the peo-
pie lived out of door in tents and booths made
from boughs from citron, palm, willow, pine,
myrtle and olive trees. (Vs. 40-43 Neh., s: IA.
g. We remember that the solemn Day OF
| Atonement occurred on the 10th Of the month
Tisri, and although the Israelites were not re-
quired to attend services of that day in q body
as at the three great feasts, yet doubtless
many went to Jerusalem in time to be present
on that eventful, awful day. The repentant
penitential nature of that day would be q
fitting background for the joys of the Taber-
nacle Feast, while the exhilaration of the Feast
of T&bernacles would check the sorrow, the
affection Of soul associated with the Day oil
Atonement from degenerating into mel8n-
choly.
2. Psalms 100 to 1874 inclusive are known 81
"Songs or Degrees" or as Pilgrim Songs,
and were probably much in use along the routes
as persons wendell their ways from extreme
parts of Palestine to the Capital.
3. Lessons.
l. There is call for recreation. National fes
rivals serve not only patriotic, but healthful
purposes. Holidays become hOly-days Care
of body is a religious duty. Atheism, if moi
rage and carried to extremes is to be en-.
couraged. Work without play makes one dull
g Recall Gods gracious dealings with us and
thus stir up the mind TO gratitude. The great
object of the Jewish festivals was to refresh the
memory. Cps, 40: 1-3; Isa., 1871, 2.) One
purpose served by the celebration of the Holy
Communion is the Indictment of greater love
of God by our remembrance of his goodness
specially of his favor as shown in the death OF
Christ