The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-08-11
Eessom Settles tnr 1888.
THIRD QUARTER.
rUDIEs In THE OLD TESTAMENT.
august 10, 1883.
[Leviticus xiii. 31-44.]
THE FEAST.

RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL.-The Hebrew
religion as portrayed in the Bible was Joyous
and hopeful 1t cultured a sense of GODS
presence and guidance, and the hope of his
continued blessings. Numerous religious
festivals were provided for in the Mosaic rit-
ual. But one fact, the Day of Atonement,
described in our last Lesson, was appointed
to be observed by the people of GOD. Later
in their history other fasts were appointed
to commemorate national sins, but accord
ing to the prophetic word, all fasts were to
be charged with cheerful feasts (Zachariah
viii 19). Sin is the occasion of all the fasts,
but it is the purpose of COP and the mission
of all Divine religion to make an end of sin,
and bring in everlasting righteousness DAN
iel tx. "a; Corinthians XIV. 1929. Every
Sabbath was religious festival. Besides
these and several other special festive occa-
sions, there were annually held three national
festivals, so observed that ell the people were
made to rejoice in their relation to COP, and
in the remembrance of his blessings. These
were the Passover, Pentecost and the Feast
of Tabernacles. The last of these was pre-
eminently the most joyous, and was fire.
qaentiy called the Feast, or the Great Feast.
These Joyous festivals, while commemorative
important events in the history of the people.
were happily designed to keep alive sense
of their dependence on GoD, diffuse knowl-
edge, promote national unity, and cultivate
an ardent patriotism. National holidays to
be most useful, should also be religious festi-
walls; most certainly they should not be unre-
ligious revels. National holidays are curse
when they become positively irreligious IN
the manner of their common Observance.
Do our national Thanksgiving and Fast,
in the manner and spirit of their COM
mon observance, maintain the high purpose
of the Hebrew festivals? Do religious
institutions and people do their full duty
toward maintaining the religious purpose
and character of our national holidays!
Every good citizen should strike to make
these holidays blessing to the community,
the commonwealth and the nation, and thus
make them real holy days, expressive of the
religious spirit and life for which they are
appointed. Annual church assemblies have
similar useful aims and ends, and should be
Loyalty supported and faithfully attended by
Christian people. There will be a lack in the
spiritual life of every person who fails to OBJ
tain the advantages of these occasions.
TIME.-The Feast of Tabernacles was ap-
pointed to be held annually, seven days, COM
mencing on the fifteenth day of the seventh
month, about the first week in October the
end of the agricultural year, when all the
fruits of the harvest were gathered. AS the
months began with each new moon, the fes-
tival would occur at the time of full moon
in the pleasantest season of the year. The
time and manner of observing this festival
il said to have been spoken by Con to the
mind of Moses, who declared it to the people
to be perpetual institution throughout their
generations, or during the existence of the
Hebrew race and nation. The festival is
still observed by the Hebrew people as GER
emony of their religious and social life, though
the manner of its observance is greatly mod
fled by existing circumstances.
MANNER OF 0BsERvANCE.-The festi-
val was to begin and end with holy convo-
cation-that is, with religious assembly.
The FIRST day of the Feast and the first day
after it, or, the day on which it ended, the
eighth of the month, were to be observed as
Sabbaths, really holidays, in which no work
should be done. During the festal week the
people were to live in booths, or temporary
abodes, probably near the Tabernacle, and
afterward the Temple. The festival appears
to have been appointed for observance in
the Promised Land. Besides voluntary Of
ferings, and the appointed daily sacrifices,
special sacrifices were prescribed for each
- 10
sually generous, including offerings of all
the products of the pastures, fields and
gardens; burnt offerings, peace offerings,
and sin offerings we're to be made daily, ac
companied with ceremonies of rejoicing.
Specimens of fruit and branches of rich
foliage we're employed to decorate the
occasion; carried, it may be, in joyful
procession to the altar of worship. Thirteen
bullocks we're sacrificed for burnt offering
on the first day, and one less on each sue
ceeding day till the seventh, when seven were
sacrificed, besides two rams and fourteen
lambs, with portions of meal and oil. One
kid was sacrificed daily for sin Offering,
with the usual portions of meal, oil and wine.
On the eighth day, observed as a day of Sab
bath rest and public worship, closing the
week of joyful festivities, one bullock, one
ram and seven lambs were sacrificed as a
burnt offering, and one goat for sin offer
ing, with the usual meat or food offerings.
(See Numbers xxx. 12-39.)
Additional ceremonies were observed in
the Israelitish history. The Law was pub
licly read on the first day of the Feast of
Tabernacles every Sabbatical year (Deuter-
onomy XXI. 10, III. The six following days
were probably devoted to social eDjoyments
and hospitable feasts to which besides the
members of family and their servants, the
Levites. strangers, the fatherless and widows
were invited. Among the ceremonies at the
time of CHRIST was that of carrying water in
a golden pitcher from the pool of Sloan to
the Temple to be poured as libation upon
the altar. This ceremony is thought TO have
been the occasion of JESUS utterance, "If
any man thirst let him come unto me aud
drink" John vii. 81. The only Biblical ac-
counts of an observance of the Feast of the
Tabernscles are of one at the time of the
dedication of Solomon's temple Il lungs viii.
2; Chronicles vii. 8-10) and OF the re- estab-
fishing of the festival after the return from
the captivity to Babylon ezra iii. A; Nehe-
miah viii. ~.
cTnRTTpTn NON