Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-08-16
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
Lesson VIII, August 10, 1888.
THEME: Tue FEAST OF TABRRSACLEs.-
Lev. % 1874.

Lev. - ;oo-f4.
33. And the Lord spake unto Moses say
ing a. Speak unto the children OF Israel,
saying, The fifteenth day of the seventh
month shall be the feast of tabernacles for
seven days unto the Lord. IS. On the hrst
day shall be a holy convOcation yo shall do
no servile work therein. 50. Seven days
We shall offer an Offering made By fire unto
the Lord on the eighth day shall be holy
convocation unto you and We shall oner an
Offering made by fire unto the Lord; 1t Is
solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile
work therein. 81. These are the feasts OF
the Lord, which We shall proclaim to BIO
holy convocations, TO offer an offering made
by fire unto the Lord, burnt Offering and
a meat Offering, sacrifice and drink oner-
ings, everything upon this day. 80 Be-
side the Sabbaths Of the Lord, and beside
your gifts, and beside all your vows, and
beside all your freewil offerings, which
We give unto the Lord. 80 Also in the
fifteenth day Of the seventh month, when
We have gathered in the fruit OF the land,
We shall keep feast unto the Lord seven
DAYS; on the first day shall be a Sabbath;
and on the eighth day shall be Sabbath,
40 And We shall take you ON the first day
the boughs Of goodly trees, branches OF
palm trees and the boughs OF thick trees,
and willows of the brook; and We shall re
joice before the Lord your God seven days.
Al. And We shall keep il a feast unto tho
statue forever in your generations; we shall
celebrate il in the seventh month. AZ He
shall dwell in booths seven days, all that
are Israelites born shall dwell in booths.
43. That your generations may know that l
made the children of Israel to dwell in
booths, when | brought them out OF the
land of Egypt; 1 am the Lord your God. a.
And Moses declared unto the children OF
Israel the feasts of the LORD.
GOLDEN TExT.-The voice of rejoicing
and salvation is Ia the tabernacle OF the
righteous 80 Psalm l1S:l5.
The time, same as last lesson, correspond
ing TO our October and the place the valley
at the foot of Sinai Israel was encamped
in this locality for many months; II was
necessary schooling.
Three great feasts were instituted which
il was incumbent upon every male to OBJ
serve: The Feast of the Passover, 10 me
morialize delverance from Egypt; the
Feast of Pentecost fifty days later, at the
close of gathering the first fruits; the Feast
of Tabernacles in October, corresponding
to our Thanksgiving. While there Were
three great feasts, there was but one ma
tional fast. The Lord would not have his
people downcast and mournful he would
have them enjoy the beauties of nature and
the pleasures of companionShlp.
In groups these feasts We're: First tho
Passover embracing also that OF Unleaven-
ed Bread: second, the Feast of First Fruits
and Pentecost, fifty days later; third, the
Feast of Trumpets, Day Of Atonement ana
Feast Of Tabernacles: two in the spring,
two in the summer two in the fall; other
feasts were added after settlement in Pal
estine Passover, Pentecost and Taberna-
Giles were called pilgrimage festivals, as II
was imperative that the head OF every
house attend. however great the distance
There were at this date other lesser festi-
oil taA hn NganlxlV SABBATH
feast of the New Moon, the Sabbath year
and the Year OF Jubilee. The first great
festival was before the grain harvest, the
second just preceding vintage, the third
when all the products OF the year had been
gathered The observance Of the feast of
Tabernacles is referred to in Nehemiah, a
thousand or more years after its Inaugural
ton:
"And all the congregation of them that
were come again out of the captivity made
booths. and there was very great glad
ness; also day by day from the first day
unto the last day, he read in the book OF the
law of God. And they kept the feast seven
days and on the eighth day was the solemn
assembly according unto the manner" (o:
17,1S).
The apostle John 7:2) describes the
words and works of Jesus upon the occasion
of its celebration in the year A. ID. 81, some
1900 years after the date of our lesson.
The first month Of the civil year was in
troduced with the Feast of Trumpets; on
the tenth occurred the penitential fast (day
of Atonement), on the fifteenth began the
Feast of Tabernacles.
LESSON NOTES.
V. SO. The fifteenth day of the seventh
month. Jewish months were lunar and al
ternated 20 and 30 days each. There being
by this reckoning an annual loss Of eleven
DAYS. 10 make the number correspond with
the actual length of the year, every third
year an extra month was incalated, as we
insert the 10Th day Of February every
fourth year. The sacred year began with
Nissan Tor the new moon Of our April)-th
date of Israels departure from Egypt. This
celebration was to keep fresh in mind dur
ing the ages their sojourn IN temporary
habitations during their long pilgrimage. In
later years, therefore, those who lived in
the best houses, like those who lived in huts,
during the seven days festival, lived in leaf
covered bowers or booths. These were
built on house-tops, in the streets and on the
mountain side. The thick shady trees Of
the country were also emblematic; the palm
of victory; the willow OF thrift; and the
olive Of peace
Again and again are repeated the words
'this is the law" and these shall We observe
''when we come into the land OF Canaan. "
The promised land was far away, law was
given in advance The great principles of
righteousness are from eternity, the appli-
adapting itself to changing conditions and
experiences This method caused Canaan
TO be continually mentioned, stirring the
soul to nobler aspirations and more loyal
service
V. $3.50. On the first day shall DO a holy
convocation. The people gathered on the
first and on the last day for solemn but joy
Gus worship. Reverenceis evcrywhere'en-
forced. When reverence dies character
deteriorates The loftier the religious SEN
timent the tenderer and truer will be the
conduct of men with men. In the years
following they met not only in the national
sanctuary but in the cities and villages
throughout the land. No ordinary work
was to be done. The first day of this festi-
val did not always occur on the Sabbath,
but It was TO be observed as Sabbath upon
whatever day IL did occur. The interven-
ing days were spent in sacrificing and
feasting While the sacrifices were offered
the Levites chanted the festal psalms, the
same as at Passover and Pentecost.
The burnt offerings OF this feast wero by
far more numerous than those of any other
festival. There were offered on each day
two rams, IA lambs, and kid for a sin Of
ferins. But what was most peculiar was
the arrangement of the sacrifices Of bull
locks, in all amounting to 20. Thirteen were
offered on the first day, twelve on the sec
ond, eleven on the third and so on reducing