Deuteronomy 16:13-17 – Lessons from the Feast of Tabernacle

Deuteronomy 16:13-15 describe the third feast to be celebrated in the place that God had chosen to establish His name. This Feast of Booth, “Sukkot”, was also referred to as the Feast of Tabernacle. For this feast, Leviticus 23:40 said, “Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.” It became a practice later that during the Feast of Tabernacle the Jews would build temporary tents or tabernacles with palm leaves on their rooftops to celebrate this occasion for seven days. In Exodus 23:16, this feast was also referred to as the Feast of the Ingathering.

Like the Feast of Weeks, this feast was also to be a joyful celebration. Again the participants would include one’s family members, sons, daughters, servants, and maids, as well as the Levite, the orphans, and widows among them. For seven days this feast would be celebrated. It was a thanksgiving feast to commemorate the goodness of God, the one who had blessed them with the harvest.

In verses 16-17, God again reminded them the three feasts must be celebrated every year at the place where He had chosen to establish His name. Every male was expected to make this pilgrimage three times a year. So we see why the Jews would go up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacle.  

In this Feast of Booth or Tabernacle, we cannot escape the call to live a joyful life of faith and obedience. Once again, we see in this feast the call to celebrate the goodness of God. Like the Feast of Weeks, here God also wants us to have a heart for the orphans and the widows. They represent the needy people whom we should help if we can. The three feasts point us to the Christian journey. We need to know that earth is our temporary dwelling. Our destination is to be with God. While we journey toward our destination, our goal is to cultivate a life of faith and obedience leading to Christlikeness. As we journey, we must also take care of the needy and not leave them out. Let us live joyfully, obediently, and faithfully for God!