Our First Feast of Booths

Well, my first attempt at celebrating the Feast of Booths was all but a complete fail. Why was I attempting to celebrate such a feast? Because it is one of the many “holidays” ordained by God in the Old Testament. Yep, there are actual holidays God has given us! Who knew? Now, why would I want to celebrate a holiday from the Old Testament?  Well, if it is important to God, it is important to me. After all, the Feast of Booths will be celebrated during the Millennial Reign (Zechariah 14:16). 

Just how is the Feast of Booths celebrated? Let's look at Leviticus 23:33-43.

 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the Lord. On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.

“These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, besides the Lord's Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the Lord.

“On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

I gave myself lots of grace in this. I borrowed a friend’s EZ Up Tent instead of attempting to build my own. We would eat meals in the tent and spend as much time in it as possible. Sleeping outside in the late, but ever-so-hot summer with a baby was never considered. The kids and I would decorate it with “leafy trees” that we would gather from nearby. I wanted them to get as excited about our booth as they do about our Christmas tree. I also invited a friend over to celebrate with us one night during the feast. Chicken and dressing was on the menu as a means to get Jonathan excited about this “Jewish holiday” as he calls it.

On the night of the fifteenth day of the seventh month, I was driving home from the grocery store and noticed the full moon. I thought, “Don’t all of the Feasts begin on a full moon?” When I arrived home, I checked the internet to find that I had missed the first day of the feast! No big deal, we’ll just get the tent up tomorrow.

The next day during Eden’s nap, the kids and I assembled the ten. Note: when they named the tent “EZ Up” they mean that it is only easy if two people are putting it up. By the time I got the tent ready, I was too hot, sweaty, and tired for harvesting greenery. The next day was hectic as well, ya’ know with three kids and all! Then, by the third day it had started raining. I just left the tent up thinking it could withstand a little weather. The next morning, I walked outside and saw that it had been demolished! Now where was I going to come up with $150 to replace my friend's tent?

Later, I received an email from my friend informing me that rain would be coming on the evening of our marked fellowship. Since there was no tent anyway, we agreed to break bread inside the house. Then, the day before our scheduled meal, she emailed to cancel due to a minor illness. Bummer!

Determined to etch something in the memory of my kids in regards to this feast, I sweet-talked my husband into pitching our little, but serious, three-person tent in the middle of the living room. What a good sport he was! He even helped me get this photo: