Deu 16:13-15 | KingComments | STEP | The Feast of Booths is the climax. Unfortunately, celebrating it seems to have been only temporary, at least it is not celebrated for long in the way God intended. Only in Nehemiah 8 we hear of it again ( ). Then it is celebrated by a weak remnant, as it has not been since the time of Joshua. These are the feasts of the LORD; therefore they are so quickly forgotten. After four months, the entire harvest has been reaped. At the end of the year, as if there were no more months to come, harvesting takes place. In a spiritual sense it is celebrated when believers have learned to bring in the whole harvest, whatever can be brought in from the land. That is why the Feast of Booths is so easily forgotten. It takes spiritual growth to celebrate that feast. It is not just about collected food, but about food that has been prepared for consumption. The threshing floor and the wine vat represent God’s final actions in judgment ( ). The threshing floor represents the judgment where the chaff is separated from the wheat; the wine vat represents the unsparing judgment of the earth’s harvest, where the harvest is all vain, human religion. After this comes the full time of blessing for the earth. Blessing only comes after God has purified the ground for it. Not every Israelite has an equally rich harvest. Therefore, those who have collected more, must share with the poor. In the application it concerns brothers and sisters who have collected from God’s Word, in which we certainly should not primarily think of those who have a public service, such as brothers who serve with the Word. If we see that a brother or sister has very little spiritual insight, we should not complain about it. It is much better – and this is God’s intention – to see them as an occasion to share in the riches ingathered. This is possible in the houses, in the mutual contacts and also in the meeting of the believers. The meeting is not only for rich believers who, so to speak, have obtained a great harvest, but for rich and poor. The result is that they can be “altogether joyful” ( ). This brings to mind what John writes in his first letter: “These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete” ( ). The apostle John is such a rich brother. He speaks of eternal life as the fruit of the land. John has harvested it and distributes it in his letters, he seeks fellowship with others, poorer believers, and that gives him complete joy. None of us has collected everything personally. We have received a lot from wealthier brothers. Paul is also such a wealthy brother. He desires to distribute to the Philippians, who are not as rich as he is ( ). In this way he also wants to come with a fulness of blessing to the believers in Rome, to tell them of that fulness, and that will also give joy ( ).

‏ Deuteronomy 16:13-15

The Feast of Booths

The Feast of Booths is the climax. Unfortunately, celebrating it seems to have been only temporary, at least it is not celebrated for long in the way God intended. Only in Nehemiah 8 we hear of it again (Neh 8:14-18). Then it is celebrated by a weak remnant, as it has not been since the time of Joshua. These are the feasts of the LORD; therefore they are so quickly forgotten.

After four months, the entire harvest has been reaped. At the end of the year, as if there were no more months to come, harvesting takes place. In a spiritual sense it is celebrated when believers have learned to bring in the whole harvest, whatever can be brought in from the land. That is why the Feast of Booths is so easily forgotten. It takes spiritual growth to celebrate that feast. It is not just about collected food, but about food that has been prepared for consumption.

The threshing floor and the wine vat represent God’s final actions in judgment (Rev 14:14-20). The threshing floor represents the judgment where the chaff is separated from the wheat; the wine vat represents the unsparing judgment of the earth’s harvest, where the harvest is all vain, human religion. After this comes the full time of blessing for the earth. Blessing only comes after God has purified the ground for it.

Not every Israelite has an equally rich harvest. Therefore, those who have collected more, must share with the poor. In the application it concerns brothers and sisters who have collected from God’s Word, in which we certainly should not primarily think of those who have a public service, such as brothers who serve with the Word.

If we see that a brother or sister has very little spiritual insight, we should not complain about it. It is much better – and this is God’s intention – to see them as an occasion to share in the riches ingathered. This is possible in the houses, in the mutual contacts and also in the meeting of the believers. The meeting is not only for rich believers who, so to speak, have obtained a great harvest, but for rich and poor.

The result is that they can be “altogether joyful” (Deu 16:15). This brings to mind what John writes in his first letter: “These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete” (1Jn 1:4). The apostle John is such a rich brother. He speaks of eternal life as the fruit of the land. John has harvested it and distributes it in his letters, he seeks fellowship with others, poorer believers, and that gives him complete joy.

None of us has collected everything personally. We have received a lot from wealthier brothers. Paul is also such a wealthy brother. He desires to distribute to the Philippians, who are not as rich as he is (Phil 1:25). In this way he also wants to come with a fulness of blessing to the believers in Rome, to tell them of that fulness, and that will also give joy (Rom 15:29).