Fri.’s Devo - Reinstituting the Fall Feasts

Read: Nehemiah 7:73b-9:21; 1 Corinthians 9:1018; Psalm 33:12-22; Proverbs 21:11-12 On the first day of the seventh month of Tishri, the people assembled. It was the day of the Feast of Trumpets. Jesus, the living Word will appear at the last Trump on this very day. For them, the Word was read and explained to them which hadn’t happened in years. They came face to face with the Word just like one day the saints will come face to face with the Messiah. When the people heard what the Word said and how they had not followed it, they cried and were very sad. But, Ezra told them it was not a day to cry but to celebrate and be glad. One day, when Jesus appears, we will be sad when we behold his holiness, but he will wipe away every tear from our eyes and tell us that it is not a day for sadness but for rejoicing. The prodigal son felt the same way when he first returned to his father. The priests and Levites met to plan the next feast that would happen on the fifteenth which was the Feast of Tabernacles. Everyone was instructed to cut down branches of the olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm and willows and build a temporary shelter for them and their families to live in for seven days. They erected these all over Jerusalem and celebrated God tabernacling with them for seven days. On the 24th of Tishri, they met and fasted and repented of the sins of their own lives and the sins of their nation. They stood for three hours while the Law was read to them then for three more hours they confessed and cried out to the Lord repenting of their sins. At last, they stood and praised the Lord for all he had done for them as a nation. It is important to remember that Paul’s letters are answers to questions asked him in letters from those churches or they are responses to problems shared with Paul. Apparently, the people were complaining about the offerings given to the pastors and supporting evangelists like Paul. Paul explained how God set it up in the law that the priests and Levites were to be paid out of the offerings brought to the Temple. He went on to defend his own ministry. He never asked them for money because that was not his motive. He had a calling on his life and he was going to do that whether he got paid for it or not. Lord, help us to support those who give of themselves to minister to us. May we return to the things that you honor and deem important.