Sun.’s Devo - Celebrating as a Nation

Read: Nehemiah 7:73a-9:21; 1 Corinthians 9:19-10:13; Psalm 34:1-10; Proverbs 21:13 The people all assembled in the seventh month of their religious calendar which was the first month of their civil calendar. The first day was the Feast of Trumpets. Trumpets were used to assemble the people together. Even though they didn’t know or realize it, they were fulfilling the meaning of the festival. One day on the Feast of Trumpets, Jesus will come a assemble his remnant which we call the Rapture. On the next day, the priest brought out the Book of the Law. The people stood to their feet when they saw him open the book and all praised the Lord. They bowed down and worshipped. I think this is what will happen in heaven when the people who are raptured get to heaven. There will be great celebration, then the law will be read to us and we will understand it like God intended it to be understood. As the priest read it, they explained what it meant and the people cried as they realized they had not be living it. But, the priests told them that today was not a day to cry but to celebrate. That is the picture of Jesus wiping every tear from our eyes as we realize the regrets we have that we have not honoring God like he deserved to be honored. They read how they were suppose to be celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles, so they went out and got the prescribed tree limbs and built booths all over Jerusalem and stayed in them with their families for a week. There was much joy and celebration as everyone camped out and praised the Lord together and enjoyed one another’s fellowship. On the eighth day, the day after the Feast of Tabernacles was over they celebrated Simat Torah which is a celebration of the Torah. Traditionally on this day they would begin to read the Torah from the story of creation and continue throughout the year. The Levites stood before the people on that eighth day and told them the story of the creation of them as a called out nation of God. He began with Abram and took them through Moses and their whole wilderness journey and how God preserved them and kept them in spite of their rebellion and sin. In Corinthians, Paul defended his right to be paid for what he had done. He explained that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. Paul had never charged or gotten paid and didn’t want to start now, but he was making a point for those who would go after him. He also wanted the people to stop being so entitled and to take responsibility and be gracious to others who preach to them. Lord, help us to be grateful and generous in what we have been given. May we be responsible members of your body and be examples of those who come behind us. May we generously bless those who have seeded into our soil.