Wed.’s Devo - The Feast of Tabernacles

Read: Nehemiah 7:73b-9:21; 1 Corinthians 9:1-18; Psalm 33:12-22; Proverbs 21:11-12 On the first day of the seventh month, the people gathered just inside the Water Gate to hear the the Book of the Law being read. This was the day of the Feast of Trumpets. Ezra led the people in praise and agreement to the Law. The Levites read it and explained what it meant. Ezra and Nehemiah also interpreted its meaning. The people were sad to hear of how they and their ancestors had not honored the Lord or obeyed him. Nehemiah told the people not to be sad, because today was to be a day of celebration and joy. *** The next day they read that this was the month to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles where they were to build booths from certain branches and live in them for seven days. So the people went out and gathered the branches and built their booths for their families. *** They gathered again to celebrate that feast. The people fasted and repented as they listened to the words read from the Law. The Levites recalled to them the story of their history and how Moses led them out of slavery and Egypt and supplied their needs in the wilderness. He gave them water from a rock and manna from heaven. They lacked nothing and their clothes did not wear out and their feet didn’t swell. *** In Corinth, Paul was defending the preachers of the gospel. They were no different than farmers who worked hard in their fields. They deserved to eat the produce of their work. In the same way the preachers of God’s Word deserved compensation for their work from the church. 
 *** Paul made it clear to them that he had a secular job and didn’t ever ask for them to support him, but it was right to pay their spiritual leaders. *** Lord, help us to pay attention to what you are paying attention to. May we serve our leaders in our churches and may we also use our talents in the world that you rule.