The Jewish fes\u00adti\u00adval for our Thanks\u00adgi\u00adving today is the Feast of Taber\u00adna\u00adcles, a cele\u00adbra\u00adti\u00adon of the joy of life. In the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment, God wan\u00adted to remind the peo\u00adp\u00adle that they had lived in taber\u00adna\u00adcles during the desert wan\u00adde\u00adrings, that He pro\u00advi\u00added for them and was clo\u00adse to them. In Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon we are pro\u00admi\u00adsed that God will one day \u00abdwell in taber\u00adna\u00adcles\u00bb among us. He will dwell with us. He will be our God and we will be sons and daugh\u00adters to Him. Thus, the har\u00adve\u00adst fes\u00adti\u00adval con\u00adta\u00adins a strong aspect of hope.<\/p>\n
In my fami\u00adly of ori\u00adgin, the har\u00adve\u00adst play\u00aded a big role. App\u00adles were picked throug\u00adhout the autumn. Huge wagon loads were dri\u00adven to the neigh\u00adbou\u00adring vil\u00adla\u00adge to the big sca\u00adles and then unloa\u00added. We could recei\u00adve the weig\u00adhing slip in a restau\u00adrant. It hap\u00adpen\u00aded that my father bought me a K\u00e4gi fret now and then. That was a high\u00adlight! I felt it was thanks\u00adgi\u00adving for hel\u00adping, thanks\u00adgi\u00adving for the har\u00adve\u00adst. In addi\u00adti\u00adon, the har\u00adve\u00adst fes\u00adti\u00adval was held in our church every year. All the far\u00admers brought some\u00adthing from their har\u00adve\u00adst. This crea\u00adted a gre\u00adat table of gifts, which the pas\u00adtor was allo\u00adwed to clear for his own purposes. \tWhat is the importance of grace in your fami\u00adly? How could it be revitalised? The Jewish fes\u00adti\u00adval for our Thanks\u00adgi\u00adving today is the Feast of Taber\u00adna\u00adcles, a cele\u00adbra\u00adti\u00adon of the joy of life. In the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment, God wan\u00adted to remind the peo\u00adp\u00adle that they had lived in taber\u00adna\u00adcles during the desert wan\u00adde\u00adrings, that He pro\u00advi\u00added for them and was clo\u00adse to them. In Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon we are pro\u00admi\u00adsed that God will one day \u00abtaber\u00adna\u00adcle\u00bb among us. He will dwell with us\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7061,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[81],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-creatio","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-6929","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nUnfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, we have negle\u00adc\u00adted this church fes\u00adti\u00adval in recent years. The LORD<\/span> hims\u00adelf told his peo\u00adp\u00adle to cele\u00adbra\u00adte fes\u00adti\u00advals, inclu\u00adding the Feast of Taber\u00adna\u00adcles: \u00abThe Feast of Taber\u00adna\u00adcles is also to be cele\u00adbra\u00adted at the end of the har\u00adve\u00adst sea\u00adson \u2013 when the grain has been thres\u00adhed and the gra\u00adpes have been pres\u00adsed \u2013 for seven days. At this feast you are to be joyful tog\u00ade\u00adther with your sons and daugh\u00adters, your male and fema\u00adle slaves, the Levi\u00adtes, the for\u00adeig\u00adners, and the widows and orphans who live in your towns. Cele\u00adbra\u00adte this feast for seven days in honour of the LORD<\/span> your God in the place he desi\u00adgna\u00adtes. For the LORD<\/span> your God gives you abun\u00addant har\u00adve\u00adsts and bles\u00adses all your work. Let it be a pure feast of joy!\u00bb (Deut 16:13\u201315 NLB<\/span>).
\nA cele\u00adbra\u00adti\u00adon of gratitude
\nWe are to cele\u00adbra\u00adte a joyful and long feast at the end of the har\u00adve\u00adst sea\u00adson! This is for the reason: \u00abFor the LORD<\/span> your God gives you boun\u00adti\u00adful har\u00adve\u00adsts and bles\u00adses all your work.\u00bb The LORD<\/span> bles\u00adses not only the work of the far\u00admers, but all our work. We owe ever\u00ady\u00adthing, every breath, every move\u00adment, every word to our Crea\u00adtor. What do you need for your work? Skil\u00adled hands, logi\u00adcal thin\u00adking, a com\u00adpas\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adte heart, a social sen\u00adse? The\u00adse are all part of God\u2019s bles\u00adsing! May\u00adbe your health is not so good that you could work. The pen\u00adsi\u00adon from the IV<\/span> or the social wel\u00adfa\u00adre office is also part of God\u2019s blessing.
\nThat is why we also depend on the Crea\u00adtor for our sus\u00adten\u00adan\u00adce: \u00abAll eyes look to you and wait for help; you give them food when it is nee\u00added. When you open your hand, you satis\u00adfy the hun\u00adger and thirst of all crea\u00adtures\u00bb (Psalm 145:15f NLB<\/span>). God pro\u00advi\u00addes. Have you wat\u00adched a mother bird fly to her nest and place the worm in her beak into the wai\u00adting mouths? If the mother does not open her beak, the\u00adre is no life for the young birds. We are just as depen\u00addent on the Lord ope\u00adning his hand. It is good to have such an image in mind when pray\u00ading at table. Crea\u00adtio \u2013 God is still crea\u00adting. Vege\u00adta\u00adbles, fruits, worms and also catt\u00adle are crea\u00adti\u00adons from His hand.
\nAmong the Jews, Thanks\u00adgi\u00adving is an excee\u00addin\u00adgly joy\u00adous fes\u00adti\u00adval (\u00abIt shall be a pure feast of joy\u00bb). Whe\u00adther young or old, phy\u00adsi\u00adcal\u00adly skil\u00adled or rather stiff and awk\u00adward \u2013 ever\u00adyo\u00adne dances, che\u00aders and rejoices. It is a cele\u00adbra\u00adti\u00adon of the joy of life. The well-known phra\u00adse: \u00ab[\u2026] Do not be trou\u00adbled, for the joy of the Lord is your strength\u00bb (Neh\u00ademi\u00adah 8:10 NLB<\/span>), was also spo\u00adken at a Feast of Taber\u00adna\u00adcles in the days of the Wall. Does the har\u00adve\u00adst or the bles\u00adsing of the work also cau\u00adse us such joy?
\nA cele\u00adbra\u00adti\u00adon of remembrance
\nFor the Hebrews, the har\u00adve\u00adst fes\u00adti\u00adval is cal\u00adled Suk\u00adkot (Engl.: Taber\u00adna\u00adcle). God wan\u00adted to remind the peo\u00adp\u00adle that they had lived in taber\u00adna\u00adcles during the desert wan\u00adde\u00adrings and that He was clo\u00adse to them. That is why the 7\u2011day fes\u00adti\u00adval takes place in taber\u00adna\u00adcles. This \u00abdesert wan\u00adde\u00adring con\u00adtext\u00bb has deep meaning:
\nSuk\u00adkot is in that sen\u00adse a remin\u00adder that we too live in this world only in tem\u00adpo\u00adra\u00adry shel\u00adters. \u00abFor we have no las\u00adting city here, but the one to come we seek\u00bb (Hebrews 13:14 LUT<\/span>). We are all on the move with a lon\u00adging for home, for see\u00adking the house of God. Deep within us is a lon\u00adging for love that will not cea\u00adse and jus\u00adti\u00adce that will be ser\u00adved. In this life, ever\u00ady\u00adthing is pro\u00advi\u00adsio\u00adnal and tem\u00adpo\u00adra\u00adry. Our who\u00adle life should be cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adri\u00adsed by a cul\u00adtu\u00adre of itin\u00ader\u00adan\u00adcy. When I report else\u00adwhe\u00adre about the see\u00adtal chi\u00adle, I often say that we have a itin\u00ader\u00adant cul\u00adtu\u00adre. That is an extra\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adri\u00adly valuable pre\u00addi\u00adca\u00adte for a church. It is not so stre\u00adnuous to launch chan\u00adges in our church. We are used to it and prac\u00adti\u00adce it dili\u00adgent\u00adly. The beau\u00adty of it is that God is clo\u00adse to us and pro\u00advi\u00addes for us.
\nI per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly want to live such a cul\u00adtu\u00adre of wan\u00adde\u00adring. To be available for God. Not to bind mys\u00adelf to this world. To remain free and mobi\u00adle. Owning as if it did not belong to me. Chan\u00adge mys\u00adelf as the Holy Spi\u00adrit prompts.
\nA cele\u00adbra\u00adti\u00adon of hope
\nThe des\u00adsert fork is also cal\u00adled the \u00ablitt\u00adle pro\u00adphe\u00adtess\u00bb. When this fork is part of the place set\u00adting on the table, it indi\u00adca\u00adtes a final cour\u00adse. The Feast of Taber\u00adna\u00adcles is like a des\u00adsert fork. In Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon we are pro\u00admi\u00adsed that God will one day \u00abtaber\u00adna\u00adcle\u00bb among us:
\n\u00abAnd I saw a new hea\u00adven and a new earth: for the first hea\u00adven and the first earth were pas\u00adsed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem, coming down out of hea\u00adven from God, pre\u00adpared as a bri\u00adde ador\u00adned for her hus\u00adband. And I heard a gre\u00adat voice from the thro\u00adne say\u00ading, Behold the taber\u00adna\u00adcle of God with men. And he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peo\u00adp\u00adles, and he hims\u00adelf, God with them, shall be their God; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and the\u00adre shall be no more death, neither sor\u00adrow, nor crying, nor pain: for the for\u00admer things are pas\u00adsed away. And he that sat on the thro\u00adne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he saith, Wri\u00adte; for the\u00adse words are true and cer\u00adtain.\u00bb (Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 21:1\u20135 LUT<\/span>).
\nThe Feast of Taber\u00adna\u00adcles is the con\u00adclu\u00adsi\u00adon of all har\u00adve\u00adsts. Jesus once said that the har\u00adve\u00adst was gre\u00adat (Matthew 9:37). Peter wri\u00adtes about this har\u00adve\u00adst: \u00abBut it is not that the Lord delays his pro\u00admi\u00adsed return, as some think. No, he waits becau\u00adse he is pati\u00adent with us. For he does not want even one per\u00adson to be lost, but for all to rep\u00adent and turn to him\u00bb (2 Peter 3:9 NLB<\/span>). After the har\u00adve\u00adst is gathe\u00adred, Jesus will come again. It is the start of the per\u00adfect new crea\u00adti\u00adon, the place whe\u00adre all our lon\u00adgings will be satis\u00adfied in an over\u00adflowing way. Wishl\u00adess\u00adly hap\u00adpy we will be the\u00adre! God is crea\u00adting a new world. His lodge is with the peo\u00adp\u00adle, it is an eter\u00adnal and inti\u00adma\u00adte com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon of God and man.
\nThe huts at Suk\u00adkot are cover\u00aded with only bran\u00adches so that you can see the sky. Hope means see\u00ading through the hori\u00adzon. It means hea\u00adring the music of the sky. It is good if we do not clo\u00adse our eyes to the sky in our lives. Con\u00adcen\u00adt\u00adra\u00adting on the earth\u00adly, on the mate\u00adri\u00adal and on our own ide\u00adas obs\u00adtructs our view of hea\u00adven. It is good to push the roof asi\u00adde every day and get a clear view of hea\u00adven. This hap\u00adpens best in a plan\u00adned time of com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon with God that is firm\u00adly inte\u00adgra\u00adted into ever\u00ady\u00adday life.
\nIn the annu\u00adal cycle, the\u00adre are 7 fes\u00adti\u00advals that the Lord orde\u00adred in Exodus 23. Tog\u00ade\u00adther they tell the gre\u00adat sto\u00adry of God with huma\u00adni\u00adty. Through the first coming of Jesus, his cru\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adxi\u00adon and resur\u00adrec\u00adtion, and then the coming of the Holy Spi\u00adrit, the first four feasts, the spring feasts, have come to ful\u00adfilm\u00adent. We cele\u00adbra\u00adte the\u00adse four feasts in remem\u00adbrance of the first steps of God\u2019s plan of sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon that have alre\u00ada\u00addy taken place. Sin\u00adce Jesus ful\u00adfil\u00adled the\u00adse four feasts on their exact date, in the right con\u00adtext and uni\u00adver\u00adsal\u00adly, I deep\u00adly belie\u00adve that He will also bring the last three feasts, the autumn feasts, which point to His return and King\u00addom, to their ful\u00adfilm\u00adent. Thus, we cele\u00adbra\u00adte the spring fes\u00adti\u00advals in remem\u00adbrance of our past and in gra\u00adti\u00adtu\u00adde for our redemp\u00adti\u00adon; the autumn fes\u00adti\u00advals in joyful anti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adti\u00adon of an eter\u00adni\u00adty tog\u00ade\u00adther with our Father and King. In the pro\u00adphe\u00adtic book of Zecha\u00adriah, the return of Jesus takes place at the Feast of Taber\u00adna\u00adcles, from the Mount of Oli\u00adves (Zecha\u00adriah 14:1\u201316).
\nThe temp\u00adle was the place whe\u00adre God met his peo\u00adp\u00adle. I am thril\u00adled that the dedi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon took place on the Feast of Taber\u00adna\u00adcles. King Solo\u00admon asked God to hear the pray\u00aders of for\u00adeig\u00adners as well (2 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 6:32f). This idea has remain\u00aded until today. Thus, in Isra\u00adel, citi\u00adzens of other nati\u00adons are warm\u00adly invi\u00adted into the taber\u00adna\u00adcles and all nati\u00adons are bles\u00adsed in a spe\u00adcial ritual.
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: Zecha\u00adriah 14:1\u201316; Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 21:1\u20135<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat is the mea\u00adning of living in taber\u00adna\u00adcles for the Jews? What could help us to keep this truth befo\u00adre our eyes?
\n\tThe bran\u00adches on the roof lea\u00adve the view to the sky open. What helps you to keep the view to the sky open?
\n\tIn Zecha\u00adriah 14:1\u201316, the coming of the Mes\u00adsia\u00adnic Saviour from the Mount of Oli\u00adves takes place at the Feast of Taber\u00adna\u00adcles. Do you think Jesus will return on a Feast of Taber\u00adna\u00adcles? What speaks for this (cf. other Jewish feasts)?
\n\tOn Suk\u00adkot, all nati\u00adons are bles\u00adsed. Pray tog\u00ade\u00adther for count\u00adries that are curr\u00adent\u00adly facing gre\u00adat challenges!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"