[Jerold Aust] The story of Nehemiah is inspiring
especially for his unblemished character. He was willing to leave a position of power
and influence in the Persian empire in order to share the sorrows of his countrymen and
to improve their lives. His example fits with why you and I are here tonight. In Nehemiah
8 we'll spend a little bit of time there this evening for the short period of time that
we do have. The Jews had gathered together on the Feast of Trumpets in order to hear
God's law expounded. That was about 446 B.C. give or take. There at that time, they learned
that forgetting God's Feast of salvation had cost them dearly. They began to mourn. They
mourned over their condition. Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites and some others instructed
them instead to rejoice and for good reasons. Those good reasons we're going to see tonight.
This lesson: from mourning to rejoicing at the Feast of Tabernacles can help us, you
and me, to have the very best Feast that we've ever had. So to me the quintessential question tonight
is why do we rejoice at the Feast? Why do we enjoy the Feast? Why should we rejoice
at the Feast? I've got a little memory tool that I want you to take home with you and
it's just simply called 2 R's. It's the number 2 R's. R-S and they are reverence and rejoicing.
We're going to link those together tonight, and I'm hoping it's simplistic enough that
you will not forget it throughout the Feast. Not that we won't have other messages, we'll
have some very good ones and I am looking forward to every single one of them, sermonettes,
sermons, Bible studies. Looking forward to every single one. I'd like if you were to
turn to Psalm 128, Psalm 128. I point up this scripture for our benefit because it fits
with reverencing God, fearing God. We saw that earlier in the little video. Deeply respecting
God and what that leads to. It actually leads to our opportunity and ability
with knowledge to rejoice before God. “Blessed” chapter 128, Psalm, “Blessed is every one
that fears the Lord, that walks in His ways. For you shall eat the labor of your hands,
happy shall you be, and it shall be well with you.” So I think these two verses and there
are others that we could have turned to, but I think these pretty well characterize our
point this evening as to why you and I rejoice at God's holy Feast of Tabernacles. And of
course, it includes the Eighth Day of the Feast which we've also called the Last Great
Day. I have four points, we'll have a little prequel or a preview of those if you want
to write them down. They're simple. Number one is yesterday. Number two is today. Number
three is tomorrow and number four is what I read… wrote in the planning brochure,
back to the future. I'm going to connect them. So let's start with yesterday so to speak.
The Jews were taught to rejoice at the Feast. Let me turn back now and I'll spend a little
bit of time in Nehemiah, brethren, chapter 8. If you'd like to follow along I think that
you will enjoy what God shows us here in this chapter. Let's begin in verse 1, “And all
the people” chapter 8, Nehemiah verse 1, “And all the people gathered themselves
together as one man” so they were in one accord, “into the street that was before
the Water Gate…” All of the gates in Jerusalem had meaning to them. I'm not going into that
but this was before the Water Gate. I think it has something to the Gihon Springs outside
the gate but at least the Water Gate “…and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the
Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.” So apparently the
Jews said, “This is what we want you to do. We'd like to know what God has to say.
We want to hear from Him.” “And Ezra the priest brought the Law before
the congregation, both of men and women and all that could hear with understanding upon
the first day of the seventh month.” We're in the middle of the month now “And he read
therein before the street, that was before the Water Gate from the morning until midday,
before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the
people were attentive under the Book of the law.” It was important to them at that time.
They had gone through a lot. They had the temple rebuilt and now the walls of Jerusalem
had been restored, and for protection as a fortress so to speak. Verse 4, “And Ezra the scribe stood upon
a pulpit of wood,” and you see what we have here we’re standing... speakers are on,
as it were, “a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood
Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah…" You're waiting to see if I'm going to foul
up on these so hang with me, I may. I'm not going to disappoint you, “…and Hilkiah
and Maaseiah,” I'm close, “on his right hand.” Now we've got to go to the left hand
we've got “Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah,”
Oh, I got that one, “and Meshullam.” These are all important men. “And Ezra opened
the book in the sight of all the people,” I love this verse. Just to show the deep respect
that these people had for the law of God and they wanted to know what God had to say to
them, “(for he was above all the people) and when he opened it all the people stood
up.” That was showing a great deal of reverence and respect and deep respect for almighty
God. At that point, they had gone through a lot. They have that 70 years of captivity
and they knew about that. This was going forward of course. And it wasn't easy for them. “And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God.
And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up of their hands.” When you have
the hands up you're appealing to God, turning them down it's a different story but here
they “lifted up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshiped the Lord with their
faces to the ground. Jeshua, Bani, and Sherebiah, and Jamin, Akkub…” I'm going to skip the
rest of them, they're all wonderful people… “and the Levites, caused the people to understand
the law.” Because I don't want to bore you guys to death... “caused the people,”
— Not because they're not important but because I probably will get it wrong, “caused
the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.” So apparently
once they stood up they didn't sit down. Now years ago we had ministers who would sometimes
speak for an hour or two and then they'd ask you, "Where are you going? Are you going somewhere?
You're fine." What if you stood up and heard a sermon for three hours. That might wear
on you a little bit. Verse 8, “So they read in the Book of the Law of God distinctly,”
it could have to do with translation and also interpretation, I'm not going to struggle
with that... “and gave the sense,” that would have to do in the interpretation, “and
caused them to understand the reading.” That's precisely what God has done with the
New Testament Church in giving us ministers and others speakers in the Church of God who
stand up and and speak on the Word of God, the will of God and then explain it. And we
do the best of our ability in begging for God for His wisdom to be able to do that correctly.
“And Nehemiah,” verse 9 “which is the Tirshatha and Ezra the priest,” I guess
that means governor, “and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the
people, said unto all the people, ‘This day is holy unto the Lord your God; don't
mourn, don't cry, don’t weep.’" My first thought, well not my first thought,
probably a number of thoughts down the line after I kept reading this over a period of
years was that maybe they read the blessing and cursing chapter. That would make you weep
that you began reflecting on what happened to the Jews and what they lost and where they
were in Babylon and then they were coming back. Not everyone came back, a little bit
over 49,000 a little short of 50 that actually came back. And it really hit them hard, and they began
to cry. “All the people wept,” verse 9, “when they heard the words of the Law.”
Made sense to them. You got handles on this thing, it could grab hold of them. They understood
it at that point. "Then he said unto them, 'Go your way, eat the fat,’” which is
the very best and finest things, “and drink the sweet and send portions unto them for
whom nothing is prepared." I just read a little phrase there, “send
portions unto them… unto them from whom nothing is prepared.” And I want you to
remember that, if you would, throughout the Feast. That's you. That's you serving people
that are going to be unprepared. That's you serving people in the future in the thousand
year period and the white throne judgment. We're going to address that. We're going to
explore it a little bit, delve into it just a little bit, and hopefully have enough for
the imagery related in such a way that we can apply it to ourselves. “For this day
is holy unto” them… excuse me, “this day is holy unto our Lord: don't be sorry
for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Of the Lord could be in the Lord, and the
word strength in the Hebrew has to do with a stronghold or a fortress. Hey, it kind of
fits with those walls surrounding them. We've got some protection now. So these things fit. They knew what they were
talking about, and it was very very helpful. I think it's important for us to remind ourselves
about what the Jews went through when they asked for the law to be read. So the key here
before we move on from yesterday to today, that will be number two, I'm not there yet,
the key is our learning to fear or if we revere God which will lead us to truly rejoice before
God. Now I'm going back to Deuteronomy 14. Deuteronomy 14. Let's take a look first at
verse 23, “And you shall…" I'm breaking into the context here, “And you shall eat
before the Lord your God, in the place which He shall choose…” We heard Mr. Victor Kubik say that a little
bit earlier here in that very brief video, “…to place His name there, the tithe”
we call it the festival fund or the second tithe “…of your corn,” they were very
much an agrarian society as you well know, “…of your wine, and of your oil, and the
firstlings of your herds and of your flocks.” Why? I've got the next little couple of lines
circled, “…so that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.” This fear has to do with deep respect for
God. Reverence to God, reverence for God. Now let's go to verse 26. And I am skipping
a few verses. I am sure that other ministers will probably address these verses one time
or another. Verse 26, so now we have the fear of God before our eyes where we deeply respect
God in order to congregate, to have a holy convocation that we… it's a commanded assembly
for us to be able to come before God and be able to rejoice before Him. And if we don't
fear God, we won't be here. We do fear God we will be. So you fear God and that's why
you're here. After you fear God and you've come to the Feast of Tabernacles to learn
what God expects of you and me so that we can help serve others, now He tells us in
verse 26, “and you shall bestow that money for whatsoever your soul desires, for oxen”
or a steak “or sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever your soul
desires.” I'm going to add as long as it's legal. Legal especially with God, okay? Got
to be careful nowadays in the society the way it is changing. “And you shall eat there before the Lord
your God, and you shall rejoice,” that's a command. God says we should rejoice, “you
and your household.” So includes the entire family, thank God for that. So that is why
we are here today. That takes care now of yesterday with the Jews, now we're going to
today. Today we have point number two, the command to rejoice before God applies to you
and me. Let's look at a couple of scriptures. Let's see, I think they're all in the New
Testament here at the beginning. Philippians 4 brethren, Philippians 4, one verse. Verse
4, “Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say,” Paul, says, “Rejoice.” So he really
wants you and me to rejoice. If you've done any studies on Leviticus one, two, three,
four and five all of the offerings you will see what God… you'll get a little bit better
understanding I think about the fact that God Feasts with us and we should rejoice with
Him at this Feast. I remember back in Squaw Valley in the early
'60s when I had even less than nothing. I was still in the Navy and I was able to get
back to Squaw Valley free on a map's transport, and a couple asked if I wanted to go out and
eat with them. We went to an Italian restaurant, I'll never forget that. The tablecloths were
checkered, they were red and white, really nice. I knew it was a nice restaurant. I was
used to hamburgers if I could get those. This was nice. And I kept thanking him. He says,
"Jerry stop it, just enjoy it." I said, "okay." So we sat around there, and if you've heard
this before, and I don't want to belabor it and bore you to death, and I noticed there
was one chair left open and I said, "Excuse me, are you, Sir… are you waiting for someone
else? He said, "No." So I didn't ask him anymore and it just got
to me. Finally, I said, "You've got an empty chair there, sir. That must be for someone,"
and this man said, "It's for Jesus Christ. He's here." That was his way of looking at
it. I've never forgotten that. He had an approach where he wasn't dismissive of God, he was
inclusive. He said, "God is with us. I'm here because of God. I'm rejoicing with God, and
I don't want to forget that God… this is God's Feast, and I'm part of that Feast."
And I've never forgotten that. Obviously, I wouldn't have told you that. Let's go to
Romans 5. God loves us so much, incredibly much. Far more than we can imagine. In our
minds, in our lives, in our world views, we tend to view… I'm not judging you and saying
that I know exactly how you do it but I know how I look at it. I must be careful that I
don't view God in the way that I see life myself. I've got to look at the Word of God
to find how God looks at life. How God looks at me. And what He wants from me, and how
He wants to bless me. Romans 5:2, “By whom also we have access
by faith into His grace wherein… wherein we stand, and rejoice… rejoice in the hope
of the glory of God.” There are a number of meanings depending on where you are in
the Bible about the word glory. But God's glory is given to you and me certainly in
the power of the Holy Spirit that He gives to us, that comes from God. That is the down
payment on eternal life for us, you and me, to be able to have a divine body in the future.
So we have that hope of the glory of God and we rejoice in it. We know all of this. Let's
go to 1 Corinthians 13. 1 Corinthians 13 brethren. And let's take a look at verse 6, “Rejoicing
not in” lawlessness or “iniquity as we once did, but rejoicing in the truth.” So
that's what we're hearing here tonight and we'll hear throughout the Feast and the Eighth
Day of the Feast. And I want to go to 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter, brethren,
chapter 1. And let's begin in verse 3. 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father…”
I want to make sure I have this right here… “Blessed be the God…” yes, “Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has
begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled that doesn't fade away, reserved in heaven
for you, for if kept by the power of God through faith under salvation ready to be revealed
in the last time.” “Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now
for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through the many different temptations:”
or trials, “so that the trial of your faith,” your trial, and my trial, that tries our faith,
“being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might
be found under praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: who having
not seen, you love; in whom, though now you don't see Him… you see Him not, yet you
believe, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end” or
end result “of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” So God commands us and the
church today, His saints, you and I are commanded by Him to rejoice. I want to bring a thought in here for us as
we go through this Feast... We're still under the point number two today, for you and me.
I want you to think about this, if you would, throughout the Feast. You and I are not keeping
this Feast of Tabernacles for ourselves alone. We might assume that we do. I remember when
I started out, “This is great! I get to eat maybe a steak, I don't get that very often.”
And then the early times when I came to the church, “I even get a little drink of wine
now and then this is great. I don't have to eat… whatever we had Thunderbird back there
in Pasadena.” Some of you have heard of this. I'm not saying it was cheap. But anyway I'm
thinking it was cheap because I'm not saying it was cheap. But there were so many things
that I enjoyed and I really look forward to the Feast, and then someone rocked and socked
my world by telling me that this wasn't my Feast. Pentecost is my Feast, that's a Feast
of firstfruits. This Feast, Feast of Tabernacles, projects us into the future. Thousand year
period and the white throne judgment or the Eighth Day of the Feast. So you and I are
actually keeping the Feast as it were for them. It is our Feast, no denial of that.
And we rejoice before God for it. We are keeping this Feast of Tabernacles for billions of
our future brethren. I want you to think about that just for a moment, billions. We have how many brethren in the church today
as far as we know, at least in the United somewhere around 15,000, but think about billions.
Those are future brethren, brothers, and sisters of you and me. So today we have a responsibility
and one... before I go to point number three, I want to go back to Matthew 24, Matthew 24.
Here's a scripture that we're very familiar with where we may not consider it in this
context necessarily, I want to bring this to your attention because it involves you
and me. Another thought that I want to bring to your
attention is that God's Festivals, His Feasts, are not just independent, certainly, they
can stand alone for what they have to offer and they're all good. They're interdependent.
Interdependent, what do I mean by that? Well if you didn't have the early barley Feast
represented by representing Jesus Christ, you'd never have the Feast of Firstfruits,
you sure wouldn't have a Feast of Ingathering, you'd have nothing. So you've got to have Christ first, right?
And He says, well I've got some firstfruits here it's going to start out. So in the latter
part of the spring Feast, we have what is known as Feast of Weeks, Feast of Firstfruits
or Pentecost — count 50 and we keep that. That's our Feast. That's our day. This is
our day of salvation but it depends on Jesus Christ. If He weren't there, if He weren't
harvested as a way for offering, we would have no harvest. There would be no harvest
that would continue on. And then believe it or not a little bit of what we do has something
to do with the Feast of Ingathering. Let's take a look at Matthew 24 and we'll
do it very quickly here because I'm not going to build something, some great new thought
here. But I think this is interesting to think about. Verse 21, "For then shall be great
tribulation,” yet ahead of us of course, “such as what since the beginning of the
world to this time,” nor it's never going to be this way again, “no, nor ever shall
be. Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved…” And the
Moffitt translation has it correct “save the life.” Notice the latter part of that verse. Do you
have a hand in any of this for human beings, human flesh to remain alive on this earth?
God says yes. Jesus Christ says yes. Notice, “…but for the elect’s sake…” it's
not a democracy. I like the word select because God selects us but we'll just use their term
“for the elect’s sake those they shall be shortened.” Thank God for that. So you
and I have a responsibility to live the way that God wants us to live, set a good example,
be a witness to the world at large, to serve one another, and we're the elect and because
of the saints, the firstfruits, He's going to shorten the Great Tribulation. I think
that's a beautiful and wonderful and very encouraging thing. 1 Peter 2, 1 Peter 2, please. And we read
in verse 12, "Having your conduct…” I know it says conversation, “honest among
the Gentiles…” verse 12. 1 Peter 2:12, “that whereas they speak against you as
if you were doing evil, they may by your good works, which they shall behold,” which they're
going to see even in this day and age, “glorify God in the day of visitation." So put in the
modern day vernacular in the day of their salvation, when is that going to be? Certainly
going to be in the thousand year period. This can also apply to the Eighth Day or the white
throne judgment. So God's Feasts are interdependent and believe it or not, and you can believe
it, the very fact that we are faithful to God, and remain faithful to God, has a bearing
on the future of the next dispensation of salvation. Point number three tomorrow, we've had yesterday
with the Jews, today with us, tomorrow. I'm going to expand just a little bit on what
I've just said about what we are doing. We are keeping this Feast in behalf of the salvation
of billions of future brethren. I'm going to go back to Isaiah 65 and I'm not going
to get bogged down in some sort of a argumentative analysis of anything, but I just like you
to look at Isaiah 65. Isaiah was in here earlier unless it got away from me. Isaiah 65, here
it is. And let's take a look at verse 18, “But be you glad…” the wording in my
King James translation for verse 17 gets a little bit awkward, “…for behold I create”
should be rendered will create — new heavens in the new earth and the former shall not
be remembered nor come into mind, “But be you glad and rejoice for ever in that which
I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem rejoicing and her people a joy.” So we today, in important smaller ways are
rejoicing now for God's great salvation of all of human kind. Feasting is a form of rejoicing.
Going out and eating with friends, talking about what God has done in your life, what
God is doing and getting to know one another, fellowshipping with one another so we can
pray for the benefit of one another. Coming to Sabbath services or coming to services
during the Feast that we can learn God's right way through the various Feast messages. These
are some of the so-called smaller ways of rejoicing now. They typify and they symbolize
a coming Garden of Eden and our part in it for billions of others. That's tomorrow, that's
in the future, that's what God says we're going to be doing, let's take a look at that. Let's start with Ezekiel 36. Ezekiel 36. Got
it here I believe. I don't know if you've read all of 36. It's very encouraging, certainly
37 has something to do with the… a big something to do with the Eighth Day of the Feast. I'm
not going there. I'm going to stay in chapter 36 of Ezekiel and one verse, verse 35, “And
they shall say,” of course, in that day at the beginning of the new… rather of the
millennial setting and the thousand year period, “This land that was desolate is become like
the Garden of Eden.” Isn't that interesting? We all know about that first Garden of Eden
back in early part of Genesis, don't we? That was like a type to what the whole world is
going to be like in the future. It will be so rich, so prosperous, and certainly filled
with a piece of almighty God. “And the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become
fenced, and are inhabited.” Amos 9 quickly. If I can find it. Amos 9.
Just to show the incredible wealth on this earth. We are not going to have to worry about
the economy in the future. Not going to have to be concerned about whether the store shelves
will be filled or not. Be a great time, all around the world, for a thousand years. Let's
take a look at verse 13 through 15. “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman
shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that sows seed; and the mountain
shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt." So if you stood back from a hillside
that had vines on it, you had trees and you couldn't pick that fruit fast enough it would
melt and it would be running down the hill. It looks like the hill is melting. That's
kind of the imagery that I see here. “And I will bring again the captivity of
my people of Israel,” so you know Israel exists today right or it would be doing that,
“and they shall build the wasted cities, they're going to inhabit them; they shall
plant vineyards, drink the wine of it; they shall also make gardens, and they're going
to eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land,” I love the way that
He uses the word plant. “And they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which
I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.” Or your God. This is what it's going to be
like in the future. And what about our responsibility in the future? Let's take a look at Revelation
5:10. I'll do this quickly. “And has made us…" well let's go back to verse 9, “They
sung a new song, saying, ‘You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals of
it: for You were slain, redeemed us to God’” that would be Christ, “by the blood… by
Your blood out of every kindred, and language, and people, and nation.” Verse 10, “And you've made us unto God kings
and priests:” or a kingdom of priests “and we shall reign on the earth.” I remember
back in the '60s when I was working in the mailing department we used to argue who is
going to be a king and a priest. Most of the guys said, “Let's be really studly about
this, I want to be a king, a macho.” Let me ask you something, who advised the king?
Priest, right? “Whoa, never thought about that one.” We better consider that a little
bit. So if you happen to be a kingdom of priest, happen to be a priest, not a bad position,
not a bad opportunity to serve. I think that's a very beautiful thought to have and it's
also quite important. Let's take a look in chapter 20. Chapter 20
Revelation and verse 4. A little letter A, "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them,
and judgment was given unto them." I'm not going any further. That's why I said verse
4, a little letter A. Because I want to tie that together with Malachi 3 and Isaiah 20.
Let's go to Malachi 3. It says here, and I'd like you to remember it, "And judgment was
given them, unto them, they were on thrones." Let's take a look at Malachi 3. These are
scriptures that you're probably aware of. So sort of a reminder here of things that
you already know, but we can be reminded of these things, very helpful. In verse 16, Malachi
3, God's listening and He said, “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another." So during the Feast of Tabernacles when we
try to get you seated, that's this. You’re speaking… it's hard to get people seated.
It's a good problem to have because we love to fellowship and talk and visit with one
another. “And the Lord hearkened, and He heard it, and a book of remembrance was written
before him that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine,
saith the Lord of hosts,” or armies, “in that day when I make up my special treasure;
and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him.” The context could
be just before the Great Tribulation possibly. “Then shall you return,” well, where are
you going to return to? Well, Christ is going to come to Jerusalem so all of those as we
know in 1 Thessalonians 4, we're going to meet Him in the air, we're going to circle
the earth and we're going to land on the Mount of Olives just as He does, but it's going
to split in two when He lands on it. “Then shall you return,” here's the important
key, “and discern… discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that
serves God…” this is in the Millennium “…and him that does not serve Him.” So remember back here in Revelation 20, we're
going to be on thrones and judgment was given to us. And if you go to 1 Corinthians 6:2
it says that we're going to judge people, we're also going to be judging angels. And
I want to go back here to Isaiah 20. A scripture that we know about. Isaiah 20. And I'd like
you to keep that in mind. Because when we come to the end of this I want you to remember
that scripture and Nehemiah 8 where Nehemiah said, "And send portions to them who have
nothing prepared." There were a lot of people who didn't have anything prepared. Clothes
on their back. They didn't have gardens. They were destitute. They needed help. And so those
who did have, shared. Let's go to Isaiah 20, you're probably already
there. Scripture reviews over the years in that decade. Has to do with you and me in
the future. Chapter 20 and verse… no 30, did I say 20? I'm sorry. It is 30. You're
probably already on 30. Chapter 30 verse 20. "And though the Lord give you the bread of
adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not your teachers be removed into a
corner any more,” you're going to be able to see them, “your eyes shall see your teachers;
and your ears shall hear a word behind you,” so suddenly you're going to be able to show
yourself as a spirit being and you'll probably appear whatever you look like, I'm guessing,
today. Don't let that disappoint you. You'll have a spirit divine body. I think
we'll be happy with that. I'm not 6’6” and that didn't bother me a bit, my feet still
hit the ground. So I'm not too worried about that. But when I have a divine body, hey,
we're all going to have divine bodies. We're going to be very happy that we are immortal
and we have bodies just like God does and Christ. What a beautiful time. And we're going to be able to say to them,
remember what we saw in Malachi 3 verses especially 17 and 18, we're going to discern. You go
all the way back to Revelation 20:4, little letter A at the beginning of that verse. Thrones,
we're going to be sitting on thrones and we're going to have judgment. Remember about Corinthians,
we're going to be judging men and we're going to be judging angels. That's us, we're a kingdom
of priests, we're going to be judging. Beautiful time. We're going to be able to say to them, “This
is the way walk you in it, when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn of the left.”
That's why we're here today. That's why we keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Number one,
so that we know… learn the way of God. But then we take that and we make that a part
of us and we rejoice in the fact that you and I have the privilege to be able to qualify
as it were to receive the gift of eternal life. I say qualify, you actually can't qualify
as we all sin. We all repent, we confess our sins, we're forgiven. We get up in faith,
we walk forward, and we just keep on keeping on. So you can't earn it. I want to make sure
that you understand that's what I'm saying. But God is going to give us eternal life so
that we can help others and that's why we have the trials we have today and we do have
trials. Now let's go back to the future point number four, back to the future. The Jews
rejoiced in the past, they're rejoicing in the past, fits with our future in the Kingdom
of God tomorrow. So I'm going back to Nehemiah 8. And I've given this sermon, not exactly
like this, a couple of times. And my wife who's been in the church longer than I have
but she's younger than I am. So let's, you know, we want to have a good time at the Feast.
She's a lot younger. Thank you very much, but she's a lot younger than I am. I'm a decade
older. But when we get into this she says,"Why don't you read the rest of the chapter? That
is beautiful. It's very encouraging." And I agree with her, so I'm going to listen and
hear. I'm going to learn something here. We're going to start in Nehemiah 8 and begin
verse 11. “So the Levites,” we've already read those previous verses, “stilled all
of the people, saying, ‘Hold your peace, for the day is holy; don't be grieved.’
And all the people went their way.” They followed the instructions that they were given
so they could “eat, and drink, and to send…” oh I love this, I've circled it in my Bible,
“send portions,” help others, give to others. You are, as it were, qualifying by
learning how to teach the way of God and the will of God so that you'll be able to help
others in the future. “And to make great mirth, because they had
understood the words that were declared on to them. On the second day were gathered together
chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, and Ezra the scribe,
even to understand the words of the law. And they found written in the law which the Lord
had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the Feast
of the seventh month: and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities,
and to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Go forth unto the mount, and fetch… retrieve olive branches,
pine branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of thick trees…” We're reading in verse 15 now, “to make
booths, as it is written. So the people went forth, and they brought them, and made themselves
booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of
the house of God, in the street of the Water Gate, in the street of the gate of Ephraim.
And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity…” I want
to keep that as part of our memory here, “…made booths and sat under the booths,” temporary
dwellings. What are you living in today? You're not probably
living in these… under these branches, but you're living in a temporary abode. Wherever
you're living, condo, villa, motel room. But you're always living in a temporary booth
anyway, are you not? What's your body like? Is that a temporary booth or not? Is that
going to last forever? Can your fleshly body enter the Kingdom of God? So you are living
in a temporary abode anyway. All of these things connect, they linked,
for greater strength to be able to understand the will of God. “Since the days of Jeshua
the son of Nun and the light of day until that day had not the children of Israel done
so. And there was a very great gladness. Also day by day, from the first day until the last
day, he read in the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the Feast seven days; and on
the Eighth Day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.” And that's why we have, in my mind, at least
Deuteronomy 14:23. Learning to fear God, understand God. Without humility, it's really difficult.
It's very difficult to learn anything. If we're proud and we think we know it all, but
if we're humble we will listen. We will listen to someone else, we will hear. And I've heard messages from people I thought
some was more better than others, but I've always tried my best to get the very most
out of every message that I've heard. It's for me, it's for you. Special food, special
Feast, the Word of God is a Feast all to itself. Just to be able to ingest, and eat that, and
internalize it. So Deuteronomy 14:23. Fearing God fits with 26. We learn how to rejoice.
We understand why we rejoice. The Feasts are interdependent. You're not here alone. You
and I are keeping the Feast for billions of others later on. So we'll finish in Nehemiah
8, and I'd like you to remember this, if you would, throughout this Feast. The middle part of verse 10. I'm not trying
to make you feel guilty that would be absurd on my part. So if you get that impression,
I'm sorry. I don't mean that at all. But there’s... we can always improve on our own lives in
helping one another. For example, if you go all the way through the Feast and don't learn
five people that you’ve... get to know five people you've never known before you're going
to be… you're going to shortchange yourself a little. So I recommend that you do that.
I would suggest that you do that. See people that you've never met before and I think that
we certainly do that and that's encouraging. But if you remember this, that you and I have
this responsibility at this Feast of Tabernacles. It's not just for us, it's for people in the
future, “…and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared.” Please have
the greatest Feast ever, you will if we follow the way of God.
