All the Congregation Made Booths - Nehemiah 8:17

In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “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 in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written. So the people went forth, and 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, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim”, and in chapter eight and verse seventeen of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths” where we read,

And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

The verse reads, “And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths:” Nehemiah began with the words, “and all the congregation of them” which means “and each, every, the whole and everyone of the assembled and gathered people of Israel”, “that were come again” or “who existed as turned back and returned” “out of the captivity” which means “from the capture and exile within Babylon” “made booths” or “fashioned, accomplished and produced temporary dwelling places or shelters”, “and sat under the booths” which means “and were seated beneath the temporary dwelling places or shelters”. Nehemiah shared how everyone of the people of Israel who returned to Jerusalem and Judah from being exiled in Babylon made temporary dwellings or shelters and were seated beneath them. 

The verse goes on to say, “for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.” Nehemiah continued with the words, “for since the days of Jeshua” or “because from the sunrises to sunset belonging to Jeshua or Joshua whose name means he is saved” “the son of Nun” which means “the male offspring and progeny belonging to Nun whose name means fish or posterity” “unto that day” or “to that particular sunrise to sunset” “had not the children of Israel done so” which means “the offspring and progeny belonging to Israel whose name means God prevails and is the name of the descendants and nation of descendants of Jacob had not observed the feast of tabernacles”. “And there was very great gladness” or “and within that place existed exceeding and abundant joy and gaiety”. Nehemiah said the people of Israel had not observed the feast of tabernacles since the time of Joshua who was the offspring of “Nun”, and there was exceeding and abundant gaiety over their choice to do as God said. (See Leviticus 23:33-43)

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Nehemiah how the people of Israel did as instructed within the law of God as read by Ezra and followed the feast of tabernacles or Sukkot. At the time of Joshua who lead the people of Israel into the promise land, they observed this feast, and now they were observing it again. This caused them to rejoice as they remembered God's provision and protection for them while they were in the wilderness. This feast which was to be carried out beginning on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, October, was an inspiration for the thanksgiving we should give to Jehovah God for His provision and protection over us. When we yield to His Son Jesus who was sent into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, (See John 3:16) and resurrected Him from the dead three days later, (1 Corinthians 15:4) we will be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and given the opportunity to express exceeding thanksgiving, “gladness” and joy before Him for all eternity. 

Next time Nehemiah says, “day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".