Leviticus 23:33

Leviticus 23:33 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse two adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.  God specified a particular day, the fifteenth dat of the seventh month, to be set aside for the start of the feast of tabernacles.  This was to last for seven days.  We today have certain days set aside to celebrate the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and they should remain true to that purpose.  Christmas has really been commercialized, not only by making it more about gifts than the celebration of the birth of Christ, but also by starting Christmas promotions early and even having Christmas in July events, few of which really focus on the birth of Christ.  Verse thirty-five continues, On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.  On the first day of the feast, no unnecessary work was to be done.  There was a time in America when no unnecessary business was conducted on Christmas, but that isn't always the case anymore.  Verse thirty-six states, Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.  For seven days, the people were to offer sacrifices by fire, which I believe would be burnt offerings, the eighth day would be a day when the people of Israel once more assembled together in worship of God.  Verse thirty-seven adds, These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:  This was a feast of the LORD, and the people were to offer burnt offerings, meat offerings, sacrifices, and drink offerings.  Basically, all sacrifices were to be offered on this day.  Every day we should offer everything we have as a sacrifice to God to be used for His purpose and for His glory.  Verse thirty-eight continues, Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.  This was not to replace the regular worship on the sabbath, their normal sacrifices and free will offerings, but was to be in addition to them.  We sometimes have special offerings and worship services, but they cannot replace our normal tithes and offerings or our normal worship.  I know that these special worship times may occur during our normal worship time, but we cannot believe that attending them exempts us from continuing to worship during normal worship times.  Verse thirty-nine says,  Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.  This states that during this feast that was to occur when the first fruits had been gathered that the people of Israel were to have a feast unto the LORD.  This was not just a time to gather together and feast, but a time to celebrate the blessings of God and to give Him the glory and praise.  It was not about the food, but about God Who blessed them with the food.  When we have any worship service today, the emphasis must be on God and not the physical things that make up the worship service.  Verse forty adds, And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.   Matthew Henry say that this means that they were to make booths to live in for this time.  Verse forty-one continues, And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.  This feast was to be kept for seven days and was a statute forever.  I believe that Christ fulfilled these laws forever when He lived s perfect life here on earth, and today we are called on to live by faith in Him as our Savior and Lord forever.  Verse forty-two states, Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:  Verse forty-three adds, That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.  All who were born Israelites were to live in booths for a week as a reminder that it was God brought them out of Egypt.  Verse forty-four concludes And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.  Moses told the people of Israel what God had said, just as we must today share the gospel with everyone that we can.