The Feast of Tabernacles is an
incredible reminder of God’s goodness.
It has its root in the deliverance of the Exodus. Moses was God’s chosen leader of the captive
slaves. They were rescued ultimately by
water, moved by the hand of God. Pharaoh
let the people go…and then had a change of his hardened heart; he sent the
armies after them.
Moses’ band of freed slaves was caught between mountains
on the left and right, with the Red Sea in front, and Egypt’s army behind; it
seemed certain to be a slaughter and re-enslavement of Israel. But God opened up the Red Sea and the people
walked to safety on the other side. The army
followed, but all were drowned as God released the waters. As Israel witnessed this deliverance, Moses
sang a song of praise to God which was four hundred years in the making[1].
As the children of Israel turned from the Red Sea’s
waters and wandered in the desert they found more water at Marah, but it was
bitter. God sweetened that water with a
branch he showed to Moses. When there
was no water at all, God instructed Moses to speak and the water gushed from
solid rock.
Too much water, bitter water and no water – all terrible;
all wonderful, as they displayed the power of God and His kindness to his
wandering people.
The Feast of Tabernacles was kept for centuries after
the events at the Red Sea, Marah and all through Israel’s “glory days”. It was a week-long celebration. The people would leave their homes, and live
in makeshift shelters of tree branches, remembering how God made the mighty
waters safe, the bitter waters sweet and the hidden water flow. They remembered God’s great gifts.
Certainly Isaiah had all this in the back of his mind
when he wrote about drinking deeply from the fountain of salvation. It is the picture of God rescuing His own; it
is our story too. As it was in the
desert, so it is today.
The Scriptures declare that when we were in the
darkness of sin’s grip, lost as could possibly be, Christ came by water and
blood[2]
to wash us – he came and died to rescue and redeem all who would turn to
Him.
For You, Today…
Here’s a question to chew on today: Is it a bigger miracle to make a dry path in
the ocean, or bitter water sweet, or a barren wasteland gush with water….than
it is to take away the sins of somebody like me…or you?
Moses simply stood still to see the waters part. He only had to throw the branch God gave him into
the pond at Marah to make the waters sweet.
And he just spoke to the rock to turn on the faucet. But for our sins – it took the priceless
blood of the Lamb.
Are you washed in the blood?
Wash me Lord, and I shall be whiter than snow!
Drink deeply at that fountain!
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