Do Not Forget the Lord
Three times a year, God called His people to gather before Him for His appointed feasts. These were more than celebrations on a calendar. They were sacred times to worship, give thanks, remember what God had done, and look forward to what He had promised.
The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, was one of those appointed times.
What made this feast so significant was its connection to Israel’s journey through the wilderness. God commanded His people to dwell in temporary booths during the feast so that every generation would remember what He had done for them. Leviticus 23:43 says, “That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.” They were remembering a time when they had no permanent home. They were remembering their deliverance from Egypt. They were remembering how God provided food, gave them supernatural water, and sustained them through the wilderness.
They were remembering that God took care of them.
And that is one of the most powerful themes of the Feast of Tabernacles: remembrance.
Deuteronomy 8:2 says, “And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness.” God wanted His people to remember the journey.
Why?
Because remembering what God has done gives us perspective when we face what is in front of us.
There are seasons in our lives when we need to intentionally remember His faithfulness. We may still have pain. We may still be walking through difficulty. But we can look back and say, “God was faithful then, and He will be faithful now.”
The Feast of Tabernacles gave Israel a tangible way to teach this to the next generation.
It makes us ask an important question: Do we remember what God has done in our generation?
What stories of God’s faithfulness will we pass down?
The Feast of Tabernacles also came shortly after the Day of Atonement, a solemn time of repentance and humility before God. Before the celebration came repentance. Israel understood that approaching God meant recognizing their need for Him.
Today, we don’t bring an animal sacrifice because Jesus has already made the final sacrifice for sin. The Lamb of God has come and taken away the sins of the world. But repentance is still a powerful response to the mercy and grace of God.
Jesus’ sacrifice is finished, but our hearts still need to be continually turned toward Him. In Revelation 2, Jesus warned the church at Ephesus that although they had done many things well, they had left their first love.
It is possible to look right on the outside while our hearts have slowly drifted.
The Feast reminds us to stop and remember: Where is my heart?
The Feast of Tabernacles was also connected with a new beginning. It came at the end of the harvest and carried the joy of God’s provision. Throughout Scripture, God continually reminds His people that He is able to bring newness. Isaiah 43:19 says, “Behold, I will do a new thing…”
Maybe you’ve been walking through the same wilderness for a long time. Maybe you’ve gone around the same mountain again and again. But remembering God’s faithfulness gives us faith for what He can do next.
Joshua 3:5 says, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” The God who made a way through the wilderness is still able to make a way today.
The Feast of Tabernacles also points forward. Zechariah 14 speaks of a future time when the nations will come to worship the King and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
The feast reminds us that this present world is not the end of the story. We have something greater ahead.
While so much of life can become focused on earthly things, marriage, children, careers, homes, accomplishments, and possessions, Scripture reminds us to lift our eyes beyond what is temporary and remember what is eternal. There is a day coming when Christ will reign, and His people will dwell with Him.
Remember His Presence
And perhaps this is the greatest thing the Feast of Tabernacles calls us to remember: God’s presence.
Israel built temporary shelters to remember that God had been with them throughout their wilderness journey. When Solomon dedicated the temple, the glory of the Lord filled the house.
The presence of God was at the center of their worship.
And then Jesus came.
When Jesus died on the cross, the veil was torn. The separation was removed. Through Jesus, we have access to the presence of God.
So the Feast of Tabernacles calls us to remember, not simply what God has done, but who God is and that He is with us.
Life gets busy. Seasons change. We can become distracted by everything happening around us. That’s why we need to remember.
Remember His faithfulness.
Remember His provision.
Remember His mercy.
Remember His promises.
Remember what He has brought you through.
And most importantly, remember His presence.
Because just as God sustained Israel through the wilderness, He is faithful to sustain us. The Feast of Tabernacles is a reminder that we are a people who must never forget. Remember what He has done. Remember what He has promised. Remember that He is faithful. And remember to return to His presence.