Do We Have To Stay In Temporary Dwellings During
The Feast of Tabernacles?
The Feast of Tabernacles?
It's no secret that when Israel had strong Godly leadership, the people followed God. But when their leadership did evil in God's sight, the people rapidly followed suit. Such is the case with WCG after the death of Herbert W. Armstrong in 1986. I am not saying that Herbert was on par with Moses or Joshua, but no one doubted who was in charge while he was alive.
Since the "new" WCG and many of its offshoots have either watered down or stamped out the truth once taught, today we see a very Laodicean approach to God. Since there is not Godly leadership at the helm of God's Churches today, the vast majority of the membership for the last 21 years have ceased having "good works."
One area that many have letdown is keeping the Feast of Tabernacles in temporary dwellings. A ministry, aware of it's own shortcomings, have ceased to teach the truth from scripture. When men decide to live in sin, they do not require others to come out of sin. They allow sin because they themselves habitually practice sin.
Once sin is accepted individually or congregationally, self-deception is the result. Self-deception is so destructive because instead of doing what God says, we reason our selves into believing and practicing a lie!
2 Thessalonians 2:10
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
One example of self-deception in scripture is in 1 Samuel 15. Saul, king of Israel BELIEVED his actions pleased God. But his self-deception eventually cost him his life! (Please read 1 Samuel 15:1-35)
Samuel the prophet had given Saul a command from the LORD to destroy Amalek for the evil they committed against Israel when they came out of Egypt. Saul's job was to destroy everything in Amalek. Samuel's words were not vague or open to interpretation. It was very simple! God wanted Amalek wiped off the face of the Earth.
Verse 9 says:
But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them….
Sadly, Saul decided that his way would be better than God's way, and so he changed the commands of God to fit his opinion. The results were catastrophic. The LORD responded to Saul's actions in verses 10-11.
1 Samuel 15:10-11
10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,
11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
It grieved Samuel deeply that Saul reasoned his way around following the command of God. Yet, Saul reasoned within himself that he followed the commands of God.
1Samuel 15:13
13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
How could Saul reason in his mind that his actions pleased God? How could Saul be so deceived? Why did he not already know that his actions displeased God?
1 Samuel 15:14, 17-20
14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?
20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
How could Saul be so wrong and believe he was so right? Is it possible that we have made a similar mistake? Many people in the churches of God have reasoned that they can stay at home during the Feast of Tabernacles, driving back and forth to services and still be following the command of God.
Leviticus 23:39-43
39 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.
40 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.
41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
43 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.
The custom of staying in your permanent dwelling during the Feast of Tabernacles came about because of watered down teachings from CGI and others. There's no provision in the scriptures for such a custom! We never get too old to keep the Feast as God commanded. The elderly should be cared for and their needs attended to by individuals who know them (by their brethren) so that they also may enjoy this blessing from God. Where are the people of God who are willing to serve their brethren and help those who are otherwise unable to keep the Feast properly?
It is a sad time in the church of God because many view the Feast of Tabernacles as a worldly vacation and not holy time. The worldly consciousness within the church of God allows people to attend the Feast in whatever way they choose. However, not every Feast site is God's Feast site. If people are there who are allowed to stay at home or if there are pagan/protestant practices brought into a Feast site, then God will not be there. THAT SHOULD MATTER TO YOU!
Do not view the Feast as a worldly vacation, to do your own will and not the command of God. Could you be reasoning like Saul and be living in self-deception?
As you sow, so shall you reap.
Written by Wayne Holmes
Since the "new" WCG and many of its offshoots have either watered down or stamped out the truth once taught, today we see a very Laodicean approach to God. Since there is not Godly leadership at the helm of God's Churches today, the vast majority of the membership for the last 21 years have ceased having "good works."
One area that many have letdown is keeping the Feast of Tabernacles in temporary dwellings. A ministry, aware of it's own shortcomings, have ceased to teach the truth from scripture. When men decide to live in sin, they do not require others to come out of sin. They allow sin because they themselves habitually practice sin.
Once sin is accepted individually or congregationally, self-deception is the result. Self-deception is so destructive because instead of doing what God says, we reason our selves into believing and practicing a lie!
2 Thessalonians 2:10
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
One example of self-deception in scripture is in 1 Samuel 15. Saul, king of Israel BELIEVED his actions pleased God. But his self-deception eventually cost him his life! (Please read 1 Samuel 15:1-35)
Samuel the prophet had given Saul a command from the LORD to destroy Amalek for the evil they committed against Israel when they came out of Egypt. Saul's job was to destroy everything in Amalek. Samuel's words were not vague or open to interpretation. It was very simple! God wanted Amalek wiped off the face of the Earth.
Verse 9 says:
But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them….
Sadly, Saul decided that his way would be better than God's way, and so he changed the commands of God to fit his opinion. The results were catastrophic. The LORD responded to Saul's actions in verses 10-11.
1 Samuel 15:10-11
10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,
11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
It grieved Samuel deeply that Saul reasoned his way around following the command of God. Yet, Saul reasoned within himself that he followed the commands of God.
1Samuel 15:13
13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
How could Saul reason in his mind that his actions pleased God? How could Saul be so deceived? Why did he not already know that his actions displeased God?
1 Samuel 15:14, 17-20
14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?
20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
How could Saul be so wrong and believe he was so right? Is it possible that we have made a similar mistake? Many people in the churches of God have reasoned that they can stay at home during the Feast of Tabernacles, driving back and forth to services and still be following the command of God.
Leviticus 23:39-43
39 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.
40 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.
41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
43 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.
The custom of staying in your permanent dwelling during the Feast of Tabernacles came about because of watered down teachings from CGI and others. There's no provision in the scriptures for such a custom! We never get too old to keep the Feast as God commanded. The elderly should be cared for and their needs attended to by individuals who know them (by their brethren) so that they also may enjoy this blessing from God. Where are the people of God who are willing to serve their brethren and help those who are otherwise unable to keep the Feast properly?
It is a sad time in the church of God because many view the Feast of Tabernacles as a worldly vacation and not holy time. The worldly consciousness within the church of God allows people to attend the Feast in whatever way they choose. However, not every Feast site is God's Feast site. If people are there who are allowed to stay at home or if there are pagan/protestant practices brought into a Feast site, then God will not be there. THAT SHOULD MATTER TO YOU!
Do not view the Feast as a worldly vacation, to do your own will and not the command of God. Could you be reasoning like Saul and be living in self-deception?
As you sow, so shall you reap.
Written by Wayne Holmes
