The “feast of Tabernacles” is also called the “feast of Joy.” Tabernacles is the feast of the Lord, spiritually speaking, that the Church is celebrating today. Don't lose your joy. Keep seeing and looking and remembering.We have come through Passover. We've come through Pentecost and many Christian have been filled with the Spirit. Father is now speaking to us of the feast of Tabernacles. That's the growing up stage of the series of feasts. Tabernacles starts with a trumpet, which is a clear-sounding word. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul asks how people can prepare for the battle when they don't understand the trumpet sound.
Look with me in Nehemiah the 8th chapter. This is important. We're not going to get into this until we know this is true. There is a joy that is rising up. Yes, we’re going to be strong, but the Scripture says that the Joy of the Lord is our strength! It's joy of the Lord. Not just will-power or physical strength.
1 Now all the people gathered together as one man (JESUS) in the STREET (SINGULAR) that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel.
2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month.Note the term “understanding.” That's what's wrong. We haven't understood. It ends with the words, “Upon the first day of the seventh month.”
What feast started at that date? The Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Trumpets. And they could then understand!
8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.The Feast of Tabernacles is a time when the book is understood. Are we there yet? Did you ever read a Scripture or the whole Bible and it was a mystery to you? Have you been listening to preaching and it's a mystery, and you don't understand? The Feast of Tabernacles is a feast of understanding — a feast of seeing something.
It is also called the Feast of Joy.
10 Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared;
What's that mean? That means when you hear, you share what you hear! Don't tell me people can't hear this. You don't have to have a college degree to hear Father. You just have to listen and be willing to be taught. Be willing to be led by the Five-Fold Ministry and have what's being taught to you confirmed by the very Spirit of God that lives inside of you. Also, you must be willing to go to the Word and confirm it. That's why we give you so much Scripture.
That's what this points to, "Send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared". There are cities of people out there that are not getting any portions of this Word. You can teach it to them, and you can get those tapes back there and send them to everyone you know. Get the seed planted. Don't just eat it for yourselves, but get it out.
Then he goes on and says, “Send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
Moses and his children, who are a type of Jesus and His brethren, sing because of what they saw.
Matthew 13:18 Therefore hear the parable of the sower:
19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.People say, “You have to watch out. Satan will steal the Word.”
That's true. But the Bibles says he does it to those who don't understand the Word. He cannot steal the Word from everybody, but just from those who do not understand it. If you come here and you don't understand then you need to make that request known. You need to purpose to understand. You need to come to me and let me pray over your mind for revelation and let me help you understand. Ask questions. Were living in this Feast of Tabernacles. You can hear. Understanding is available.
You can't understand if you just give yourselves to part of what's being said. If you only come when you feel like it or if you have time, you will not understand it. You only open the Word at home when you have time or have a need. We need to be a people of Bible study and coming together in the assembly of the brethren to be taught and to teach.
It all fits together. You have to hear and see the pieces being but together. When you understand, Satan can't steal the Word, you health, or your finances. He cannot steal anything that the death, burial and resurrection of Christ brought you if you understand. He only comes to those who do not understand.
If Egypt is a type of the world, then what is the wilderness? It speaks of Babylon.
In Isaiah 14, it says the King of Babylon made the world a wilderness. The wilderness, those forty years, are speaking of the period in which we are coming out of confusion. People have been lifted out of Egypt, but Babylon is Spiritual confusion. It's all of the different things that have been programmed into our mind that must come out of us and we have to come out of it.
Rev. 18 says, “Come out of her, my people.” That's what God is doing, He is bringing us out of Babylon.
We’re saved. How do I get to the Promised Land? You have to come out of confusion. That's accomplished through receiving understanding.
Turn back over to Exodus 15 and we will go through this.
1Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: "I will sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider....
Has Jesus triumphed gloriously? Is He a triumphant glorified King today? Yes He is. When we sing the songs that say He has triumphed gloriously, we don't know that is talking about us!
His victory is your victory.
Verse 2, The Lord is my strength and my song.
Is the Lord your strength? How many of you who are going through things today, understand that Jesus is your strength?
Eph. 6:10 says, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” Isaiah 40 says, “Those who wait on the Lord shall exchange their strength.”
If you will wait on the Lord, He will take your natural strength and put His strength in there. Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Strength does not come through the pastor or your best friend, but through Christ.
How could Paul say that Christ strengthened him? Paul knew he was in union with Him.
Verse 2 The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation;
He is my very salvation! Salvation is something you’re in. He does not merely show you about his salvation. He is your salvation.
Paul preached on Mars Hill to people who served the Unknown God. He said, “I'll tell you who He is. His name is Jesus and it's in Him that we move and we live and we have who we are!”
Our being is in Him. Many don't know that. We have our being in Christ. You have a new being. Its not trying to be in Him — you already are in Him.
He is my God, and I will (prepare Him a habitation) praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him.
You could preach a hour on one of those phrases. “Strength” and “song,” “habitation,” “my salvation,” “my God.” Isn't it amazing that the very first song in the Bible says, “We are going to make Him a house. We're going to make Him a dwelling place.” The end of the book says “and the Tabernacle of God is with men.” That song is fulfilled in the people.
By the time we get to Rev. 21 a people has become Father’s house. The tabernacle of God is with men. It means He lives with us in His fullness.
That's what Jesus was saying. “In my Father’s house are many mansions.” Who lives in Fathers house? The Father lives in Father’s house. We are Father’s house! Praise God!
He promised that you can be a mansion. Do we have the same spirit that Moses and the children had? Why would we not? We talk about it and preach about it? We have to see it! It's sad that many don't want to see it. It's not important to them. They are so wrapped up in the world and life, that they are only satisfied with little bits of it.
They have been in the world and now they are free. They have seen their enemy destroyed. They saw the people who whipped them destroyed.
Do you understand that the book of Exodus begins with a people in bondage, and in the last chapter ends with the Tabernacle filled with glory? The saddest things is some are getting less interested because you believe you have seen and you haven't yet seen it totally.
Some think they have been teaching and seeing this for years. We haven't, because we haven't sung the song of Moses in all our lives yet.
Don't you think that when we see, there will be a joy expressed in the Church like never seen before? Jesus endured the Cross for the joy set before Him. Can you endure what you’re going through today for the joy set before you? What is that joy set before us? It's the fact that in a few years there will be a people who are built in the image of Christ who have become His habitation, who have his dwelling place among themselves.
Don't wait until it happens. Those who do might not be around for it.
13 You in Your mercy have led forth, The people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength To Your holy habitation.
14 The people will hear and be afraid; Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.“Philistia” means “to roll in the dust.” What is the dust a type of? It's a type of the flesh. We were made out of the dust of the ground. There is a people who are living in the flesh, and sorrow will take hold of them. Sorrow will take hold of people who function in the dust realm.
15, Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed;
Edom is Esau. Esau is one of the twins, Jacob and Esau. Esau sold his birthright for something in the natural. For a bowl of stew. The Bible says, “We are come unto Mt. Zion, and the church of the firstborn.” Don't be like Esau who took his spiritual birthright and inheritance of the firstborn. Our inheritance is Jesus duplicating Himself in us. It’s the inheritance of the firstborn.
Don't discard that spiritual birthright for something in the natural. We read, “the chiefs of Edom are sorrowful,” also.
Then it said, “The mighty men of Moab, Trembling will take hold of them; All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.”
What is Moab? Read Jeremiah 48:11
We have those who live in the dust. Then we find the Edomites who are people who sell out for something in the natural. Then we find Moab here.
11 "Moab has been at ease from his youth; He has settled on his dregs, And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, And his scent has not changed.
What does that mean? Moab speaks of a people who are ease.
Amos says, “Woe to them who are ease in Zion.”
Hear this: If you are called to the heights of Zion, you better not get at ease. Jeremiah 48 says that Moab speaks of a person who won't be changed from one vessel into the other. Can you grow from one vessel to the other? Are you willing to grow? Will you refuse to sell your natural birthright for something in the natural? Will you refuse to compromise our spiritual stand for something in the natural? Will you refuse to roll in the dust?
It says these folks tremble. That means when the shaking comes they’re the ones who are shaken the most. Hebrews 12 says there is a shaking coming and everything that can be shaken will. And it says those who roll in the dust, those who sell their birthrights, will tremble and shake.
There is a whole lot of shaking going on. Amen!