YEA Lesson Library
Put It Together
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches the who, what, when, where, how, and why associated with the Feast of Tabernacles.
Scriptures
Exodus 23:16
Exodus 34:22
Leviticus 23:33-35
Leviticus 23:39-43
Numbers 29:12-34
Deuteronomy 14:22-23
Zachariah 14:16-19
Matthew 18:20
Words to Know
PILGRIMAGE - a journey of a pilgrim, especially to a shrine or sacred place.
The Lesson
Five days after the Day of Atonement, God commands His people to celebrate another Feast. This was the last of the three pilgrimage festivals. A pilgrimage festival meant that they had to Put it Together and take a journey. How could they afford to go? What was the place they were to go? And what was the purpose of doing all of these things?
Deuteronomy 14:22-23 says, “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name so that you learn to revere the LORD your God always. . .”
We’ve found the answers to all of those three questions in these two verses. The first answer is that God has provided a way for His people to have enough money to make this trip and to rejoice before Him. We are to save ten percent of our increase. Yes, it is a tithe. But this tithe is not given to God to do His work. This is a different tithe that you save so that you can enjoy the Feast. It’s a tithe that you can eat in God’s presence.
Have you known people who say they can’t Put it Together and afford to go to the Feast of Tabernacles? Maybe you’ve known some who had to go to a site very close to home because they didn’t have enough money to go where they really wanted to go. Then there are some who can barely afford to go, and really have to watch their pennies. Most of these people probably haven’t obeyed this command to save one tenth of their increase so they can celebrate the Feast. God doesn’t want us to go in debt to go to the Feast. He wants us to have enough money before we go to the Feast so that we can rejoice! Carefully following this one principle makes the Feast an affordable and a joyous occasion
We’ve also found in those two verses where we are to go to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. We are to go where God chooses as a dwelling for His Name. Where does God dwell during the Feast of Tabernacles? He dwells where His people are – where they are celebrating the Feast. In Bible times, many made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast. It would not be feasible for the entire world to go to Jerusalem today. Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (NIV).
The third answer given in those two verses is the purpose of going to the Feast. We go to “learn to revere the LORD your God always.” Some things you should look for in the Feast site that you attend is where can you have good youth classes, seminars, uplifting sermons and inspiring music. These should be your priorities in selecting the Feast site you attend.
Okay, we’ve learn how we can afford to go to the Feast of Tabernacles, where we are to go, and what we’re to do when we get there. So when is this Feast and how do we celebrate it?
“The LORD said to Moses, Say to the Israelites: On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD’S Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. . .
“So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 23:33-35, 39-43)
There are a couple of interesting things we need to notice. “This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.” So we should still celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. You may ask if it’s only for those who are Israelite born. Those who are Israelite born are to live in temporary dwellings so our descendants will remember that our forefathers lived in booths when they came out of Egypt. But all nations – even the Egyptians will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in the millennium, or they will suffer the consequences. “Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16-19). The entire world will learn that they must Put it Together and keep the Feast.
Student Prayer
Almighty God,
Thank you for giving us the Feast of Tabernacles and providing a means where we can afford to go. Help us to keep in mind the purpose of your Feast and accomplish it in our celebration.
In Jesus’ name I pray these things.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Leviticus 23:33-35
Monday - Leviticus 23:39-43
Tuesday - Deuteronomy 14:22-23
Wednesday - Matthew 18:20
Thursday - Zachariah 14:16-19
Friday - Exodus 23:16; 34:22
Saturday - Numbers 29:12-34
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Explain how they can afford to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles – the festival tithe.
2. Tell when the Feast of Tabernacles is to be celebrated.
3. Discuss the purpose of going to the Feast of Tabernacles.
4. Show that they are to help others with their festival tithe at the Feast.
Topics & Themes
Feast of Tabernacles
Holy Days
Holy Days, Feast of Tabernacles
Honor God
Tithe
Worship God
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students’ and teacher’s books, songbook, CD or cassette tape, music player, concordances, timer, pencil, paper, award
How to Teach This Lesson
Open the class with prayer. Divide the class into six groups. Assign each of the six groups one of the questions from the students’ Activity for them to brainstorm and explain to the class. If students are able to explain a scripture or doctrine, you know they understand it. If you have less than six students in your class, give each student two or more questions to answer. Encourage the students to enlarge on the question(s) and add additional scriptures to their presentation. Tell them that after the presentation is done, the class will vote to determine the best one. The group voted to have given the best presentation will receive an award. Allow them about eight minutes to prepare their presentation. Give each group a concordance, pencil and paper. Set the timer and say “go.”
When the timer goes off, have the students do their presentations by explaining the question to the class that they were given.
Debrief - since the students may only brainstorm and answer one question, they need the debriefing session so that every student can be involved in the discussion of every question. Ask: How many days after the Day of Atonement is the Feast of Tabernacles celebrated? What day of the month is it kept? (The 15th day of the seventh month). How many days do we celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles? (Listen for the students to say eight days. Remind them that the eighth day is a separate Feast.)
Put it Together so you can afford to keep the Feast? - Ask: How many of you have put Feast bills on a credit card that you had to pay out months after that? Is that the way God intended for you to celebrate His Feast? What is the difference in the first tithe and the festival tithe? When do you start saving the festival tithe? Does the Bible allow for you to borrow from it? Are there people you should share your festival tithe with? Have one of the students read, Deuteronomy 14: 23.
The purpose - What is the purpose of going to the Feast? (The answers should include that it is a pilgrimage, they are to rejoice, and they are to learn to revere God.) What forums at the Feast are you most likely to rejoice? (Youth activities and singing.) Where are you most likely to learn to revere God? How do you think your YEA lessons help you to revere God? What other things can you do at the Feast to learn to revere God? What can we do to help you do a better job revering God? (Listen closely and send any suggestions to YEA Editorial.)
Festival Observance - Who should celebrate the Feast? Why do you say this? Who should live in temporary dwellings during the Feast? Who will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles during the millennium? What will be the consequences for not celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles?
Rejoice - What is your favorite thing to do at the Feast? How can you make this year’s Feast celebration better than any other year? What can you do to make someone else’s Feast a real celebration?
Vote - Have the students vote on the best presentation and give that group an award.
Teacher-Directed Activity
The activity is incorporated into How to Teach this Lesson.
Song
“We Will Glorify” is on page one of The Group Songbook.
Closing Prayer
Have the students form a circle and join hands. Ask for a volunteer to lead in prayer thanking God for the Feast of Tabernacles and all that it means to us.
Printable Pages
