Note to the Congregation During the Pandemic: Remember to Look for God's Guiding Hand

Leviticus 23: 40-43

“40 On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 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. 42 Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters 43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

The Israelites had a festival they called The Festival of Booths.   It was a time in which they remembered when they wandered in the wilderness and had no permanent home.  The 40 years that they wandered in the wilderness was a time of extreme hardship and danger. Yet they wanted to remember this time.

They wanted to remember it so that they could celebrate God’s deliverance of them.  God eventually led them to the promised land. And this is what they celebrated.

Hopefully we will look back on this time and see God’s hand, leading and guiding us through the hardships and the dangers.  And we will celebrate our deliverance.