Exposition of the Laws of Moses, Exegesis 1 · Part 21
EXERCITAT. XXI. Of the Feaſt of Tabernacles. A ceremoniall appendix of Command. 4.
Levit. 23.33. And the Lord ſpake unto Moſes, ſaying, Speake unto the children of Iſrael, ſaying, The fifteenth day of of this ſeventh monethmonth, ſhall be the Feaſt of Tabernacles for ſeven dayes unto the Lord.
God inſtituted many things to put his people in memory of his judgements and mercies.THe Lord would not have his people forgetfull, neither of his mercies, nor of his judgements; of his mercies, Therefore he commanded them to keepe the Paſſeover in remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt; he gave them the Law fifty dayes after they came out of Egypt, therefore hee would have them to keepe the Pentecoſt; he fed them with Manna, therefore he commanded the pot with Manna to be reſerved; they dwelt in Tabernacles, or Boothes, all the time that they were in the Wilderneſſe; therefore he commanded them to keepe the feaſt of Tabernacles, leſt they ſhould forget his benefits, Pſal. 103, 2. Forget not all his benefits. So he will not have them forget his judgements, therefore he commanded the Cenſers of Nadab, and Abihu to be nailed upon the Altar, to be a memoriall unto the children of Iſrael, Num. 16.39.40.
The feaſt of Tabernacles was inſtituted,why the feaſt of Tabernacles was inſtituted to put them in remembrance that they were but Pilgrimes in the Wilderneſſe, and had not a permanent dwelling there.
Their firſt ſtation in the Wilderneſſe after they came out of Egypt, was Succoth, a Boothe, or a Tabernacle;foreign Tabernaculum Tentorium, eſt etiam proprium nomen loci a tiguriisſic dicti a foreign texit, obtexit. and they had fortytwo Stations in the Wilderneſſe, from the firſt, to the laſt, and all this time when they were in the Wilderneſſe, they had nothing to dwell in but Tents and Boothes, ſo that here they were but Pilgrimes upon the earth; as their fathers were before them. Pſal. 39.19. Becauſe our life is a pilgrimage, therefore David ſaith, I am toſſed up and downe as the Locuſt. Pſal. 109.23. The Locuſt is now here, now there: ſo is the life of man toſſed to and fro; and Micah ſaith, Ariſe and depart, for this is not your reſt. Micah. 2.10.
Obſerve how the Lord doth Miniſter comfort to his people, ſhewing them a ſure dwelling,Comforts which God giveth to his children dwelling in their tabernacles here. and a place of reſt for their tranſitory Tabernacles; we dwell in theſ… bodies, but as in a Tabernacle, but this is our comfort. 2 Cor. 5.1. We know that if our earthly houſe of this Tabernacle were diſſolved, we have a building of GOD, an houſe not made with hands, eternall in the Heavens. When the Patriarches dwelt in Canaan, they dwelt in Tents and Tabernacles. Heb. 11.9. But their comfort was, They looked for a City which hath foundations, whoſe builder and maker is God. Heb. 11.10. When they travelled in the Wilderneſſe with the ambulatory Arke, this Tabernacle the Lord refuſed, and his glory departed from it: but in place of it Chriſt himſelfe, foreign, Dwelt amongſt us as in the Tabernacle of his fleſh. Ioh, 1.14. where the Shecinah or Divine Majeſty dwelleth for ever. This was the Tabernacle which the Lord made and not man,foreign. Heb. 11.9. Laſtly, although the grave be called domus ſaeculi mans long home. Eccle. 12.5. Yet our bodies doe reſt there, but as in a Tabernacle for a while, Act. 2.26. Our bodies reſt there but for a ſhort time, and he hath prepared another City for us to dwell in.
This feaſt of Tabernacles was ſaid to be kept ſeven dayes, Levit. 23.34. And the Evangeliſt ſaith, VponUpon the laſt and great day of the feaſt Ieſus ſtood up. Ioh. 7.37. This was the moſt ſolemne day of the feaſt, this day they kept feſtum laetitiae legis, the feaſt of joy, becauſe they ended the reading of the Law this day;foreign and the next Sabbath, they called Sabbath berefith, becauſe they began againe to read the booke of Geneſis, foreignand they read three Haphtaroth or Sections that day, the firſt was Haphtaroth elle pekudi lejom ſheniſhel ſuccoth, and it began at, 1 King. 7.51. So was ended all the words which King Salomon made, &c. And that day Salomon ſtood up and bleſſed all the people: So Ieſus Chriſt the true Salomon bleſſed the people in the great and laſt day of the feaſt.
foreignThe ſecond Haphtorah which was read this day, was Haphtorah Shimhhath Hatorah, feſtum laetitaei legis, and it began at Ioſh. 1. They kept this feaſt becauſe the Law was ended,foreign At this feaſt was the dedication of the Temple, and the Arke brought into it. … Chro. 3.2.3.7. The remnant of the Iewes that return…d from the ca…tivity was to keepe this feaſt, Zach. 14.16. and Ioſhua began the Prophets.
The third Haphtaroh which they read, was Sabboth Hagadol, which began at, Mal. 3.4. And it ended with theſe words, Behold I will ſend you Elijah the Prophet. Mal. 4.5. And ſo they joyned the laſt Section of the law, and the laſt Section of the Prophets both together, and it was on this day that Ieſus Chriſt ſtood up and ſpake to them, who was the true Salomon, the true Ioſhua, the end of the law and the Prophets: and whereas the Iewes delighted much in eating and drinking that day, Ieſus Chriſt called all thoſe to him who thirſt. If any man thirſt let him come to me and drinke. Ioh. 7.37.
Laſt, ſee how upon the firſt day of this feaſt they offered thirteene young Bullockes, two Rames, and fourteene Lambes of the firſt yeere, the ſecond day twelve, the third day, eleven; the fourth day, ten; the fift day, nine; the ſixt day, eight; and upon the ſeventh day of the feaſt were offered but ſeven Bullockes, the ſeaventh day of the feaſt was the great day of the feaſt, and yet it had but the meaneſt offering, which gave them to underſtand, that the Lord was to aboliſh theſe ſacrafices, and to bring in a perfect ſacrifice in place of them, who is Ieſus Chriſt once to be offered for all.
At this feaſt they held up branches, and ſo they held them up to Chriſt before the Paſſeover, and they ſang Hoſanna which was a ſolemne ſort of prayer, Salva quaeſo nunc, and they wiſh not onelyonly peace to him on earth but alſo in Heaven. Then the ſhoute of a King was amongſt them, Num. 23.21.