Let's Get This Party Started

You may not think of Jesus’ followers as being party animals. If so, you may be hanging around with the wrong Christians. God has loaded the pages of Scripture with parties, shindigs, cookouts, and throw-downs. Don’t get me wrong. There is a VERY serious side to our walk with the Lord. We are supposed to carry our cross. God invented work but He also invented the day off! Don’t be a party pooper. Here in Nehemiah 8:13-18, the Jewish people who’ve returned to the Promised Land from captivity realize that they’ve been missing out. Ezra’s review of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy opens the Hebrews’ eyes to the fact that they haven’t been partying like He has commanded. After the top teachers meet with Ezra for a quick Bible study, they decide to get this party started!

It’s second day of Tishri, the day after Ezra’s legendary six-hour sermon and survey of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. The very next day, “the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law” (v13). This is a smaller group of those responsible for teaching others. What a great reminder that even teachers need to be lifelong learners. As followers of Jesus, we must have a hunger to grow. These seasoned Bible teachers went knocking on the preacher’s door to dive deeper into what he had taught the massive crowd the day before. God has blessed them with the “go to” guy when it comes to Scripture (Ez 7:6, 10). Even the pagan King Artaxerxes recognized his mad skills and backed the Big E’s return to the Promised Land as the lead teaching pastor (Ez 7:25-26). These dudes weren’t missing out on the chance to learn from one of the top Bible teachers on the planet.

As they dig into God’s Word, they suddenly realize it’s just about time to party. “And they found it written in the Law that the LORD had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month” (v14). One look at the calendar tells them that this celebration is right around the corner. It’s the seventh month of Tishri, which falls roughly on the last half of September and the first half of October. There’s no doubt they heard about this particular feast during Ezra’s preaching marathon the day before (Neh 8:1-5). They want to know more about what is called the Feast of Booths (Lev 23:33-44; Num 29:12-38; Dt 16:13-17). It’s one of three annual nationwide parties God puts on the Hebrew social calendar. The other two are the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Weeks. When God tells you to party, that’s one command you don’t want to break!

Just what is this Feast of Booths? Well, it’s actually a week of camping in temporary shelters made from tree limbs and palm fronds. God schedules this annual reminder for the Jewish people as a practical demonstration of how their forefathers lived after He brought them out of Egypt. The reason for seven-day cookout is to recognize God’s amazing goodness and blessing. “Because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful” (Dt 16:15). Okay, I admit it. Camping isn’t for everybody. But who’s not up for a weeklong celebration of God’s overwhelming grace and goodness?

As a result of their study with Ezra, these teachers put out the word around the land of Judah that the Feast of Booths is about to go down (v15). Folks start making all the preps for the party, gathering branches, limbs, and fronds to throw together their huts for the campout (v16). They build them everywhere. On the roof. In the courtyard. In front of the temple. In the city squares. Every single person who has returned from captivity to the Promised Land is setting up camp (v17). Picture the biggest Boy Scout jamboree you’ve ever seen. Think a massive music festival like Bonnaroo. Yeah, we’re talking a HUGE party!

This festival is epic. It’s historic. No, seriously. It’s one for the record books. “For from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was great rejoicing” (v17). It doesn’t mean they haven’t celebrated the Feast of Booths since Joshua led the Israelites 800 years ago. The Bible is clear that it has happened at least a handful of times (1Ki 8:2; 2Chr 7:8-10; Ez 3:4). But it’s been since those days that they did it with such overwhelming joy. The reason for their over-the-top jubilation is obvious. The original Booth Feast was a celebration of how God had brought His people out of 400 years of slavery in Egypt. These folks have just returned after 70-plus years under the boot of Babylon and Persia. You don’t have to be rocket surgeon to make the connection. Yeah, this year’s feast is one we’ll remember for a long, long time.

There’s one other thing that makes the the Feast of Booths of 445 BC unlike any other. “And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the book of the Law of God” (v18). Ezra the scribe teaches the Bible everyday. That’s above and beyond what the LORD has required for this annual hootenanny. I think it’s safe to say that these folks are so excited in hearing about God’s incredible goodness that they simply couldn’t stop! They wanted more and more. 

God is still all about throwing parties. Jesus made the point of describing the heavenly wingding each time a lost person places their trust in Him (Lk 15:7). And He’s inviting all of His followers to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:6-9). This is blast is going to be the ultimate after-party. Tony Campolo is right on target in his book “The Kingdom of God Is a Party.” There are certainly times of quiet reflection, seriousness, and mourning in our relationship with Jesus. But our walk with Jesus should be filled with incredible joy. Christ is inviting us to His party. Let’s get this party started!