God tents among us
Leviticus 23:33-43
33
The LORD said to Moses, 34 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month theLORD’s
Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no
regular work. 36 For seven days present food offerings to the LORD, and on the eighth day hold a sacred
assembly and present a food offering to the LORD. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.
37
(“‘These are the LORD’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for
bringing food offerings to the LORD—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink
offerings required for each day. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the LORD’s
Sabbathsand[a] in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you
give to the LORD.)
39
“‘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 sabbath rest, and the
eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. 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.’”
Deut 16:13-15
13
“You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your
threshing floor and your winepress. 14 You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your
daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the
widow who are within your towns. 15 For seven days you shall keep the feast to the LORD your God at the
place that the LORD will choose, 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.
God tents among us
Summer is all about getting out, getting together and enjoy the sunny days. For some of you that might
be time spend with your family and friends around a pool or with your children or grandchildren at the
splash pad. It might be enjoying relaxing time on the back porch, or front porch and watching the fire
flies.
You might pack up your belonging and go camping, or you enjoy a trip to a cottage or vacation in other
ways. Summer often gives us the opportunity to celebrate life. Those celebrations look quite different
than our regular annual celebrations, birthday parties, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter.
It is way too warm to talk about Christmas, so let’s go back to Easter. I think next year I will mix the
tradition with which Matthew grew up, having Paska, with my own family tradition, where my mother
made a yeast loaf in the shape of a bunny, into our own tradition of making a paska in the shape of a
cross, maybe it will end up being a Triceratops, who knows.
Certain days and times in our lives carry with them the possibility of celebrating within our traditions,
giving those days special meaning, many of whom revolve around food, exchange of gifts, church
services and family gatherings.
In our Old Testament text this is exactly what the people are doing. They are building huts made out of
flimsy material, with a roof, so barely a roof, that you would be able to see the stars through it. Children
decorate the hut and overall it is a joyful time, where meals are enjoyed with one another in the hut.
This festival comes after a season of repentance reminding the pole that God is slow to anger and
forgives. (Leader, page 32, Summer 20123)
This festival is called the festival of booth or also Sukkoth. During Sukkoth, with its duration of 7 days,
one remembers that God is all-sufficient and we are dependent on God for all things. The festival also
reminds people that God is both Creator and Redeemer, which again shows God’s faithfulness. (Leader,
page 32, Summer 20123)
It is a wonderful way of being reminded with all of our senses of the God, who has created us and walks
with us through life. We often talk about a holistic approach to faith and some lament the fact that the
bible does not teach a holistic approach to faith, well, here you have it.
In our own time and now during Summer time, there are a few holidays as well, with Canada Day in the
beginning and Labour Day at the end, those days don’t carry for many of us a lot of traditions with them.
Well, for school children and for parents with school children, Labour Day means the end of summer and
the return to regular life 
Summer time is a time to celebrate life, but in very various ways, which also reflects the beauty of this
season. We are not confined by space. We can be outside. We often feel more relaxed, the house does
not need to be in perfect shape to have people over. It is okay to just open a pop can from the cooler
and help oneself.
In the midst of all of that, there is God. Imagine you setting up a tent in your backyard, or not even you
setting up the tent, but God. What would that be like? Where does the image of God tenting among us
come from?
Exodus – pillar of cloud, leading the way, the building of the tent which would hold the ark with the Ten
Commandments.
Building a temple – not God’s first choice
2 Samuel 7:1-7, 12-16
After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemiesaround
him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains
in a tent.”
3
Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you.”
4
But that night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying:
5
“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell
in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have
been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the
Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why
have you not built me a house of cedar?”’
8
“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture,
from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever
you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great,
like the names of the greatest men on earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will
plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not
oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed
leaders[a] over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
“‘The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are
over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and
blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will
establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does
wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands.
1 Kings 6:12-13 –God’s word to Salomon
12
“Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and
keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to
David your father. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”
Prophets – while no tents, send amongst its people to reach them, just like a tent
Jesus – Immanuel – God (is) with us
Matthew 1:23
23
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” [a] (which means “God
with us”).
God tends to be with us, because God tents among us.
Amen.