The Place Which The Lord Your God Shall Choose

God's instructions for the feast of Tabernacles appear in three places:

Leviticus 23 gives the responsibility of proclaiming the time of the biblical festivals to the priests. Numbers 29 itemizes specific sacrifices and offerings for each biblical festival. Deuteronomy 16  instructs where the biblical festivals are to be conducted

Deuteronomy 16:13-15 for many this means Jerusalem. But, Jerusalem only became the place to keep the festival many centuries after these instructions were given. Jerusalem became the place around 960 BC. in the days of Solomon… But was rejected and destroyed in 70 AD.

Prophecies of the millennial rule of Christ tell us Jerusalem will be restored as the geographic center of God's government... but that is not NOW. Jerusalem is NOT the place for God’s people to keep the Feast of Tabernacles in this age.

Today we’ll review the places God has placed His name and how He designates any given place. We’ll finish with a quick look at how the present day Church of God fulfills this instruction to come before God in the the place He will choose.

The Purpose of Establishing A Place to Gather

God’s commands, statutes, or judgments  showing whether we will do what He says or not. But His instructions also have the effect of producing desired moral outcomes, attitudes and spiritual insights.

Purpose 1: To Separate His People From Evil Influences

Revelation 18:4, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 [quick paraphrase]

The exodus of Israel from Egypt depicts this idea of worship as a form of separation. God did not say to Pharaoh "let my people go so they may be more prosperous and experience freedom". He said "let my people go so they may worship me in the wilderness [away from you]".

Exodus 7:16 Pharaoh refused and the river Nile was turned to blood. Then again in Exodus 8:1 and again in Exodus 8:20b the cycle repeats.

Exodus 8:25-28 Pharaoh seeks a compromise: OK, but don't go to the desert, worship your God here in Egypt. God will not accept that compromise, He wants His people to worship Him where He says. Pharaoh agrees but then deceitfully changes his decision.

The same demand and refusal repeats 3 more times Exodus 9:1, then Exodus 9:13 then Exodus 10:3.

Exodus 10:8-12 Pharaoh seeks another compromise: go but don't take your women and children. God will not accept the compromise, He wants everyone to gather for worship. Exodus 10:24-25 Pharaoh seeks compromise: go but don't take your livestock. God will not accept the compromise, He wants them to bring sacrifices and offerings.

Next the first born of Egypt are struck down... Pharaoh tells them to go worship God.

God removed His people to the wilderness. A place where they could worship and learn from Him without distractions, interference, or worldly deceptions.

Likewise. the feast of Tabernacles pictures a time when the negative influences of Satan are gone.  We take a break from society to gather before Him to learn and to worship.

Purpose 2: To Keep People From Going Their Own Way

For forty years Israel worshiped God in the wilderness. God's presence in a pillar of fire lead them from place to place. Wherever the pillar stopped... there they would set up the tabernacle [tent of meeting] There God would be present within the camp.  

After 40 years in the wilderness it was time to enter the promised land. Instead of a tight centralized camp they would spread out over a large geographic area. Some new instructions would be needed… that is one of the purposes of the book of Deuteronomy. 

Deuteronomy 12:1-14

Leviticus 17:7 so they learn to worship God alone... and in the way He instructs…. by those He has appointed to teach

Likewise, the feast of tabernacles pictures a time when everyone will call upon God, and God alone, for instruction. And they will be answered with truth and not deception.

God Works Through Duly Ordained Human Leadership To Select Locations

Once Israel entered the promised land they would no longer have the pillar of fire showing where to pitch the tabernacle. Moving forward… God would work through chosen and designated servants to select locations for setting up the tabernacles and therefore the places where God would put His name.

Exodus 20:24 God says wherever He causes His name to be placed He will come to them and bless them.

Joshua 4:19-20  [MAP] the first location for tabernacle is a strategic choice made by Joshua. It established a base of operations from which Israel could spread out across the entire promised land.

Joshua 18:1 after a few years,  the tabernacle was moved to Shiloh in the center of the country [in the territory of Ephraim]. Another strategic location based on the circumstances of the moment.

 Shiloh remained the place of worship for Israel for several tumultuous centuries. There was oppression from Moab… from the Philistines… as well as anarchy and unfaithfulness among the 12 tribes. But Shiloh still grew into a thriving religious city with lots of attendant Levites. Over time the priesthood in Shiloh  became degenerate [remember the sons of Eli].

God was going to shake things up and withdraw His blessing from Shiloh.There would be:

1. Upheaval in the priesthood - the line of Eleazar was going to be removed and the line of Ithamar [Aaron's younger son] became the line of the high priest.
2. The Ark would be removed - the people took the ark from the tabernacle and tried to use it to gain victory over the Philistines. God had removed His blessing and the ark was lost.
3. Change of leadership [and the honor containing the place where God's name would be] passed from Ephraim to Judah. This would be accomplished through the exaltation of David and his descendants Psalm 78:9-70.
4. Shiloh would be destroyed... possibly by Philistine invasions... not sure... Jeremiah 17:12-14.

The Tabernacle on the Move

From Shiloh, the tabernacle was probably moved back to Gilgal. We assume this since It was there that Samuel offered sacrifice connected to the coronation of Saul 1 Samuel 10:8, 11-15.

Next, Saul moved the tabernacle to Nob just forth of Jerusalem 1 Samuel 21:1. we assume this since David goes there to find the high priest, the show bread he gets from the priest would have come from within the tabernacle etc. Saul finds out the priests in Nob have helped his rival David and kills all the priests and destroys Nob.

From there, King Saul moves the tabernacles to Gibeon [another strategic move to place the religious center  in the friendly territory of Benjamin. The tabernacle stayed there for the rest of Saul’s reign and all through the 40 year reign of David.

For at least 80 years the ark was still not in the tabernacle. The location of where God's name was situated was in flux. God was not blessing them… but, He was still accepting the sacrifices and worship offered in each of these various locations the appointed leaders had chosen for tactical and strategic reasons.

The Move to Jerusalem

1 Chronicles 16:39 during his reign David brought the ark back to Jerusalem and erected a sort of tabernacles around it. Meanwhile, the true tabernacle was still in Gibeon and the priesthood was divided. The situation was a mess!

 At this point God intervenes to make His will known.

1 Chronicles 21:21-29 the sword of the Lord that was against David in Gibeon but it would be put away in Jerusalem. A move to Jerusalem is God’s will. Yet, the tabernacle remained in Gibeon all during David's reign. The honor of bringing this transfer to pass would be given to Solomon.

2 Chronicles 1:3-6 Solomon goes to Gibeon to seek God, that was still the official location even though the ark was in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 5:2-5 Solomon formalizes the transfer from tabernacle to temple and establishing Jerusalem as the place where God's name would be. Verse 14 the cloud covering the glory of God fills the temple signifying God's presence and approval.

Notice that this transfer of where God's name will be placed is transacted during the Feast of Tabernacles 2 Chronicles 7:8-9.

Jerusalem remained the place of meeting for the remainder of Israel's history. Jeroboam and the kings of the north tried to move the feast and the place of worship back to the north but they were cursed and condemned by God. He did not approve of them deciding to keep the feast in a different location.

The Time of Jerusalem Ends

Later, Judah grossly violated the covenant and God allowed Jerusalem to be destroyed. He withdrew His name from the place before the temple was burned Ezekiel 10:18.

After 70 years God allowed Judah to return and rebuild a temple in Jerusalem. The rebuilding  was accomplished by men like Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah. God's approval of the project is given through  the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.

Note: There is no record of the cloud returning to restored temple... nor to the refurbished and expanded version of it built by Herod. God honored what was going on at the new facility, but He was not present in the temple until He came in the flesh through the person of Jesus Christ.

Once again, It is significant that Jesus first appearance in His temple to teach preach and proclaim the coming kingdom of God… occurred during the feast of tabernacles.

When Jesus wanted to keep the feast He went to Jerusalem. It was still the place where God's name was to be found. But because Jerusalem rejected the presence of Jesus Christ their king... Jerusalem would be rejected and would no longer be the place where God chose.

John 4:21 Jesus taught that moving forward Jerusalem would serve as a geographic location where God's name would be and where worshipers would gather. In Matthew 24:2 He also taught that the temple would be completely destroyed.  

History records this destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD.

The Presence of God in the Age of the Church

For the past 1,951 years Jerusalem has not been the place God has chosen to place His name. People [even within the Church of God] have tried to restore it to that status but all such efforts have failed.

During the Church age God's presence is within believers through the holy spirit. But that does not mean places of gathering are irrelevant.

1 Peter 2:4-5, Ephesians 2:20-22 the members of God's Church are stones fitted together and built up into a dwelling place for God. Collectively we are the present temple, or household of God. Currently, we are: 1) training to serve as priests under Christ when he returns, and 2) offering up spiritual sacrifices [which are lives patterned after Jesus Christ].

Christ is the head of that church and has appointed some to be administrative leaders Ephesians 4:11, 1 Timothy 3:1.

As it was in Israel God works through His appointed and ordained leaders to name the locations where His name will be and where His people should gather. The Church of God establishes and maintains locations for the observance of the feast of tabernacles with strategic and practical considerations: 

We select locations that provide a certain degree of separation from the hustle bustle world and its distractions... we try to balance that with places  with enough going on that families can have plenty of enjoyment and rejoicing. We also look for places that are large enough to accommodate big crowds, sites that have enough affordable housing for members who are not so wealthy.

At some point, God may want us to change our approach… but, I believe that God only intervenes when the situation and circumstances get out of control and need to be set straight. In the rare instances when God intervenes [His withdrawal of blessing]… often involves punishment.  So be careful what you wish for. 

Whether its Gilgal, or Nob, Shiloh, or Gibeon, or Panama City FL. Your responsibility is to appear before God at the appointed place. God will honor your personal desire and effort to appear before Him in the place He has chosen to place His name.