Now, let's look at an example from one of Judah's revivals that shows how a people who were eager to keep the Feast to the LORD did so. Please turn to Nehemiah 8. This takes place after a portion of Judah returned from captivity and rediscovered God's law:
This shows how they kept the feast. They were in temporary dwellings for seven days, but more than that, they also had Ezra reading from the law each day. And Ezra was probably doing more than just reading. If you look back to the start of the chapter, the first observance of the Day of Trumpets after the return from exile is described. Verse 7 mentions some of the men in the congregation, and verse 8 says, So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. Verse 3 says, the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
This is what people do who are eager to take in God's word and receive what He has for them. This is the example that God recorded for us regarding what it means to keep a feast to the LORD for seven days. And this is the pattern we follow today. We not only stay in temporary dwellings for seven days, but we also have the word of God expounded on for seven days, even non-holy days, followed by a sacred assembly.
