The Source of Celebration

They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is written.
- Nehemiah 8:14-15

After a full day of celebration, the people return to their reading of the Law. The last time they had done this, it had led to mourning and weeping as the people realized how far they’d fallen from the relationship God wanted for them. The celebration probably felt like a nice break and perhaps they were poised for the return to the reading of the book of the law with boxes of Kleenexes at each elbow this time. But they found a surprise waiting for them when they returned to the word.

As they read, they came across a command to throw a week-long festival and that festival was supposed to happen every year at a specific time and that time was the very day they returned to their reading. They opened the Law and heard God say: “Aren’t y’all supposed to be having a party today?”

God is not the enemy of celebration; he’s the source. He’s the one who came up with the weekend, with spring break, and with Christmas. The good food and drink we enjoy when we celebrate was created by him; he made both the raw materials and the people who bake-cook-stir-sauté-simmer-flambé them. God gives us both the materials and the motive to celebrate.

The arc of the universe bends toward celebration. One day every tear will be wiped away, every injustice will be righted, every wound will be healed. And all of God’s people will join him in joy-filled celebration.

How does it change the way you think about celebration to know that God wants us to celebrate? What does godly celebration look like to you? How can you celebrate a little bit today?

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