27 September 2026
This week we continue our series in Nehemiah. We have come to chapter 8 which describes the Festival of Booths, or Sukkot. This year it begins at sundown on Friday, September 25, 2026, and ends at nightfall on Friday, October 2, 2026. So our passage this week could not be more appropriate.
One of the fascinating things about Nehemiah 8 is what happens after Jerusalem’s walls have been rebuilt. As the people listen to God’s Word, they discover that they have neglected the Festival of Booths.
For seven days, Israel was to live in temporary shelters made from branches. It was a yearly reminder of their wilderness journey after God rescued them from Egypt. The feast also celebrated the harvest, reminding them that God had rescued them and God was providing for them.
There is a beautiful irony in Nehemiah. The people have just rebuilt their walls—and now God tells them to build temporary shelters! It was a reminder that walls are not our ultimate security; God is.
The feast also points beyond itself. God dwells with his people in the tabernacle, then the temple, and ultimately in Jesus, who “made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). The story ends in Revelation 21:3 with God’s dwelling place being among his people.
What does it mean for us?
We are constantly building our own “walls”: financial security, homes, careers, reputations, routines and plans. These can all be good things—but they are temporary.
The Festival of Booths asks us to remember:
Build your walls—but don’t trust them.
Enjoy God’s gifts—but remember the Giver.
Make your plans—but hold them lightly.
Put your security in God, not in what you have built.
That is why Nehemiah says that when the people rediscovered God’s Word and obeyed it, “their joy was very great.”
Sometimes the way back to joy is simply to remember: God has rescued us, God provides for us, God is with us—and God is our home.
Julian Holdsworth
BSBC Pastor
