“You shall rejoice in your Feast,” God commands His people in Deuteronomy 16:14. This is truly an encouraging command when we think deeply about it. The super majestic, all-powerful ruler of the vast universe wants His people on this tiny planet to rejoice for eight days—in just seven weeks. (Yow! That’s not far away.) Yet, God isn’t interested in just adults keeping His Feast: “You, and your son, and your daughter,” God states specifically. God wants our children—our handsome sons and beautiful daughters—to be excited, happy and thrilled—full of joy—while attending the Feast of Tabernacles.
As far as God is concerned, the Feast is as important for your children—teens included—as it is for you and your mate. Did you know that 22 percent of the people attending the Feast this year are youth under the age of 20? That is a significant number. God will not neglect His youth at this year’s Feast—neither should you!
Joyful, best-ever Feasts don’t just happen—they are made through concentrated thinking and well-organized planning. Considering all the negative events happening in our world, the personal tests and trials we all have experienced this year, what sane member of God’s Church is not planning to have a great Feast? However, have you stopped to consider that your child also needs to have his or her most fantastic Feast? Do you realize that it takes your effort to make that happen for him or her?
Actually, God commands you to make sure your child rejoices at this soon-coming Feast. Here are some tips to help you.
Begin With Scripture
No doubt most parents sincerely want their children to thoroughly enjoy the Feast. Most fully understand that their children are set apart, holy to God (1 Corinthians 7:14). This gives Church children special access to God, which the children of this world do not have. Therefore, our children must be given in-depth spiritual training and education to ensure they remain with God’s Church. A major part of that training involves imparting to them not only the knowledge, but also the meaning of God’s holy day plan.
Your child must be taught how to rejoice at God’s Feast.
Don’t wait! Start today to teach your child what the Feast is all about. “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise,” bears repeating as the fall holy days approach (Deuteronomy 11:18-19; English Standard Version). Meditate on these scriptures for a while.
Are the scriptures about God’s holy days, especially the Feast, deeply etched into your heart? Does knowing God’s masterful holy day plan give you goosebumps? If so, it will not be hard for you to want to pass that same knowledge, emotions and feelings on to your child. Remember, children are great imitators. If you talk about what God has taught you with excitement and joy with your children, they will want to know and talk about it too.
However, you must teach your children what God says about the Feast from His Bible. How deeply you go into the scriptures will depend on the age of your child. Yet, every child should know well Leviticus 23—the premier holy day chapter in the Bible. Older children and teens should have its salient parts memorized. In fact, memorizing the scriptures related to the holy days is great preparation for the Feast.
Don’t skip over your little ones. Take your youngest children, even those who cannot yet read, into your lap and read Leviticus 23 to them. Point to verse 1 to show your child that God personally spoke these words to Moses, the first leader of ancient Israel. Point to verse 2 and show them that God told Moses to teach the children of Israel about the holy days. Then be sure to instruct them about what a privilege it is to know about and be able to keep God’s Feast.
Be sure to explain to your children that Jesus Christ is going to return to this Earth and build an entirely new world founded on God’s law of love, the Ten Commandments. Give them vivid comparisons on how the World Tomorrow will not to be like our world today. Isaiah 11 is one of the best chapters in the Bible to help you do this. This chapter can be especially meaningful for even your youngest children because it discusses that a wolf, lamb, cow, lion and bear will all live peacefully together (verses 6-7).
Be sure to show that Jesus Christ will change this world by changing the disobedient nature of man first (verse 9). When man lives obediently towards God, Christ will even be able to change the nature of animals.
Also put Isaiah 35 on the top of your list to review with your children. Show them how different the world is going to look in just a few years. When Christ returns, this Earth will finally be brought to its full productive potential. The entire Earth will become a garden of Eden.
Children Learn by Doing
Even though the Feast is primarily for spiritual education (Isaiah 11:9), show your children that they can learn best about the millennium and the wonderful World Tomorrow by keeping the Feast. Explain to them that for eight days they will experience what it will be like to live during the millennium.
Obedience will be the order of the day during the millennium. Show them specifically that you and your family attend the Feast in order to obey God (Leviticus 23:2). Discuss that your family is able to attend the Feast because you obey God’s tithing laws (Deuteronomy 14:22). Then explain to them that when your family goes to the Feast you will obey all the instructions and rules made during announcements. Carefully explain that they should strive to be obedient to you always, but especially during the Feast—not only for their safety and well-being but also for the welfare of everyone else attending the Feast.
Drive home the lesson that it is obedience to God, His Laws and government that brings God’s people real joy at Feast time.
It is important to provide your children an opportunity to prepare financially for the Feast as well. Older teenagers should have part-time employment so they can learn how to pay tithes, which includes saving second tithe. If possible younger teens and children should do simple jobs—like yard work for neighbors or household chores—so they can have the experience of saving second tithe. There is nothing more rewarding and joyful than to have your own second tithe to spend at the Feast. Watching second tithe funds grow builds anticipation and excitement for the Feast.
Plan Ample Family Activities
Deuteronomy 16:14 shows that God intends the Feast to be kept in a family-type atmosphere. The Feast provides a wonderful opportunity for you to spend more time with your family. My daughters’ fondest memories of the Feast revolve around the times we spent together as a family.
Spending family time together at the Feast requires more than just attending the family day activity. Actually, family day brings the whole Family of God together for one big activity as an example of what all individual families should be doing regularly on their own.
Be sure you spend time with your family every day at the Feast. Take time to talk with your children each morning before the day begins and at night before they go to bed. This is the perfect time to make sure they are getting the most important points from each message. You will find it very interesting what they understood from the messages. In fact, it will likely astound you.
It is important that you schedule some time alone with your family at the Feast. Let your children help you plan a family event. Of course, this can be done while traveling to or from the Feast. Take the time to stop at historical or special interest sites along the way. You could plan a special outing at a favorite family restaurant. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to talk, laugh and experience the event with your children. Let them see you in a relaxed atmosphere. They will be more likely to tell you what is on their mind when you are not in a rush. Most of all, your children will grow closer to you when you spend this kind of time with them. Don’t forget that it is family time with Mom and Dad that brings real joy to children.
Don’t let these next seven weeks fly by; get your children ready to have the best Feast ever. Happy Feast, everyone.