In a few weeks, thousands of Living Church of God brethren will be traveling far and wide to attend the Feast of Tabernacles. Many of us look forward to the abundant social opportunities available at each Feast site. Certainly, the social opportunities the Feast affords are a wonderful aspect of this festival.
The name God gave this Holy Day—the Feast of Tabernacles— gives us a hint as to one key purpose He intended for it. The word feast implies a celebration that centers on food. It is not coincidental that God timed this festival to take place after the fall harvest in the Promised Land. The Feast of Tabernacles is a time to celebrate the blessings of abundance from the produce just gathered (Deuteronomy 16:15). Today, though only a very few of us are farmers, this festival still teaches us that there is a time to properly enjoy the blessings of this physical world.
One lesson we can learn from the Feast of Tabernacles is that our loving Father wants His people to eat—and drink—to celebrate the results of a year's work. King Solomon brought out this principle when he wrote, "every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God" (Ecclesiastes 3:13). We also read that wine "makes glad the heart of man" (Psalm 104:15). However, even the good things God has given us to enjoy can be misused if we are not careful. Alcohol is no exception, and we should be careful not to let it spoil the Feast of Tabernacles—for us, or for those around us.
Alcohol and the Feast
Perhaps you have heard some Church members sum up their attitude toward using alcohol at the Feast of Tabernacles by using just one scripture: "And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household" (Deuteronomy 14:26, KJV).
God wants us to enjoy ourselves at the Feast of Tabernacles. Sadly, some at the Feast seem, by their actions, to take this scripture as if it were a God-ordained excuse to "party hearty." You probably have known some brethren who, as one of their first projects after settling in to their temporary dwelling, proceed to stock up on varieties of beer, wine and "strong drink" as though they were setting up their own bar!
Of course, God certainly meant the Feast of Tabernacles to be a unique time of abundance and special celebration for God's people. Scripture shows that alcohol is clearly an appropriate part of that celebration for many of us. But it is also important to note that the items listed in Deuteronomy 14:26 are simply examples of the types of things one can enjoy during the Feast. This is made plain by the verse's use of the general catch-all phrase, "whatsoever thy soul desireth." Obviously, this is talking about our godly desires—if we desire something unhealthy that will go against God's law, or that will otherwise spoil the Feast for us or for others, God does not want us to fulfill that desire. What we buy at the Feast should enhance our observance, not become the reason for our observance. Right use of alcohol may enhance our enjoyment of the Feast, but we should remember that Scripture does not give Feastgoers a "blank check" to go wild and indulge in just anything that the world might consider "fun."
As God's people, we should never forget that in all we do, we represent Him; we are to be His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). This is particularly true at the Feast of Tabernacles, where we spend a concentrated period of time with non-members whose main impression of God's Church may be formed by how we conduct ourselves during those few days of the Feast. To help us all be the best "ambassadors" we can be, here are a few points to consider about the use of alcohol at the Feast.
Different from the World?
A few years ago, I was looking at a Church member's online photo gallery. One group of photos was from a social gathering of young people at the previous year's Feast of Tabernacles. I could tell from the pictures of Feastgoers talking and laughing that all the young people appeared to be enjoying themselves. But, as I paged through the photos, I began to notice something—almost all of the young people had some form of alcohol in their hands.
As I reflected on this, I realized that in the eyes of a non-member viewing those photos, there would be little apparent difference between this gathering of Living Church of God members at the Feast, and any number of similar gatherings of young people all around the world. The photos recorded the usual amount of silliness that is "normal" at these kinds of parties: a young man hamming it up for the camera while stretched across the laps of four or five friends on the couch; two girls kissing one guy on the cheek; a group of friends singing at the top of their lungs. In almost every case, there was one element clearly visible—the ubiquitous bottle of beer or glass of wine.
Similarly, what would non-members think if they were vacationing near these young Feastgoers, and saw stacks of empty beer and wine bottles in the trash after the event? Was this what Jesus Christ envisioned when He told his people, "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14)? Probably not.
Many of us have seen similar examples of "wild" conduct at the Feast. But sometimes, drunken conduct at the Feast is more than just "wild," and more than just embarrassing afterward. Some drunken errors in judgment have led to personal mistakes that brought life-altering consequences— unplanned pregnancies, automobile accidents, serious injuries or even death. And we must remember always to obey the law of the land regarding alcohol! In the United States and in many other countries, it is illegal for businesses to sell alcohol to minors, and giving alcohol to minors may constitute the criminal offense known as "contributing to the delinquency of a minor." In many jurisdictions within the United States, you could be held personally liable if someone to whom you serve alcohol becomes injured—or injures others—as a result of consuming that alcohol.
If you attend an official Church-sponsored function at the Feast, you will notice that the Church itself does not serve alcohol at events, other than once a year at the Passover. Sometimes a hotel with whom the Church contracts may make alcohol available to adults, but in no circumstance is alcohol ever made available to minors. But even at unofficial gatherings where Church members are hosts or guests, we should still be careful to practice moderation. Church members must never serve alcohol to minors at any Church gathering, nor should they in any way pressure minors—or adults—to drink alcoholic beverages (For more on Church policy regarding alcohol use, see Lesson 22 of the Living Leadership Course).
We must avoid the kinds of alcohol-related tragedies that affect people in the world who do not have the same knowledge of God and His ways that we have—or that we are supposed to have. But God has called us to be different. "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:17–24).
When I looked at that online Feast photo album, I found myself wondering: how would the party have turned out with no alcohol? Maybe there would have been less of the "wild" exhibitionism apparent from the photos, but I am certain the godly young people present would still have had an enjoyable time together. This brings up an important point we should consider when planning our Feast activities: is alcohol necessary? More often than not, the answer is "No." Ask yourself: Will alcohol add to the enjoyment of a Feast gathering, or will it cause problems, distracting people from the true enjoyment God has ordained? Too often, we seem to think alcohol is necessary, even in excess—but the truth is, many gatherings are just as enjoyable without it—or with careful limits on it—and many potential headaches are avoided.
A Stumbling Block?
Perhaps you feel able to enjoy alcohol responsibly. During the Feast of Tabernacles, however, each of us also has a responsibility to those around us. Our conduct should never become a stumbling block to a brother or sister in Christ. We should always be aware that at any group celebration where alcohol is served, there may be some attending who have an alcohol problem. The hosts may not be aware of each guest's history with alcohol, but the results can be serious for individuals who, feeling peer pressure, may "cave in" and drink even though they should not.
Some Church members may have grown up in households with a parent or relative who was an alcoholic. They may have lost a loved one to a drunk driver, or seen a child born with disabilities caused by a parent's alcohol abuse. We should be careful never to place our brethren into situations where they may feel pressured to ignore their misgivings, or their conscience, and drink "to fit in."
What does the Bible advise in such situations? The Apostle Paul wrote, "It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak" (Romans 14:21). Paul shows in this section of Scripture that what we eat and drink can be a cause of offense. His larger point is that we, as Christians, should be willing to adapt our behavior according to the sensitivities of others—for their edification, and not to please ourselves (Romans 14:19; 15:1).
Does this mean we should always avoid drinking alcohol at every Feast gathering? Of course not! Proper use of alcohol during this God-ordained time of celebration is appropriate (Deuteronomy 14:26). But we should not let our enjoyment become a cause of embarrassment for God's people, or a stumbling block to our brethren who have problems with alcohol. Again, we should never offer liquor to minors, nor encourage them to drink! For adults, alcohol is permitted, but it is not necessary. As Paul pointed out: "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's wellbeing" (1 Corinthians 10:23–24). When we drink at the Feast—or when we host events where alcohol may be served—we should consider how our choices may affect others. When we are hosts, we should be ready to offer non-alcoholic beverages to those who prefer them, and whether we are hosts or guests we should never pressure anyone into drinking along with us. By doing this, we will not deprive anybody of enjoyment, and we will be showing love to our brethren.
Glorify God at the Feast
The Feast of Tabernacles is a special time for God's people, in so many ways. God intended it to be both a spiritual and a physical celebration. As we gather for this year's Feast of Tabernacles, we should all endeavor to keep it a Feast to the Lord. Yes, He wants us to enjoy the abundance of the year's blessings, and alcohol can be a part of that enjoyment. But we must remember we are the people of God, who strive to glorify Him in all we do. Responsible use of alcohol will only enhance our enjoyment of the Feast, and help us avoid keeping a worldly type of celebration.