Rejoice for di Front of di LORD

One whole city dey cry. Thousands of men, women and children stand for one big open square, tears dey run for dia face. And dia leaders dey waka among dem, dey talk: stop. No cry. Today na day for joy.

Na about four hundred and fifty years before dem born Jesus. Di Jewish people don come back from exile for Babylon. Under di leadership of Nehemiah, dem just finish to rebuild di broken walls of Jerusalem. Now, for di seventh month of di year, everybody gather for di square for front of di Water Gate. Ezra, priest and scholar of di law of God, stand on top one high wooden platform. E open di book of di law of Moses, and all di people stand up. From early morning reach afternoon e dey read, and di Levites dey move among di crowd dey explain am, dey give di meaning, so everybody fit understand.

And as dem dey understand, dem begin cry. Maybe dem hear how many times dia ancestors break di commands of God. Maybe dem see how far dem don drift, and why dia nation fall enter ruin and exile. Di sound of crying spread for di whole square. But Nehemiah di governor, Ezra di priest, and di Levites wey dey teach, tell all di people: Dis day holy to di Lord una God. No mourn, no cry. Then Nehemiah talk: Una go. Chop di fat food, drink di sweet drink, and send portion give person wey no get anything ready. Because dis day holy to our Lord. No let am pain una, because di joy of di Lord na una strength.

So di Levites calm everybody down. Make una hush, today holy, no dey sad. And di people go chop and drink, send food give di ones wey no get, and celebrate with great joy. Why? Because dem don understand di words wey dem declare give dem. Di word of God no only show dem dia failure. E show dem say dem still be im people, and e still be dia God. Sorrow get im place. But for dis day, joy na di correct answer, and joy mean say make you share.

Di next day, di family leaders, di priests and di Levites gather around Ezra to study di law well well. And dem find something wey dem write there. During di feast of di seventh month, di people of Israel suppose live inside booths, small shelters wey dem make with branches. So di word spread across di land. Una go di hills. Bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm and other trees wey get plenty leaves. And di people do am. Dem build booths on top dia roofs, inside dia compounds, inside di courts of di house of God, for di squares near di Water Gate and di Gate of Ephraim. Di whole city green, leaves everywhere. Di Bible talk say dem never do am like dat since di days of Joshua. And joy plenty well well. Day by day, for seven days, Ezra dey read from di book of di law, and for di eighth day, dem hold one solemn assembly.

Di festival wey dem celebrate na Sukkot, di Feast of Booths or Tabernacles. Di law for Leviticus tell Israel make dem live inside booths for seven days, to remember say God make dia ancestors live inside shelters when e bring dem comot from Egypt. Jewish families still dey keep Sukkot every autumn till today, dem dey build sukkah, shelter wey im roof na branches wey open to di sky, and dem dey chop dia food inside am.

Rejoice for di Front of di Lord. You go find am for Nehemiah chapter eight, verse nine to eighteen. Day wey start with tears end with feasting, gifts for hungry people, and city wey full of green shelters. For Christmas, Christians dey share dia table and send gifts give people wey no get anything ready, and dem dey remember say di joy of di Lord na dia strength. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Dem tell di people say: di joy of di Lord na una strength. Who you fit share your Christmas feast with, so dem too fit happy?