The Principle of Beer Drinking

Many more steins available!
As you can imagine the principle of beer drinking is heartily advocated by many! You can be sure that I will follow this principle with the appropriate religious rigor. You can even get custom beer steins for the Feast of Tabernacles.

Deuteronomy 14:25-26 outlines the principle I am talking about today. Speaking about the “festival tithe” and that you can sell it for money for traveling, it tell us:

…exchange your tithe for money and take the money to the place God, your God, has chosen to be worshiped. Use the money to buy anything you want: cattle, sheep, wine, or beer—anything that looks good to you. You and your family can then feast in the Presence of God, your God, and have a good time.

Seldom does the phrase “have a good time” have anything to do with church. The Feast of Tabernacles should be an exception to this dreary and unfortunate reality. The festival tithe in ancient Israel was designed to provide the basic food needed for the festivals, plus a little bit more. The festivals were designed to be a time where you had that nice beer, like the Rasputin brand I have my eye on! The feast of Tabernacles is a time for you and your family to rejoice in God’s presence. 

Yes, God wants you to have that glass of wine or that beer. This contradicts what you may have heard before. (I remember mentioning this principle to an acquaintance of mine—he was ready to convert on the spot.) Of course, no one needs to be drunk during this time…that defeats the whole purpose of the festivals. 

What do you do with extra funds that we well-off westerners might have for the celebration of these festivals? That question leads me to another principle, the Principle of Community, that I will talk about tomorrow.