Sundown this evening, Tishrei 9, begins Sukkot, also known as The Feast of Tabernacles. It is a week-long celebration of the fall harvest. Jewish people have built booths, three sided shelters with roofs made of branches so they can see the moon and the stars, and will eat a least one meal inside the booth each day. This is so they will remember how God took care of them the 40 years they lived in the wilderness.
Also known as a "foot festival", Sukkot is one of the three pilgrimage feast when Jewish males were required to go to Jerusalem to appear before the LORD. We recently learned in our Bible Study Fellowship lessons that King Jeroboam of the Northern Kingdom was so concerned that his people would return to Judea for the Great Feast, Sukkot, he took upon himself to make a festival "in the eighth month of the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival in Judah. He offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had made. He also stationed the priests in Bethel for the high places he had made. He offered sacrifices on the altar he had set up in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. He chose this month on his own. He made a festival for the Israelites, offered sacrifices on the altar, and burned incense." 1 Kings 12:32-33.
God clearly says in Leviticus 23:33-36 that "The Festival of Shelters to the LORD begins on the fifteenth day of this seventh month and continues for seven days. There is to be a sacred assembly on the first day; you are not to do any daily work. You are to present a food offering to the LORD for seven days. On the eighth day you are to hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you are not to do any daily work."
Jeroboam's sin of worshiping golden calves, changing the location and date of the Festival and allowing just anyone to become a priests, in other words, ignoring God and His laws, "caused the house of Jeroboam to be cut off and obliterated from the face of the earth."1 Kings 13:34.
Nehemiah is better example of obeying God's law, ordinances and statutes:
Nehemiah 8:14-18:
"They found written in the law how the LORD had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in shelters during the festival of the seventh month. So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying "Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make shelters just as it written." The people went out, brought back branches, and made shelters for themselves on each of the rooftops and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate, and the square of the Ephraim Gate. The whole community that had returned from exile made shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. And there was tremendous joy. Ezra read out of the book of the law of God every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance."
So why is this festival important to us? Well, for one - Jesus observed Sukkot and revealed Himself as a light to the nations - us! Also, quite possible Yeshua Jesus was born during the Feast of Tabernacles..."The Word became flesh and dwelt (lit "and tabernacled) among us." John 1:14
There were two ceremonies on the last day of the festival that apply to us: FEAST OF HOLIDAYS OF THE BIBLE says "People carrying torches marched around the Temple, then set these lights around the walls of the Temple, indicating that Messiah would be a light to the Gentiles. (Isaiah 49:6) and...
A priest carried water from the pool of Siloam to the Temple, symbolizing that when Messiah comes the whole earth will know God "as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9)
The path in the photo above leads down to the Pool of Siloam. Can you imagine the people lining the path as the priest ceremoniously carried the water up the mountain to the temple?
Joseph Good's book, ROSH HASHANAH, states that Isaiah 9:2-6 has been identified as a Sukkot text, marking the birth of Yeshua during the Feast of Tabernacles. "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. For you have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressors, just as you did on the day of Midian. For every trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."
Hundreds of years later, Jesus attended the Feast of Tabernacles and on the last day of the feast, he said, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. (John 7:37,38) The next morning while the torches were still burning, he said, "I am the light of the world." (John 8:12)
AND, as the other fall feasts point to the future when Yeshua Jesus comes again, Sukkot represents the final harvest when all nations will share in the joy and blessings of God's Kingdom. During that time, all believers will celebrate this feast."
"Then all survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, of the LORD of Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. Should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Armies, rain will not fall on them. And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter, then rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague the LORD inflicts on the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. This will be the punishment of Egypt and all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Shelters." Zechariah 14:16-19 (Feasts and Holidays of the Bible by Rose Publishing)
It seems our Father takes invitations to His parties very seriously.
We can celebrate every day because we have the Light of the World and The Living Water! Just like we are grateful for God's blessings every day of the year and we have Thanksgiving Day to really concentrate on gratitude, Feast of Tabernacles is a week of the year when we can focus on the fact that Yeshua the Light of the World and the Living Water came and is returning to tabernacle among us and rule for 1,000 years from His Father's throne. The eighth day pictures "the Last Great Day, when the Son will relinquish all rule to His Father, and Yehovah Himself will descend and dwell on the new heavens and new earth with the redeemed from all ages. 1 Corinthians 15:24, 25, Revelation 21:1-3. This is a festival to which all nations, as represented by all the harvested fruits and grains, are invited and is in fact known in Hebrew literature as the Feast of Nations." (Restoring the Father's Teachings, MNL)
There are some ways that we, as grafted-in members of Yeshua's family can observe The Feast of Tabernacles and His birthday. Curt Landry Ministries has published a darling little book for children entitled "It's Sukkot! Honor the Lord and Remember God's Provision!" It has a couple of suggestions:
"Invite friends and family to join you for a special meal (outside under a shelter would be awesome so that you can remember how the Israelites lived as they journeyed through the desert and how God provided all they needed. )Think about the sukkah...it is a picture of how God wants to provide and protect us. When we step inside of the sukkah, it's as if we step into God's provision and protection. As Believers, God is with us no matter where we walk.
"Have you ever had to go through something hard, like the long journey the Israelites had to take through the desert? God uses those time to make you stronger. We can praise, honor, and glorify God as He walks with us and makes us stronger!
"Let us remember that He provides ALL we could ever need. 'And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.' Philippians 4:19.
"Another way to honor the Lord and remember His provision is to give an offering."
Let me know how you celebrate Sukkot. I'm thinking our celebration will include a bonfire, wiener roast, s'mores and apple pie...
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