It is time for Sukkot—The Feast of
Tabernacles. This year this festival is from the 15 to the 22 of Tishri or
September 27 through October 4th. Now is the time to building the “shelter”
or sukkah for your family. It is here in
the above passage of Leviticus that the tradition and Festival of the Booths is
initiated. Originally it was a Pilgrimage Festival which required the
Israelites to travel to the Temple—just as with Passover and Pentecost. Jews
today still celebrate this festival. It is a week of rejoicing—a harvest
festival to commemorate the successful harvest and to remember the Israelites
wandering and living in temporary shelters in the desert after their exodus
from Egypt. There is a tradition of using local branches or things like
cornstalks for part of their sukkah providing an agricultural element to the
shelter. It is important that the structure not be permanent, but that it be
sturdy enough for the family to enter and enjoy spending some time there
eating, studying and visiting. Sometimes families even sleep out in their
shelters and enjoy looking up through the roof at the stars. Using the sukkah
for the first night of the Festival of Tabernacles for the family meal is an
important element of the tradition. It is a meal often shared with extended
family and friends and is a time of rejoicing and hospitality. At this first
dinner of the festival they recite a traditional blessing…
Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the
universe, who has sanctified us through His commandments, commanding us to live
in the sukkah. (From The Jewish Holidays by Michael Strassfeld.)
Additionally, branches from four species of
“goodly” trees: the palm, myrtle, willow and citron or lemon are used during
the week of celebration after blessing the food and after reading specific
scripture passages.
Few Christians seem to celebrate or even
recognize this festival. Prophetically it is seen as when Christ has His Millennium
Reign. The time for that is known only by the Father. So we can just celebrate
along with the Jewish people—a time of thanksgiving and remembrance for what
the Lord has done for us. This is the day
which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24.
This week of the Feast of Tabernacles is a week that the Lord has declared for
rejoicing. Are you feeling His love, provision and protection?
Prayer
~ Holy Spirit…I rejoice in Your love and care.
© 2015 by Mickey
M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise
noted.
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