Yesterday began Sukkot—The Feast of
Tabernacles. This festival is from the 15 to the 22 of Tishri or October 17th
through October 24ththis year. The “shelter” or sukkah has been
built by each 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 used during the
week of celebration are lifted up and shaken during the blessing, after reading
specific scripture passages.
Eat,
drink. It’s all part of the “banquet.” Jesus spoke the words in the scripture
passage, John 7:37-38, on the last day of the great Feast of Tabernacles.
During that festival water was an important part of the daily ceremony, except
on the last day. It was on that day that Jesus offered Himself as the Living
Water. “Come to me and you will never
thirst again.” Each of the first seven days during the festival it was the
tradition during the second Temple Period for the priests to carry water from
the Pool of Siloam to the silver basin by the altar of burnt offerings in the
Temple. People would line the street to the gate of the Temple and sing the
Hallel, Psalms 113-118 and wave palm or willow tree branches. At night huge
menorahs were lit that could be seen from all over Jerusalem. At daybreak the
priests would face the sun, and then turn and face the Temple, proclaiming the
Lord as Light and declaring Him as the one true God. The Lord was the light and
living water. Jesus, the Light of the World (John 9:5), was right there, but
they were not illuminated by Him. Are we now?
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 ~ Lord, blessed be Your name—from the
rising of the sun to its setting, Your name is to be praised! Jesus, You are my
Lord and Savior—the light of the world and the source of living water. I rejoice in Your love and care.
(Adapted from October 2012 and September
2015
Banquet With The King blogs)
© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT)
unless otherwise noted.
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