Beginning of Sukkot – Feast of Tabernacles

And the LORD said to Moses, "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. Begin celebrating the Festival of Shelters on the fifteenth day of the appointed month—five days after the Day of Atonement. This festival to the LORD will last for seven days. On the first day of the festival you must proclaim an official day for holy assembly, when you do no ordinary work. For seven days you must present special gifts to the LORD. The eighth day is another holy day on which you present your special gifts to the LORD. This will be a solemn occasion, and no ordinary work may be done that day. (These are the LORD's appointed festivals. Celebrate them each year as official days for holy assembly by presenting special gifts to the LORD—burnt offerings, grain offerings, sacrifices, and liquid offerings—each on its proper day. These festivals must be observed in addition to the LORD's regular Sabbath days, and the offerings are in addition to your personal gifts, the offerings you give to fulfill your vows, and the voluntary offerings you present to the LORD.) Remember that this seven-day festival to the LORD—the Festival of Shelters—begins on the fifteenth day of the appointed month, after you have harvested all the produce of the land. The first day and the eighth day of the festival will be days of complete rest. On the first day gather branches from magnificent trees—palm fronds, boughs from leafy trees, and willows that grow by the streams. Then celebrate with joy before the LORD your God for seven days. You must observe this festival to the LORD for seven days every year. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed in the appointed month from generation to generation. For seven days you must live outside in little shelters. All native-born Israelites must live in shelters. This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 23:33-43 

Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. Deuteronomy 16:16 NKJV

The Feast of Tabernacles or Booths is one of the true God ordained Festivals for the Jews. Its main activity seems to be to build a shelter to commemorate those forty years in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land and the shelters that the Hebrew people lived in as they traveled. The Jews have done this ever since Moses gave God’s instruction for this as recorded in Leviticus. Additionally, there is a ritual that involves four species of plants which reminds the Jews of the bounty that God provides. The branches are the palm trees, willows, myrtle and citron. This Feast of Booths is joyous compared to the time of repentance that the Jews have just completed. The important thing is to be hospitable to the poor and homeless, as well as friends, extended family and neighbors that may visit. In modern times a nice custom has been established to invite honorary guests, like Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca, Leah, Miriam, Abigail and Esther, women of the Old Testament, and create an ornate chair for them. Unlike other holidays there is not a specific food that is associated with the meals served in the Sukkot shelter although wine and cake would be served to guests as the people within the neighborhood visited each other’s Sukkot shelters.

Prayer ~ Jesus, may our shelters stand firm and may You continue to provide protection from the storms of life…hurricanes, tornados and showers of bullets.

Daily Bible Reading: John 2-4

This apple didn't make it into the cake!

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

As usual every Friday is Feast Day—Feasting at the King’s Table. We can’t live on just spiritual food …nor can we live on bread alone. We’ve got to have some meat, veggies, fruit and tasty cakes. Try this one with all those recently harvested apples or pears. 

Simple Apple or Pear Cake

½ cup oil

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsp vanilla

4 cups chopped apples or pears

1¾ cups sugar

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt 

½ cup chopped pecans, optional – can sprinkle on top of cake before baking

Combine all ingredients. Pour into a 9 X 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. This will store and keep fresh for a week or more. Enjoy warm with ice cream or whipped topping.

© 2017 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

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