|
We are
celebrating Sukkot, and so let’s read from the
Torah, from Leviticus 23:33-43: Again the Lord
spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons
of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh
month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to
the Lord. On the first day is a holy gathering;
you shall do no regular work of any kind. For
seven days you shall present an offering by fire
to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall
have a holy gathering and present an offering
by fire to the Lord; it is an assembly.
You shall do no regular work ... 39 On exactly
the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you
have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall
celebrate the feast of the Lord for seven
days, with a rest on the first day and a rest
on the eighth day. Now on the first day you shall
take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees,
palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows
of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the
Lord your God for seven days. You shall thus celebrate
it as a feast to the Lord for seven days
in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout
your generations; you shall celebrate it in the
seventh month. You shall live in booths for seven
days; all the native-born in Israel shall live
in booths, so that your generations may know that
I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I
brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am
the Lord your God.'"
Sukkot
Is About Obedience to the Lord’s Commands
It is the Lord our God, the Supreme Being who
commanded Israel to celebrate this holiday. Five
times the Lord says that the things that are part
of this holiday are to be observed “Lah-Adonai
- to the Lord, or for the Lord.” We celebrate
this holiday because the Almighty commanded it.
Of course, the Lord has the right to command us
to set apart special times to observe. The Lord
has the right to command us to set apart all kinds
of things that we are to do, even if they are
not convenient for us. All Jewish men were required
to travel to Jerusalem and live outdoors in booths
for seven days and observe this time. Even if
we didn’t feel like traveling to Jerusalem, which
for some could be a four or five day journey each
way, and then building a little shack outdoors,
and living with the whole family in this little
shack, which may not have protected everyone from
the elements, we were required to do so anyway.
Sukkot reminds us that serving the Lord is not
about our convenience. It is about submitting
ourselves, our lives, to the commands of the King
of kings. We must obey His commands that apply
to us. Do you? We must fear the Lord. If not,
why not?
Sukkot
Is About Fulfilment The God of Israel,
the Creator of the universe, is a God of wisdom,
and counsel. He is a God of plan and order. He
plans and He fulfills. We want to make sure that
we are included in His plans, and take part in
their fulfillment. Sukkot is very much about plans
and fulfillment. This holiday begins on the fifteenth
of this seventh month, in the very middle
of the month, when the moon is full. It occurs
in the very middle of the year. It exactly divides
the calendar, occurring six months after Passover,
and six months before Passover. The Lord tells
us to set apart not just one day, but seven days,
to celebrate this very important holiday. It is
a full week in which we are refreshed physically
and spiritually. It is a full week of celebration,
eating and drinking, of rest, of sacrifice, of
worship, of thanksgiving, of happiness. It is
a whole week to be with friends and family. It
is a complete week to draw closer to God. It is
the seventh holiday and it takes place in the
seventh month. The number seven communicates completion.
This holiday completes all the other holidays.
Passover instructs us to place our faith in Yeshua,
the Passover Lamb who died for our sins. The holiday
of Matzah teaches us that Messiah Himself is sinless,
like the pure unleavened bread. The One who is
fully God and fully man is the fulfillment of
the Feast of First Fruits. He is the first human
being to be raised from the dead. The Sinless
One overcame our two greatest enemies - sin and
death, and if we believe in Him, we will enable
us to overcome sin and death so that we can live
forever! In fulfillment of Shavuot (the Feast
of Weeks), God the Father and Messiah the Son
sent the Holy Spirit to the community of believers,
to forever connect us to God, and make us the
Temple of God, so that God forever dwells in us,
and give us new spiritual life, and empower us
to live our lives in a way that are pleasing to
God. On Yom Truah, the first day of the seventh
month, we blow the shofar, and consider the things
that the shofar reminds us of, especially our
need to be prepared to meet the Holy King who
is coming for us. We searched our souls for the
Yomim Nora'eem - the 10 Days of Awe between Yom
Truah and Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur reminds us of
judgment, so on Yom Kippur we fasted and prayed
and turned to the Lord. The seventh holiday -
the Feast of Sukkot, is the culmination of all
the holidays. All those who have been reconciled
to the God of Israel, by trusting and following
the wonderful Messiah who He sent, will be gathered
and welcomed into His glorious and eternal His
Kingdom, and be covered with His covering of everlasting
peace and protection, and reign with Him forever
and ever! God has a great plan to save humanity
that is revealed in these holidays. Sukkot is
the fulfillment of them all. We must make sure
that we are part of this great plan. Are you?
Sukkot
Is a Time for Extra Rest The Lord, in
His wisdom, commanded us to set aside the first
and eighth days of Sukkot for rest. All during
the year, we worked hard. We raised the animals,
we kept up our homes, we raised the children,
we prepared the ground to plant, we planted our
seeds, we pulled the weeds, we kept the animals
away from the crops, we harvested the crops. Now
the Lord insists that we take extra time to rest.
He wants us to cease from our labors, and rest,
and think about Him. The Almighty God wants us
to understand that apart from His work, our labors
will accomplish nothing. Apart from God’s work,
there would be no harvest. There would be no fertile
land to grow things on, no seeds to plant, no
sun to shine on the growing plants, no rain to
water them, no strength to harvest them. The Lord
wants us to understand that we can only do so
much. The universe won’t fall apart if we are
not working all the time. He wants us to trust
Him to provide. Are you a workaholic? Are you
getting enough rest in your life? Are you trusting
in the Lord to provide? This principle of rest
also applies to the work of salvation. None of
our efforts, our work, no matter how hard we exert
ourselves, none of our strivings can bring about
atonement. There are not enough good deeds that
we can accomplish, commandments that we can fulfill,
religious obligations that we can do, purity that
we can achieve, that will save us. We must cease
from trying to save ourselves. Instead, we must
recognize that God and Messiah have done the hard
work of salvation for us. God sent the Messiah,
who lived a perfect life, and then died for us,
and rose again for us. All we have to do is thank
God for sending the Messiah, trust God and Messiah,
believe in God and Messiah, follow God and Messiah.
Apart from the work of God, there is no salvation,
no fulfilment, no hope, no everlasting kingdom
to enjoy. Are you resting from your own efforts
to attain salvation, and instead, trusting in
what God and Messiah ave already worked on your
behalf?
Sukkot
Is a Time for Extra Sacrifices The korbanot
- the sacrifices, enabled the men and women of
Israel who had true faith in God to draw closer
to God. We always want to be close to God, and
we try to draw near to Him during our regular
lives, but the Lord encouraged us to have special
times, more intense times, to draw even closer
to Him. During the seven days of Sukkot, special
sacrifices were offered - sin offerings to atone
for our sins, and help us get rid of anything
that would interfere with our relationship to
God. We want a clear channel of communication
between us and God, and a clean conscience, and
the sin offerings helped us achieve that. We also
offered extra burnt offerings, which expressed
our love and dedication to the Lord. How is your
relationship to the Living God? Is there sin in
your life? Are you devoted to the Lord, dedicated
to Him? Are you loving Him with all your heart,
soul and mind? Let’s turn away from our sins,
and love the Lord, and zealously serve Him.
Sukkot
Is a Time for Extra Worship The first
and eighth days are set apart to be special holy
gatherings. On those two days we are not to do
regular work of any kind. Instead we must worship.
There weren’t required gatherings for the whole
community during most of the week. You could stay
in your sukkah, eating and drinking and welcoming
visitors. Or, you could visit others in their
sukkot. Or, you could wander around Jerusalem,
maybe climb the Mount of Olives, and see the sights.
Maybe you could do engage in a little work and
pick up a little extra money. You could do what
you wanted. But not during the first and eighth
days - you had to assemble with everyone - I assume
at the Temple, and participate in the songs and
prayers and sacrifices that took place there.
God has always been seeking worshipers, who worship
Him in spirit and in truth - in spirit, as opposed
to worship by ritual, worship that is based on
ceremonies, and not worship that comes from a
heart that really knows and loves the Lord; worship
that is based on the truth, not on error or the
traditions of men. Are you one of the Lord’s worshipers?
Are you worshiping Him in spirit and in truth?
Sukkot
Is a Time for Extra Joy During this holiday
we are to rejoice before the Lord our God for
seven days. God’s people are to be a happy people,
a joyous people. Our source of happiness is the
Lord Himself, and not our circumstances. Our source
of joy is in the Lord, more than in our successes,
our money, our accomplishments. We are happy because
the Lord is our God, and we are His people. He
is so great, greater than the universe, and yet
he knows us and loves us, and is committed to
take care of us - physically and spiritually.
We are rejoicing in the God of our salvation,
delighted to know Him and be known by Him, to
love Him and be loved by Him. We are joyously
drawing water from the wells of salvation. We
are saved, and know it. We are headed to Heaven
and sure of it! We will live forever with God
and Messiah, filled with the Holy Spirit of God
and Messiah, and we are ecstatic by our knowledge
of it! This is the source of our joy.
Sukkot
Is a Time to Live in Booths The Lord
tells us that all native-born Jews are to live
in shacks for seven days. He gives us the primary
reason: so that all of our people, throughout
our generations, may know that the Eternal God
had the sons of Israel live in booths when He
brought us out from the land of Egypt. Living
in these small shacks remind us of the Y’tzee-at
Mitzraim, the Exodus from Egypt, and our 40 years
of wandering in the wilderness. Living in booths
reminds us that God brought us out of Egypt. He
is a real God, who is able to act powerfully in
this world. He talked to Moses, He did miracles,
He sent plagues and judgments on those who opposed
Him. Living in booths reminds us that the Lord
is a God who chooses. He chose Israel, not Egypt.
He chooses those who come to faith in Yeshua,
and not those who follow some other religious
leader. Living in booths reminds us that the Lord
is a God who saves - who frees a nation of slaves
from bitter oppression. He brought us out of the
mighty Egyptian empire, and parted the Red Sea
and delivered us to freedom. Living in booths
reminds us that the Lord is a God who gives laws
- like He did at Sinai. Living in booths reminds
us that the Lord is a God who provides. He fed
millions of people and animals in a desert. He
brings water from rock, and manna from Heaven.
Living in booths reminds us that the Lord is a
God who spreads His protective covering over us.
He protected Israel with a pillar of cloud during
the day and a pillar of fire by night. When we
were faithful and obedient, His protective covering
shielded Israel from the Egyptians. And, His protective
covering will shield you, if you are faithful
to God and Messiah, so that you are brought safely
to the goal, to your final destination. Living
in booths reminds us that the Lord is a God who
dwells in humble circumstances with us. While
we dwelt in booths, the Lord Himself dwelt in
a moveable tent. God dwelt in a temporary building
with us - the Ohel Moed - the Tent of Meeting,
the Tabernacle. Is it that surprising that the
One is rightly is called Immanuel - God with us,
was born into a humbled people, a poor family,
and placed in a feeding trough for animals when
He was born? Is it out of character that the exalted
Son of God, although He existed in the form of
God, did not regard equality with God a thing
to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the
form of a frail humanity, and humbled Himself
even further by dying on a cross? Living in booths
reminds us that the Lord is a God who travels
with us. We travel in a difficult place, but the
Lord with us. We journeyed through a wilderness,
but God journeyed with us. We traveled through
a desert, but our God was in the desert with us.
And, as you travel through difficult and hard
places, remember that the Lord is with you, traveling
with you, and will help you though those difficult
places. Living in booths reminds us that the Lord
is a God who will allow a faithless generation
to die in the wilderness, and raise up a new generation
that will be faithful to Him. He is a God of righteousness
and judgment, but also a God of grace, mercy and
forgiveness. Living in booths reminds us that
the Lord is a God who is bringing us to a better
place, from slavery and oppression in Egypt, from
hardship in the wilderness, to the promised Land,
flowing with milk and honey, rest and prosperity.
And, He is bringing us from domination by the
dominion of darkness, to the kingdom of God, from
life in a world of sin and suffering, to a world
of everlasting life and fulness of peace and rest
and joy, where suffering, sorrow, pain and tears
are unknown. Living in booths reminds us our lives
are so short. This world is not our ultimate home.
We are just visitors, strangers, wanderers, pilgrims
traveling through. Like father Abraham, we look
for another city in another world. We look for
our permanent homes on the New Earth, in the New
Jerusalem. Therefore our priorities are not about
money and things and success in this world, but
we pour our time and energy into evangelism, and
building up the community of believers. Living
in booths reminds us that the God of Israel is
the kind of God who wants to make His home with
us, to pitch His tent among us, to build His Sukkah,
to tabernacle among us.
He is
not the kind of God who wants to be distant from
his creation, aloof from mankind, but rather He
wants to draw near to us, and have us get closer
to Him. Therefore is it all that surprising when
God, who dwelt in a tent with us in the wilderness,
1500 years later came among us and dwelt in a
human body? If God can dwell in a tent, can’t
He tabernacle among us, and dwell in a human,
who is made in His image? These commands to observe
Sukkot are perpetual statutes that are to be observed
throughout our generations. Israel is to observe
these things every year. But, even if we build
sukkot, and wave our lulovs and etrogs, and rest
on the first and eighth days, are we really observing
Sukkot if we don’t go up to Jerusalem, and if
the required sacrifices are not offered? No. Today
there is only an incomplete Sukkot, an unfulfilled
Sukkot, an inadequate Sukkot. But, thanks be to
God that although we can’t fully observe Sukkot
right now, Christians and Messianic Jews are part
of the New Covenant, brought about by God and
the Messiah, where we are complete, and forgiven,
and are given hope and a future! Therefore we
rejoice in the God who still dwells among us,
the Messiah who tabernacles with us, the Holy
Spirit who indwells us. We are confident that
we will take part in the fulfillment of all things
- including the fulfillment of Sukkot! Fill us
with your joy, our Lord our God. Help us to be
genuinely happy. Draw us closer to Yourself! Enable
us to be forgiven from all of our sins, have a
clean conscience, be filled with the Spirit, filled
with love for God and man, zealous to obey, resting
in the work of God and Messiah!
Shalom
Rabbi Loren
|
