Sukkot 5767
Leviticus
23:33-44
Chag Sameach! Sukkot is the Fe=
ast of
Tabernacles that always occurs five days following Yom Kippur. It is a festival reminding us of t=
he
provision and protection of God for the Israelites while they were wanderin=
g in
the wilderness. It is also a festival of thanksgiving for the Fall
harvest. In the Talmud and th=
e rest
of the post biblical Jewish literature, this feast is called z’man simchainu<=
/span>
which means the festival of our joy.
While the reminder of physical protection and provision is an occasi=
on
for joy, we must never forget the spiritual protection and provision that G=
od
gives to us though Messiah Yeshua. An idea that runs through the Rabbinic
Literature is that the Sukkah was the “cl=
oud of
glory” that led the Israelites in the wilderness. This cloud represen=
ts
the presence of God. We see it at Mt Sinai (Ex. 19:9, 16; 24:15-18); it was
present when Moses entered the tent of meeting to meet with God (Ex. 33:9-1=
0);
it appeared in the holy of holies on Yom Kippur (Lev. 16:2); it appeared in=
the
Tabernacle upon its completion and it led the children of Israel on their
wilderness journeys (Ex. 40:34-38). When God communicated with people during
the wilderness wanderings, he often did so via the cloud of glory (Num.
12:5). The children of Israel =
relied
so heavily on the cloud of glory that they would not budge until the cloud
lifted and moved them forward. The
cloud of glory represented the presence of God in the midst of the people.
Therefore, when
we remember the protection and provision during the wilderness wanderings i=
t is
because of the spiritual presence of God that made the protection and provi=
sion
possible. When the people sin=
ned by
making a golden calf, the cloud of protection was not there. It is not until
after the destruction of the golden calf and the erection of the Tabernacle
that the cloud returns. Sin k=
ept
the cloud (presence of God) from manifesting.
<=
o:p>
<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> In the New Coven=
ant,
it is interesting that when Yeshua took Peter, James and John up on a high
mountain where Moses and Elijah appeared, the text mentions the cloud appea=
ring
right after Peter asks to build three tabernacles. Evidently there was some
relationship between the building of a succah a=
nd the
presence of the cloud. In that text, the cloud represents the presence of G=
od
with them. (see Matt. 17:1-6).
<=
o:p>
<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> For believers in Yeshu=
a, the
succah reminds us of the presence of God within=
us.
It was at Sukkot that Yeshua said, Now on the last day, the great d=
ay of
the feast, Yeshua stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, =
let
him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture s=
aid,
'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" 39 But this He spoke of=
the
Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was =
not
yet given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified (Jn.
7:37-39). It was not until after the death and resurrection of Yeshua that =
the
Holy Spirit (cloud) could manifest himself with the followers of Yeshua. It=
is
only when our sin is removed by Yeshua that we can have this kind of intima=
cy
with God This feast is a season of joy for us because we do have the Ruach Hakodesh (Holy Spir=
it)
dwelling in us and therefore the presence of God (the cloud) leading us thr=
ough
our lives. He does this via the Word of =
God, You=
r
word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). He al=
so
provides through others <=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> but to each one is given the manifestation of t=
he
Spirit for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7). and directly himself, =
;The
Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom.
8:16). We can drink the l=
iving
water that always satisfies no matter what this life brings us. We always d=
well
in the sukkah of God. Sometimes, we do not expe=
rience
His presence when we are not dwelling in an “environment of
holiness”, when we are walking in our own way, not following the clou=
d of
glory. But upon ou repentance, we dan
once again dwell in his prensece. That is why i=
t is
significant that Sukkot occurs right after Yom =
kippur. We have repented and now we celebrate the sea=
son of
our joy, the rememberance of the guiding presen=
ce of
God via Yeshua.
<=
o:p>
<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Prophetically, Sukkot
speaks to the day when the whole world will be filled with the glory of God.
There will then be an “environment of holiness” through the who=
le
world. In that day the Messiah will dwell in Jerusalem and Zech. 14 says, In that day there will be inscribed=
on
the bells of the horses, "HOLY TO THE LORD." And the cooking pots=
in
the LORD'S house will be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Every cooking pot in=
Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the LOR=
D of
hosts; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. A=
nd
there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts in th=
at
day (Zech. 14:20-21)&n=
bsp;
Isaiah describes=
this
also by saying then the LORD will create over the =
whole
area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and =
the
brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a
canopy. 6 There wi=
ll be
a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from
the storm and the rain (Isaiah 4:5-6). Today may we experience shelter =
from
the rain as we dwell in the sukkah – as we
dwell in the presence of God found only in Yeshua, the promised Messiah of =
Israel.
<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>