Feast Of Tabernacles

The Feast of Tabernacles

October 8, 2014 CFBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A The Jewish spiritual new year began 15 days ago with Rosh Hashana (Regathering) (Year 5775; Palindrone which means it reads the same backwards & forwards; ie., level, civic, radar, solos.)

1 5 days ago, Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

a Many Jewish families start preparing for the feast that begins tonight on the evening of Yom Kippur.

b They spend 5 days preparing for the Feast of Sukkot

aa Make a temporary booth (w/ at least three sides out of any kind of material they want) that stays up for 9 days.

bb Leviticus 23:33-44 (NASB) 33 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34 "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. 35 ~'On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. 36 ~'For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work. 37 'These are the appointed times of the LORD which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings by fire to the LORD—burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each day's matter on its own day— 38 besides those of the sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts and besides all your votive and freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD. 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. 40 ~'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. 41 ~'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. 42 ~'You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, 43 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.'" 44 So Moses declared to the sons of Israel the appointed times of the LORD.

cc The ancients would spend 7 days in the booth, today they are expected to eat at least a few meals in it.

dd The symbol is of “dwelling in the tent.)

c The most important part of tent/booth was the roof (branches) so they inhabitants can see the stars on a clear night. (Promise, Reminder of their help comes from)

2 Sukkot is a time of gathering all the harvest from the year together in order to give God thanks (Some scholars believe the Puritan pilgrims had their Thanksgiving in the fall to coincide with the Feast of Tabernacles.)

a Also to remind the Israelites of their wilderness experience, when God was co-inhabiting with them for 40 years.

aa The best word to describe booths is “habitation.”

bb Celebration God living among them while they were still in the wilderness between Sinai & the Promised Land.

b Part of the custom of Booths is the four-spices: lulav (palm branch), etrog (citron), Hadas (myrtle) and arava (willow) form the four-spices.

aa Symbolize the entirety of God’s creation, Omnipresence over this world.

bb They represent all of creation, gathering them all back.

c Booths (regathering) is symbolic of the nation regathering back to the land (Prophetic, timely)

aa Zechariah 14:16, 18-19 (NASB) 16 Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 18 If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the LORD smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.

bb Part of this feast has the people holding the four-spices in the air changing “Ana Adonai Hoshiana!” Save us Lord!