Feast of Sukkoth
Lev. 23:33-36
Oct. 4, 2009 FBC, Chester Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction
A 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. Lev 23:33-36 (NASB)
1 On Friday, Sukkoth (literally means booths or tabernacles) began.
a Sukkoth is...
aa The last of the fall festivals (along with Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur)
bb A feast lasting for 8 days
cc One of the three “ingathering” feasts which everyone observed in Jerusalem (along with Passover & Pentecost).
b After the Babylonian captivity, Ezra established the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem.
aa Then on the second day the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe that they might gain insight into the words of the law.14 They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month.15 So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written."16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim.17 The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them . The sons of Israel had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And there was great rejoicing.18 He read from the book of the law of God daily, from the first day to the last day. And they celebrated the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance. Neh 8:13-18 (NASB)
bb It was a big-deal day for the people of God.
c Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. John 7:2 (NASB)
d Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day —17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Col 2:16-17 (NASB)
2 Today, I want to help you see & understand the Feast of Tabernacles/Tents/ Booths/Sukkoth.
a Sukkoth is a feast of produce, presence, & provision.
b Looks back, at now, & ahead
B At the end of the message, I’m going to give you an invitation to make the Feast of Tabernacles a big day for you, today.
C Pray
I Sukkoth is a feast of produce.
A Originally, Sukkoth was a feast to thank God for the fall harvest.
1 The crops that were planted in spring are now ripe unto harvest.
a The crops had grown between Pentecost & Rosh Hashanah, over the summer.
b Four types of plants were used in this celebration (more about those near the end of the message).
2 The people would ask Him for winter (latter) rains-without them, there would be no spring harvest.
a “God, let it rain. Pour out Your latter rains that were stronger than the spring rains.”
b Soak this land, refresh this land, so we can experience harvest again.
B God brings great harvest out of great storms.
1 Rev. 7:9-17 describes John the Revelator seeing a mass multitude of tribulation saints standing before the throne of God.
a After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." Rev 7:9-10 (NASB)
aa They died in the tribulation! Refused to bow to the Antichrist/ take the Mark of the Beast.
bb They did not love their life even to death.
b I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.15 "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple ; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.16 "They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat;17 for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes." Rev 7:14-17 (NASB)
aa They will go through hell & come out blessed on the other side.
2 God causes all things to work together for God for those who love HIM!!!
a He brings to rain to bring a harvest.
b And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: Acts 2:17-18 (KJV)
aa Soak our land, dear God!
bb From the rain comes the harvest!
II Sukkoth is a feast of presence.
A Not just agrarian, but also looking back to the wilderness.
1 For 40 years the Jews wandered in the wilderness (didn’t build a home-even the Temple was portable).
a The people lived in three-sided booths (lean to/brush arbor) made from palm branches. Kept the sun off them in the daytime, could see the stars at night.
b We can only imagine how difficult & arduous those 40 years were, but I believe it was during that time that Israel was never more faithful/dependent on God than they were in the wilderness.
aa They depended on God for water, manna, quail...cloud by day/ fire by night (if I’m going to eat today, it’s because of God’s blessing).
bb They lived in His presence (for 40 years God lived with them-Ark of the Covenant).
cc A kid born after the crossing of the Red Sea for 40 years only knew what it was like to be in the presence of God (thought cloud/fire was normal).
2 When a Jewish person celebrates the Feast of Tents/Tabernacles/Booths/ Sukkoth, they are celebrating that God has drawn near to them.
B God has saved us to live in His presence.
1 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord...Acts 3:19 (KJV)
a Salvation comes from the blood, refreshing comes from the presence of the Lord!!
b To walk under His Shekinah cloud of glory, burn with Holy Fire in our bones.
c We according to the Bible (1 Cor. 6:19) are temples of the Holy Ghost & we are no longer our own (His presence follows us). Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God , and that you are not your own? 1 Cor 6:19 (NASB)
2 The eighth day of Sukkoth is called Sheni Etzerqt (Sheni Atzereth), which is literally “an extra day” to be in the presence of the Lord.
a Today, rabbis teach the people that the eighth day is a plea from God to His people.
aa “Stay one more day in My presence in My house. I do not want you to leave.”
bb The rabbis teach that “God wants to be in your presence”.
b Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them ,4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."5 And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said* , "Write, for these words are faithful and true." Rev 21:1-5 (NASB)
c God wants to dwell among us; pitch His tent in our lives! PRESENCE!!
III Sukkoth is a feast of provision.
A The Jewish people would use four plants in this feast that represent the whole person.
1 ’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. Lev 23:40 (NASB)
a Citron (heart-shaped fruit that represents the heart of a person)
b Palm branch (looks like a spine, represents courage/confidence/strength)
c Myrtle branch (represents the eye & how they were to see the best in people & not envy)
d Willow branch (represents the mouth, cleanliness of speech)
2 Enter the Temple waving these plants, chanting, “Baruch ha-ba b’shem Adonai. Hossana.” Blessed in the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Save us now!
a We’ve seen what You’ve done with the crops, do the same thing in us.
b We want to be clean, pure, holy, follow you...pour out Your presence on us, please!
c Bless us like you’ve blessed this land!
B Everything you have in your possession is because of God’s blessing.
1 If you have $1 in your pocket, it is because of God’s favor on your life.
a Preacher, lost people have money, too-often more of it!
b Dear brother/sister, the difference is we know where our help comes from.
aa I’ve only got a little, pastor
bb I’m saying you wouldn’t have what you have if it weren’t from God.
2 “When you look at others with their lands and gold...”
Conclusion
A Sukkoth is a feast of produce, presence, & provision
B Over this summer, the boys & I have developed a love of camping-tent camping.
1 It’s work (keep the bugs, dirt, and rain out...work)
a The more you move it, take it down, every trip you take...the more wear & tear you put on the tent.
b It will last for years, but that tent is eventually going to give out.
2 Paul, a tent-maker by trade, compared our physical bodies to tents.
a For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. 6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 2 Cor 5:1-6 (NLT)
b Tents are temporary-tell of us just passing through.
c Right now, I’m in a tent, but my Jesus has gone to prepare a place for me in His Father’s house. Not a tent, but a mansion!
d The Israelites lived in tents in the wilderness. It wasn’t until they reached the promised land that they built homes!
e You’re not home yet, believer!
3 Today, someone needs some fresh rain to fall (see tribulation & ready for harvest)
a Today, someone needs to encounter the presence of God, temple of the Holy Ghost, refreshing/refilling of fire.
b Today, someone needs to thank God for what He’s given them (family, job, health, things could be worse...thorn in the flesh)
c Today, someone needs to give (or affirm their life) to Jesus.
4 Invitation
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
