Thursday, October 30, 2008

Learning about Sukkot!

Since we were going to celebrate Sukkot with my sister's family I thought it would be a neat time to begin teaching our kids specifically about this Feast and it's significance to us. We had so much fun talking about what scripture said about Sukkot and creating our own miny Sukka. I really enjoyed thinking on and rejoicing in that "God dwells with us"!

For more of a description of Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles or Booths ...
Sukkot is a week long festival which calls for the Jewish people to build booths to remember the time that they lived in booths (Heb- sukkot) during the forty years in the wilderness (Lev 23:42-43). This holiday occurs at the end of the harvest. Therefore, Sukkot is also to be a time to give God thanks for the produce of the year (Deut 16:15). Some consider this to be the "Jewish Thanksgiving." This feast is a reminder of the reality of God's provision and presence during the forty years in the wilderness as well as in the present day. Due to these themes, Sukkot is commanded to be a time of great rejoicing (Deut 16:14). John 1:14 says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…" The Greek word for "dwell" literally means "to fix one's booth." In Messiah, God literally came to fix His sukkah (or booth) among us. The entire 7th chapter of the book of John occurs during Sukkot. The prophet Zechariah also reveals that Sukkot will be a special time of worship during Yeshua's Messianic reign on earth for both Jews and Gentiles (Zech 14:16).



2 comments:

Bran said...

that's so cool. i really like knowing what the word dwell means. thanks for sharing.
love you!

Unknown said...

You wrote:” be a special time of worship during Yeshua's Messianic reign on earth for both Jews and Gentiles (Zech 14:16).”

[To differentiate,] The historical person was named Ribi [similar to rabbi] Yehoshua.
It is highly relevant for Christians whom want to follow the Messiah to know what was written in his authentic teachings. His authentic teachings were later redacted into the “gospel of Matthew”. In his true teachings one finds that he taught – just what is written in the Jewish Bible (which Christians calls the “GT”) – that humankind are required to do their utmost to keep the directives in Torah [“the books of Moses”] non-selectively. Ribi Yehoshuas followers were and are named Netzarim and the only way of how to follow Ribi Yehoshua -the Messiah - is found on the website of Netzarim

Ribi Yehoshua was a human, not an incarnate man-god; and the Netzarim never accepted the “NT”, which you quote.
Zekharyah speaks about Jews and geirim (non-Jewish non-selective Torah-observers), not about gentiles.

Relating to the Creator exactly in the same way Ribi Yehoshua did – by observing the Creators directives in “the books of Moses” is very meaningful –including having a REAL relation to the Creator , which is highly meaningful!

Anders Branderud