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A Practical Guide for Believers in Messiah The central element for the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles is the booth we call the sukkah. While you may want to use the rabbinic description as a guideline (see above), you should not forget the freedom to construct this booth as you see fit. As with all biblical holy days and customs, the sukkah is a "shadow" of the greater lessons of the coming Messiah (Colossians 2:17). Building the sukkah can be an exciting and educational family project. Whether it is a shack on the side of the house or a free-standing structure, the hut can be constructed by anyone who wants to help. The outer frame can be assembled from various materials which, in turn, can be fortified with the traditional palm branches or leaves. For this reason, Sukkot is a great time to trim up the yard as well! Children will love to add their cut out paper fruit, leaves, or Bible verses. As previously noted, traditional Jews begin constructing the sukkah immediately after breaking the fast of Yom Kippur. Many Messianic Jews and Gentiles follow this custom by inviting people over for a "Sukkah Decorating Party," and planning for the upcoming holy day begins in earnest. As the fifteenth day of Tishri begins, a holiday dinner is prepared. The table is set; although, being outside in the Sukkah, it will probably have a less formal atmosphere. Since this holy day is to be a reminder of the forty-year camping trip in the wilderness, the dinner will probably feel more like an outdoor picnic than a formal meal. As with all the Jewish holy days, we start with the blessings over the fruit of the vine and the challah bread (see appendix). The first day of the festival is also welcomed with the Shehechiyanu blessing in order to thank God for bringing us to this joyful celebration. Some distinctive blessings chanted for this particular holy day are said over the sukkah as well as the Four Species. After the blessings for the wine and challah, the following can be recited:
The above blessings are usually said only on the first night of the holy day whenever the wine and challah are blessed. Distinct from this is the blessing over the Four Species, that is recounted every evening of Sukkot. (The Four Species, "kosher from Israel," which include the lulav and the etrog, can be ordered from Jewish gift shops or synagogues. If unavailable, you may assemble your own symbolic version using a palm branch, lemon, etc.) At this point, the lulav (palm) and the etrog (citron) are picked up, the former in the right hand, the latter in the left. Holding the two together, the following is recited:
A traditional dinner is now served, and may include some of the produce from the harvest of this time of year. Depending upon availability in your area, local messianic congregations may have evening services to celebrate the joy found in the message of Sukkot. A special emphasis will be the hakafot (processionals), in which congregants march around the sanctuary waving the lulav and recounting the Hallel or Praise Psalms (113-118). These major elements of the dinner in the sukkah continue for the eight days of the festival, while the synagogue services are usually convened only on the first two. To really get into the spirit of the holy day, the family might want to sleep in the sukkah under the stars, weather permitting. As mentioned before, the seventh day of the festival has much spiritual significance for believers in Yeshua (see John 7:37 and following verses). However, as we reach the eighth day, we come to a special holiday, Shmeni Atzeret (literally, the Eighth Day of Assembly). As mentioned in Leviticus 23:36, this day is to be set apart as a Shabbat and a holy assembly. Most traditional synagogues and messianic congregations have special services to remember this time. Messianic Jews and Gentiles are continually looking for the higher spiritual lessons of God's appointed times. Why would God command a special memorial on the eighth day of Sukkot? Besides being the close of the festival, this day may contain a connection to the life of Messiah. If our theory that Yeshua's birth took place on the first day of Sukkot is correct, was there anything that took place on the eighth day? Any good Jewish parent could tell you! On that day, Jewish baby boys take the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant through circumcision (Genesis 17). So, too, with Yeshua.
Believers in the Messiah have good cause to remember Shmeni Atzeret. Truly Yeshua "became a servant of the Jewish people in order to show God's truthfulness by making good his promises to the Patriarchs" (Romans 15:8). If these festivities are not enough, the Jewish community has added an additional ninth day to Sukkot called Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Law). As it's name implies, this day celebrates the revelation of God as symbolized in the Torah scroll. It is a time of tremendous joy, with dancing and lively music. A central part of the service is the reading from the last chapters of Deuteronomy and the start of the yearly cycle all over again with the first chapters of Genesis. Although this holiday was created in the Middle Ages by rabbinic Judaism, believers in Yeshua can surely affirm the idea behind it. God's Word is good. It is to be revered. It is even to be joyously celebrated! How much more so for followers of Yeshua Ha Mashiach, the Word who became flesh at this time of year! With the close of Simchat Torah, we reach the end of the high holy day season. What wonderful truth is evident! What a complete picture of the latter-day plan of God for this world. Sometime soon the shofar will sound to announce the regathering of believers. This is to be followed by the solemn Day of Atonement when Yeshua will return for a second time to the earth. This, in turn, will lead all believers into that joyful celebration of the Kingdom of God at Sukkot! May we be ready to dwell in that holy habitation of our heavenly father. The materials here were taken directly from God's Appointed Times with the publisher's permission. Return to Sukkot |
