FESTIVAL OF BOOTHS SUCCOTH

In the early autumn of the year following the second, large, general harvest there is a festival we are commanded to keep holy to Yahweh. It is the last of the three times in the year we are to appear before Him. It is to be a time of happiness and rejoicing and a time of assembling together. You can read about this in Deut. 16:13-17. Notice who are to take part in this festival time. V.14 This is a time to feel great gratitude for all of the blessings that Yahweh has given us. We are to share this time with others of like mind. All who celebrate this feast know what a great joy it is and the spiritual food one receives from the sermons, bible studies, and fellowship.

As with all of the special times that Yahweh has declared holy, this festival is also a time of reflection and meditation. As we do this we will come to a clearer understanding of the meaning of this seven day festival. (There is another holy day at the end of this feast that we will cover later in this study. It is a very important day.) As we reflect on the past and the people of Israel living in booths during their sojourn in the wilderness while awaiting entrance into the land they had been promised, and look forward to the time of Yahshua’s return, let us remember that Yahweh does nothing without a reason. The sojourn in the wilderness is a lesson for us. It can teach us our place in this age and also in the age to come.

As stated previously, this time reminds us of the past and points ahead to the future, but it also

symbolizes this present age. It shows us our place in the scheme of things. In this age Yahweh and Yahshua are concerned with the first fruits harvest. We as the first fruits have been planted and are being tended in a foreign land to which we do not belong. At one time we were citizens, accepted and a part of all this world had to offer. But Yahweh has called us to come out of it lest we share in its punishment. Rev.18:4 Now we are strangers and foreigners on this earth in this age.

Abrahams Sojourn

Let us go back to the time of Abram to help us to understand our position in relation to this world. Yahweh told him to leave his homeland and travel to a place that He had chosen. Gen.12:1 Abram had a country and a homeland. If he was willing to leave all of this and travel to a land that Yahweh chose he was promised an eternal homeland reserved for him and his descendants.

On reading the story of Abram, it may seem, on the surface, that this is just a physical inheritance of land. This is all the religions of this world see when they read it. We must not see it this way but we must understand it in its true context. As always in everything that Yahweh does, the physical teaches us spiritual lessons.

Abram, along with his son Isaac and grandson Jacob were nomads. Travelling with their herds from place to place as the water and pasture demanded. They had no country of their own that they could call home. They were strangers and sojourners wherever they went. Abram had been promised a country for himself and his descendants if he would follow Yahweh. This was a promise from Yahweh that was never fulfilled in his lifetime or the lifetime of his son and grandson. So just what was Yahweh talking about when He called Abram out of Chaldea and what does all of this have to do with the feast of Tabernacles and how does it affect us?

Future Inheritance

Abraham saw something in the future that attracted him more than a country that would be his during his physical life on this earth. He entered a life walk in harmony with Yahweh because of what he saw. We must see this too if we are to succeed in our life walk with Yahweh and Yahshua.

Yahshua said that Abraham saw His day and was glad. John 8:56. Just what did Abraham see? To help us to understand this we must turn to the story of the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham.

Gen.22:1-18. How could a loving father who loved his son be willing to do such a thing? On the surface this sounds incomprehensible. To find the answer let us turn to Heb.11:17-19 Abraham

had faith in the word of Yahweh. He knew that when Yahweh makes a promise it is sure and unchangeable. Since He had promised that the covenant would be through his natural offspring

Isaac, and his descendants, Abraham knew that Isaac would have to be alive to make these descendants. Gen.19:17-21 He knew that even if Yahweh required him to go through with the sacrifice of Isaac, that He was capable to restore him once again to life.

Faith is not something you get on your own. I have had people tell me they didn't have enough faith. They would ask me, “How do I get more faith?” One does not get more faith. Faith comes by the things we see Yahweh doing in our lives. We must stay focussed on Him. He grows our faith by what He does. We do not grow our faith by what we do.

Abraham knew this. He had seen the great things that Yahweh had done in his and Sarah's lives. Rom.4:17-21. He was a very old man. Sarah was a very old woman. She was past the natural childbearing years. Yet Yahweh had promised that they would have a natural born son. This He brought about by His great power. Abraham had lived through this and knew the power and the faithfulness of Yahweh. This is how he could sacrifice this son to Yahweh. He knew Isaac's death would have to be a temporary thing. Because of Abrahams unfaltering faith, Yahweh did not require him to go through with this offering but provided a ram instead. Abraham never lost his focus on Yahweh. We must be the same. Yahweh must always be our focus no matter what may arise to distract us. What Yahweh says, is, and will be. Nothing can prevent it!!

Abraham also looked forward to the time of Yahshua and His sacrifice on behalf of all mankind. John 8:56 He knew as we do that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of Elohim. Rom.3:23 He also knew that the wages of sin is death eternal. Rom.6:23 He knew that the fulfilment of the promise of eternal inheritance made to him by Yahweh could not happen without the sacrifice of Yahshua to wipe away the sin that held him, as well as us, in its death grip.

He was a stranger in the land but he was also a stranger in this world. The homeland that he awaits is the same one that we are waiting for. This homeland or kingdom is reserved for us in Heaven until the time of Yahshua's return. 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the Elohim and Father of our Master Yahshua Messiah, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Yahshua Messiah from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of Elohim through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Hebrews 11: 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go.

9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.

10 For he looked forward to the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.

12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

13 These all died in faith, not having received what was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.

16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Lets move ahead to the time of Moses to see another example of one who was a stranger and sojourner in the land and also in this world. Moses was raised by Egyptian royalty. He was educated by the best of their wise men. He was being groomed to be Pharaoh. He saw beyond his present day to the time still ahead of us. When asked to make a choice between a life of royalty and that of a homeless wanderer leading a stubborn, ungrateful, and backsliding people, he saw beyond to the true inheritance that would be his. Heb.11:23-27

He also saw the time of Yahshua and what He would make possible by His death for sin. Moses had a homeland, as did Abraham and when he was called to leave it as Abraham had, he did so. He lived as a stranger and a sojourner in the land all the days of his life. He saw the promised heavenly homeland from a distance as did Abraham but could not enter just as we can not enter at this time. He was a stranger in this world as well. He was looking for ward in time to something better as were others such as Seth, Enoch, Noah, Shem, and the prophets. Heb.11:13-16 These all had the chance to return to what they were before their call but chose not to. Verse 15 All chose to remain strangers and wanderers on this earth until the true kingdom would appear at the return of Yahshua as their king and give them eternal citizenship.

A Sojourning King

There is someone else who we would not expect to say that he was a stranger with no homeland to call his own. That is king David. He was the king of Israel. He had a very beautiful palace with everything he could possibly want. Yet in Psalm 119:19 he says that he is a stranger. In Psalm 39:5-12 David says that he is a stranger and a sojourner as all his fathers were. He understood that he was in a very temporary state. He says in verse 5 that the best state of man is vanity. Vanity comes from the Hebrew word “hebel” #1892 and “habal” #1891 in Strongs. It means transitory and unsatisfactory.

With these things in mind let us come forward to our time now and understand how this all relates to the Feast of Tabernacles or Succoth. Yahweh commanded that this festival be kept in temporary dwellings. Succoth. Lev.23:42 The words booth, tabernacle, and tent come from the Hebrew “cukkah”.(pronounced Sookaw) This is a temporary shelter that one would put up as protection for themselves or their animals while travelling. This could also be a cave or shed or barn that might be a permanent building but is only used temporarily during travel. Yahshua was born in a “cukkah”and was later moved to a house.

During this festival we remember the Israelites who lived in tents (cukkah) in the wilderness while awaiting entrance into the promised land. We also look forward to the return of Yahshua and spending the millennium and eternity with Him and His Father. But this time also tells us about the present. We don't just live in cukkah for the seven days of the festival of booths and the last great day. We live in cukkah every day of our lives on this earth.

Let us turn to the writings of Paul to help us to understand this present, temporary state we are in. 2 Cor.4:18 He tells us that this things we see are temporary but the things not seen (the spiritual) are eternal. Everything physical will one day pass away. 2 Cor.5:1-4 Paul likens his physical body to a tent or cukkah. He says that even though the outward physical body is wasting away, we have a new body made without hands, eternal and waiting in Heaven for us. It is these permanent spirit bodies that we will be resurrected into when Yahshua returns. 1 Cor.15:50-54

Peter also likens our bodies to temporary dwellings. 2 Peter 1:13-14 We who follow Yahweh in this age are in the same condition. We are strangers and sojourners on this earth living in these temporary dwellings, our fleshly bodies, while we await our permanent homes.

No Longer Citizens

We are no longer a part of this world or its ways. At one time we were true citizens and members of the evil society around us. Eph 2:2-3 We were once very happy to take part in activities that we now know are evil and lead to death. Our families, friends, and co workers are surprised that we no longer join them. 1Peter 4:3-4 Some even persecute us and say evil things about us. The longer we are in this way of life the clearer it becomes how separate we truly are. We are strangers in a world we used to call home. Those around us think we are strange. When we look around us to the things that are going on, it is now alien to us. We don't belong. We no longer fit in.

This is a Friday night and Saturday world. We are a Friday night and Saturday (Sabbath) assembly. People of this world pursue shopping, drinking, sports, and all kinds of recreational activities that give pleasure to the flesh. We as a Sabbath keeping assembly pursue bible study, prayer, worship services, fellowship and all of the things that give spiritual uplifting and pleasure. We seek to please Yahweh and Yahshua. Isn't it odd that the those of this world and those who are Yahweh's people turn in totally opposite directions on the Sabbath. One to the world and one to Yahweh.

We , at one time made this turn to the world on the Sabbath too. We can no longer do this. Yahweh has called us as He did Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Eliyah, David and the prophets to come out of our homelands and follow Him to the eternal land that He has prepared for us. Let us read about the great company we are in . Heb.11:1-39 Notice that all of these people who were well attested as being faithful were all aware of Yahshua the Messiah. They all knew what we know in this age. Yahweh does not change and neither does His instruction.

Notice verse26. In verse 13 we are told all of these people died in faith not having received the fulfilment of the promise but they could see it far off in the future. Seeing this they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on this earth. In verse 38 we are told that the world was not worthy of them. This is not only talking about them. There is no them . The people of Yahweh then and the people of Yahweh now are all “us” We are all of the same fold. All, from the beginning until now , have the same Shepherd. Abraham knew our MELCHIZADEK priest. (Gen.14:18) All look to Yahshua for guidance and salvation. All are waiting for the same king. All will obtain the fulfilment of a permanent, eternal kingdom at the same time. Verses 39-40

Wisdom of Yahweh

Yahweh is so very wise. He knew that we would be few in number and separated since He works with small numbers and achieves great results. He knew we would need special times to all come together in one place to worship Him and to fellowship with each other. Iron sharpens iron and Yahweh's people encourage and strengthen each other at these special Holy times. The feast of Booths is one of these special times. All who attend this festival know how separate we really are from this world. I have never met anyone who was glad when it was over. All look forward to the time when Yahshua returns and we will all be together for all eternity.

As we come together this year let us remember that we are all strangers and sojourners abiding in these temporary dwellings of our bodies and let us rejoice in each others company before Yahweh and Yahshua and gain strength from Them and each other to help us on another years journey through this world. Let us keep this scripture in mind during our sojourning.Heb.10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of Elohim, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

HalleluYah May Yahweh bless your studies. Elder Dave Ganton