Sukkot was the last of the feasts appointed by the Lord for His people, Israel, to honour Him. He was to be acknowledged as holy and He had set them apart as His holy people. This was to be remembered from one generation to another.

A festival of thanksgiving

Following Yom Kippur, Sukkot was seven days of celebrating a festival to the Lord after the crops of the land had been gathered in. The wheat and the barley would have already been harvested and now they were to take choice fruit from the trees. This was a festival for the time when the people were in their own land and able to grow and harvest crops but, for this one week each year, they were to live in temporary shelters to remember how it was when the Lord brought them out of Egypt. They had left the houses they inhabited while in bondage and moved from place to place as the Lord led them until, after 40 years, He brought them into the promised land. He had provided for them, day by day, in those years and they were not to forget this when they were in the security of their own houses and productive land. We, too, must never take the Lord’s provision for granted.

Teaching the generations

Psalm 78 echoes a recurring theme through the feasts that the children should be taught what the Lord had done so that the next generation would put their trust in God and not forget His deeds. This psalm speaks of teaching through parables, and in the feasts, such as Sukkot, Israel was to live out the parable in their families. We, too, should remember the importance of walking with the Lord in such a way that the next generation will know Him for themselves and follow Him.

A temporary dwelling

The Sukkot or booths are temporary residences that illustrate our journey with the Lord. Abraham lived in a tent as he set out in obedience without knowing where he was going but looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Heb 11:8-10) We know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. (2 Cor 5:1) Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus, our Messiah) came in human flesh, an earthly tent, and made His dwelling among us until His death on the cross and resurrection opened the way to eternal life for us.

There is so much in the changing national and world situation at this time that challenges us to consider where we find our security. Do we remember that we are on a journey where we may face many difficulties but with a glorious destination that will give eternal security? Do we also make the most of celebrating all that the Lord has given us while doing all that we can to share this with the next generation?

by Catharine Pakington