"Chag Sukkot Sameach"

Sunset this evening will begin the seven day Jewish celebration known as Sukkot - the Feast of Tabernacles. So I want to wish each of you a "Chag Sukkot Sameach" - "A joy-filled Sukkot."

This is the final festival in a month of important Jewish events. You might remember that on September 8-9 was Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year. That was followed on September 17-18 with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. We conclude this first month of the Jewish calendar - Tishrei - with this celebration.

The Feast of Tabernacles or Booths was one of the three so-called "pilgrimage feasts" cited in the Bible. All Jewish males were to make the trek to Jerusalem for this time of remembering God's provisions during the forty-years wandering in the wilderness. One aspect of this feast was that the Israelites were to erect booths - sukkot. In such structures all meals will be eaten and men will sleep. The sukkot are made of various materials - including wooden panels, curtains, even cardboard - and the roofs are covered with branches, allowing enough opening so that the stars are visible. Today some sukkot are very elaborate, while others are very simple; it all depends upon the resources available. Moses commanded the people in Leviticus 23:42-43: "Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God."

Another aspect of Chag Sukkot is the recitation of blessings over the Four Species that represent four types of Jews that comprise the people of Israel. These include the etrog (citron) - a fruit that has a good taste and fragrance, representing those people who have both good deeds and are filled with the wisdom of the Torah. The second Species is the lulav (palm frond) - it is edible, but has no fragrance, representing those people who have the wisdom from the Torah but are lacking in good deeds. The third Species is the hadassim (myrtle tree sprigs) - these have a very good fragrance but cannot be eaten, thus representing those people who have good deeds but lack wisdom from the Torah. The fourth Species is the aravot (branches from the red willow) - branches that have no taste and no fragrance, thus representing people who lack both wisdom and good deeds. Yet, on this particular occasion, all of these people come together to represent the entire people of Israel.

I find it fascinating that the Jewish year begins with two closely aligned celebrations. Yom Kippur is a reminder that only God can be our salvation; it is only through God that our sins can be atoned. The Sukkot is the reminder that God is the source of our provisions, as the people remember God's faithfulness during those 40 years of wilderness wandering. Think about those two truths for a moment: God is our salvation and God is our provision. What a great way to enter into a new year with those two thoughts upon hearts.

I know it is not time for our New Year. But I wonder what would happen if, during January, believers in Jesus Christ would take time to celebrate the salvation that we have in Him and to remember with joy the blessings we have in Christ. Perhaps then we might keep our focus upon Him more readily during the year.

So, once again I wish you a "chag sukkot sameach" - a "joy-filled sukkot."