HAVE A NEED, or ARE YOU JUST FINE ON YOUR OWN?
Need refreshing or need cleaning? Need OLD/BAD stuff washed OUT and the NEW/LIFE-GIVING washed IN?
Need the WARMTH/COMFORT of LOVE and LIGHT to pierce the darkness so you can see how to move forward in LIFE?
The FEAST OF TABERNACLES (BOOTHS) was given by YHVH as a reminder that while the Jewish people wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, provision for EVERYTHING they needed was available IF they valued HIS PRESENCE in their midst.
Once they were established in the Land of Israel YHVH told the Jewish people that once each year - once the crops had been harvested - they should leave their houses, come to Jerusalem, and live in temporary dwellings (booths, or the more "old-timey" expression - "tabernacles.")
To help the Jewish people remember that the strength and wisdom they had to plant, tend and harvest crops was LIFE given by HIM...
To help them remember that trees bear fruit and crops grow to harvest-ready by HIS command...
To help people understand HE LOVES TO PROVIDE, but requires people acknowledge they can NOT "do it" on their OWN ...
YHVH had them LET GO of the houses and land HE had made possible. This was "gain" obtained only through the strength and provision that came from HIM.
HUMILITY, THANKSGIVING and PROPHETIC PRAYER
By leaving acquired comforts in obedience to YHVH, the Jewish people's obedience to this command showed humility before the King of Kings. HIS flow of blessing is ONLY available to those in this posture. Obeying YHVH put them in the place where they could receive even MORE blessing from Him.
The command was to leave their houses, come to Jerusalem, and "rejoice before YHVH" for all HE given, including the current year's harvest. Expressing THANKFULNESS to HIM helped tune their souls to the right "channel" for communicating with YHVH. Praising Yehovah Jireh- The God Who Provides gave them a good, godly focus. Turning God's Way help them to NOT focus on wrongs that may have been done to them by others, or feelings of self-accomplishment (read "PRIDE").
Appreciation for HIS love shaped their souls to relate correctly to HIM, OTHERS and THEMSELVES.
With an attitude of humility and with thankfulness filling their hearts, in the days of the Second Temple the Jewish people developed two prophetic prayer actions - customs that were acted out that demonstrated the request they were making of YHVH.
In Israel it ONLY rains (at times) in late November through March (with occasional rain in late-Sept - Oct, and April). Israel has VERY few constantly-flowing rivers. Even the Jordan River, the main water carrier in Israel, could be considered an over-sized stream by USA standards. Without the new season of rains, there would be NO crops growing the next year.
A custom for prayer for these crucial rains at this season was developed. Picture this - people from all over Israel have left their houses and journeyned to Jerusalem; all living in temporary "booths" (in Hebrew "Sukkah"). The priest would go out the Water Gate of the Temple, dip a pitcher in a supply of water, and return to the Temple Courtyard. There, he would circle The Altar while the people cried out the text of Isaiah 44:3, the promise of God to supply HIMSELF and the water needed by the people -
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon your seed, and my blessing upon your offspring.
As they concluded that prayer the priest would pour out the water from this pitcher onto the dry ground at the base of the altar (remember, in Israel would likely have been 5 months since the last time it rained... the ground was DRY !!!) This was a prophetic action - a custom that demonstrated just what they were asking of YHVH.
AND LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
The other prophetic action was the building and lighting of 4 enormous oil-lamps. Set on 50-foot columns they towered over Jerusalem. Each was arranged with a 10-gallon oil lamp on top. For a wick, they used old tunics they priests used to wear. Imagine just how great a light that was for those days. The rabbis report, "All of Jerusalem was lit up with the light of the water-pouring ceremony" (just described above).
These lights were set up ONLY at the Feast of Tabernacles. Once the Feast was over, the lights would come down.
YESHUA, who John calls "The Light that came into The World to give light to everyone - John 1:9), comes to The Temple on the last, "Great Day" of the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:37).
He's at The Water Pouring Ceremony. He hears the crowds crying out Isaiah 44:3 - looking for YHVH to pour out both the physical water they need in the rains that only HE can send in the Winter months, and The Living Water - The Spirit of the One True Holy God of Israel.
After the priest pours out the pitcher of water on the dry ground He stands up and declares -
Are any of you thirsty? Come to Me and drink. If you believe in Me, as the Scriptures said, 'from your innermost being will flow rivers of Living Water'. THIS JESUS SPOKE OF THE SPIRIT, whom those who believed in Him were to receive.
They had humbled themselves and left their homes. They had given thanks for YHVH giving the harvest. The people - in a place of humility and thanksgiving - were in the right place asking The God of Israel for more of HIM, and also His provision (water).
(Note... Yeshua's words - ... believes in Me as the Scriptures said, "from your innermost being will flow ... living water" - is a quote from Isaiah 58:9 & 11).
The story of that Feast of Tabernacles Day at The Temple continues in John 8:12. Verse 20 of John 8 says at this point Yeshua is in the "treasury" which HAD to be in the Court of the Women. (Remember the widow's mite? How could she have access to the "treasury" to put in her gift if it was not in the only place she, as a woman could access - the Court of the Women.) The history from the rabbis tell us the four fifty-foot columns with huge lamps were erected in ... you guessed it - the Court of the Women.
So Yeshua is standing under these huge, man-made lights... lights that would be GONE the next day (because they were only up for Feast of Tabernacles and He was there on the last, Great Day of the Feast). What does He say?
I am The Light of the World. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of Life.
Darkness is coming the very next day... the huge lights will be taken down. And as Winter approaches, there is less and less light to each day... darkness is coming. And darkness is setting in as human history is nearing its end. In the very next chapter of John Yeshua warns, "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; darkness is coming when no one can work." Scripture tells over and over again how things will get very dark before Yeshua returns.
So much darkness!
So many kinds of darkness!
BUT !!! For those who choose to follow Yeshua, the darkness is defeated and The Light of Immanuel - God with us - who NEVER leaves us or forsakes us - is always available to us.
THIRSTY? PATH DARK? YOU NEED SUKKOT -
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
Is there some part of your emotions that is unfulfilled or out of control?
Is there some part of your mind following a bad track?
Are some of the ways you think damaged compared to the purity and love of God?
Having met Yeshua, are you longing to more closely follow Him? Or - back up a step - are you needing that desire to better follow Him?
Are you thirsty for these crucial needs to be met?
CALL ON YESHUA! He loves to answer the prayers of the humble and thankful. HIS LIVING WATER will rise up from where you have invited Him into your spirit (when you were saved by Him) and will wash out of your soul what should NOT be there. And, HIS LIVING WATER will wash into your soul ressurection power, healing and life!
Do you need wisdom for the days ahead?
Is there a situation or a person/people presenting problems for you?
Does the darkness of this sin-sick world press hard upon you?
CALL ON YESHUA! He sees everything that is there in the darkness... it is NOT dark FOR HIM - Psalm 139:12)! He has come to "shine HIS light" - express His Presence (that what "glory is!) - in your soul as you pay attention to Him and get to know Him (2 Cor 4:6).
The Feast of Tabernacles shows the pattern ---> Yeshua wants to be The Living Water and The Light that we need!