This week's parsha is: HAPPY SUKKOT
Lev 22:26-23:44
Numbers 29:12-31
Exodus 33:12-34:26
Zech 14:1-21
I Kings 8:2-21
John 1:10-14
Rev 7:1-10, 21:1-4
Leviticus 22
26 The LORD said to Moses, 27 "When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as an offering made to the LORD by fire. 28 Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.
29 "When you sacrifice a thank offering to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 30 It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the LORD.
31 "Keep my commands and follow them. I am the LORD. 32 Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes [a] you holy [b] 33 and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD."
Leviticus 23
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.
The Sabbath
3 " 'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.
The Passover and Unleavened Bread
4 " 'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: 5 The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. 6 On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. 7 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. 8 For seven days present an offering made to the LORD by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.' "
Firstfruits
9 The LORD said to Moses, 10 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. 11 He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. 12 On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect, 13 together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah [c] of fine flour mixed with oil—an offering made to the LORD by fire, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin [d] of wine. 14 You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
Feast of Weeks
15 " 'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD. 18 Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the LORD, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 19 Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. [e] 20 The priest is to wave the two lambs before the LORD as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the LORD for the priest. 21 On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
22 " 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.' "
Feast of Trumpets
23 The LORD said to Moses, 24 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire.' "
Day of Atonement
26 The LORD said to Moses, 27 "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, [f] and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. 28 Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. 29 Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. 30 I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32 It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath."
Feast of Tabernacles
33 The LORD said to Moses, 34 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. 36 For seven days present offerings made to the LORD by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. It is the closing assembly; do no regular work.
37 (" 'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing offerings made to the LORD by fire—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the LORD's Sabbaths and [g] in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the LORD.)
39 " 'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. 40 On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths 43 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.' "
44 So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed feasts of the LORD.
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You can find out the logistics of Sukkot by reading the Leviticus scripture (feasts) below is an article about the "Jesus signifigance" new phrase...
From: followtherabbi.com-RVL
SUKKOT AND LIVING WATER
There was another special element to the celebration of Sukkot, and it involved living water. Sukkot took place at the end of the dry season. The rains needed to begin immediately to ensure a harvest the following year. Thus the celebration of God's harvest was coupled with fervent prayer for next year's rains. Some believe this custom came from Solomon's prayer at the Sukkot dedication of the temple (2 Chron. 6). He prayed that God would forgive the sins of the people when they prayed toward the temple and that he would not withhold the rains (2 Chron. 6:26?27). The people knew that no rain meant no life. So the priests added a ceremony that included a prayer for rain. They may have based this ceremony on Isaiah 12:3: "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation."
This part of the ceremony involved a procession of priests, accompanied by flutes, marching from the temple to the Pool of Siloam, which was fed by the Spring of Gihon. One of the priests filled a golden pitcher (more than a quart) with water, and the procession returned to the temple. They arrived just after the sacrifices were laid on the altar. The priest carrying the pitcher entered the priests' court through the Water Gate and, to the blast of the shofar, approached the altar. He made one circle around the altar as the crowd sang the Hallel. Then the priest climbed the ramp and stood near the top of the altar. Here there were two silver funnels leading into the stone altar for the daily drink offerings. As the crowd grew silent, the priest solemnly poured the water into one of the funnels. Again the people, accompanied by the Levitical choir, began to chant the Hallel. The sound was deafening because of the thousands of pilgrims jammed into the Temple courts. In this way, they asked God for life-giving rain. The living water they used apparently acknowledged it was God who brought rain and life. The chant of the Hosanna?"0 Lord, save us!"?now meant "Save us by sending rain as well."
It seems hardly possible, but the celebration became even more intense as the week drew to a close. When the seventh day of the feast arrived, the courts of the temple were packed with worshipers. Chants of praise were heard throughout the city, and thousands of lulavim waved in the air. The priestly procession went to the living water of the Pool of Siloam. As the massive crowd waited expectantly, the sacrifices were offered, and the priests chanted, "0 Lord, save us! 0 Lord, grant us success!" (Ps. 118:25).
The procession returned and entered the Court of the Gentiles, then went through the water gate into the priests' court. As hundreds of priests chanted the Hosanna ("Deliver us! Save us!") and thousands of people jammed into the temple courts, the procession circled the altar seven times (remembering the walls of Jericho, which fell after seven circuits because of God's great power). Then there were three blasts on the trumpets, and the crowd grew still as the priest poured the living water into the tunnel. Now the chanting became even more intense: "Save us, hosanna! Help us, hosanna!" and the next verse: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD" (Ps. 118:26). The waving of the lulavim reached a frenzy as branches were beaten against the ground until the leaves fell off.
Gradually, the people fell silent as they returned, exhausted, to dismantle their booths before journeying home. God had blessed them. They had celebrated joyously his presence, thanking him for his gift of land and the bountiful harvest. They had begged for his continued blessing of the rains and had pleaded for political freedom as well. They were now prepared to face another year.
Two thoughts...
First, God let them eat the praise offering? It had to be consumed before morning? It sounds like God wanted them to have a praise and worship service followed by food. Otherwise, the food would have to be thrown away.
Second,
Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, [f] and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. 28 Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. 29 Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people.
vs.
Mark 8:34-35 (NIV) Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."
Some sobering words in both the Old Testament and the New Testament regarding the issue of denying oneself.
Celebrate Heaven on Earth during SUKKOT!
Do you need some high quality H20, as the “Water Boy” would say? Do you feel cranky? Are you worrying about “stuff?” When was the last time you went on a nature walk? How long has it been since you have picked up a glass of water, taken a sip and sighed, “Ahh... That’s some good stuff!” (My 3 year old nephew Jake did that a while ago, and I was rolling on the floor in laughter! You see… kids GET this kingdom stuff better than us at times!)
Ladies and Gentlemen: The dry season is over. It is our blessed new year! God has been good to us. He has taught us love a new. We are refreshed by His grace. Sukkot – Tabernacles/Booths – (ending in the sacred assembly; Leviticus 23:33-44) is the finale of the feasts which begin the spiritual New Year. For the last week the people of God were called to remember. The shofar had been blown, and the Days of Awe are a recent memory. God has judged, and we are forgiven by the blood of the lamb, Jesus the anointed One from Nazareth. We took time to confess, reconcile and set spiritual goals for the New Year. Yom Kippur, once again, is a year away. Sukkot is simply the ending, which interestingly enough, points back to the beginning. Sukkot is about remembrance regarding the care that was given to the Hebrew people during the 40 years in the wilderness. Delivered from their oppressive enemies, God provided for the Hebrew people. They lived in booths, ate manna and were filled with the complete law of the Lord.
Taking hold of this final holiday of the New Year, we engage with open hearts. We enter His gates with praise. We declare Him as our Good Shepherd. This is a time where we celebrate God’s provision. He has given us a plentiful harvest. He has given us water, and His son is the source of true, Living Water. Literally, we are made aware that we are well fed and we are given the opportunity to praise God for His rich blessings. He has given us food and a roof over our heads.
Our God has always been a good God, shepherding His people, moving them from bondage to liberation. He has clearly given us laws and precepts that directly reflect his holy character, and has given us the ability to choose life so that we may experience the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. When I think about the transition within these sacred holidays, I am stunned and humbled at the amount of love our God has for us, his beloved children.
This was a highly emotional worship experience beyond singing a few contemporary praise songs. This was a full out, worship extravaganza!!!!
Sukkot begins this week. Hmm… God’s people rejoicing beyond imagination… what might that look like? Take some time this week and reflect on the goodness of the land. Thank God for the trees, open skies, lakes, rivers, mountains, vast seas, birds, dogs, and even cats. Thank him for cattle, fruit, veggies and the organic, fair trade coffee one can purchase at the LOFT Coffee House. Celebrate His holy Name. Remember where your “stuff” came from, and put the rest of your “stuff” into perspective. Hug your child a little longer, and thank God that He has given us fresh water to take our precious showers. Otherwise, you might not want to hold your kid that long. When you walk outside and take a deep breath, know that you are in the house of the Lord – The Temple Beth – El! Thank Him for the celebration that is already becoming… heaven on earth! HERE AND NOW! FOREVER… “I’M GONNA DANCE IN THE RIVER, YA…” (Chris Tomlin put into some serious, celebratory context! Amen, brotha’ Chris!)
Thanks be to Jesus, the source of Living Water!
Peace
Ryan
These are some of the items that stand out to me today.
C.R.
30 It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. (MANNA)
12 On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect, 13 together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah [c] of fine flour mixed with oil—an offering made to the LORD by fire, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin [d] of wine. (Symbolism I see – the grain as symbolic of the generations who are dedicated to G-d since the days of Moses. The lamb is of course reference to Jesus and our yearly rededication to striving to follow in his footsteps. The oil is a source of light, protection, and anointment (olive oil has a very high heat tolerance and would protect the grain from burning too quickly and help the grain and the lamb retain its moisture and prevent the loss of some nutrients and flavors thus becoming more flavorful and nourishing). Aroma is symbolic of prayers and the wine speaks to me of a wedding. Fire is the purification process. This whole passage reminds me of the covenant with Abraham.
22 " 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.' “This speaks to me of testimony of the great things G-d had done. Don’t keep it all to your self but share the harvest and the goodness of G-d’s favor with others so that they might come to know him and see his goodness through out the generations. It also speaks of faith that He will continue to provide and living out of G-d providing our needs and denying the temptations to rely on self in order that others might also be able to reap a harvest. (In farming, a portion of seed would be set aside for sale/trade as economic support and a more important portion would be set aside for planting in the following year. Likewise, anyone who was in need would probably do much the same with what they gleaned from the field in an effort to slowly pull themselves out of the poor conditions they found themselves and move into self support at some point. The seed is only good for so long before it deteriorates and becomes unusable. Having to purchase seed would be extremely expensive and limited in supply.)
Favorite passage from TOW:
"And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. Then Solomn said, 'The LORD has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.'"
The question is this: Do you really WANT God's prescence...his GLORY? Because you will be floored...heartbroken...might even die if you catch a glimpse of his face. Because a whole Isrealite community was invited to see God to experience him in the most intimate of ways....and only Moses had the gal to do it. Exodus 33:12-20
This presence sets us apart....makes us holy 3:14-15 do we want that..thirst for that because let's remember what it takes to be made holy "sanctified" it takes god MOVING IN YOU(1Thes 5:23)..breaking down walls installing new plumbing...there will be a period of dying (col 3:5) a period of refining..testing by fire (Mal 3:2-3). Oh man
SUKKOT is a celebration..no doubt. God gives them adundance...13 bulls day Numb 29:12-31 crazy amounts of fruit..produce..everything dancing music yay..Lev 23:40-43
but what are we commemerating? A time when we dwelled in tents...a time where we were literally commanded to ONLY THINK OF TODAY (Exodus-Manna)...wait are we still commanded to do that?
Look at who God says he is Ex 33:19..look at God's name in the burning bush Ex 3:14
Lev 23:22 don't glean the corners, leave them for the poor and the alien...doesn't that take vulnerability? on behalf of the weak I mean? Love the picture of community care
"You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk"- doesn't that law just sound like a picture of what's right?
Ultimately it is all about KINGDOM NOW..
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