Can you imagine camping for 40 years? That’s what happened to the Israelites after getting scared when they saw
how hard it was going to be to conquer the Promised Land. This is why God gives
his people the Feast of Tabernacles where each family builds a temporary hut
called a sukkot to live in it for a week to help them remember that God took
care of them after bringing them into freedom and while they wandered in the
wilderness.
God tells Moses,
"On the first day you shall take the branches or fruit of luxuriant
trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows" and "You shall live in booths seven
days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, in order that future
generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I
brought them out of the land of Egypt."
It’s to make sure the
people remember that God saved them and to trust him for all our needs:
physically, emotionally and spiritually. This is why the cry “Hosanna,” which means “Save us,” from Psalm 118, became
one of the cries of joy in this feast. It helps us understand why the people
were shouting “Hosanna” to Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem. They saw Jesus as a Messiah who has
come to save them from their oppressors.
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the spirit of celebration in this feast moves
the people to cry out “Hosanna” to Jesus, the descendant of the great King David. Their dream is of a
Messiah to come free them and put their own king on the throne in Jerusalem. The Feast of Tabernacles gets connected to the coming Messiah that all
the nations would come and worship. Zechariah picks up on this when he writes, "And it shall come to
pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem
shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to
keep the Feast of Tabernacles."
During the feast, priests draw water from the Pool
of Siloam and offer it on the altar with a prayer, asking God to provide rain
for the land in the year ahead. On the last day of the feast, Jesus, seeing the
priests pouring the water on the altar, tells the people, “If anyone is thirsty,
let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scriptures has
said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” Jesus is referring here to the coming of the Holy Spirit. The living
water of the Holy Spirit is what flows out of us looks like grace, mercy,
compassion for others and more. Jesus takes all the different parts of this
feast and applies them to himself and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The next
morning, looking at the burning torches, Jesus says, "I am the light of the
world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light
of life."
Jesus uses the images of the feast to tell us that we can trust him, find hope in him. He’s asking us, are you dry inside, are you beginning to
wonder about what’s really important and what’s not? Do you go from worrying about one thing straight into worrying about
something else? Is life a little dark right now and you’re looking for
something to bring some light and hope? At a time like this, when we cannot
get together in person and are staying home so much more, it’s easy to develop
unhealthy routines and ways of thinking that focus on what we don’t have and
aren’t able to do, leading to feelings of frustration, boredom, or anxiety.
That’s why I think this feast today is so important, Jesus calls us to look to
him, reminding us that we can experience Jesus in the everyday things of life
like water, or a tree branch, or a simple light.
Jesus provides life for our souls and spirits. Jesus’ offer to fill us with his living water is to help us feel life
and freedom and hope. He does it by taking our sin, sorrow and suffering to the
cross and leaving it in the grave as he rises from the grave. Jesus says, “Trust
me, come to me, meet with me and I will help you discover the purpose and
meaning that brings shape to your lives.”
Sitting down with an older man a few years ago, he shared that while he was really successful,
and he made sure I knew how successful he has been, he couldn’t figure out why
he wasn’t happier. He felt as if there was something missing in his life. He figured that since I was a pastor, I should be able to help him
enjoy his success more. I have to admit that I laughed out loud, probably not
the most pastoral response, but I couldn’t help it. I asked him why he thought
I would have an answer for him when he hasn’t been a serious part of the church
for quite a while and God has never really been part of his life. He looked
offended and so I asked him what he was using his wealth and stuff for and he
said he was simply enjoying life now.
I told him that his sense of something missing came from believing his life was his, that he
was completely in control and that he deserved everything his has. I told him
that he had no sense of gratitude or thankfulness in his life because he earned
what he has. I told him that once he could see that what he has is a gift, that
he doesn’t deserve what he has, that there are many people who have worked way
harder than he ever has and have so much less, and yet are happier because they
are thankful. Those who see what they have as a gift are more likely to be
generous and to bless others, bringing happiness and a sense of meaning as they
help others to succeed. He thought I was spouting off a lot of nonsense and he
left, but he was no happier. Pride and a lack of humility made him deaf to what
I had said. This is why God told Israel to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles,
to help them remember that it’s God who gives them what they have.
Jesus meets us in our wilderness times when life is hard and the future is uncertain, as it is today with so
many not working and wondering when we can be with friends and family again,
when we can worship together in church again, and return to work and some
semblance of normal. Jesus meets us; invites us to, “Come, drink from me and
I will fill you with life again, follow me and I will bring light back into
your world so that you can see life more clearly. Take some time and spend it
with me, take a look at the stars and trust in me, the creator of the stars and
know that this time too will pass and I am with you through it all.”
Jesus invites us to experience his presence. He asks us to think about how he can use us to bring light, hope and
life to someone who is lonely, or afraid, or who needs a little help at this
time. How can we create a healthy grace-filled community where everyone is
taken care of during this time and moving forward? We know God provides for all
our needs and calls us to make sure that everyone is cared for: body, heart and
souls. At a time like this, Jesus provides for those who are lonely, those who
are struggling with anxiety, worry and fear through us as we reach out by
phone, email, text, messenger and other creative ways. For those who might find
themselves in tense and even unsafe situations because of the stress, Jesus
sees and cares for you; we are here to walk with you and more if you need us.
We ask that you leave a message, give us a call and we will respond.
Like Israel we are on a journey and our homes
in this world are not permanent, but only temporary tents, as Paul mentions.
The Feast of Tabernacles invites us to trust Jesus to lead us, to trust that
Jesus loves us and knows what we need and provides us with a way that leads to
health and wholeness in life. Jesus not only teaches us how to live, he gives us
an example of how to live and sends his Spirit to guide us, shine his light
into our hearts and lives, and fills us with his comfort, peace, and hope
during this unusual time.
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