I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family or friends. There are so many things we can be thankful for that it’s easy to take for granted. Did you know that American Thanksgiving likely has specific connections to the Bible beyond the general platitudes of gratitude to God? At the end of the harvest in 1621, Christian colonists joined with natives to thank God for a successful harvest with a bountiful meal. Where else do we encounter a group of religious travelers praising God with a meal for an abundant harvest? A Harvest Festival Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles […]
Tag Archives: Sukkot
Your Invitation to God’s “Holy Day” Celebrations
Happy new year! I hope you are having a good holiday season. I use the word “holiday” deliberately here, not to obscure the centrality of Christ in Christmas, but to focus on the literal definition of “holiday”: a “holy” day. Throughout the year, we have various celebratory days that are “set apart” (that’s what “holy” means). The rest of the days are common, or unholy, by contrast. There’s nothing wrong with these ordinary days; they’re just not special like the others. As we start a new calendar year, did you know that God has a calendar full of scheduled holy […]
Sermon – What are you Carrying?
Sermon from October 13, 2019
Tent Specifications
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. Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters. Leviticus 23:41-42 The festival of Sukkot (tablernacles/booths) is upon us again! It began Monday. I’m typing this from within my sukkah (singular of sukkot). When I was in Israel this summer at a place called Neot Kedumim, I wandered around an area they have of various sukkot. The sages decided what made for […]
Not Permanent
For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 2 Corinthians 5:4 Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) began with the blood moon Sunday evening. I was finishing constructing my sukkah as the moon was eclipsing. I’m still too nervous about constructing it outside, so it’s in my living room. I must confess that it does not meet sukkah standards. The Lord said to set up and spend time in […]
Planted
 They will be called oaks of righteousness,   a planting of the LORD   for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:3b East of Tel Aviv is a park called Neot Kedumim, which is dedicated to the plants of the Bible. If you get the chance, I would highly recommend spending a few hours here. The Bible is filled with plants and this park gives some insights into object lessons which are not always apparent. There are several trails to choose from. We chose the trail with the theme of “milk and honey” and set off. It was split in two […]
God’s Tent
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 The last of the fall festivals has just finished: Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. We set up our sukkah and have enjoyed spending time in it. Spending time in a sukkah is meant to remind us of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness, living in tents for forty years. The Israelites followed the presence of God through that harsh, hot land. God dwelled in their midst. […]
The Choice to Rejoice
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. Leviticus 23:40 Yesterday I wrote about the tents of Sukkot. Today I want to address another aspects of the festival. God commands that this week be a week of rejoicing. In fact, today this last day is called Simchat Torah (the Rejoicing of the Torah). The Torah Scrolls are brought out and there is great dancing and rejoicing. It was fun to witness this last year in Jerusalem. There arises […]
Camping out with God
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. 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. Leviticus 23:41-43 This past week has been the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot in Hebrew). I’ve been remembering the sukkah (booth/tent) I built at JUC last year. After the time […]
Holiday Weekend
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Colossians 2:16-17 Monday was Memorial Day, a day in the US where we remember those who have fought in our wars and gone before us. Sunday I mentioned it was Pentecost. That made for a full holiday weekend, but also an enjoyable one. Perhaps you’ve read on my blog about the various festivals mentioned […]