EVEN A CHILD CAN BUILD A SUKKAH

Immediately after The Day of Atonement it is time to start building that sukkah!

This is my granddaughter’s first attempt at building a sukkah.

She broke a few of  the rules of proper construction; but she is getting the idea.

Let’s give her grace on the subject of “perfection” since she is still learning.  Can’t we rejoice that she is beginning to understand an important concept in communicating God’s way?  We begin learning the wonders of God’s world even this young and the joy never ends.  It is one long adventure after another.

God is always happy to meet us in the place where we are.  Once He shows up though; we must be willing to take the journey.  He has a lot to teach us about living our lives through the concepts of building of a sukkah.  A sukkah is that three-sided building with an opening in the front.  We all love to use this structure for festivities during The Feast of Tabernacles.

HAVE YOU MADE PLANS FOR YOUR SUKKAH?

Late September, early October brings to us the seven fall holy days which the Jewish people call Sukkot.  If you are a Gentile observing the feast days you might prefer the words translated to English.  Christians tend to say “The Feast of Tabernacles.”

This time is called The Feast of Tabernacles because we dwell in temporary booths or shelters.

These temporary booths are called sukkahs. The word “sukkah” actually translates from Hebrew to English to mean “temporary booths.”  Sometimes we liken them to “little temporary tabernacles.”

There is no Temple in Jerusalem now; so we all must dwell the same way that God showed the Israelites when they were wondering through the wilderness dealing with the same problem.

We must put up our temporary dwellings.

YOU WON’T GET IT UNLESS YOU DO IT

For some people, learning the name of the shelter and then building it is about as deep as the meaning of this goes.

For others; there is SO MUCH MORE to the whole experience.

Those willing to open their eyes and see the wonders of God know that there are awesome surprises waiting in the adventure of the sukkah.

When you actually participate in building a sukkah you begin to understand that there is a lot of hidden meaning to the simple building process.  It isn’t so obvious at first; but year-after-year you can see more and more.

You really won’t get this unless you DO this.

The doing has a lot to do with obeying God just because He is God.

OBEDIENCE

Obedience is the first step toward growth in any part of God’s Kingdom.

It is also a straight path toward joy!

You can be happy from using your human reason and doing what is logical, or you can have JOY from having faith in God by doing what He says. 

God knows the difference.

He looks on the condition of our hearts.

Those of us who have enJOYed our sukkahs for years now have come to realize that there are many reasons God asked us to do this. It is all about stopping to savor the journey.  Also, it is about remembering the past.  For many of us it is about moving on to the future.  The whole process is spiced with love, worship, compassion and mercy.  All of these things come filtering through to us from building and living in a sukkah.

At first though, it is simply all about obedience.

WHY DO WE DO THIS?

Below is the scripture that we are obeying:

“Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath, and you shall take on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. And you shall keep it as a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a STATUTE FOREVER in your generations; you shall celebrate in the seventh month. You shall DWELL IN BOOTHS SEVEN DAYS; all that are Israelite born shall dwell in booths; that your generations may know that I made the Children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD thy God.”(Lev. 23:39-43)

Are you familiar with this scripture?

Have you ever read it and wondered just exactly what it means?

Just who can do this sukkah building anyway?

Don’t you have to be born Jewish?

WHO QUALIFIES TO BUILD A SUKKAH?

So if you are wondering if you REALLY should obey this scripture passage because you might not have been born Israeli; think again.

Are you a Christian?

Then you have been grafted into the family of God and you are an adopted Son of God. That gives you the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as the natural-born children. If you are worried about the fact that the “blood” of this race isn’t yours; don’t be. As a Christian you are covered in the blood of Jesus. That makes you a blood-relative!

The other Christian customs you observe (baptism, communion, etc.) all originally came from the Children of Israel; so why would this custom be different?

God used the nation of Israel to teach us how to live before Him. God commanded these things for all of His children.

The actual act of building the sukkah and observing the Feast of Tabernacles makes us consider many things in a more careful manner.

Each year in the sukkah; God always shows us something new!

It never gets old or boring.

Each year our lessons are layered on top of the last year’s lessons until we are full of the knowledge of what God wants us to have inside our hearts and minds at this feast.

KEEPING THE TRADITION 

Like everything else in life; this sukkah building is a process.

When you begin any process you have to make a conscious decision to begin,.  Once you begin you must be faithful to carry on.  You need to always finish the whole process.

Every phase of building a sukkah carries a different meaning.

Each season you participate the meanings will deepen.

Please don’t take my word for it, test me and find out if what I am saying isn’t true.

EXPERIENCING THE WORDS

God knows we humans have short attention spans.

Sometimes just hearing words isn’t enough for us.

When we are involved in the process of building something, we are more careful to consider what we are doing.  It is easier to grasp the meanings that correspond with our actions.  In taking physical action, our attention spans tend to last longer.  We are able to retain the lessons learned much longer.

The actual building of the sukkah also means more to us because we have physically applied a “hands on” action to associate with our memory of the event.

We also develop a visual image inside our brain of what we are trying to accomplish. This becomes like a photograph or a movie in our heads.  We can pull the vision back up and look at it closer whenever we decide to ponder our actions deeper.  More than likely; we will reflect on them at a later time.

GET READY FOR PURE JOY

By the time we begin building our sukkah for Sukkot those of us who keep all of God’s holy days have already passed through a long process of self-examination which takes place during the days of Elul, Rosh Hashanah, The Days of Awe and all the way through The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur.)

We have spent a lot of time examining the lives we lead.  We have looked at how our lives panned out during the past year.   Most likely, we have found ourselves unworthy and lacking.  We have asked for God’s mercy and forgiveness.  By The Day of Atonement we have gratefully received the mercy, atonement and cleansing from God for our mistakes and sins of the last year.  This whole process serves like a mile-marker which reminds us to keep short accounts with God.

READY FOR JOY

This long examination process happens through the month of Elul, Rosh Hashanah, The Days of Awe and The Day of Atonement.  Those days lead us up to The Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot.  By this time we are completely ready for some joy and celebration!

Finally!

We are finished with all of those days of preparation and their processes to prepare our souls.  We come to the place of building our sukkahs for Sukkot/Tabernacles.

Now we approach the building process with clean hands, hearts and lives.  Isn’t that a great way to begin building a house; temporary or not? That is how all building should begin.

By preparing to enter the temporary shelter after it is built from the good instructions we have been given from God; we arrive at a new and different place in life.  It is a place of new beginnings.

We are beginning a new beginning of the rhythms of daily life.  Everything is in sync with God and God’s way of life.  We have a fresh, clean new page; a new start to a new year.

Our hearts and spirits are excited and ready to start a fresh new year with joy.

We are feeling fine about everything.  It is time to get ready to lift our voices in praise.  Our hearts naturally will want to make a glorious new song for all the world to hear.

LEAVE ALL OF YOUR “STUFF” AT HOME

We don’t bring all our “stuff” into the sukkah.

For this one week we leave the ways of the world behind. 

Without all the “stuff” we feel much less inhibited and a lot less stressful.  We are happy about this  because during the ending of the last sacred year we have been reminded of those REAL things that we REALLY need. 

Previous to entering the sukkah, we dropped off the extra baggage that no longer belongs in our lives.  Before The Day of Atonement arrived, we got our lives straight with God.  Now we are refreshed from not having to carry all that guilt and shame around anymore.

The time of approaching the building of the sukkah is a time that is ripe for joy.

FOLLOWING GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS

We approach the building of this sukkah with obedient hearts.  To build a proper sukkah, you need to be willing to follow God’s instructions.

It isn’t a hard task, but God wants things the way God wants things. After all, He IS God.

God’s way is the way to go when building and using the sukkah.

Sadly, It does seem that most Christians today have either forgotten or are not inclined to follow God’s instructions.

So all the more reason to be careful to observe God’s instructions as we begin to build.

TIMES SIMILAR TO THE DAYS OF NEHEMIAH

Things actually had become rather sad for God’s people in this same way during the days of Nehemiah.  Very similar to today’s culture; the people had been in captivity for so long they had forgotten God’s customs. 

They had forgotten how important the family traditions were to God.

The High Priest named Ezra had to remind them by reading the scriptures out loud and repeating what they had been forgetting to do.

We can read about this in Nehemiah 8:1-8 and Nehemiah 8:14-18.

IN NEHEMIAH’S TIMES:

“All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate.

They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand.

All the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

Ezra the teacher of the law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedajah, Mishael, Malkjah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up.

THE PEOPLE RESPOND WITH AMEN

Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded “Amen! Amen!

Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. The Levites – Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah – instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there.

They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

TEMPORARY SHELTERS

They found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month.  The people were to proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters” as it is written.

THEIR JOY WAS GREAT

So the people in the days of Nehemiah went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.

For the first time in a long time the whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them.  From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.

Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the book of the Law of God.

They celebrated the festival for seven days and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.”

TRADITIONS OF GOD FORGOTTEN

So you see the people in the days of Nehemiah were a lot like the people of today.

They had been away from God’s laws and traditions.  The people had forgotten God’s Holy Days. They had forgotten the scriptures that proclaimed the keeping of them for so long.  How sad that they had forgotten God had said to keep these feasts and festivals.

Those wise people decided to correct those things that had gone wrong with their nation.

God heard their prayers and had mercy on them.  He forgave them for the times that they were unfaithful.

God began to bless their desire for faithfulness.

COULD WE DO THE SAME?

I wonder; could our nation do the same?

Have the people of our nation even considered this?

I’m not just speaking of Holy Days here.  I am speaking of a million combinations of subjects where America has forgotten to chose to follow the ways of God.

Can we go back and correct this?

Could we respond like those in the days of the ministry of Nehemiah?

I am hearing prophets all over the globe state that we are living in The Days of Elijah.  That would mean that God will cover His people with a mantle that brings them into righteousness before God again.  

Can we get there?

I wonder?

AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE

But I regress.

I was telling you all about what God shows us when we begin to build a sukkah and keep Sukkot. It all comes together simply out of obedience and respect for God’s word and commandments. For those who do this; the time is always an amazing experience.

As we build our sukkahs together; we begin to think about the many things that are involved with the building.

The family becomes a team working together to build something up.

We all desire to make our sukkah special.  New bonds are formed in this building together.  They happen among family members when this might have never happened otherwise.

Father’s teach sons.

Mothers teach daughters.

Grandparents pass down their stories.

BECOMING A PART OF HISTORY

Everyone learns the family history.

All learn how to get along together.

Memories of BEING a family are made.

It is so much more than pretty photographs with everyone smiling.  This process is ALL about being together under God and loving one another.

Everyone learns if they work together; they can accomplish more.

Abilities and talents shine forth from some of us that had never been noticed previously. 

A SET APART TIME

We have more quality time set aside in which to notice the qualities God put into each of us.  This is so much easier than when we are living in all the day-to-day, busy struggles of family life.  It is a great time-out for all.

Confidence is built.

People are bonded together in love and respect.

People are more appreciated for what God made them to be.

All of this happens at The Feast of Tabernacles through the simple little project of building a sukkah together. Just like back in those days of Nehemiah, where people learned a lot about each other from the simple act of building walls and gates together.

God knows exactly how to teach us best. 

He is such an awesome Father!

IF OUR NATION WOULD 

We are always pondering what it would take to knit our nation back together again.

Many wonder what it would take to solve the prejudice and the hate and the evil among us.

We are always trying to think of something that could spread across the nation and bring unity and peace to the divisions and these hard times of unrest.

God gave us those answers years and years ago.

ONE SIMPLE ANSWER

We all need the lessons of building a sukkah together.  It just takes a commitment to get out there and practice the process.  There is something magical about going through this process that transforms people and brings the most unlikely human beings together.

Perhaps that is why God suggested we go through this every year during the Feast of Tabernacles.  That could be one reason why He made the whole process of time last for eight whole days.

The rest of the good news is that this concept is only ONE of many other reasons to begin to grasp the DOING of the building of a sukkah at Sukkot.

THERE IS EVEN MORE

Over the years which build upon one another comes the “MORE” part:  

There is an element of the sukkah that makes it more than a historically recognized agricultural shed.  That element is found in the structure of the roof.  There are several reasons that the builders of sukkahs learn which make the building of the roof special.

Technique matters a lot.

First; because it is a canopy made from stalks or branches everyone appreciates the shade that is given to us by the roof of the sukkah. 

SEEING THE STARS

When night comes, everyone realizes how special the roof is; because they can see the stars through the leafy holes in the roof.

Maybe you grasp new glimpses of heaven for the first time.  They are seen by looking through branches grown from the dust of the earth.  It is also pretty awesome to know you are looking at the same stars that Father Abraham looked up at when God first began to make the promises to him.

Who knows?  Perhaps God has a few promises to share with you and your family too.  As you gaze through the roof of your sukkah and ponder the awesomeness of God you will discover so many new possibilities.

Now how do you think that helps the relationships of different types of family members to improve?

Even better; how do you think that type of thinking improves us when we finally leave our temporary shelters and go back to the more permanent structures of our day-to-day life?

Have you ever caught a glimpse of heaven by looking into the eyes of another person?

This is yet another lesson of the sukkah.

THE GLORY OF GOD SHINES THROUGH 

We also learn that the roof of the sukkah acts as a covering.  This is the most important element of the whole structure.  It reminds us of how God covers all of our needs, both spiritually and literally.  He provides a beautiful covering for us.

Spiritually; He provided the covering of the blood of Christ.  That roof over our soul provides us with eternal salvation.  Those little holes that let in the light from which we can see the stars of heaven are a lot like our souls.  We have souls that have holes in them until the light of Christ comes and fills them and gives our lives a whole new quality.  The Glory of God shines through the roof of our sukkahs.  Even on the darkest of nights; we realize that He is always there with us.  

LIFE IN A TENT

We are also reminded to remember that God COVERED all of the needs of the people as they wandered through the wilderness in their temporary shelters.

Remember how the people of Israel in the times of the wilderness tabernacle lived in tents?

Though their lives were in the constant motion of just passing through on a journey; and all of their homes in the wilderness were temporary; they did not want for a thing on their journey.  This was because they had a mighty God looking after them.

God led them, fed them and clothed them from day-to-day.

God gave them shelter.

Each night as they looked up through the doorways of their tents and saw the stars of the heavens shining down on them; they were reminded of God’s provision for their every need.

We too, remember God’s provision for our lives when we build and dwell inside our sukkah!

It is a time of great thankfulness.

There is SO much to learn from building the sukkah!

TOO MUCH FOR ONE ARTICLE

It is actually so much that it cannot be contained in this one little article.

I will be writing more on this subject of building and living in a sukkah as time goes on.

If you have not caught my sukkah stories for children; you can find them inside my new book called GOLDEN TALES FOR RAINY DAYS AND OTHER SPECIAL OCCASIONS.  It is listed at Amazon.com.  I am working on a hardback edition and will let you know when it is ready.

In the meantime; do you have all that you need for your sukkah?

The Feast of Tabernacles will be here before you know it!