Jesus, Your Feast of Sukkot

This evening begins the Jewish Festival of Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles. Five days after the solemn holiday Yom Kippur (which points to Jesus as our perfect atoning Sacrifice, John 5:39), this joyous festival is all about rejoicing and celebrating!

A sukkah is a booth (hut) or temporary shelter made out of branches from many types of beautiful leafy trees (olive, palm…) that the Israelites were instructed to make and dwell in for seven days commemorating their time in the wilderness (after the exodus from Egypt) in which God faithfully provided for them.

But this “Tree-of-Life” covering points to Jesus, our true Tabernacle and Shelter! “And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his Father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth” (John‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭AMPC‬).

Jesus chose to leave His Throne in Heaven to take on human flesh, to really “feel you,” redeem you and raise you back up with Him on His Throne of Love to have a real relationship with you.

For your old self died and your real life is now hidden with Christ in God. Jesus is your dwelling place! In Leviticus 23:42, the Lord told the Israelites to dwell (sit down, abide, rest, remain) in their booths for seven days.

In Bible Numerics, the number seven speaks of completion and perfection. It’s the number that represents Jesus’ perfect, complete, finished work on the cross! Genesis 2 speaks of God finishing His work of creation by the seventh day and resting.

But that is all a shadow of God finishing the work of redemption; Jesus becoming the sin of fallen humanity at Calvary so we could be raised in His righteousness and enter into His rest!

He tabernacled among us so we could dwell forever in the secret place of His Heavenly Tent; His Presence! (Psalm 91:1).

This is why despite my struggles, I can “greatly rejoice! And my soul can exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah‬ ‭61:10‬ ‭AMPC‬‬).

Beloved, you are safe in your Savior-Shelter! You are cared for in your Christ-Covering! You are found and known in Him! Your Father doesn’t want you burned-out, striving to perform in order to please Him. He wants you abiding (trusting, having internal peace, being at home in His love) and receiving from Him because you are already pleasing to Him.

The Feast of Sukkot is an appointed time to get your joy on because YOU were the joy and prize set before Him to endure the cross, it’s suffering and shame. It’s His joy for you! His love for you! His devotion to you! His favor for you!

Just as the Israelites made a physical covering that would hedge them in, keep them from distractions, and cause them to be focused on the One who always provided and cared for them, so too, let us look away from all that Is distracting us now and look unto Jesus; our Hiding Place and Shepherd Who preserves us from trouble and surrounds us with songs and shouts of deliverance!” (Psalm 32:7).

Resting In His Love,

Annalee Reyes