Feast of Tabernacles 2017 Thoughts and Reflections
Feast of Tabernacles 2017 Thoughts and Reflections
What is the Best Way to Witness to Non-Torah-Keepers?
Right and Wrong Ways to Witness
This is probably one the most frequently asked questions that I have received over the years, and to be honest, there is no true right answer to the question.
I do believe that there is a wrong way to go about witnessing or telling non-Torah Keepers about our Faith, and that entails beating the non-Torah-Keeper over the head with the Bible/Torah in an attempt to force them to see things our way. Beating non-believers over the head with the Word of God simply does not work. No one likes to be beat with the Word of God. When a Torah-keeping believer uses God’s Word in an attempt to force a non-Torah-keeper to agree with the believer’s perspective and belief, the non-believer is forced to take a defensive stance to defend against the “beat down.” It is an inevitable natural defense mechanism that most I employ when facing aggressive opposition.
Coming in to the Faith Kicking and Screaming?
Seems clear to me that Master never forced Himself on anyone. Who in their right mind would wish for anyone to come into the True Faith Once Delivered “kicking and screaming?” The ideal convert to our Faith is one who ultimately becomes profoundly convinced in their heart, mind and soul that our Faith is based upon Truth that they have been searching for their entire life.
Christians’ Rejection of The Law
There is no secret that Christianity, as a whole, generally rejects the keeping of what they popularly refer to as The Law.
Most Christian rejection of Torah is derived from their mishandled, mismanaged, misinterpreted and misunderstanding of the writings of the Apostle Paul.
I believe that Torah-Keeping Believers in Yeshua Messiah are prone to commit a critical error when they convince themselves that they can somehow overturn centuries of ingrained anti-Torah indoctrination. The Protestant Church has been building upon the hijacked doctrines of “grace” for centuries (viz., since Calvin and Luther). The “grace” doctrines, of course, were put in place after Protestant leaders called out the Catholic Church for their abuse of the two-part biblical principle of faith and works that the Apostle James so brilliantly wrote about in his foundational general leter.
The protestant reformers, in response to the abuses of the Catholic Church related to the concept of works and faith, turned a cold shoulder to James and fully embraced the “grace-heavy” writings of the Apostle Paul. This turning to the writings and teachings of Paul was not done with any firm understanding of the delicate balance that Paul was actually placing on grace, works and the law. The grace agenda over the years overshadowed and ultimately replaced works and the law as crucial elements of Christian life. Prior to the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church had already forced the removal of Torah-keeping as a critical element of the Christian life. Ultimately, the doctrine of “sola gratia”–grace only–became the Christian ethos, finally conquering and destroying the delicate balance of grace-faith-works-Torah that was once the government of our Faith.
As an aside, did you know that the Book of James almost did not make it in to our present day canon of scripture because he categorically endorsed this delicate balance?
Think Not!
Think not that I am come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17; NAS).
There are No Words
There are no convincing words that we can speak; no single proof-positive Bible verse that we can reference; no physical, natural or even spiritual demonstrations that we can perform that will stop a Christian dead in their tracks and force them to repent and convert to the True Faith once delivered.
It took the Damascus Road Event to convince Paul that he was on the wrong path of life (Acts 9). Literally, the scales had to drop from Paul’s eyes before he would see the error of his ways. His was a dramatic and powerful conversion and a poignant touchstone for any Messianic Believer who would share their Faith with non-Believers.
Paul’s Damascus Road Experience, taken in conjunction with the experiences of myself and others who have made the transition over to Hebrew Roots, strongly hints that witnessing alone will not effect change in non-Believers. Does every conversion require a Damascus Road level event take place to effect the conversion? No. Nevertheless, I would suggest that some form of “change agent” must be employed to effect the change, and that change agent is God’s Spirit.
Paul wrote the following to the Corinthian Assembly of Believers:
After all, what is Apollos? What is Sha’ul (viz., Paul)? Only servants through whom you came to trust. Indeed, it was the Lord who brought you to trust through one of us or through another. I planted, Apollos watered, but it was God who made it grow (I Corinthians 3:5,6; CJB).
Here we see from Paul’s writing that it falls to the Father to effect a change in the non-Believer; all we can do is to make the initial delivery of the Word to the initiate.
The Word of God (Yahovah) has throughout the New Testament been so wonderfully and aptly likened unto “seed” that is to be planted among the nations of the world. No farmer or gardners, regardless how talented and experienced they may be in cultivating their preferred plants, can in and of themselves cause their seeds to germinate and grow. It falls to the wonders of nature–the provisions of Almighty God (our Elohim) to effect the growth. The same thinking must be applied when we consider delivering the Word of God to non-Believers, especially non-Torah keepers.
Discipleship Over Witnessing
I would contend that much of our problems as it relates to effective Hebrew Roots/Messianic evangelism is rooted in a gross misunderstanding of the “Great Commission.” Protestant Christianity effectively took the clear directive of our Master Yeshua’s commission to make for Him disciples of the nations (i.e., of the peoples of the earth) and turned it into global program to get people into heaven.
Indeed, the disciples were tasked by Master Yahoshua (a.k.a., Jesus Christ) to baptize and make disciples of every creed, race and nationality of people on the earth. The would-be discples were to then be taught by those same discples soon turned apostles the things that Master taught them while He sojourned among them (Matthew 28:19,20; NAS). Contrary to mainstream Christian understanding of the Great Commission, these disciples we were NOT tasked by Master to go out and get people saved. I would therefore contend that it is this gross misunderstanding of the Great Commission that has resulted in our ineffective and feeble attempts at evangelism.
The Making of a Disciple
This concept of discipleship by its very nature violently defies and flies in the face of the “grace only” crowds of Christianity; for by its very nature the term denotes an established process by which one is made to follow, conform and imitate the Master. Discipleship is work-intensive; it is not passive as tradition would lead us to believe. More so, and this may be the most troublesome aspect of the equation to Christians, discipleship requires full acceptance and obedience to Torah. Why? Because Yeshua Messiah (a.k.a., Jesus Christ) kept Torah perfectly. If the intiate is to conform to the image of his or her master, by the very nature of the concept of discipleship, he or she MUST follow and obey the very principles followed, obeyed and taught by the Master. What principles then did Yeshua Messiah follow, obey and teach? Those principles–every last one of them–were key elements of Torah!
Here’s the next shoe to drop in this soliloquy: a master chooses his disciples; disciples do not choose their master. The record bears that Yeshua handpicked every one of His disciples.
Yeshua possessed many disciples during His earthly ministry (Luke 10). Most Christians fail to grasp the reality of this because the church’s focus has always been on Master’s inner core of 12, each of whom (with the exception of Judas Iscariot) ultimately went on to become the great apostles who built upon the work that Master initiated (Matthew 10; Luke 9; Mark 6). Master Yahoshua chose who would be His disciples who had certain qualities that would qualify them for the arduous work of delivering the true Gospel to the nations of the world. He had stringent and uncompromising standards that most would-be disciples could not meet (reference the story of the rich young man as recorded in Matthew 19; the man who wanted to be a disciple but wanted first to bury his father in Luke 9; the one who would be a disciple but who wanted first to go and bid farewell to his friends and family before embarking on the journey in Luke 9).
If we take this classic concept of a first-century master and his disciples and we step back and look at this question of witnessing to non-believers in the 21st-century, we should see the “Great Commission” in an entirely different light. The quest of every current disciple of Yeshua HaMashiyach (a.k.a., Jesus Christ) must change from beating the bushes to feret out unwilling, unwitting, unassuming and scripturally ignorant non-Believers to planting and watering the seed–the Word of our Elohim (a.k.a., God)–and stepping aside for our heavenly Father to ignite the flames of change in those who He chooses.
Planting the Seeds of Change
We plant and water but Father must effect the actual germination and growth.
The seeds (viz., the Word of the Most High God) of change, so to speak, cannot be indescriminately scattered amongst the peoples of the world. The seeds of change must be guarded maintained in our hearts, minds, souls and spirits, ever-so-ready for the good-ground that Father makes available to us. Unfortunately, we do not come by good-ground so easily. I would go so far as to say that good-ground must come to us, and if we make ourselves accessible and available to Father, He will faithfully bring that good ground to us, albeit at some of the most unexpected times.
From my personal experience and study, the most effective means by which to receive that good ground is simply by living and walking out our Faith as the Holy Spirit facilitates. This make include: faithfully and meticulously keeping Torah the way Master Yeshua modeled for us; showing love and compassion to all people, regardless their respective stations in life. When we live our lives openly and transparently this way, we are showing forth light before men such that they see our good works and end up glorifying our Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
Remember the classic Kevin Costner movie, “Field of Dreams?” What was the pivotal saying that came out of that movie that has been burned into popular culture: “If you build it, they will come?”
Building Upon the Firm Foundation
Building upon the firm foundation which is our Master and Saviour will naturally bring that good ground to us so that we may do our required part of the Great Commission.
When the world sees how we live and talk, it naturally awakens curiosity, especially in those who are genuinely seeking Truth and understanding. Torah-living was ingeniously designed by Father to serve as a beacon, whereby men are drawn from all parts of the world to query and understand what we are all about.
It is through this paradigm that good ground is brought to us such that we may plant and water the seeds of the Word of the Most High.
We should bear in mind, Master promised that when the time comes to share our Faith with non-Believers, He would have the Comforter work with within us so that we can effectively deliver the Good News:
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you (John 15:26).
Select Opportunities that Invite the Sharing of God’s Word
So the thinking is that our living provides the light by which good, fertile ground is made available for inplantation and watering of the Word of Truth. Given that we become the planters and waters, we must “always be prepared to give every man an answer who ask of us a reason of the hope that is in us with gentleness and respect (I Peter 3:15).”
Father provides many obvious and not-so-obvious opportunities to share our Faith with others:
- Receiving requests or coming across opportunities to pray for a non-believer’s healing or deliverance offers excellent opportunities to share our Faith.
- People often inquire of me about my wearing of tzitzits out in public which I have parlayed into opportunities to share my Faith with them.
- Sometimes people notice that you don’t celebrate Christmas or Easter; or better, that you observe and celebrate the Feasts of Yahovah, and that curious behavior that defies what the rest of the world is doing may prompt inquiries by them and offer wonderful opportunities to share the Faith.
Let’s Not Forget the Workings of the Holy Spirit
Then there is the working of the Holy Spirit that should be factored in to our evangelical efforts.
Master Yahoshua, often before He preached and taught the masses, provided a demonstration of the power and authority of the Holy Spirit that was operating in Him. Yeshua healed the sick, delivered people from oppressive spirits; raised the dead; and fed the hungry. If we are at such a maturity level in our walk with Messiah that the power and might of the Holy Spirit (aka the Ruach HaKodesh) is actively operating such that people are being healed and delivered through our direct interventions, then such manifestations of the Spirit will naturally open the door and provide powerful opportunities to share the Faith with non-believers.
Rod’s 7-Evangelical Principles
Here are 7-things to consider when making ourselves available to disciple non-Torah keepers:
1. Study, study, study in preparation for discipleship opportunities.
2. Get close to Father by allowing His Spirit to be the dominant and guiding spirit in our lives. Adopt the Mind of Messiah—think as He thought; behave as He behaved (I Corinthians 2:16).
3. Pray that Father uses us in the work of the Gospel and in the making of new disciples for Yeshua Messiah (I Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18).
4. Give first before seeking to reap a harvest of new souls for Messiah. In other words, bear good fruit—do good—let your light shine before men such that our Father in heaven is glorified (Colossians 1:10).
5. Walk out this Faith with perfection and zeal (Philippians 3:14,15). Friends, this is like being in professional athletics—there is a lot of preparation involved; practice; honing our skills and our spiritual bodies such that Father can get the best use of us as He sends us forth to make disciples for Master Yahoshua.
6. Be transparent and approachable. The biggest problem I see manifested in our Faith Community in this regard is the high, mighty and haughty demeanor of so messianics. Why are so many messianics this way? I believe it can be attributed, in great part, to the over–accumulation of Biblical knowledge which Paul warns has the potential of puffing one up (I Corinthians 8:1). It is truly a sad thing to see, especially on social media: individuals genuinely seeking Truth that are brutalized by the more knowledgeable of our Community. The knowledge put forth by such individuals is devoid of compassion, justice and love. And so many of these pompous know-it-alls hide cowardly behind their knowledge, afraid to reveal their weaknesses as disciples of Messiah and fearful of being vulnerable to others themselves.
7. Lastly, understand that it’s all about Him, and not at all about us.
Happy discipling!
Feast of Tabernacles 2017 Thoughts and Reflections
Why a Discussion on Tabernacles After the Fact?
Why discuss the Feast of Tabernacles 2017 after its passing? To recap Tabernacles from an experiential perspective with the aim of better observance and keeping of Tabernacles in the coming years.
Reflecting Back to this Year’s Tabernacles
In past years, Hilary and I have always planned in advance to keep the Feast of Tabernacles with other like-minded Torah Observant Believers in Messiah. This year we did not hook up with a group of believers as in years past.
Instead, we packed up and checked into a local hotel where we observed the 8-day festival together as husband and wife, away from home.
Tabernacles and Dwelling in Temporary Abodes
Feast of Tabernacles is one of 3-pilgrimage Feasts of our Elohim—the other 2-being The Feast of Unleavened Bread (a.k.a. Feast of Matzah) and Pentecost (aka Shavuot).
Within the Hebrew Roots and Messianic Communities, it is the custom of many to vacate our homes during the 8-day celebration of Taberncles. The practice of vacating our homes and dwelling in some form of temporary abode (Hebrew–Sukkah) for the duration of the Feast week is meant to commemorate our sojourn in the Sinai Desert and our dwelling in tents/booths/sukkahs (Leviticus 23:43).
Father instructed us, as recorded in Leviticus 23:42,43, to construct Sukkahs or Booths and dwell in them during the 8-Day celebration as a memorial that He
“…made the children of Israel to dwell in booths when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”
Some choose to erect make-shift temporary dwellings reminicent of sukkahs in their backyards.
Each year, many in our Faith Community erect temporary dwellings that they occupy during the entire week of Tabernacles. Others in our community dwell simple modern day tents. Still others dwell in their RV’s and other such temporary, but more modern, mobile dwellings.
In previous Tabernacles Hilary and I have taken a rather conservative approach to this time-honored Torah instruction by dwelling in hotels during the Feast week. Some have humorously named this practice “The Feast of Hotels.”
No Temporary Dwelling for Some
A great many in our Faith Community do not vacate their homes nor do they occupy temporary dwellings the Feast week. (If you fall into this category, don’t fear, this is a no-judging zone!)
Some brethren are unable to vacate their homes for the 8-day celebration period for various and sundry reasons. Those of us who desire to take up the command to dwell in booths–temporary dwelling–but for whatever reason can’t, it behooves us to work it out with Father that He provide the opportunity and means to do so.
It falls to every believer to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling (Psalm 2:11; Philippians 2:12). Those of community who do not regard this command as valid are certainly free to do so. It falls upon the Body of Messiah to not render judgment against these individuals.
Paul wrote to the Roman Assembly of Believers:
Now as for a person whose trust is weak, welcome him—but not to get into arguments over opinions. One person has the trust that will allow him to eat anything, while another whose trust is weak eats only vegetables. The one who eats anything must not look down on the one who abstains; and the abstainer must not pass judgment on the one who eats anything, because God has accepted him—who are you to pass judgment on someone else’s servant? It is before his own master that he will stand or fall; and the fact is that he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand. One person considers some days more holy than others, while someone else regards them as being all alike. What is important is for each to be fully convinced in his own mind (Romans 14:1-5; CJB).
(I would caution all who would suggest that Paul is sanctioning complete and utter lawlessness reign within the Body of Messiah here. I believe Paul in this passage is assuming that we have enough of our wits about us to recognize that we must be obedient to Torah; how every respective believer goes about obeying specific Torah commands, though, must become a thing between the individual and our Heavenly Father.)
If you’ve not done so in the past and find that you want to begin keeping this commandment, maybe the best way to start by simply erecting a makeshift Sukkah somewhere permissible on your property. You can dwell in this makeshift ediface during the day and then retire at night within the safe confines of your home. If your makeshift sukkah is of such that you can dwell in it at night, by all means do so. There are actually Sukkah kits that you can purchase through on-line vendors.
The Feasts Belong to the Father
Abba said to us over and over throughout His Torah that these are His Feasts—His appointed times spread out in His yearly calendar–to commune with us, His children. If Father is willing and desires to meet with us–His people—His special possession—His kingdom of priests unto the world–during 7-at these set apart times of the year, who are we then to not keep of His set-apart days?
Consider this heart-tugging challenge from Moses’ predecessor, Joshua:
Now therefore fear Yahovah/Yahweh/Yahuah and serve Him in sincerity (sincerity in the Hebrew being “tamiym,” meaning completely; wholly; entirely; with the YLT putting as serving Yah in “perfection;” the Septuagint as serving Father in “righteousness.”)—continuing–serving Him in sincerity and truth (truth in the Hebrew here is “emeth,” meaning firmness; faithfulness; with the LXX suggesting serving Father in justice; the NET serving Him with integrity; and the NIV taking both sincerity and truth and summing them together as serving Father with all faithfulness)—continuing–thus serving Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye Yahovah. And if it seem evil unto you to serve Yahovah—that is if you disagree with me; if it seems bad to you or displeasing to you all that I have said here—I say choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahovah/Yahweh/Yahuah (Joshua 24:14,15; KJV)!
Father is Looking for a People
I do not pretend to be a Joshua calling any believer out as it relates to how they observe or honor the Feasts of Yahovah/Yahuah/Yahweh. All I am suggesting is that we “up our game,” at least just a bit; and serve our Elohim with the zeal and commitment to serve that we once had. Yes, honor our “first love! (Revelation 2:4)”
Father is calling unto Himself a people (Deuteronomy 7:6) who will not allow “self” to get in the way of their relationship with the Creator of the Universe.
Torah and the Feast of Tabernacles
In the course of my studies of the Word of God during the Feast Week, I spent a great amount of time reading and meditating on the specific protocols Father laid out to us regarding the Feast of Tabernacles. My focus was not on the prophetic significance of Tabernacles this go-round, but to, instead, flesh out what Father expected of us during the Feast week. It became clear to me that many of us fail to keep the fundamental ordinances of Tabernacles as Father outlined in His Torah.
The Temple that has Become our Bodies
Because the Temple no longer exists, it is virtually impossible to keep many of the ordinances of Tabernacles today.
The Feast of Tabernacles, as given to us in Torah, was heavily Temple-centric, making the rote “keeping” of this amazing feast somewhat challenging, if not impossible, for today’s Torah Observant Believer in Yeshua Messiah.
Given that the Temple and all her operations ceased to exist between 68-70 C.E., along with the priesthood changing from the Levitical to the Melekzedek (aka, Melchizedec) priesthood, we are no longer expected to observe Tabernacles in Jerusalem . The physical Temple has been replaced by the temple of our human bodies (reference I Corinthians 3:16; 6:16,19; cf. John 2:21).
Does this reality nullify our mandate to keep these Feasts? How then do we reconcile Leviticus 23:41, which reads as follows:
You shall celebrate it as a feast [The Feast of Sukkot/Tabernacles/Booths/Ingathering] for seven-days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the 7th month (Leviticus 23:41; ESV)?
Worship in Spirit and in Truth
The Apostle John records the following prophecy that Master delivered to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well:
The hour cometh, when ye shall neighter in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father…(let’s stop here for a moment! With the destruction of the Temple and elimination of the Levitical priesthood, have we Messianics not fulfilled this propehcy, at least in part by our present-day observance of the Feast of our Elohim?) Continuing–Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship HIm in spirit and in truth (John 4:21,24; KJV).
So then the question that is naturally to be asked: how do we worship Father during the Feast of Tabernacles? I think Master pretty much summed this up for us in this stated passage: we worship Father in spirit and truth! Our bodies, having replaced the Jerusalem Temple as the hub of worship, now become the fulcrum of all proper worship in the spirit. Father’s Spirit dwelling within these bodies of ours brings us grand opportunities as His children up close and personal–more so than our predecessors ever imagined.
Thus, we worship Abba Father during the Feast in songs of praise, adoration and thanksgiving; the blowing of shofars; prayer and meditation; the reading of His Word; fellowshiping with the brethren; and listening to teachings delivered by Yahovah’s anointed.
Worship Through Giving
The other forms of worship, being spiritually and truth based, take the form of giving and doing good. We of course have the opportunity during the feast of giving of financial tithes and offerings–the standard form of giving in this day and age. Offerings given during Tabernacles may also take the form of giving of our skills, talents and strength as most feast gatherings tend to be operationally and administratively labor intensive (e.g., set-up; preparations; music; childcare; logistics; food preparation and serving; teaching; and the like–assuming our celebrations are with a sizeable group). Worship through giving place one of the biggest roles in our Tabernacles observance.
The Raw Instructions for Keeping Tabernacles
Leviticus 23 is the go-to passage of Torah that lays out Father’s requirements of us regarding His seven-mandated Feasts and the Weekly Sabbath. Deuteronomy 16, Numbers 29 and Exodus 23 and 34 all sort of fill in the celebration details that Leviticus 23 might leave out.
Let’s glean from these key passages some of Father’s key expectations of us as it relates to the proper keeping of the Feast of Tabernacles.
1. Tabernacles is a Permanent Statute (i.e., A Permanent Enactment and Appointment)
The first thing we should consider is Father’s commandment that we keep the Feast of Tabernacles as a permanent requirement of our citizenship in God’s Kingdom.
How series is Father in terms of requiring us to keep this Feast, even in the 21st-century? Considering the following passage from Zechariah:
Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of host—Yahovah Tzva’ot—and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Yahovah Tzva’ot, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which Yahovah/Yahweh/Yahuah afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. (Recall that the Feast of Booths is synonymous with Feast of Tabernacles and Sukkot.)—Continuing–This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, Holy to Yahovah. And the pots in the house of Yahovah shall be as the bowls before the altar. And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to Yahovah Tzva’ot; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of Yahovah Tzva’ot in that day (Zechariah 14:16; ESV).
If Father is intent on withholding rain from those nations that fail to keep Tabernacles in the world tomorrow, which would no doubt result in famine and other natural hardships, does it not make sense that He would expect His chosen to keep this Feast today? In fact, Father explicitly commanded that this Feast is to be kept by us as a statute forever in our generations (Leviticus 23:41).
2. Participate in a Holy Convocation of Some Form or Type
We are to participate in a Holy Convocation. The Hebrew term for convocation is “Miqra,” which refers to a “public meeting,” and it also could be seen as that of a “public rehearsal” of some type.
Leviticus 23:33-43 instructs us to participate in a Holy Convocation on the first and 8th Day of Tabernacles.
Our present society does not sanction the keeping of this Feast. Christianity rejects Torah and thus rejects the keeping of Father’s annual Feasts, including Tabernacles. Thus it falls to each of us to keep Tabernacles as best we can while living in a society that is relatively hostile to the observance of the Feasts of our Elohim.
The challenge, as we’ve previously mentioned, for many of us is finding a gathering where we may observe Tabernacles in a way that, to the best of our understanding and ability to replicate, would serve as a holy convocation. Some of us are privileged to live near local Messianic congregations or fellowships that observe/celebrate Tabernacles on an annual basis. Others of us are blessed and privileged to have the means by which to travel and convocate with gatherings during Tabernacles that are at a good distance from our homes.
Still, others of us are not so fortunate to be able to convocate with fellow Torah Observant Believers in Yeshua Messiah during the Feast of Tabernacles, much less on the weekly Sabbath for various and sundry reasons. This presents quite a problem our Faith Community.
Fortunate thing for us living in the 21st century west is that we have technology that can connect us to others in our community. Albeit such opportunities are limited, those of us with the technological means and know how have opportunities to participate in holy convocations on-line during the Feast of Tabernacles. Many Messianic groups and fellowships simulcast their celebrations and observances on the internet every Tabernacles. It then becomes of matter of searching these groups out and establishing the connection.
Lastly, there are some in our Faith Community who, because of health and financial reasons, are unable to participate in person in holy convocations during Tabernacles. If our community were closer and more in tune with the Spirit of Torah and the acute needs of the Body, the Community would take care of making it possible for those who do not have the means to travel and participate in the Tabernacles’ convocation and various events during feast week. Unfortunately, our community is not there yet. Let us be hopeful that we will get there some day.
3. No Work
On the first and 8th day of the Tabernacles celebration, we are instructed to do no ordinary or servile work (Leviticus 23:35,36).
Father gives us advance notice of when His Feasts and the weekly Sabbaths hit. Thus, as intelligent human beings, we have the wherewithal to prepare ahead of time to ensure that we do not violate Torah in respects to work prohibitions during Tabernacles. It amazes me how so many of us leave the weekly Sabbaths and the High Days of the Feasts to chance and wait to the day of to get things done or find we have to do prohibited work. Individually and as a Faith Community, we have to do better; and that better starts with us as individuals along with our commitment to please and obey our heavenly Father.
4. Give Offerings Made by Fire
This ordinance is somewhat challenging for us today given that the Jerusalem Temple and the Levitical Priesthood are no longer in operation.
It then falls to the Body of Messiah, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to define what “an offering made by fire to Adonai should consist of” during the Feast of Tabernacles. Father instructs us to make such an offering each day of Tabernacles.
I insinuated earlier in this post that offerings and sacrifices can extend beyond the giving of money-based tithes and offerings and over to the giving of praise and thanksgiving to Abba Father and the doing of good works. Of course, how we ultimately enact this specific command is subject to what Father and His Spirit leads each of us individually to do.
5. Live in Sukkahs Seven-Days
We reflected upon this ordinance earlier in this post.
6. Rejoice Before Abba
Father requires that we rejoice (the Hebrew for rejoice is “Samach,” which means to brighten up—to be gleeful) before Him by bringing with us to whatever assembly we end up in: choice fruits; palm fronds; and thick leafy-trees and willow boughs (Leviticus 23:40). How many of us actually keep this commandment, or at least make an attempt to keep it?
This manner of rejoicing is to be done for the entire seven-days of Tabernacles. Along with the items we been instructed to bring to the celebration, we are instructed to proclaim this Feast as a holy convocation by name. In what form should such a proclamation be made? The primary form of proclamation seems best delivered through the reading and recitation of Father’s Word-His Torah (Leviticus 23:37).
Bottom Line
The bottom line in all that we’ve reflected upon here in this segment is that every self-professing, Spirit-Filled Torah Observant Believer in Yeshua Messiah is expected and required by Father, to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Much of our keeping of this beautiful and joyous feast is to be done with the spirit of the Feast in mind, given that the Temple and the Levitical Priesthood are no longer in operation. Regardless the specifics as to what we can and can not realistically do as it relates to Tabernacles today, we must make the best effort we possibly can to keep the feast. We absolutely cannot treat Tabernacles as a anecdote; an inactive relic of our predecessors; or as simply an idealistic Jewish holiday with grand prophetic significance. No. We must keep Tabernacles and do the best we possibly can to not only keep the spirit of the feast, but to fulfill as best we can the specific elements of the feast given to us by our Heavenly Father.
Does Torah Prohibit Travel on the Sabbath?
Is it was permissible, by Torah, to travel on the Sabbath?
The concept of restricting one’s travel on the Sabbath, of course, seems directly tied to the prohibition against performing work on the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:3).
For some in our Community, as well as in some orthodox Jewish sects, walking or using mechanical conveyance on the Sabbath is considered work.
So let use reason together. When we can reasonably extract from the purpose of our travel on the Sabbath–such that we eliminate any obvious or hidden intentions to perform work–and if the purpose of our travels are to fulfill the spirit of Sabbath and Torah, then travel on the Sabbath would seem reasonable and justified.
Is the Travel Necessary?
When a specific need for travel on the Sabbath comes up, we should ask ourselves, is the trip necessary. Certainly, if travel is needed to attend a holy convocation on Sabbath, then travel in this case would seem quite reasonable.
If , on the other hand, a specific trip on the Sabbath was for the purpose of simply going to the mall and shopping or just hanging out; grabbing an ice cream; meeting up with some ole buddies; or just going out for a drive, or the like, then the whole spirit behind Sabbath being a holy convocation day is lost.
Contracting Others for Travel
Then there’s travel that involves the working of others on our behalf to get us from point A to point B. When we contract with others to take us from point A to point B, such as airlines, buses, ships, taxis, trains and the like on the Sabbath, we begin to broach the prohibition against work on the Sabbath. Deuteronomy 5:14 makes it pretty clear that we are not to have anyone in our employ or under our influence effect work either on our behalf or within the confines of our property.
One could argue that if an emergency were to require us to travel on Sabbath, would that still be a violation of Torah. I would say yes, and no; it depends. If the emergency were to come upon us so suddenly that we are unable to make provisions for travel outside the Sabbath (e.g., rendering aid or attending to the needs of a sick family member or helping a friend in dire need), then certainly one could argue that the spirit of Torah remains intact in our contracting with commercial conveyance to effect our travel.
On the other hand, if we have been given discretionary time to effect travel to attend to an emergency and we have the means of traveling outside the Sabbath, then it would behoove us to make every effort to keep Sabbath and travel outside the Sabbath.
Five Considerations for Travel on Sabbath
If there is ever a question of travel on Sabbath, it would behoove the Spirit-Filled Torah Observant Believer in Yeshua Messiah to consider the following:
1. Always seek to keep the Sabbath holy. Consider how our travel will affect keeping the Sabbath holy.
2. We must avoid any travel that would be construed or considered as work.
3. We must make every effort to participate in a holy convocation.
4. If we must contract conveyance on the Sabbath, the spirit of Torah and the Sabbath must be factored in to the transaction.
5. We must always ask ourselves: will our travel on the Sabbath hinder our keeping the Sabbath holy and would our travel be considered as work (i.e., servile or menial)? Can we accomplish our travels outside the time frame of the Sabbath if our travels do not involve our going to a holy convocation or to do some good on the Sabbath? It’s always good to plan ahead. We know each and every week when the Sabbath is going to hit. So preparation (typically and traditionally on the 6th day) provides us the opportunity to take care of any need to travel on the Sabbath; again, unless the travel on the Sabbath involves a holy convocation or going to do some good on the Sabbath.
Share Your Personal Feast of Tabernacles 2017 Thoughts and Reflections
Consider sharing your personal thoughts & reflections of Feast of Tabernacles 2017 with other Messianic Torah Observers such as yourself. Bless others with your experiences and understanding. Shalom.
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Blessing brother Rod,
Thank you for the pod casts, and keep up the good work and PLEASE don’t spread yourself to thin trying to do everything instead of being good at what your good at.
Just listened to your pod cast about tabernacles and I had to send an email out as I heard you say, you usually send the time with brethren, but it just did not work out this year.
Likewise, my husband and I also had our tabernacles on our own this years, last year we were blessed to be in Israel for Sukkoth (with sighted moon group from Sightedmoon.com, Joseph Dumond administrator).
This year we were in and out of our sukkah (camping tent) for the entire week in our backyard (we were also planning for a move and a trip, on the heels of Sukkahs it was very draining and we are now in our location in Illinois).
Just my opinion, not being woodsy people, neither I nor my husband that grew up in Brooklyn, NY:
When you go out into the sukkah it’s to remind you that YHVH (Yehovah) is your everything.
When your out there and it rains (sometimes it’s nice and other times not), but you think on Him as He makes the rain
and He is allowing it to fall on you (rain is considered a blessing).
When it’s cold, you know it’s Him that keeps you warm and that He provided you a mate (because you cuddle tighter when it’s cold).
When it’s hot and muggy and have no air conditioner, you know how blessed you are to have that convenience in your regular home.
He puts you to sleep under a blanket of stars and He wakes you up with symphony of bird songs.
When we step outside our concrete walls, your heaters, your air conditioning, your quick and available food, your tv, radio or computer (though we did take one for teachings with us, and with no power have to conserve on what you watch or hear) and have to depend on these films walls you do realize how many blessing you have been given and how merciful YHVH is with us.
Being outside in these flimsy walls you hear from the creatures and creation that Abba created. You get better sleep, wake up better and just plain old feel better. Incidentally, it was found by the scientific world that going to send time in the out doors resets your inner clock (for people that have trouble sleeping or other type issues). Just like a few years earlier it was found that the best night to rest the body, noted scientific world, was friday night – saturday night hmmmmm.
Then when everything is all done and you return to your home you have such an appreciation for the gifts the Father has bestowed on you your bed is sooo soft a meal at your dinner table is so nice, the air conditioning so cool/heat is so warm. You have a new appreciation for things, even the roof over your head.
Although, when weather is horrid and you do get rained out, tent leaking or other problems and issue, we can run to a solid building if one is near, but you come back tomorrow and start again. We really need to try with all our heart to do His will, His ordinances, His commandments and statutes. We have become to comfortable and He takes His children out of that comfort every year and lets us see the hard realities of life, which is also a sort of preparation time for us. So if we don’t have these comforts we will know how to deal with life and while we do have these comforts we can say Halleluyah!!!!
Your sister in the faith,
Bless and thank you sooooo much. Be well and blessed. Shalom!