"Trimming the Tree"

My simple sukkah - for celebrating, remembering, and rehearsing.

"Trimming the tree" for the holidays means something different to me now than it once did.  Four years ago, it meant assembling a pre-lit, artificial Christmas tree and then adorning it with ribbons, berries, balls and bows, and even some sentimental ornaments from my childhood.  But now, "trimming the tree" for the holidays has taken on a more literal meaning.  

Trimming the trees for Sukkot

Now my holiday tree trimming includes leafy greens instead of evergreens, and my tools include a saw and a pruner. Now I'm literally trimming tree branches to celebrate the Messiah, who came and is coming, to "tabernacle" with us.  Not only has my tradition changed in form, it's also changed in season.  I used to celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas, but now the Fall feels much more fitting.

My re-purposed hydrangeas.

This is my third year of observing the Biblical Fall festival of Sukkot.  Part of the joy of this commemoration comes in the form of a simple structure called a sukkah.  My sukkah is just an EZ-Up, draped with curtains and a burlap covering, and trimmed out with a leafy border. This year, I spiced up my sukkah with re-purposed ribbon and artificial hydrangeas that had previously embellished my Christmas tree.  Truly I have found child-like joy in the creativity and simplicity of communing in this lovely little space.

The timing surrounding Messiah's birth at Sukkot is fascinating in all that it symbolizes.  The first night of the seven day festival of Sukkot, otherwise known as Feast of Tabernacles, Festival of Booths, or Feast of Ingathering (the harvest) is presumably the very night so long ago when our Savior was born.....in a sukkah in Bethlehem.  Quite likely it was during the Fall on this first night of Sukkot when the shepherds witnessed the angels praising God and bringing greetings of peace and the good news of a Savior. Read or watch more on this here:  https://jewishvoice.wordpress.com/2010/09/23/why-sukkot-is-yeshuas-real-birthday/

Celebrating God's completely perfect timing!

Sukkot, which lasts seven days and occurs in the seventh month on the Biblical calendar is the seventh of the seven appointed Feasts of the Lord.  The obvious link of this appointed time to the number seven, signifies the spiritual message that Sukkot embraces God's perfection and completion in the coming and coming again of Messiah Yeshua.   The Word was made flesh to dwell, or tabernacle, among us - John 1:14.  

In the days of the Temple, during the Festival of Tabernacles, the children of Israel were required to live in booths or temporary shelters.  The Feast of Tabernacles was the third of three yearly pilgrimage feasts in which the Jews were required to go up to Jerusalem to rejoice at the Temple.  Camping in  sukkahs reminded them of the forty year wilderness experience of their forefathers when the Heavenly Father provided for every need of His Chosen, beloved, young nation.

Symbolic branches to wave before the LORD in worship.

Biblically, as believers, we have reason to join with Israel in keeping the feasts.  In unity, we live out the mysterious reality that we are one in Yeshua and that by God's grace we have been grafted into the commonwealth of Israel - Romans 11:11-22.  Someday our unity with believing Israel will become a reality, and someday God's Torah will be fully on our hearts - Jeremiah 31:32-33.

The Feast of Tabernacles is like a dress rehearsal to prepare our hearts for a future Day when Messiah returns to take His rightful place in Jerusalem on David's Throne.  On that Day, Yeshua will once again tabernacle among us, but this time He will come as the Judge of all the earth, as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, as the King of kings and LORD of Lords.  At that time, all the nations of the world will be required to pay homage to the King of all the earth by making pilgrimage to Jerusalem on the Feast of Tabernacles - Zechariah 14:16-19.  

My branch & citrus - memories of Sukkot.

There are SO many more facts, details and symbols that I have gleaned in celebrating this AMAZING holy feast.  Truly my heart is overflowing with the richest of fare.....the eternal treasures of God's Word that leave me full of awe at the majesty and wisdom of our great God.

While I admit that it's been quite a paradigm shift for me to incorporate these new-to-me Biblical traditions into my life, I have to say it's been worth it.  I don't have to ask, WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) when I can actually DWYD (Do What Yeshua Did).  Yeshua observed His Father's appointed festivals .....that's what makes them important to me.....and that's why I'm "trimming my tree" in September!

*Here's a great website if you want to learn more about Sukkot - The Season of our Joy:

hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Sukkot/sukkot.html