David Joseph Weiss
c
c
A psalm of the sons of Korach:
How deeply loved are your dwelling-places,
ADONAI-Tzva'ot!
My soul yearns,
yes, faints with longing for the courtyards of ADONAI;
my heart and body cry for joy to the living G-d.
As the sparrow finds herself a home
and the swallow her nest,
where she lays her young,
[so my resting-place is] by your altars,
ADONAI-Tzva'ot,
my king and my G-d.
How happy are those who live in your house;
they never cease to praise you! (Selah)"
c
Right now we are in the season of Sukkot. It is a Biblical holiday which commemorates the leaving of Egypt. When the Isra’elites left Egypt they lived in temporary structures – tents – during their journey. Sukkot is a mitzvah – a command – from G-d for us to remember that they went through that process. During the season (7 days) of Sukkot we are commanded to live in a sukkah – a temporary structure – outside of our usual homes. There are various ways that people celebrate this. Some use the sukkah for a dining tent and some live in it. I personally have chosen to sleep in mine at night.
It has been very interesting the past 2 nights to stare out through the roof - through the dead branches that make up the roof – to see a full moon that is quite bright. Last night as I was laying there going to sleep I thought of the Isra’elites and all the emotions they must have been experiencing as they left Egypt. We take the Bible stories for granted so often, yet they were real events in the lives of real people. I lay there thinking of my ancestors and their joy over not being slaves, yet their possible fear of the unknown place where they were headed. I thought of the joy of being free, but the feelings of having to live in a temporary shelter as opposed to their homes they were used to. This Biblical command to celebrate Sukkot was so that we would not forget the things He taught us during those times and how He provided for us as well.
Another aspect of Sukkot I love is the Arba Minim or “Four Kinds.” Part of the celebration of Sukkot is that it is during harvest time and we are commanded to celebrate by waving four kinds of produce in order to thank G-d for His provision. The four kinds are: a palm branch, two willows, three myrtles and a citron. The first 3 are bundled together and the 4th is held separately. It is all about unity and joy – the first three are bundled together in unity and all are waved before the L-rd in joy of celebration. For those of you who have been reading this daily devotional for a while, you most likely have guessed that I see these as one more Biblical reminder of the 4 streams of healing.
There are many verses in the Bible that speak of dwellings. They speak of G-d as being our dwelling and many other aspects. The verses today speak of the longing of our souls for the courtyards of ADONAI and later in the psalm it speaks of the idea that one day there is worth 1000 elsewhere. Some of that symbolism is lost on us if we do not understand the tabernacle that the Isra’elites had in the wilderness and the discussion of outer and inner courts and things like that. This psalm also speaks of being happy to live in the House of ADONAI. The thing which often gets lost is that ADONAI’s house – the temple of the TaNaKh - was not a huge building with classrooms and a worship center and offices. His house was the size of a house today. It was a place for offering sacrifices, but not a place that humans called home.
Our souls were created to desire the eternality of G-d. He created us to long for Him and to long for a place of dwelling in His house. He does have an eternal place where He dwells and the best and easiest way to access it is the way the Bible describes it – as a house of prayer. Whenever we enter into prayer – whether in our homes, in our places of worship, our sukkahs or other places – we enter into His presence. We can be walking down the street and walk in His presence through prayer. As we walk in the 4 streams of healing it is like waving the Arba Minim and celebrating the joy of life in His presence. Seek today to walk in the joy of His continual presence.
Right now we are in the season of Sukkot. It is a Biblical holiday which commemorates the leaving of Egypt. When the Isra’elites left Egypt they lived in temporary structures – tents – during their journey. Sukkot is a mitzvah – a command – from G-d for us to remember that they went through that process. During the season (7 days) of Sukkot we are commanded to live in a sukkah – a temporary structure – outside of our usual homes. There are various ways that people celebrate this. Some use the sukkah for a dining tent and some live in it. I personally have chosen to sleep in mine at night.
It has been very interesting the past 2 nights to stare out through the roof - through the dead branches that make up the roof – to see a full moon that is quite bright. Last night as I was laying there going to sleep I thought of the Isra’elites and all the emotions they must have been experiencing as they left Egypt. We take the Bible stories for granted so often, yet they were real events in the lives of real people. I lay there thinking of my ancestors and their joy over not being slaves, yet their possible fear of the unknown place where they were headed. I thought of the joy of being free, but the feelings of having to live in a temporary shelter as opposed to their homes they were used to. This Biblical command to celebrate Sukkot was so that we would not forget the things He taught us during those times and how He provided for us as well.
Another aspect of Sukkot I love is the Arba Minim or “Four Kinds.” Part of the celebration of Sukkot is that it is during harvest time and we are commanded to celebrate by waving four kinds of produce in order to thank G-d for His provision. The four kinds are: a palm branch, two willows, three myrtles and a citron. The first 3 are bundled together and the 4th is held separately. It is all about unity and joy – the first three are bundled together in unity and all are waved before the L-rd in joy of celebration. For those of you who have been reading this daily devotional for a while, you most likely have guessed that I see these as one more Biblical reminder of the 4 streams of healing.
There are many verses in the Bible that speak of dwellings. They speak of G-d as being our dwelling and many other aspects. The verses today speak of the longing of our souls for the courtyards of ADONAI and later in the psalm it speaks of the idea that one day there is worth 1000 elsewhere. Some of that symbolism is lost on us if we do not understand the tabernacle that the Isra’elites had in the wilderness and the discussion of outer and inner courts and things like that. This psalm also speaks of being happy to live in the House of ADONAI. The thing which often gets lost is that ADONAI’s house – the temple of the TaNaKh - was not a huge building with classrooms and a worship center and offices. His house was the size of a house today. It was a place for offering sacrifices, but not a place that humans called home.
Our souls were created to desire the eternality of G-d. He created us to long for Him and to long for a place of dwelling in His house. He does have an eternal place where He dwells and the best and easiest way to access it is the way the Bible describes it – as a house of prayer. Whenever we enter into prayer – whether in our homes, in our places of worship, our sukkahs or other places – we enter into His presence. We can be walking down the street and walk in His presence through prayer. As we walk in the 4 streams of healing it is like waving the Arba Minim and celebrating the joy of life in His presence. Seek today to walk in the joy of His continual presence.
x
David Joseph Weiss - www.agrasoph.net
--Subscription Info--*Scripture quotations are taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. Publ. by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. www.messianicjewish.net/jntp. Distr. by Messianic Jewish Resources. www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
--Subscription Info--*Scripture quotations are taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. Publ. by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. www.messianicjewish.net/jntp. Distr. by Messianic Jewish Resources. www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment