Global Prayer Team - October 1, 2020
Sukkot
Every Jewish holiday has one or t...
Global Prayer Team - October 1, 2020
Sukkot
Every Jewish holiday has one or two chief elements that truly characterize the biblical significance of the festival day. These times have been appointed by G-d in order to bless us with His revelation. Although each has a fulfillment in a past event, each of the holidays point to a future fulfillment related to the Kingdom of G-d. Obviously, for Sukkot, i.e., the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the main elements is the sukkah “booth” itself. In the book of Leviticus 23, verses 33-36 HaShem speaks about this special time of eight days. During the first seven, one is required to dwell in the sukkah. One of the main aspects of the sukkah is that it is a temporary dwelling structure. The key idea here is temporary.
The children of Israel had to dwell 40 years in the wilderness because of a lack of faith in G-d. These 40 years, in comparison to the years of one’s life, are a relatively long period of time. But, for the history of the Jewish people, it was but a small portion of time. The reason why G-d brought the children of Israel out of Egypt was not for them to dwell in the wilderness, but rather to enter into the Promised Land. What do these things say to us today?
Our life in this world is but a fraction of our eternal destiny. But what we need to remember is that this fraction is all preparation for the Kingdom. Therefore, one must live with a Kingdom mindset. When one studies the Bible, he finds that one of the most faithful individuals was John the Baptist. How is he connected to Sukkot? Scripture reveals that John was the one who fulfilled the prophecy concerning the prophet in the wilderness. John represented many of the other Levitical priests who left the work at the temple in Jerusalem and went into the wilderness to cry out to G-d for Him to move against the corruption that characterized the ruling priests of the latter second temple period. They wanted G-d to intervene and restore His righteousness to the work of the temple.
If one studies the section in Isaiah 40 that relates to John, he can see the emphasis of this passage on repentance. Unfortunately, the people for the most part did not heed this message, and G-d’s judgment fell upon the temple in Jerusalem. The people had not turned away from G-d in just one moment; their falling away represented a long process of focusing on the wrong things.
Sukkot is a time when we remember that the things of this world are temporary. This is why G-d commanded us those seven days to dwell in the sukkah. It is a time of remembering where our priorities and emphases should be. In the same way that the children of Israel during the 40 years wanted to return to Egypt and remembered the things of Egypt, we too struggle with desiring the material over the spiritual. Such a tendency is difficult to overcome. This is made evident in the fact that the 40 years was for the generation which came out of Egypt to die out and a new generation which did not have the connection with Egypt, to actually inherit the promise. G-d promises that anyone who is in Messiah is a new creation and the old things have passed away. The week of Sukkot is a great time to see those things which represent Egypt in your life and for them to be put to death by the biblical hope in the Kingdom of G-d.
Global Prayer Team - Sept. 24, 2020
Shabbat Shuva (Repentance)
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Global Prayer Team - Sept. 24, 2020
Shabbat Shuva (Repentance)
This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Shuva, which relates to repentance. Therefore we have a special prophetic reading. Shabbat Shuva is always the Shabbat before the Day of Atonement.
This week’s Torah reading is a song and is full of poetry. However, one should not think that this song is full of happiness and joy. In fact, there is a great deal of things which relate to HaShem’s anger and vengeance. One reads,
“To Me is vengeance and retribution, for it is a time their foot will falter, for near is the day of their calamity and the future things rush to them.” Deuteronomy 32:35
The main idea in this verse is judgment, which is measured out based upon the sins of the people. The word which is translated “retribution” relates to a payment in full. Next, there will be those who will try to flee and escape this judgment, but their feet will fail them. This is simply a poetic way of revealing that one cannot avoid HaShem’s judgment through human means. It is most significant that the Day of Judgment is called a איד in Hebrew, which relates to a horrible event which did not have to take place. The use of this word hints to some provision or means which, if it had been accepted or applied to the situation, then the catastrophe could have been avoided.
This word appears three times in the Prophecy of Obadiah,
“Do not come in through the gate of My people on the day of their calamity, do not look also on his (the people’s) affliction on the day of his calamity and do not send forth (your hand) on his wealth on the day of his calamity.” Obadiah 13
The calamity that this verse is referring to is the Babylonian captivity. This event took place as a result of Israel’s disobedience, namely idolatry. In other words, Israel adopted a philosophy of life which was in conflict with the revelation of Scripture. The message is that when someone lives out his or her life in a manner that is not established by the word of G-d, then this one will experience misfortune which did not have to take place.
As we draw near to Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), let us consider the principles that our life is established upon and truly ask ourselves if these principles are Biblically rooted.