The Feast of Tabernacles

" You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your wine press."

 (Deuteronomy 16:13)

" You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelite's shall dwell in booths that your generation may know I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God."

                                     (Leviticus 23:42-43)     

Your Tasty Tidbit

Did you know the Feast of Tabernacles, or, Sukkot, is our final Fall feast and follows on the heels of Yom Teruah (day of the blowing of the shofar) sometimes called Rosh HaShanah, and Yom Kippur (see previous post. Another definition for the Feast of Tabernacles is “habitation." In the Book of Leviticus, we see the Lord commanding the Israelites to dwell in tabernacles, or, booths (huts, or, sukkah's pronounced SOOkah - in Hebrew) as He guided them through their wilderness experience with a pillar of fire by night ( the Shekinah Glory, or manifested presence of God) and a cloud by day (the Holy Spirit.)

Today's Jewish community still celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, as the Lord says, in booths, or tents, gathering with their families and recalling their ancestors who traveled through the wilderness. 

                                             

Jews and Gentiles, as new creations in Messiah - "grafted in" ones (Romans 9:11) -celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles by building a physical "sukkah" and spending time in it with our families. Our reasons for celebrating, however, are far more spiritual in nature. As I mentioned in my former post, the Old Covenant is a type and shadow of things to come in the New Covenant. So it is with the Feast of Tabernacles. The significance of the Lord bringing the Israelites out of Egypt, from the bondage of a cruel Pharaoh, is to us in the New Covenant the reality that through the sinless blood of the Lamb of God, we are brought OUT of the bondage of sin through the sin nature we inherited through Adam’s sin nature.

Another significant fact today for Jewish and Gentile believers celebrating Feast of Tabernacles is that God dwells WITHIN US through the presence of the Holy Spirit! WE ARE the booths in which the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwells! This is remarkable!

Since Sukkot was to be the time of “bringing in the harvest” it is sometimes recognized as the Jewish Thanksgiving. Biblical scholars cite that the Puritans Colonists, it is believed, studied the Hebrew scriptures, based the original Thanksgiving on Sukkot. Traditionally, “stuffed” foods are served indicating being stuffed with food, as we are on Thanksgiving, and living a life “stuffed” with blessings. 

In honor of Sukkot, we’ll celebrate with a dish that acknowledges the harvest and “stuffed” foods with this delicious recipe from my Feasts of Israel Cookbook.

                                BEEF AND RICE STUFFED CABBAGE

                                                         

                                             1 large head of cabbage

1 ½ pound ground chuck

1 ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons uncooked rice

1 yellow onion, diced finely

3 yellow onions, sliced

1 teaspoon garlic powder ( or fresh garlic to taste)

1 (28 ounce) can diced Italian diced tomatoes

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup apple cider vinegar (or regular white)

¼ cup lemon juice

Remove the cabbage heart with a vegetable corer. Place the cabbage in a large pour boiling water over it. Cover the pot and allow to stand about 30 minutes, until the leaves soften. Remove the cabbage from the water and the leaves with tongs. Blend the meat, rice and grated onion. Place a tablespoon of this mixture in the center of a cabbage leaf and roll the leaf so that the meat is securely inside. Continue preparing the cabbage rolls until there is no more meat mixture. Slice remaining cabbage and add it to the bottom of a large, heavy pot. Add sliced onion. Place cabbage rolls on top. Pour the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and lemon juice over the rolls. Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours. Serves 12. B’tayavon!