An Attitude of Gratitude: Sukkot for Christians

In a festival similar to Thanksgiving, the Biblical feast of Sukkot (pronounced sue-COAT) gives us a chance to focus on our blessings from God and His desire to be with His people. Also called the Feast of Booths, Tabernacles, or Ingathering, it’s one of the seven commanded feasts in Leviticus 23. Sukkot was also when Jesus revealed himself as the source of Living Water for those who believed in him! Also, the events that occur when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday are directly related to the festival of Sukkot. I promise, after understanding the festival of Sukkot, you will never look at Palm Sunday the same again.

The Command

In Leviticus 23, after the Israelites had been rescued from slavery in Egypt and as they began wandering in the desert, God specified 7 Holy Days His people were to keep annually. Along with Sukkot is Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah(Yom Teruah), and The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).  

Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the Lord.  On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind.  For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the Lord; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work. 

Lev. 23:33-36, (NASB)

‘On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day.  Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.   You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month.  You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’” 

Lev. 23:39-43, (NASB)

A Joyful Holy Day

Sukkot is the last feast listed in Leviticus 23. Just five days after the very somber Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, it’s the most joyful of the biblical Holy Days. Part of its biblical command is that we’re supposed to “rejoice before the LORD .” Really though, with all He’s done for us, we should all welcome an excuse to be joyful before Him!

On the Biblical calendar, the 15th day of the month of Tishrei is when Sukkot starts, and it continues until Tishrei 22. On our Gregorian calendar, this is in September or October. Here’s a calendar of the dates of the Holy Days for reference.

Sukkot in the Old Testament

Sukkot is one of three festivals for which a pilgrimage to The Temple in Jerusalem was made, along with Passover and Shavuot.

Sukkot is called the Feast of Ingathering in Exodus 34:22. It occurs at the same time as the wheat harvest in Israel, so it’s the perfect timing for a harvest festival. The reason God gave for commanding the Israelites to celebrate Sukkot was for them to remember God’s provision and their dependence on Him.

“You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

Lev. 23:42-43, (NASB)

In 1st Kings, King Solomon had the priests bring the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple during the Feast of Sukkot. How appropriate it is that this Ark, which represented and housed the presence of God, was brought into His Temple, the place He was to dwell with His people, during Sukkot!

Ezra and Nehemiah recount a time when the Temple was restored, and so was Israel’s adherence to the commands of God. Both books discuss the people returning to the Feast of Sukkot because of the Temple’s restoration and their commitment to follow God’s command.

Sukkot in the New Testament

In Jesus’s time, two practices were performed annually at the Temple during Sukkot.

One was a water ceremony, in which the priest would lead everyone to the pool of Siloam, fill a golden pitcher, and pour it out as a type of sacrifice in the courtyard of the Temple. People would then wave their palm branches (lulavot – more on this below) and shout, “Save now, I pray, oh LORD; oh LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.”

Jesus was in Jerusalem on Sukkot, fulfilling the command to celebrate this feast there (John 7:2). To an audience very familiar with this ceremony, Jesus chose Sukkot to foretell the pouring out of the water – the Spirit – on those who follow him!

 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'”

John 7:37-38, (NASB)

In the other ceremony at the Temple during Sukkot, the people would wave the lulav (palm branch) and have a procession around the Temple, shouting “Hosannah” or “Please save us .” Sound familiar? We’ve all heard of when Jesus was on his way into Jerusalem before Passover during the week of his crucifixion, and the people did this. They waved palm branches because they recognized Jesus as the one who would save them. For over a thousand years, the Israelites had observed Sukkot and celebrated God’s provision when Jesus came along. Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem is recorded in 3 books – Matthew, Luke, and John. Although the people of Jerusalem knew Jesus was there to save them, they didn’t recognize that he would save them from the condemnation of their sin and that that was a more significant threat than the people in power around them who thought he was there to rescue them from.

Some propose that Jesus was born during Sukkot, which, if true, would mean he was conceived during Hanukkah. Though the bible doesn’t confirm this, it would enhance the concept that Jesus is God dwelling with us (John 1:14) since this is part of what we celebrate during Sukkot. It would also make sense that the Light of the World was conceived during Hanukkah, the festival commemorating the rededication of the Temple and the lighting of the Temple menorahs where God would dwell among His people.

Sukkot Today

Celebrated for seven days in Israel and eight outside, Sukkot is a harvest festival and a time to remember how God provided for the Israelites in the desert. God’s dwelling among His people is also celebrated during the week of Sukkot.

The procession mentioned above around the Temple is often replicated in Jewish congregations today. They wave the lulav and etrog (citron fruit) and shout, “Hosannah.” This practice is done at synagogues worldwide instead of a procession around the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Sukkah

The most common thing to do during Sukkot today is to build a Sukkah. The word “sukkah” is a Hebrew word meaning “booth” or “tabernacle.” It’s generally a small tent-like shelter with at least three sides and a roof made of plant material. It’s supposed to resemble the dwellings of the Israelites when they were living and wandering in the desert as newly free people of God. People often decorate their sukkah with artwork as well as the four species. And sukkah plural is… get ready for it… sukkot, which is where this appointed time got its name.

The command says that God’s people are to “live” in the sukkah during the week of Sukkot. Although some abandon their homes entirely during this time and live completely in a sukkah, most just have their meals there. Some people take the week of Sukkot to go camping, which is an excellent way to fulfill the commandment and re-live the lifestyle of the Israelite desert-dwellers.

A sukkah also reminds us that God chose to dwell – or tabernacle – with His people. We often read about it but seldom stop to let that sink in. The God that created the universe and is Himself the Holiest being that ever existed chose to dwell on earth with His people – physically and through Jesus’s life on earth! If that doesn’t give you chills, sit and think about it for a while. It’s incredible that He would choose to do this and that it actually occurred. What an awesome God we have!

The 4 Species

As mentioned in Leviticus 23:40 as well as Nehemiah 8:14-15, there are four species associated with Sukkot. The first is the lulav (plural is lulavot), a palm branch. The second, the etrog, is a lemon-like fruit also called a citron. The third is the aravot, a willow branch, and the last is Hadassah or myrtle. These four species represent Israel’s unity and the land’s harvest and fertility.

During Sukkot, these are waved or shaken in all six directions (North, South, East, West, up, and down), signifying that God is everywhere. A blessing accompanies this custom, thanking God for the harvest, and praises are also sung.

In the Future Kingdom of God

Many places in the bible tell us that there will be a day when God will physically dwell with us again. Ezekiel prophesies that God will dwell in His eternal sanctuary with us and make a covenant of peace with us.

Revelation 7:9-10 will give you goosebumps. It predicts a time when God’s people will stand before His throne, our lulavs in our hands, and worship him together. Wow! What a fantastic picture of the future we’re given!

The Eighth Day

Also known as Shemini Atzeret, this is the last of the commanded feasts in Leviticus 23. It’s celebrated the day after the last day of Sukkot, and this day is considered more spiritual than the previous seven days.

Traditions on the Eighth Day differ. The sukkah may or may not be used, and the four species are not waved. Different blessings are used on this day than the others commonly said during Sukkot.

A Christian Sukkot

Would you like to celebrate Sukkot? There are many traditions a Christian can keep that bring the concepts of Sukkot to the forefront. The basic commands are: gather the four species (Lev. 23:40), rejoice before the LORD (Lev. 23:40, Deut. 16:13-14), dwell in a sukkah (Lev. 23:42), and visit the Temple in Jerusalem (Ex. 23:14-17, 34:18-23, Deut. 16:16-17).

Visit Jerusalem

Christians around the world visit Jerusalem during Sukkot. If you’re planning a trip to Israel, this may be something to consider! Other great (and very crowded) times are Passover and Shavuot.

Build a Sukkah

You can purchase ready-made sukkahs online, but you can also build a simple one, just like the Israelites did in the desert. Your children would probably love to help you decorate it! Some people camp out during Sukkot, their tent serving as their sukkah. Eating meals in the sukkah is customary, but sleeping in it adds a realistic element as we remember God’s provision for the Israelites in the desert.

Get a Lulav and Etrog

The phrase “lulav and etrog” may include all four species but is commonly called the lulav and etrog. You can order them online before Sukkot, but check that the delivery date is before Sukkot starts!

Thank God

Thank Him for how He has lavishly blessed you and for sending Jesus to dwell among us. We can also thank Him for His promise to dwell with us in the future, which we surely do not deserve! The list of things we can thank Him for could go on forever.

Spend Time in the Word

Ecclesiastes is commonly read during Sukkot, so that’s a great place to start! Some places to read about the Feast of Sukkot are:

• Exodus 34:22
• Leviticus 23:34-44
• Deuteronomy 16:13-17
• 1 Kings 8:2
• 2 Chronicles 8:13 and 31:3
• Ezra 3:4
• Nehemiah 8:13-18
• Zechariah 14:16-19
• John 1:14-18 and 7:2, 37-38
• Revelation 7:9-10

Sing Praises

We can not only thank God through prayer but also through our worship of Him. Any day’s a great day to worship God, but Sukkot should make us focused on being grateful. He loves to hear from His people, so don’t disappoint Him! Worship is what these days are set aside for.

Teach Your Children

All of the biblical feast days have valuable lessons in their observance. Sukkot is no exception, and children will love to be involved! Aside from participating in the building and decorating of the sukkah, here are a few more ways kids can learn about and participate in Sukkot.

• Build an edible sukkah at toriavey.com
• Learn about Sukkot (and the other Fall Feasts) with this activity book from Bible Pathway Adventures
• Watch this fun and creative Lego Sukkot video

Bless Someone Else

As we thank God for His generosity toward us, we can also extend it to those around us. Find a place to serve or a charity to donate to, and make sure your family knows why you’re giving.

Invite friends

Sukkot is a time for celebrating God’s goodness. What better excuse could there be to throw a party? Invite some friends to hang out in your sukkah and make a special meal. You could even celebrate with only your family, but remember the focus of your celebration!

Wish others a “Chag Sameach!”

The standard greeting during Sukkot is “Chag Sameach!” meaning “joyful festival.” It’s pronounced HOG sa-may-ach, with the first part of “HOG” starting in your throat, like the ending of Bach. In the U.S., people often say “Happy Sukkot” as well.

Be joyful!

Although the celebration of Sukkot is commanded, it’s not something we should do with a “have to” attitude. Part of the command is to be joyful, and how could we not when we focus on all God has done for us? From shelter to Jesus, we are some super blessed people!

A Thanksgiving celebration of sorts, Sukkot is a time Christians can give thanks for God’s provision for us and focus on our dependence on Him. We can also remember that He loves us enough to desire to be with us, even giving us Jesus to provide a way for us to be near Him and the Holy Spirit to be with us at all times. What an excellent way to celebrate these things! Chag Sameach and Happy Sukkot!

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