Walking in Spiritual Reality and Appreciating Fruitfulness, Recovery, and Transformation by Relating with God through the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles

TRUTH AND PURPOSE

God appointed Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, as a special time of celebrating God’s amazing grace and awesome works. It was appointed to be an eight-day time facilitating special joyful times, celebrating the fulfillment of God’s purposes. It also serves as a special time to relate with God and one another.

In addition, the Feast of Tabernacles points to God’s ultimate redemption. How so? Celebrating God’s love, we reflect on the good He has done and find hope for the future. We focus on anticipating how God restores things lost and makes things new!

RELEVANCE

The early disciples experienced a new type of fulfillment. They experienced the dynamic presence of God. They also experienced the pour of God’s love by the Holy Spirit in a powerful way.

As a result, it changed their fellowship with one another. The book of Acts records how they had simple hearts, childlike faith, and walked in childlike obedience to God. So they experienced the amazing grace of God in a huge way!

In addition, the early disciples pursued an active, passionate relationship with God. They also practiced sharing life together. As a result, they enjoyed strong dynamic, covenant relationships with one another. In fact, the high level of engagement they maintained with God and one another further points forward to something special. It points to the great wedding feast of the Lord and His Bride; the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Revelation 19:9)

As a result of the active engagement with the Holy Spirit, we see the prophecy in Isaiah 61 being fulfilled. Consequently, good tidings were preached, many broken-hearted and lame were healed, and those in captivity to sin were set free. So God was glorified! That’s fruitfulness.

So God’s community of faith, therefore, grew by leaps and bounds. People were certainly witnessing His wonders. Revival broke loose. God still seeks such vibrant, active communities of believers glorifying His name and accomplishing His purposes in the earth.

These disciples knew they had realized and experienced something very special. They now had an expanded view and revelation of the fullness of God’s intended purposes and vision spoken to Moses. More than experiencing the Promised Land, they experienced the Promised Life— His overcoming life. They experienced the new life of the Holy Spirit.

I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.  (Exodus 6:6-7)

Furthermore, they now clearly understood the true value of being rescued, redeemed and restored. Their lives had been recovered by God from the corruption of the world which leads to spiritual death. So they recovered a precious thing that had been lost—real dynamic refreshed new life of the Spirit. They experienced real transformation.

So the eight-day celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles gives us the opportunity to spend quality time thinking about all the blessings God has bestowed upon us in the year. In addition, we express gratefulness for all the ways God has strengthened us. So we celebrate the richness of our relationship with God.

We also celebrate things that may have been recovered or restored. In addition, we remember the lives we have had an impact upon, and the new character traits God has developed in us that bear the fruit of a transformed life—personal growth.

In total, the Feast of Tabernacles helps us celebrate the evidence of God’s work in our life. We also look forward to the next season of growth in the Lord, anticipating new things God may be doing. Looking further out, we also celebrate eternity in the Lord’s presence.

REFLECT AND RELATE

How can you maintain an active engagement with God?

In what of kind of dynamic fellowship can you participate?

How do you think your community of faith can grow?

In what ways do you think you can experience such a dynamic life and witness the power of God in your midst?

How do you measure personal growth and transformation of character?

REFERENCES

The book of Acts

NEXT STEPS

Vertical movement: As you experience fruitfulness, recovery of things lost and real transformation, the Holy Spirit draws you deeper in God. As a result, you come to truly appreciate the length, width, depth and height of God’s love. So you greatly value the richness of your relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit. You also see the big picture of finding real contentment in God and the values and benefits of a community of God.

Horizontal movement: The more you experience the goodness of God, the more you truly value the things God values. The Feast of Tabernacles brings us to value many things that God values. One primary thing God values is your relationship with Him; and specifically your connection to Him.

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