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Sukkot 2011 — day 1
Sukkot, the festival of Booths or Tabernacles, is more than just remembering Israel had to live in tents between deliverance from Egypt and entrance into the Promised Land. Part of preparing to live in God’s presence is learning how to keep ourselves “clean” and holy — set apart from the evil of the world while in the world — so that we can prepare for a prophesied time when God’s people will teach the nations.
Texts: Ex. 15:22–25; Deut. 4:1
Why is Levi “excluded” from the House of Jacob? Why aren’t they normally counted as part of the 12? God called the Tribe of Levi to be the teachers of God’s word to all the people. God spoke His word to Moses and Aaron and they taught it to the rest of the Levites.
Leviticus is not just a book of rituals and sacrifices. It’s also a book of cleanliness and holiness, particularly Leviticus 9–15.
During the Feast of Tabernacles, the water we pour on the rocks represent cleansing. The Levites were called to tell the people what is clean and unclean, holy and unholy.
Each one of us are keep ourselves clean and holy so we can teach others how to be clean and holy.
We are hear to learn what God has in mind for us to do in the future. There is a time when you are called to learn but after some time and you have learned, God will call you to teach others what He has taught you.
Find out what God is doing with you rather than focus on what you are doing or not doing.
As Moses kept the responsibility God gave him, God gives us a responsibility and we must learn what that is and do it.
God didn’t send Yeshua to die for us just to “save us” and then go home. He saved us to prepare us for service to Him.
The first thing God gave the people of Israel when they left Egypt was a test. He got them sick to get their attention. He tested their belief in His power to heal. He promises that if they listen to His voice, and keep His commandments, they will not suffer from the diseases that the Egyptians suffered.
People are also tested as they learn about the Feasts and the Sabbaths. When He calls them to follow His days, there is a risk and there’s always a reluctance to take that risk. Some have had to count the cost and be willing to give up family relationships, friendships, connections to their previous church community and even their jobs in faithfulness to follow the path God leads as they move towards Torah.
Abram/Abraham didn’t pass all the tests when He started moving in God’s will towards the land of Israel but the more tests God gave him, the more tests Abram/Abraham passed and his faith grew very large to the point that Abraham is considered a pillar of faith in the book of Hebrews.
Yeshua told the disciples that they will perform acts greater than what He has done. There are 12 entrances into the Kingdom shown in Revelation (Rev. 21:10–21). When the 12 disciples are resurrected and given the responsibility of those gates, they will carry out the charge that Yeshua gives them.
When someone does something in innocence against you, don’t forgive them. Instead, we are called to not hold the offense against them. We are called to exercise patience and compassion when people say or do things in ignorance.
What ever responsibility God gives you, is yours to do to the best of your ability. If you don’t fulfill it, God will give it to another. We need to see what God is doing with us, not what we are doing or not doing. God led the people out of Israel into Egypt. God lead them out of Egypt and their first stop was a place with water so bad it was deadly. He lead them to the Promise land.
He did do all that He is leading us today. We should focus on Him and the lessons He has for us rather than our own successes and mistakes.
Faith is believing that God’s word is true. Faith is living out God’s words.
Abraham did not go to war just to rescue Lot. He was set up to meet with Melchizedek. That meeting was more than just bread and wine. After that meeting, he never went to war again.
The job of all of us is not to keep other people’s charge but the charge of our Commander in Chief.
God didn’t take His people on the beaten path, He took them off the beaten path. He called us off the beaten path. We were called off the easy, well-worn path onto a narrow path. It’s so narrow that only one person at a time can follow it.
It is said that a myriad of angels rejoice when one person repents. This is because they are waiting for mankind to be able to take their rightful place in the world.
Speaker: Richard Agee. Summary: Tammy.