The sukkah experience: How humility builds community, interdependence and spiritual growth

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5 key questions

Let’s get to the heart of the spiritual lessons behind the biblical instruction to live in temporary dwellings during Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles:

1. Why does God want us to remember that the Israelites dwelled in booths for 40 years? What is the significance of this?
2. What was Messiah’s purpose in initially saying He would not go to the Feast of Tabernacles, but then showing up later incognito? How does this connect to the lessons of Sukkot?
3. Why did the Israelites in Nehemiah 8 choose to express their humiliation and shame by building sukkot (booths)? What does this reveal about the meaning of the festival of Sukkot?
4. According to Deuteronomy 8, what was God’s purpose in humbling the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness? How does this relate to the lessons we should learn during Sukkot?
5. How do the themes of humility, dependence on God, and eternal perspective presented in 1Kings 8 and James 4 connect to the deeper meaning and purpose of dwelling in temporary shelters during Sukkot?

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The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, is one of the most significant and multifaceted celebrations in the biblical calendar. At its core, this festival calls God’s people to dwell in temporary shelters, known as sukkot or “booths,” for a week-long period. On the surface, this may seem like a quaint tradition, but as this study reveals, the instruction to live in fragile, impermanent dwellings during Sukkot holds profound spiritual lessons.

Why booths?

Why does God want us to remember that the Israelites dwelled in booths (Leviticus 23:33-34)? This is not merely a historical detail, but a deliberate command from the LORD, inviting His people to reflect on their past and its significance for the present.

The answer lies in the Israelites’ wilderness experience, a time when they were utterly dependent on God’s provision and protection. By dwelling in temporary shelters, the Israelites were constantly reminded of their vulnerability and the need to trust in the divine Provider (Deuteronomy 8:2-3).

The Messiah’s example

Interestingly, Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) during the Feast of Tabernacles initially tells his brothers that “it is not yet My time” to go to the festival, but then later appears there, almost incognito (John 7:8-10). Yeshua’s seemingly contradictory behavior is rooted in the deeper lessons of Sukkot.

Perhaps the Messiah was testing His disciples, curious to see how they would respond in his absence. Or perhaps He was demonstrating the importance of humility and reliance on God, rather than seeking the spotlight. Yeshua’s actions seem to be intimately connected to the purpose behind the Israelites’ wilderness experience and the lessons of Sukkot.

Dealing with humiliation and shame

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah document the return and rebuilding by ancient Israel from exile in Babylon and Persia. As part of the rebuilding process there was a public reading of the Law of Moses, and the listeners were overcome with grief and a sense of shame (Nehemiah 8:9-12). Their response is to go out and gather branches to build sukkot, a striking expression of humility and repentance.

This reaction is unusual, as shame often leads to hiding or seeking forgiveness, rather than a public display of vulnerability. The Israelites’ choice to build temporary shelters reveals a deeper understanding of the purpose behind Sukkot – to humble oneself before God and acknowledge one’s dependence on Him.

The wilderness experience and humility

To fully grasp the significance of the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings and the lessons of Sukkot, look at the book of Deuteronomy, written to the second generation post-Exodus. There, Moses explained that God’s purpose in humbling the Israelites for 40 years was to teach them to rely on His provision, rather than their own strength or resources (Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 16).

The Israelites’ experience of living in tents, lacking the comforts and security of their former lives in Egypt, was a deliberate act of God to strip away their self-reliance and foster a posture of humility. This humbling process was essential for the Israelites to truly understand their identity as God’s people and their need for His guidance and sustenance.

Significance of the temporary dwelling

There’s deeper meaning behind the instruction to dwell in temporary shelters during Sukkot. The fragile, impermanent nature of the sukkah is a powerful metaphor for the fleeting nature of earthly life and possessions. Just as the Israelites were called to live in tents, rather than permanent structures, we too are reminded that our true home is not in this world, but in the eternal kingdom of God.

There’s a parallel between the Israelites’ experience and the human condition, where we often become consumed by the pursuit of wealth, status, and security, forgetting our dependence on the divine Provider. The sukkah experience is a call to let go of these earthly attachments and embrace a posture of humility and trust in God.

The Temple and the sukkah

Look at the role of the first temple in Solomon’s prayer, as recorded in 1Kings 8. There, the king acknowledged that even the grandest of earthly structures, the temple, is but a pale reflection of God’s true dwelling place — the entirety of His creation (1Kings 8:27).

The presenter suggests that the sukkah, with its temporary and fragile nature, serves as a tangible reminder of this spiritual truth. Just as the temple was a symbol of God’s presence, the sukkah points us to the reality that the entire universe is the LORD’s dwelling place. This realization, Agee argues, should foster a deep sense of humility and dependence on the Almighty.

‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD’

In the epistle of James, we see more about humility and its connection to the Sukkot experience: “humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10).

Apostle Ya’akov contrasted boastful pride and true humility, noting that the sukkah experience is a call to let go of self-reliance and acknowledge our need for God’s grace. Just as the Israelites were instructed to dwell in fragile shelters, we too are challenged to live with an eternal perspective, recognizing that our lives are “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).

This posture of humility not only pleases God but also fosters a spirit of compassion and unity among believers. When we recognize our own smallness before the Almighty, we are less likely to judge or speak evil of one another, and more inclined to draw near to God and to our fellow sojourners.

The humble dwelling and the eternal home

The lessons of Sukkot are not merely historical or ritualistic, but hold profound spiritual significance for believers today. By dwelling in temporary shelters, we are invited to remember our dependence on God, to cultivate an attitude of humility, and to keep an eternal perspective in the midst of our earthly lives.

The sukkah, with its fragile and impermanent nature, serves as a powerful reminder that our true home is not found in the accumulation of earthly possessions or the pursuit of self-sufficiency, but in the eternal kingdom of God. As we embrace the lessons of Sukkot, we are called to let go of our pride, to trust in the divine Provider, and to live with a spirit of gratitude and dependence on the One who has made us and sustains us.

In this way, the humble dwelling of the sukkah becomes a gateway to a deeper understanding of our relationship with the Almighty, and a means of preparing our hearts for the eternal dwelling place that awaits us in the world to come.