Feast of Tabernacles

The Feast of Tabernacles in Israel started on Wednesday and will last for eight days and if you visit Israel during this period you will find very interesting structures all across the country where it is deemed safe to do so.

The Lord told Moses to gazette in his writings for the children of Israel to remember how He had brought them out of Egypt into the land of Rest (Promised Land) and one way of doing that is to erect shelters and to live in these shelters throughout the feast. So this week you might be able to catch a glimpse of many makeshift shelters either in the gardens of the homes or out in the open fields and some may even venture a bit further and 'camp' in the wilderness area (although not entirely encouraged due to security reasons).

Feast of Tabernacles or Ingathering or Sukkot is also thought to be the time when Jesus was born in Bethlehem since it is a time when the Israelites were to commenmorate His Ingathering with His people and some bible scholars believe that He was presented at the Temple on the 8th day for his circumcision on the last day of Sukkot. Luke 2:21-38 gives us an account of the ceremony but I find it a bit strange that the holy Spirit did not elaborate on the Feast if it was really during the Feast that His parents presented Him for the ceremony.

So, is He or is He not born during Sukkot? does it matter? Important thing to remember is that HE CAME and HE DWELT among men - now that is the message of Sukkot.