The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot
is a week-long feast that begins five days after Yom Kippur. This joyous feast commemorates the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings and God’s provision for them. It’s also a time of thanksgiving for the completed harvest. For believers in Yeshua, it anticipates the time when He will dwell with us in the Millennial Kingdom.
Preparation Timeline:
1. A few weeks before the Feast:
- Plan your sukkah (a temporary booth or tabernacle) – this is a key feature of the festival. It can be as simple or elaborate as you like, but it should have a roof made of organic material through which you can see the stars.
- Plan festive meals for each day of the feast. Traditional foods include stuffed vegetables and fruits, as they are symbolic of the harvest.
2. A few days before the Feast:
- Purchase fresh ingredients for your meals.
- Begin constructing your sukkah. Decorate it with fruits, vegetables, and other harvest-themed decorations.
3. Day of the Feast:
- Complete any last-minute preparations on your sukkah.
- Prepare your festive meals.
During the Feast of Tabernacles:
Each day of the feast, spend time in the sukkah, eating meals, praying, singing, and enjoying fellowship with family and friends.
Meal Ideas and Recipes:
- Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients:
- 4 bell peppers
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes.
- Cook the ground beef and onion in a skillet until the beef is browned.
- Stir in the cooked rice and diced tomatoes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the mixture into the bell peppers and place in a baking dish.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the peppers are tender.
- Apple and Honey Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 apples, peeled and diced
- 1 cup honey
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C) and grease a bundt pan.
- Combine the apples and honey in a bowl.
- In another bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a third bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry, then fold in the apples and honey.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
The Feast of Tabernacles is a joyful celebration of God’s faithfulness and provision.
This concludes our series on the Feasts of the Lord. We hope you have found this guide helpful in understanding and celebrating these important biblical feasts. Stay tuned for more posts on deepening your walk with God.
