Sukkot - the Festival of Ingathering
The Big Picture:
This Sunday we celebrate the conclusion of Sukkot, the Festival of Booths. While it is most often referred to as the "Festival of Booths" in Scripture, the original name of this holiday (found in Exodus 23:14-17 ) was the Festival of Ingathering. This name stems from the significant agricultural aspect to the celebration, described in Deuteronomy 16:13-16.
Deuteronomy 16:13-16:
"You shall keep the festival of booths for seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your wine press. Rejoice during your festival, you and your sons and your daughters, your male and female slaves, as well as the Levites, the strangers, the orphans, and the widows resident in your towns. Seven days you shall keep the festival to the LORD your God at the place that the LORD will choose; for the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all your undertakings, and you shall surely celebrate. Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose: at the festival of unleavened bread, at the festival of weeks, and at the festival of booths."
Each of the pilgrimage festivals (Unleavened Bread/Passover, Weeks/Pentecost, and Booths/Tabernacles) was linked to a specific aspect of the agrarian calendar. Unleavened Bread was associated with the harvest of barley; Weeks with the harvest of wheat; and Booths, or Ingathering, was the holiday that coincided with the final harvest. This final harvest likely included a second wheat crop, along with grapes, figs, pomegranates, dates, and other fruits.
Religious festivals related to the local agricultural seasons were common to almost all ancient civilizations. Yet while other civilizations and peoples attempted to bribe, placate or appease their deities to secure the harvest, the LORD ordained festivals instead to remind His people of their dependence on Him. The Festival of Ingathering is a celebration of God's sovereignty, grace and provision in our lives.
Dust of the Rabbi:
Getting Into the Rhythm of Jesus
For the ancient Hebrew, as for the modern farmers and herders of today, God's sovereignty and provision are essential aspects of one's livelihood. No matter how familiar we become with the process, the creation and growth of new life - plants, animals, etc - upon which our life depends is a mysterious and miraculous event. Even with today's science, complete control over the harvest, over life, eludes our grasp. As Paul says, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." This recognition of God's ability to give life, or growth, is celebrated in this Festival of Ingathering.
Our modern lifestyle requires most of us to live significantly separate from the sources of our "daily bread." Our service-based economy dramatically alters our perception of our world in a variety of ways. We are isolated from creation, working in offices instead of fields. We are separate from the conditions in which our food is produced, unaware of the "cost" of each meal. And perhaps most importantly, we are able to maintain a false sense of entitlement and self-sufficiency over our own "produce."
It is easy for us to consider our financial resources to be something that we have earned, rather than the result of God's provision in our life. Thinking in terms of a "harvest" might be helpful to modern American Christians. As a lawyer, or a plumber, or a driver, we can imagine that hard work earned our money; as a farmer it is clear that no matter how hard one works, it takes God to bring life. Jesus' challenge to the people is that He is the source - of water and of life - and of all good in our lives.
Extras:
The Festival of Ingathering, while not as theologically significant as Passover and Unleavened Bread, was the best attended of all the major festivals. The other festivals took place during the agricultural year, and only the most devout or wealthy could afford to leave their fields and journey to Jerusalem; but Ingathering took place after the final harvest, and people were ready to rest and celebrate before the onset of winter. For this reason, many major events in the life of the Jewish people occurred during the Festival of Booths; for example, King Solomon chose to dedicate the Temple during the Festival of Booths in 1 Kings 8:2.
When speaking of the pilgrimage holidays, the terms "festival" and "feast" are often used interchangeably. For example, one can speak of the Festival of Ingathering or the Feast of Ingathering, the Festival of Unleavened Bread or the Feast of Unleavened Bread. But when someone in ancient Israel spoke of "The Feast," they always meant the Feast of Ingathering.