By dwelling in temporary 'sukkahs' or tent-like structures for a week, Jews acknowledge the fragility of life and express joy and gratitude for both past miracles and God's continued care through His provision and protection.
For seven days, they feast on four special species of vegetation, pray, and sometimes even sleep in these small, fragile, makeshift, foilage covered structured huts, that are open to the natural elements of rain and wind, but also to the magnificence of the stars. They remember when God provided their ancestors daily with manna, water and shelter.
At first glance, Sukkot might seem like a quaint, meaningful, ancient ritual. But for Christians, it holds a profound message: that life itself is temporary. Just as the Sukkah is a fleeting shelter, our bodies, possessions, and even our struggles are not meant to last forever. We, too, are pilgrims—passing through this world toward an eternal home.
In our modern lives, we build “booths” of another kind—houses, careers, relationships and routines—that feel solid and secure. Yet Sukkot reminds us how quickly everything can shift. It invites us to loosen our grip on the material and trust in God’s daily provision, just as the Israelites did in the wilderness.
There is also joy in this festival—joy in simplicity, community, and gratitude. The book of Leviticus calls it a “time of rejoicing,” because when we remember that all we have comes from God and all we are is held by Him, fear gives way to peace.
As followers of Christ, we can look at the Sukkah and see a reflection of Jesus Himself—God dwelling among us, the Eternal stepping into the temporary. This week, let us pause to thank God for His faithful presence in our fragile shelters. May Sukkot remind us that though our earthly tents may fall, our true eternal home is everlasting.
“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God…” —2 Corinthians 5:1
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