S1 EP6 | Dinner Under the Stars – The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles – Sukkot

Ever driven by a Jewish friend’s house sometime in the fall, maybe October? If you have, you may have wondered, What’s with that funky structure in their yard with plants thrown on top and fruit hanging from it? And as a Christian, when you see Jewish Believers in Jesus do the same, you might think, Wait, is that in the Bible?

Well, as a matter of fact, it is. In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Ezra and Carly talk about the Jewish Feast of Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, which is the culminating celebration of the cluster of three Jewish holidays known as the Fall Feasts. This episode is #3 of a three-part series. They start with a brief summary of the first two Feasts, but if you haven’t listened to the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur episodes, be sure to do so. There’s lots of good stuff in them.

So, what does “Dinner Under the Stars” have to do with Sukkot? Ezra explains it, and, to give you a hint: It has to do with the biblical reason for the leafy-branched roof on the “sukkah” Jewish people build every Feast of Tabernacles.

Carly asks Ezra:

• Why Christians should learn about the Jewish Fall Feasts
• Explain about Sukkot’s building of little huts and hanging fruit inside them
• What does Sukkot have to do with the word “tabernacle” used in John 1:14, which says, “the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us”?
• How does Sukkot relate to the other Fall Feasts of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?
• Is there anything special between Yom Kippur and Sukkot like there is between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?
• Do Christians need to observe Sukkot?
• What is the significance of Jesus celebrating Sukkot?
• How do you, as a Jewish Believer, observe Sukkot? Do you actually sleep in your sukkah?
• How Christians can celebrate Sukkot
• The bottom-line takeaways for Christians about Sukkot

In this episode, you’ll also hear the wise encouragement to look behind traditions and stereotypical things you may know about Jewish holidays – which could be cultural or family-specific – and dig for the deeper meaning that’s behind them. They discuss the key things that the Feast of Sukkot brings to remembrance for Jewish people, why using a tent or covering your sukkah with a tarp is a no-no, and good reasons to ask your Jewish friend or relative if you could hang out with them in the sukkah.

Ezra brings up an intriguing Bible verse that could be considered a proof-text for why Christians should care about the biblical Feasts. He also sheds light on the Jewish context from which Jesus invited all who are thirsty to come to Him for living water. The conversation also includes encouragement for those who feel like they’ve been walking through the wilderness.

Words you might learn in this episode:

Moadim, Sukkah, bet, bayit, Chag Sukkot