This GemLight was published at the end of September near the end of the Jewish feast of Sukkot. During this feast the Jews were to dwell in booths made of branches for seven days.

According to Aish.com, devout Jews, “...camp out under the stars seven days and remember that God is our ultimate protection.” The site continues to state that the joyous holiday is a time to celebrate their complete trust in God and having received a good judgment for the coming year.

Many Christians feel that this is the actual time of year when Christ was born, as opposed to December 25. We come to that conclusion by noting what time of the Jewish year Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and told him he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son (John the Baptist). Elizabeth was six months pregnant when Mary the mother of Jesus visited her just after receiving word she would, by the sole act of God, bring forth the Christ.

To us, the Jews living in outdoor booths for seven days prefigured that we, who fully trust Him, would dwell in Christ upon His indwelling within us. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”--John 15:4

Another term that has been used for booth is tabernacle. In the New Testament, there are ten Greek words that can be translated as “dwell.” Out of all those words the Holy Spirit selected in the mind of John a word that can be translated as “tabernacled” for John 1:14 as we see in Young’s Literal Translation: “And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us...”

What awesome love God has for us in that as the Son He took our flesh, lived the Spirit directed life that was needed for us to please the Father, and then took our sin and nature upon the cross so we might take of His vicarious life!

Sadly, most of the Jews, as most of the world, have rejected the Messiah. While it is good that devout Jews in a way have placed their trust in God, it is not really complete, just as their animal sacrifices had been incomplete in that the blood that was shed did not remove sin.

Only One could do that, Messiah Who was all God and all man. It is only in Him that we find true peace and safety, redemption from sins, and the crushing of our sin nature.