The Sukkot Parallel
October 15, 2006
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
The months of late August to November are jam packed with important Jewish religious activities. Since we do use their Old Testament in our services, there are some item parallels from their religious observances, which we can use as
illustrations in New Testament parables.
Rabbi Dr.
Shlomo Riskin presents some of the items used during Sukkot in the extraction from an Arutz Sheva article, which follows. I do draw an interesting parallel from the first recorded parable Jesus gave to his disciples. It involves the effect of learning the Torah (God’s Word) and its effect on the fragrance it produces in a person’s life when it is truly practiced. The same is true when the Word of God is learned and truly applied from the Old and New Testaments.
James 1:23-25 – For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: [24] For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
[25] But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth
therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Leviticus 23:39-44 – Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. [40] And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. [41] And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. [42] Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: [43] That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. [44] And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord.
Beginning of Extract from Arutz Sheva Article
Sukkot: The Aravah and the Leviathan
By Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Riskin
October 10, 2006
Arutz Sheva
One of the most beautiful aspects
of the Sukkot pageantry are the Four Species that we bring into our homes, our sukkot and our synagogues, and over which we recite our psalms and praise to G-d. Jewish law dictates that these four indigenous products of Israel are to be held together as we chant the blessings and wave the species: the etrog (citron), which has both taste and fragrance, and therefore symbolizes those Jews who study Torah and perform good deeds; the lulav (palm branch), which has taste but not fragrance, thus symbolizing the Jews learned in Torah but devoid of good deeds; the hadas (myrtle), which has fragrance without taste, symbolizing those Jews with good deeds but without Torah learning; and the aravah (willow), which has neither taste nor fragrance, neither Torah learning nor good deeds.
Jewish custom dictates that the latter three are actually bound up together with branches of the palm tree, while the etrog is held in close proximity (it would be awkward to include the etrog in the bond). In this sense, these four species become a natural continuation of the major theme of our High Holy Day prayer: “And may all Your formed beings be in awe of You, and may all Your creations bow down before You, so that they all may form a single and united bond to do Your will with a full heart.” Just as all of G-d’s creations must coalesce into one bond (agudah), so do these four species – representative of every kind of Jew across the Jewish spectrum – form together as one (eged).
End of Extract from Arutz Sheva Article
Parallel with the Parable of the Sown Seed and the Four Species
Aravah (willow) – has neither fragrance nor good deeds.
Hadas (myrtle) – has fragrance but not taste
Lulav (palm) – has taste but not fragrance
Etrog (citron) – Has both taste and fragrance
The Torah is the center of Jewish teaching and worship. If you want to know about it and its relationship to what we call the Bible, I advise you to check out the following link:
http://user.aol.com/lazera/torah.htm
The Gentiles honor all the books of both the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God. It is quite probable that the first New Testament parable Jesus gave to his disciples was the Parable of the Sown Seed.
I merely present the following comments as a parallel from the New Testament that is presented in the Torah parallel. I will use masculine singular gender in my comments on each verse for clarity.
Luke 8:11-15 – Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
[12] Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
(The Willow)
Since he did not believe the Word of God, he did not taste it to produce any fragrance in his life.
[13] They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. (The Myrtle)
There was a huge burst of fragrance from the great joy felt and shown, within and around him, the moment he received the Word of God and believed. The fragrance was the smell of great joy experienced by those who witnessed and heard his profession of faith in Messiah. But the fragrance was short-lived, and faded away when his faith was tested. He never allowed the seed to create in him a broken spirit and a contrite heart as a sacrifice of his life to God.
He never let the word develop patience (endurance) in him by continuing in it.
[14] And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. (The Palm)
He tasted the Word of God and went forth to produce a fragrance in his life, but the effects of the polluted things of the world upon which he fed, caused his fragrance not to reach the fullness of scent in mature fruit. He never allowed the seed to create in him a broken spirit and a contrite heart as a sacrifice of his life to God. He never let the word develop patience (endurance) in him by continuing in it.
[15] But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
(The Citron)
He tasted the Word of God and came to know the graciousness of the Lord to the extent he kept coming back for more and more of it, and from his broken spirit and contrite heart there came a fragrance that followed him all his life for others to experience and enjoy. He is the only one of the group who let the word develop patience in him, and he endured.
I Peter 2:2-5 – As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: [3] If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
[4] To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, [5] Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Romans 12:1-3 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. [3] For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Psalm 51:17 – The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
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