Sukkot & the Transfiguration

Tuesday night we read Matthew 17 and began a discussion of the Transfiguration. This week is the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths), called Sukkot (meaning tabernacles or booths) in Hebrew terminology. Because of the timing, we spent our time talking about "the Feast," in part because of the strange comment by Peter on that "high mountain" when he saw Jesus, in transfigured glory, and Moses and Elijah talking together.

"Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." (v. 5)

That word, "tents," is the word used for tabernacle or booth in the Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures. It's the same root for the word used in John 1:14 when it says that the word became flesh and dwelt or tabernacled among us; and the same word in that passage (2 Cor. 12:9) that Marva Dawn used as the key verse for her excellent book "Powers, Weakness, and the Tabernacling of God."

I think that the theme of the Feast of Tabernacles is an undercurrent in this passage; it may not be the main big point (which is probably that Jesus is the new and greater Moses, God's Deliverer and Revealer, to lead his whole creation in a New Exodus to freedom...), but as we look at the various themes associated with Sukkot, it seems that at least Peter had some eschatalogical, consummation of God's history and vindication of God's people, thoughts going on in his head when he blurted out his offer to make three booths...

I have to stop here for now, I'll add a couple more posts with the background, but I'll close with some Sukkot prayers from the Siddur (the Jewish Prayer Book). [Note: HASHEM means literally "The Name" which is a circumlocution for the Divine, in our Bibles usually written as LORD]

"Behold, I am prepared and ready to perform the commandment of succah as the Creator, Blessed is His Name, commanded me: In succos shall you dwell for seven days...
May the pleasantness of my Lord, our God, be upon us - may He establish our handiwork for us; our handiwork may He establish.

May it be Your will, HASHEM my God and the God of my forefathers, that You cause Your Presence to reside among us, that You spread over us the succah of Your peace - in the merit of the mitzvah of succah that we are fulfilling - to unify the Name of the Holy One, Blessed is He, and His Presence, in fear and love, to unify the name... and to surround us with the aura of Your honor, holy and pure, spread over our heads from above like an eagle arousing its brood, and from there cause an abundant outpouring of life for Your servant..."

May God bless all His people observing this Feast with the fulfillment of their prayers.