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Leviticus 23:42-43 "You shall dwell in booths for seven days, all that are native in Israel shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."

 

When I was younger, I thought that some of the things our faith tells us to do seemed a bit pointless. I did not understand the power of fasting, for example, and the requirement to do it on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, even in the very limited way we are asked, seemed silly to me. Why should we deprive ourselves, what possible good could that be doing? Of course, I now know the many benefits fasting unlocks, including preparing us for and reminding us of difficult times.

 

I thought of this when I read today's verse about Sukkot, the Feast of Booths. I can see this as being one of the traditions I would have thought of as silly or pointless, had I been Jewish. Why would God want His people  leave their houses and live in booths for seven days? It seems pointless and unnecessarily difficult! But God tells us why - to remind His people, especially future generations, of the Exodus and the time in the desert. Future generations will not know the history of Israel, all that God has done for them, and their special relationship with Him, unless they are taught those things. While one would hope that most parents will hand this down to their children, God knows that there will be times when this is not happening, He knows we tend to be forgetful.

 

God wants both the parents to remember and the children to learn of the care He has had for His people, and the reason they wandered in the desert for forty years. There are lessons and hope in those memories. The tradition of this feast helps cement those memories in the people, and impresses on the children the importance of events that came before them.

 

I wish, as a young parent, I had taken the things I found pointless in our faith more seriously. I hope that the fact that I do now is making some impression on my children, and I hope God forgives me for my former immaturity and pride.