Video clip Family prayer before meal Talladega nights

Video clip • Family prayer before meal • Talladega nights

Consider Jesus! n n n Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. – Hebrews 12: 1 -3

Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot Celebrated late September, early October. n Eight days of celebration and sacrifices. n At the occasion of the harvest and in anticipation of the rainy season. n Thousands of faithful Jews flocked to Jerusalem to live in temporary shelters commemorating the Jews’ exodus travels out of Egypt. n Each morning the Water Libation Ceremony at the altar. n

Altar

Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot n n n n Celebrated late September, early October. Eight days of celebration and sacrifices. At the occasion of the harvest and in anticipation of the rainy season. Thousands of faithful Jews flocked to Jerusalem to live in temporary shelters commemorating the Jews exodus travels out of Egypt. Each morning the Water Libation Ceremony Each evening the Temple Lighting Ceremony The Hoshana-Rabbah Ceremony on the last day.

Scriptures of the Feast of Tabernacles n n n “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. ” Isaiah 12: 3 From the Hallel, Psalms 113 -118. O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. Psalms 118: 25 -27

Scripture of Feast of Tabernacles n “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. ” Isaiah 12: 3 n. O LORD, save us; (Hosanna!) Psalm 118: 25

Hoshana-Rabbah, High Holy Day n n n High Priest procession to get pitcher of water from Pool of Siloam. Returns to Temple. 3 x 7 blasts of silver trumpets. Priests marching around altar 7 times reciting from Isaiah “With joy drawing water from the wells of salvation” People waving branches, Priests and people shouting ‘Hosanna, ’ sacrifices offered

Living Water John 7: 37 -38 n On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, n "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. “

Living Water n By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7: 39

Peace like a river • Video loop

Feast of Tabernacles • • • • • • The most joyous and festive of the seven Jewish feasts. See Leviticus 23: 33 -44, Deuteronomy 16; 13 -17. A celebration of God’s deliverance of the Jews from Egypt. One of three pilgrim feasts requiring Jewish males to travel to Jerusalem. They brought their tithes and offerings to the Temple for this feast time. Each day of the week a goat, fourteen lambs, two rams and a number of bullocks were killed and offered in the Temple. All 24 divisions of the Priests served in the sacrificial duties during this feast week. It was during this feast that Solomon dedicated the first Temple to the Lord. 2 Chronicles 5 -7. At that dedication the Shekinah glory of the Lord filled the Temple. This feast came at the time of harvest and anticipation of the Nov-March rainy season in preparation for the next year’s planting. The pilgrims built temporary shelters of branches to stay in through out the week. Thousands were located within a Sabbath day’s journey of the Temple. Each morning of Tabernacles, a water libation (sacrificial pouring out of a liquid) was offered to the Lord as a visual prayer for rain. The high priest, accompanied by a joyous procession of music and pilgrims carried a golden pitcher to the Pool of Siloam where he dipped it in the water and returned to the Temple. The high priest returned to the Temple. As he entered three blasts of the silver trumpets sounded from the temple. All the priests said the words of isaiah 12: 3, “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. ” High priest slowly proceeded to the altar, ascended the right side of the ramp. At top, turned left and poured the water into a silver basin that drained to the base of the altar. A drink offering of wine was simultaneously poured into another basin parallel. Three blasts of the silver trumpets followed and signaled the start of Temple music. A choir of priests sang the Hallel, Ps 113 -118. At the proper time, the crowd waved their palm branches toward the altar and joined in singing, “Save now, (Hossanna) I pray, O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity” Psalm 118: 25 Psalm 118 is considered a Messianic Psalm. The priests marched once around the altar with palm branches in hand. The water libation ceremony isn’t found in the Old Testament but started at least 100 and perhaps hundreds of years before Christ. Each evening the Lighting of the Temple ceremony (The rejoicing of the house of water drawing) was celebrated. Four towering menorahs lit the Court of Women. A group of priests gathered at the top of the 15 steps leading down into the Court of Women. They chanted one of the 15 Psalms of Degrees as they descended each step. On the final day of the Feast more emphasis was upon the water-pouring ritual. On this day the trumpets gave 3 sets of 7 blasts, the priests made 7 circuits around the altar as they sang the Hosanna verse from Ps 118: 25. This final day of the feast was known as Hoshana Rabbah or Great Hosanna. Thoughts of rain for the coming year and messianic fervor were at highest pitch.

Temple Lighting Ceremony • • • “The rejoicing of the house of water drawing” People crowded in the vast outer court of the Temple, court of the women. Four towering menorahs, each with 4 branches of oil lamps. Harvest moon full, sky clear. Elders of the Sanhedrin performed impressive torch dances. A large group of Levites gathered in the inner court, known as Court of the Israelites. Moved through the Nicanor Gate to stand on the top of 15 steps leading down to the Court of the Women. Lots of musical instruments as the Levites sang the 15 Psalms of Degrees, descending a step for each Psalm. This ceremony was a prelude to the water pouring ceremony the next morning. Reminiscent of the descent of the shekinah glory in solomon’s day and looked forward to its return in the days of the Messiah, Ezk 42: 1 -6

• • When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink? " (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. ) The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? " (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. ) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. " "Sir, " the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds? " Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. " The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water. " John 4: 7 -15