Good Morning.

And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan. (Genesis 33:17-18)

It seems fitting that the first place Jacob came to was a place that he called, Sukkot. This is a Hebrew word that means “booths” or “tabernacles.” Literally, these booths were dwellings built for his flocks and herds which had been, for some time, roaming through the countryside as Jacob made his way back home. The time had come for his flock to find some rest and shelter.

Prophetically, Sukkot is to remind us that we are His flock and the sheep of his pasture. Like Jacob’s grizzled, speckled and spotted herd, we are His unique and peculiar who  have been roaming among the nations. At times we, like sheep, have gone astray and have needed rescuing. That is why the Messiah came and, as John put it, “tabernacled among us” (John 1:14). In the end days, as the Good Shepherd, He will go seeking for all of His scattered sheep and bring them into their own land.

“And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 34:13-15)

Jacob’s life is, in many ways, a pattern for God’s people. His journeys, complete with the tests and trials, teaches us what we can expect in our life and how we should respond to these situations. The pattern also includes a promise: if we are faithful and strive to overcome, there will be a day when we, like Jacob, will arrive at our destination “in peace”

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill  

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