Day 375 Swords of Iron – “Tabernacles in a time of war”
Chaim starts by informing his viewers that it is time to celebrate Succot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles. The Bible says that if the nations of the world don’t come up to Jerusalem to honor God during the Feast of Tabernacles, they won’t be blessed with rain.
Israelis are putting up “tabernacles” or temporary dwellings to remember the time when the Children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness, as told in the Book of Exodus. There is a tabernacle of “Sukka” that soldiers in Gaza have erected, the first time there’s been a Sukka there since Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005.
Chaim then switches to an account of recent missions he’s been on in Lebanon, including a mission to explore tunnels that Radwan Force commandos used to prepare for an invasion of the Galilee similar to what Hamas carried out on October 7th. Soldiers were killed and wounded during this operation and Chaim reminds his viewers to continue praying for the soldiers. He says that he remembers last year’s Feast of Tabernacles, the last day of which was the first day of this war when Hamas carried out its massacre.
He says that he remembers Succot being a time of laughter and joy and fun with family, and he’s fighting to restore that situation.
He wants to be allowed to finish the job, and he is astounded that people are calling for a cease-fire just because Hezbollah is losing this war and some people find that to be problematic.
Chaim also expresses his contempt for the United Nations which is criticizing Israel for not being careful enough about avoiding harm to UN “peacekeepers” from UNIFIL. Chaim points out that these “peacekeepers” did absolutely nothing to keep the peace in Lebanon or prevent Hezbollah from building up the infrastructure to menace Israel.
Chaim expresses his gratitude for the US deploying the THAAD system to Israel to protect against the possibility of an Iranian strike with ballistic missiles. He also mentions the Israeli incursion into Qunetria in Syria, which resulted in, among other things, the Russian forces there withdrawing so as to avoid getting tangled up in an awkward situation.
But the IDF is finding enormous stockpiles of weapons and ammunition that Iran sent to Hezbollah. Some of it is in warehouses in Syria, ready to be moved across the border, but now it won’t be because Israel found it and won’t let that happen.
Chaim says these weapons were all aimed at his house, and that’s “not cool” and he says that Iran needs to stop this “or else”.
He says that the IDF is making great progress in southern Lebanon but things are very volatile there and he says that Hezbollah WILL be pushed back north of the Litani River, or else they’ll simply be destroyed.
He concludes by bringing us back to the subject of the Feast of Tabernacles, and the commandment from Deuteronomy 16:13; You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress.
He also quotes Leviticus 23:33-43; Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.
‘These are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day— besides the Sabbaths of the Lord, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord.
‘Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.’ ”
He also talks about Nehemiah 8, where the people of Israel re-discovered the Feast of Tabernacles and other places throughout the Scriptures where the Feast is mentioned and celebrated.
He concludes by exhorting his viewers to not be afraid though things seem dark and scary, quoting Isaiah 41:10; Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
