“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the young women love you!” (Song of Songs 1:3). Sukkot is God’s gracious cover of love. It is the festival of hearts open wide; triumphing hearts of God and His people, joined together in the fragrance of gladness, joy and happiness. It’s like a day of the wedding when the bride and groom join their hearts in the unity of love.

They, having one heart that beats strongly in the rhythm of great, endless love, passion and attraction, exclaim to one another, “How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves. How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant. The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are firs.” (Song of Songs 1:15-17).

Sukkot is the festival of joy and gladness. It’s a symbol of life cycle completion which includes exodus from slavery (Pesach), making Covenant (Shavuot), the days of awe and forgiveness (Yom Kippur). And now, here it comes, the long-awaited finale – Sukkot.

Sukkot is entrance into God’s tabernacle; into His heart, full of boundless love, mercy and grace. The Lord is waiting for every single person who’s willing to enter and touch the heart of God Himself; to enter under His cover.

Don’t stay aside, don’t wait! Leave your comfort zone! Get up and dash to the tabernacle! God is waiting there for you! “Listen! My beloved! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. My beloved spoke and said to me “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” (Song of Songs 2:8-13).

Sukkot is the festival of God’s heart bursts with joy and love for His children who rejoice when coming to meet Him! There are no doors in the tabernacle – the entrance is wide open as are the arms of God waiting to embrace us. Don’t be aloof! Leave your comfort zone! Run to the arms of your Lord! He is waiting.

A tabernacle doesn’t have a roof. So there are no hindrances for God’s love and mercy to pour out. No hindrance for His grace and forgiveness to flow upon you. “Where has your beloved gone, most beautiful of women? Which way did your beloved turn, that we may look for him with you? My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to browse in the garden and to gather lilies. I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” (Song of Songs 6: 1-3). How beautiful You are, oh Lord! How cherished and beautiful is the song of Your boundlessly loving heart!

“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy[a] unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.” (Song of Songs 8: 6,7).

Get up! Run to the One, Who loves us all so much! Chag Sukkot Sameach!