Shemini Atzeret: Finding our Joy

Message

About Shemini Atzeret

Shemini Atzeret is an appointed day that God commanded the Israelites to observe. It is the eighth day of the seven-day festival of Sukkot and so there is debate as to whether this eighth day is to be understood as an isolated festival or a continuation of Sukkot. It is a day on which work is forbidden and a holy convocation was to be observed. It is recorded in Lev 23:36; Num 29:35.

The word Shemini is the Hebrew word for ‘eight’ and the word ‘Atzeret (עֲצֶרֶת) is derived from the word ‘atzarah’ (עֲצָרָה) which is usually translated as ‘solemn assembly’. Some connect this word to ‘atzar’ which means to hold back, restrain, close in. The Jewish Encyclopedia notes that the word ‘Atzeret is used for the final day of Pesach as well, and is taken to mean "the closing festival.

And Josephus also uses a greek transliterated form of the word, ἀσαρθά (asartha), to describe Shavuot which may imply its use as ‘closing’ the Pesach some fifty days prior. (Ant 3.10.6).

Modern Observance

In the Diaspora, Shmini Atzeret, on which Yizkor is said, is followed by Simchat Torah, the celebration of Torah, during which communities feast, dance with the Torah scrolls, and celebrate the annual conclusion of the Torah-reading cycle.

In Israel, Simchat Torah is observed on Shmini Atzeret, making for a long and festive day in the synagogue, with the prayer for rain and Yizkor, but hours of dancing with the Torahs, the calling up of every man present to say the blessings on the Torah by having multiple readings, having a special prayer for the younger children under a prayer shawl held as a canopy over their heads, and more, in addition to the regular holiday prayers.

On the nights of Chol Hamoed, “Water-Drawing Celebrations,” called Simchat Beit HaShoeva (Celebration of the House of Water-Drawing), are held to commemorate the ceremonies and celebrations that took place at the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in preparation for drawing water for use during the festival services.

Shemini Atzeret: Finding our Joy

Sukkot is a special time of joy and rejoicing and the scriptures tell us specifically “...and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.”

What is the Hebrew word for Joy? Of course, the word for joy in Hebrew is simcha, and so the scriptures tell us to samach (rejoice) during this time.

Simchat Torah is a beautiful Jewish tradition about rejoicing in the Torah of God and that is why in synagogues around the world the Torah is hoisted and paraded around the community, called hakafot, in order that we may all equally share and celebrate the good words of our God.

“Eighth”

According to the Torah, today is Shemini Atzeret which roughly translates into the “assembly of the eighth”.

It marks the end of the annual festivals and is both connected to and separate from Sukkot.

The haftarah portion this week is found in 1 Kings 8:54-66 and this is read because the rabbis made the connection that, after dedicating the Temple, Solomon sent the people away on the eighth day of the festival.

But I believe this haftarah portion is part of one of the most beautiful passages in the entire bible. The context of the passage is the completion and dedication of the new Temple and the procession of the Ark of the Covenant to the temple.

Solomon completed the temple and had a great ceremony complete with singers, sacrifices, shofar blasts, and more. It was one of the most joyous times in the history of Israel.

You will recall the book of Ezra describes the scene when the exiles came back at the order of Cyrus and how the young generation was joyful when they saw the foundation of the temple but the old generation wept bitterly because they had seen the splendor of Solomon’s temple.

There was great joy at this event in Israel’s history and it is fitting that the Rabbis chose this passage to be read today and it is fitting that we take the Torah out of our arks and rejoice in God’s covenant with His people.

I have chosen to also incorporate another but a related portion of scripture. 2 Chronicles 5-7 happens to be the parallel passage to our Haftarah portion and it gives a different perspective and appreciation of the joy that surrounded this moment in Israel’s history.

Finding our Joy

I’ve titled this message Shemini Atzeret: Finding our Joy.

It is not uncommon for us to hear that we are to have joy in the Lord but how many of us truly pause to reflect on what that means? We know that we are supposed to have joy, but have we stopped to think about what it is that will make us joyful?

We spoke a bit about this at Derrick’s house but I want to go deeper and reflect on the text.

When the Scriptures tell us to be joyful, is it the type of joy we have when finding a forgotten $10 in our gym bag? What if it was $3,000?

Obviously, the Bible speaks of much deeper joy, a joy experienced deep in our lives and is with us every minute of every day.

The Bible speaks about a joy that forges a steady pace despite circumstances that normally would lead someone to just give up.

The joy we are speaking of is founded on truths that undergird the very fiber of our being and afford us with the strength to face life’s most difficult challenges. 1 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 5-7 is the story of the dedication of the temple during Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, and it is a window into the truths that we are speaking of. We’re going to use this story to find three sources of deep joy and understand what the implications are for us today.

The Joy of the Promises

Let’s read Solomon’s words and I want to ask you, what is Solomon reflecting on to experience the joy of the lord. Remeber this is a joyous occasion.

When Solomon had finished the temple he said,

2 Chronicles 6:4 TLV

4 He said: “Blessed be Adonai, the God of Israel, who with His hands has fulfilled what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying:

God’s promises are consistently understood as a source of joy for God’s people throughout the ages.

During this joyous time of dedicating the temple, Solomon reflects on the promises that God made to his father David.

For Solomon, deep joy was found in reflecting upon God’s faithfulness to David.

David was a man who loved God, but he was not the one who would build the temple. That was reserved for Solomon. It took tens of thousands of men seven years to build the temple and this is not counting the preparation that David had done beforehand! Blood, sweat, and tears had been poured into this moment and finally, Solomon was able to do what his father couldn’t. God’s promises are a source of joy.

Solomon saw himself as a participant in a promise made to a prior generation, and it was a great source of joy.

Do you recall how David danced when he brought the Ark of the Lord to the city? When David brought the ark up with dancing and joy, he had a song of thanksgiving. In that song of thanksgiving, he commands the people to,

1 Chronicles 16:15–18 TLV

15 Remember His covenant forever, the word that He commanded for a thousand generations— 16 that He made with Abraham, swore to Isaac, 17 and confirmed in a decree with Jacob to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 18 saying: “To you I give the land of Canaan as your allotted inheritance.”

What do we notice here? We see that in times of deep thanksgiving and joy our great men and women of the Bible remember the promises of God, and their fulfilment.

And more than that, they see themselves as wrapped up and included in the story of God founded upon those promises.

Solomon saw himself as wrapped up in the promise to David. David saw himself wrapped up in the promises to the patriarchs.

And so what about us? Should all see ourselves wrapped up in the promises that God has made to all of Israel’s greats?

This was Paul’s point when he says in Galatians;

Galatians 3:27–29 TLV

27 For all of you who were immersed in Messiah have clothed yourselves with Messiah. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua. 29 And if you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham’s seed—heirs according to the promise.

Paul’s point is that through Messiah our Lord, we all are wrapped up in the promise made to Abraham and all those that followed him.

Through messiah, all social classes and hierarchies are of no advantage when it comes to inheritance! That is a promise to remember and be joyful about!

The promises we read about - to the Patriarchs, David, Solomon - these are our promises in Messiah.

The Importance of Celebrating

Why is it important to celebrate Sukkot and the feasts? Our first reaction is because we are commanded. Sure. But God isn’t simply interested in ‘because it is commanded’. That is the not the relationship God wants with us. Why is it ultimately important?

Celebrating this feast in itself is an act of remembering the promises. Sukkot is meant to be a time when we remember our redemption from Egypt, and our redemption from Egypt was based upon the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The rhythms and symbols of the festivals are meant to instill in us a remembrance of God’s promises.

Building a sukkah, shaking the lulav, dancing with the Torah - they are all rituals that deepen our knowledge of God.

As we perform these rituals and symbolism it creates in us a knowledge that goes beyond simple head knowledge. Performing rituals every year produces a deep knowledge that becomes a deep joy.

Rituals aren’t just cultural habits—they actually help us learn and remember things better. Research shows that rituals reduce stress, make learning more structured, and help us pass knowledge from one generation to the next.

By repeating certain actions and linking them to emotions or social events, rituals make it easier for us to focus, understand, and recall information. Whether it's calming our nerves or giving us a sense of control, rituals play a big role in how we take in and hold onto knowledge, both individually and in groups.

As we celebrate the feast together, through the use of the rituals God has provided and that we have crafted, we remind ourselves of the promises of God and that is where deep and lasting joy is found.

That’s the first, the Joy of the Promises.

The joy of the Word and Presence of God

Solomon stood before the Altar in front of the entire community of Israel and he lifted his hands in prayer. At the end of one of the most magnificent prayers in all Scripture, Solomon says this;

2 Chronicles 6:41–42 TLV

41 Now arise, Adonai Elohim, to Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your might. May Your kohanim, Adonai Elohim, be clothed with salvation, and may Your godly ones rejoice in goodness. 42 Adonai Elohim, do not reject Your anointed one. Remember the loyalty of Your servant David.”

What do you think Solomon is saying is a source of Joy here?

The second source of Joy I want to point out is the Joy of the Word and Presence of God.

And as soon as Solomon had finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and burned up the offerings and the presence of the Lord filled the Temple. Solomon’s prayer is clearly that the holy ones would rejoice in God’s presence.

In fact, when the people saw the presence of God filling the Temple they fell down on the ground and praised saying, “כִּ֣י ט֔וֹב כִּ֥י לְעוֹלָ֖ם חַסְדֹּֽו”

2 Chronicles 7:3 TLV

3 When all Bnei-Yisrael saw the fire come down and the glory of Adonai above the House, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, prostrating themselves and praising Adonai, “For He is good and His mercy endures forever.”

They then rejoiced using instruments made by David, they sang, they blew the trumpets and sacrificed many animals. The presence of God creates Joy in his people, a deep joy.

But, without God’s physical presence resting in the actual temple today, where is it that we can find His? In the temple of his community, the body of Messiah.

It’s ironic that often the people that need joy the most are the ones that neglect consistent fellowship.

Now, it’s easy to see how the presence of God brings joy, but how does God’s word bring joy?

The word of God is the means by which we can enjoy the presence of God. The Word of God is the revelation from heaven by which we are able to live in accordance with God’s wisdom.

The word allows us to participate in a life set apart where God’s presence can take up residence amongst his people.

The word of God is a means to an end, the word is the vehicle by which we are able to enjoy God’s presence.

This needs to be clear, the word of God is not the end in itself, but it is the vehicle by which we can experience the very presence of God.

This is why, after all the pomp and ceremony of the temple dedication, after all the fire and glory, after all Israel went home on Shemini Azteret, God said to Solomon,

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice...my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place...But, if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments...this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight.”

The Word of God and the presence of God go hand in hand, and this is why inside the Ark were the Ten Words and this is why God dwelt above the ark.

The picture is clear, the word of God is at the centre of experiencing God’s presence. You can’t His presence without implementing purity.

And this is why we need to keep the Word of God who became flesh at the center of our lives. We need to obey God’s word, Yeshua himself who tabernacled amongst us, in order that we might experience God’s presence.

There is a Christian scholar who wrote a book called The Jesus Creed. If you had to guess what a Christian scholar would call the Jesus Creed what do you think that might be? The Jesus Creed is the Shema, followed by, love your neighbor as yourself. This scholar made a point to recite the Shema and love of neighbour every day. The point is that Yeshua calls us to love God and neighbor in order to experience the joy of God’s presence.

That’s the second, The Joy of the Word and Presence of God.

The Joy of the King and his Kingdom

We spoke about the promises to David. But do you remember how that promise came about?

David desired to build a house for God because David was living in a proper house while God was living in a mere tent. But God says that David won’t build him a house.

God turns that around, and says to David that He will build David a house! You see, while David was focussed on a temple for God, God was focused on a dynasty for David.

God tells David he will make a name for David, He will appoint a place for Israel and plant them so as not to be disturbed, enemies will be subdued, and God will establish a kingdom for David’s offspring who will build a house for God and will sit on this throne forever.

God will be His father and the king will be God’s son, and he’ll rule forever. You can imagine David’s response to this.

In the immediate context, David’s son is of course Solomon.

What’s so beautiful is the way that the Bible then goes on to describe Solomon and his reign. Solomon is described in such clear messianic language that the chapters drip with eschatological significance and insight.

It is truly a window into the ultimate rule of Yeshua on this earth seated in Jerusalem. In the early chapters, Solomon is a type for Yeshua. Solomon’s reign is a glimpse into the world to come.

In what ways was Solomon like Yeshua?

Solomon prays for wisdom in order to judge the people correctly. Under his rule, Israel is described as numerous as the sand on the seashore picturing the fulfillment of the promise.

Israel was content under his rule, plenty to eat and drink, the borders of the land were wide and far-stretching from the Euphrates to Egypt, the people of other nations sent tribute to Solomon, Solomon was a light to the nations and he prayed for the gentiles, food was abundant in the Jewish kingdom, everyone lived in peace and safety each with under his own grapevine and fig tree, and Solomon’s wisdom exceeded anyone else on earth to the point that kings sent their ambassadors to Solomon to learn about the world and everything in it.

As a father, one of the things that amazed me was the way my wife can experience the difficulty and pain of carrying and delivering our children, and yet as soon as the delivery is over, the look of joy on her face. It amazes me every time.

Of course Yeshua is the ultimate son of David, and here is what he said.

John 16:21–22 TLV

21 “When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her hour has come. But when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, because of the joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you!

What comes to mind as you read these words?

What comes to mind for me is that we will have difficulty in this world. I think we as believers need to remember this because we sometimes have fantasy notions of our relationship with God. in some ways we treat Him as a genie even while we ridicule others that do this.

Through homeschooling contacts my wife knows a young lady and her family, maybe 30’s, just got word she was found unconcious, was flown to emeregency, and now has been diagnosed with brain cancer.

We read the Gospels and Bible with a romanticized view - we take the joy passages - but we don’t see and reflect upon what comes before the Joy.

The Joy is only meaningufl in the suffering. Our master said - you will have troubles in this world. But take heart I have overcome the world.

By coming out of the suffering is when we can appreicate the true Joy.

In our passages above, Yeshua now compares the situation of the disciples to a woman in childbirth. Just as the woman in the delivery of her child experiences real pain and anguish (has distress), so the disciples will also undergo real anguish at the crucifixion of Yeshua.

But once the child has been born, the mother’s anguish is turned into joy, and she forgets the past suffering. The same will be true of the disciples, who after Yeshua’s resurrection and reappearance to them will forget the anguish they suffered at his death on account of their joy.

We have a resurrected saviour that has granted us access to the Father in his name. And the promises to us are that we will experience full joy in the kingdom.

1 Corinthians 2:8–12 NLT

8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

We are indeed the ones who understand the secret and hidden wisdom of God which has been decreed before the ages for our glory.

We have seen the power of God and are waiting for the final renewal.

These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit and this is certainly something to be joyful about!

The Joy of the Promises, The Joy of the Word and Presence of God, The Joy of the King and His Kingdom.