Sukkot and the Little Midwife... part 1

“Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwellin booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God” (Lev.23:29-43)

This was a time when the Jews traveled to Jerusalem to worship in the temple and to offer sacrifices and offerings to the LORD. This is a time of thanksgiving as we acknowledge GOD's provision for us. It is to be a happy time, a time of celebration and of joy and rejoicing. We are to remember how GOD delivered Israel from Egypt, and for the 40 years they wandered in the wilderness and lived in tents and worshiped at the tabernacles / booths which were made as instructed by GOD in Leviticus 23:42. For 7 days you were to live in this booth, as a reminder of the days in the wilderness. Two things characterizes the feast of tabernacles from other feasts. One is the illumination of the temple and the other is the pouring of a vessel of water into a basin that was located at the base of the altar.

The Feast Of Tabernacles / Sukkot-was coming!

The little Midwife was so excited.  She would get to spend the week with her church family, and relax.  Something she rarely gets to do.  The feast is a great time of rejoicing, praising the LORD GOD YA for all HE has done and will do for her, and remembering where she has come from.  She had a dwelling place, not made as described in the WORD of GOD, but one of wood, that was rustic.  Just what her soul longed for -to be away from the world, in a simple place for the week. She looked forward to watching the stars above in the night sky (in the description of building a booth you are told to leave space to be able to see the stars thru the construction). She looked forward to the nights of sitting before a fire and listening to the night sounds of the wind in the trees, the birds and the insects.  She looked forward to those songs of the night wrapping around her as she drifted off to sleep.

 The little Midwifes husband would get to join her on the weekend.  She was happy about this as she has hardly seen him lately.   His boss at his work --has him working nights, so he sleeps during the day when the midwife is away from her home to see women in the land that are expecting a baby soon. 

This was to be a joyous week! 

The first day they were to camp, she knew she would not get there until just at sundown, which is a Holy Sabbath.  So as she worked all day, she planned to hurry and go to what would be her dwelling place for the week. That day of work, during her lunch time she took her bedding and supplies to the little wooden cabin.  Before that and after that, she went from one happy momma to the next as she gave them their special time of hearing the baby's heartbeat, and listening to each woman tell her all about their week.  She asked them how they were eating, she always makes sure they are getting the food, water and sleep they need. She even saw a new person today, pregnant with her second child, and she saw 3 women whose babies were already born, just to see how they were doing.  With everyone, all was well.  She then she saw 3 more women who are all waiting on their babies to be born-they too are all well.  The little midwife had driven hundreds of miles today....The little midwife finished her visits in time to drive back to the little cabin just as the sun was going down. 

She would not get to stay there tonight; she would need to go home to be with her husband when he came home from work.  But she could sit by the fire for a while this evening before she had to drive home.  Once the stars were out in the sky, and the large full moon was above the tree tops- it would be time for her to drive home...

The next day, day #1- the little midwife would be able to go to the little cabin in the afternoon.  She would again, not get to stay the night, but would get to enjoy the evening with the church family by the fire and once again as the stars came out and the moon rose above the tree tops, she would drive home to be there for her husband.  That evening the little midwives mother was on the midwives heart....she was a bit restless about this, as she knows GOD speaks to her this way....She asked for prayer about the work she does with helping women at birth, but she failed to ask for prayer for her mother.  That weighed heavily on her heart as she drove home... 

So on the next day, day #2, she would need to see 2 women who were waiting on their babies to be born.  Then when she was done with their visits, she could go to the little cabin in the woods and rest. She looked forward to resting but also to spending time praising GOD with her church family.

Her husband thought he would go today too. He would go and enjoy the woods and beauty of the changing trees until he had to go to work in the evening.  

 But early that morning her little phone rang, and as she listened her sister told her their mother had just had a stroke.  The midwife knew she would need to go to see her mom.  So she got up and ready, went to see her 2 ladies who were due to have a baby....trying to hurry them with their appointment because she was worried about her mother, she told them she was needing to get to her mother and what had happened to her...but the women, were as usual, enjoying their visit with the midwife, and they did not hurry....The little midwife was patient with them as she needed to be….but her heart felt divided…..

The midwife finally made it to her mommas house, she and her sisters waited for the people who help --to arrive.  They would bring a special bed and supplies to help them to take better care of their mother.  This made the little midwife very happy.  She was with her mother all day, until the evening when she went home to wait for her husband to come home from work.  She did not sleep at all, but sat up waiting....her husband comes home very late, after midnight.  That night he was working even later, and the midwife still waited.  But before he would come home, her phone rang.  Someone would have a baby tonight.  The midwife left her home and out into the cold night to help the woman have her baby.

 She thought, maybe she would not get to be at the little cabin during the next day as she wanted to.  As she sat waiting on the birth of the baby she thought how she would miss the time praising the LORD GOD with her church family.   She began singing the following song: 

~LORD we have come, to this birth where we love to sing your praises.

~We lift this mom, and the babe to you the KING of all the ages.

~Hear me LORD I pray, come YHWH come, keep this baby safe.

~And meet us here, meet us here LORD.

~We are few, we are strong when you surround us

~Meet us here, meet us here LORD. As we birth, in your name-meet us here.

She did not get back home until after the sun was up the next morning...she would lay down for a few hours, getting almost 3 hours of sleep before she would get back up to go to her mother’s home. It was now day #3 of the feast...

 So the next day the midwife went back to her mother’s house and waited for the people who gave them the bed-- to come back so they could all talk again. 

She was there all day again.  She was very tired. A few hours of sleep was not enough.  She thought of those who were at the camp, who were spending their time before GOD praising him..., she missed the special time with her church family praising GOD...  She thought about the pouring out of the vessel of water...
The little midwife knew what it was like to pour herself out like that...