Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it Holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11
Passover
Unleavened Bread
First Fruits
Shavuot
Yom Teruah
This is the beginning of the Fall Feast Days. Yom Teruah marks a date commanded by Yehovah to give an offering for atonement. We are unfamiliar with the offerings made, not having done so since there is no physical Temple today.
“‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; it is a day of blowing the shofar for you. Prepare a burnt offering to make a fragrant aroma for Yahweh—
Numbers 29:1-6
- one young bull,
- one ram
- and seven male lambs in their first year and without defect —
- with their grain offering, consisting of fine flour mixed with olive oil —
- six quarts for the bull,
- four quarts for the ram,
- and two quarts for each of the seven lambs —
- also one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you.
- This is to be in addition to the burnt offering for Rosh-Hodesh
- with its grain offering,
- the regular burnt offering
- with its grain offering,
- and their drink offerings, according to the rule for them;
- this will be a fragrant aroma, an offering made by fire to YAHWEH. “
Today, because there is no Temple on earth, we gather together, as best we can to celebrate this Feast Day. In general, it is celebrated as the Head of the month, and we blow the shofar to welcome in the Ruach HaChodesh.
The Day of Yom Teruah
THERE IS NO OFFERING AS YESHUA COMPLETED THE ANIMAL OFFERINGS
But when the Messiah appeared as cohen gadol (High Priest) of the good things that are happening already, then, through the greater and more perfect Tent which is not man-made (that is, it is not of this created world), he entered the Holiest Place once and for all.
And he entered not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of his own blood, thus setting people free forever. For if sprinkling ceremonially unclean persons with the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer restores their outward purity; then how much more the blood of the Messiah, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself to God as a sacrifice without blemish, will purify our conscience from works that lead to death, so that we can serve the living God! – HEBREWS 9:11-17
It is because of this death that he is mediator of a new covenant [or will]. Because a death has occurred which sets people free from the transgressions committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promised eternal inheritance. For where there is a will, there must necessarily be produced evidence of its maker’s death, since a will goes into effect only upon death; it never has force while its maker is still alive.
The bible tells us that today our sacrifice offerings should be voluntary and from the heart:
Romans 12: 1-21 I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for God. This will please him; it is the logical “Temple worship” for you. In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of the ‘olam hazeh. Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what God wants and will agree that what he wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed. For I am telling every single one of you, through the grace that has been given to me, not to have exaggerated ideas about your own importance. Instead, develop a sober estimate of yourself based on the standard which God has given to each of you, namely, trust. For just as there are many parts that compose one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function; so there are many of us, and in union with the Messiah we comprise one body, with each of us belonging to the others. But we have gifts that differ and which are meant to be used according to the grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, use it to the extent of your trust; if it is serving, use it to serve; if you are a teacher, use your gift in teaching; if you are a counselor, use your gift to comfort and exhort; if you are someone who gives, do it simply and generously; if you are in a position of leadership, lead with diligence and zeal; if you are one who does acts of mercy, do them cheerfully.
Don’t let love be a mere outward show. Recoil from what is evil, and cling to what is good. Love each other devotedly and with brotherly love; and set examples for each other in showing respect. Don’t be lazy when hard work is needed, but serve the Lord with spiritual fervor. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in your troubles, and continue steadfastly in prayer. Share what you have with God’s people, and practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you — bless them, don’t curse them! Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be sensitive to each other’s needs — don’t think yourselves better than others, but make humble people your friends. Don’t be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but try to do what everyone regards as good. If possible, and to the extent that it depends on you, live in peace with all people. Never seek revenge, my friends; instead, leave that to God’s anger; for in the Tanakh it is written,
“Adonai says, ‘Vengeance is my responsibility; I will repay.’”
On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For by doing this, you will heap fiery coals [of shame] on his head.”
Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
Yom Kippur
Today marks the beginning (after sunset) of the fasting.
- one young bull,
- one ram,
- and seven male lambs in their first year (they are to be without defect for you),
- with their grain offering, fine flour mixed with olive oil,
- six quarts for the bull,
- four quarts for the one ram,
- and two quarts for each of the seven lambs;
- also one male goat as a sin offering;
- in addition to the sin offering for atonement and the regular burnt offering with its grain offering,
- and their drink offerings.
“‘On the tenth day of this seventh month you are to have a holy convocation. You are to deny yourselves, and you are not to do any kind of work; but you are to present a burnt offering to YAHWEH to make a fragrant aroma:
nUMBERS 29:7-11
Again, what we read from this is that these offerings were in addition to the regular offerings. This leads us to conclude, that we are to go ABOVE and BEYOND on this date. We imagine this is where the TOTAL fasting comes in.
It is important to not fast in thinking – how woeful it is to fast. This would not be a correct attitude. But today WE willingly fast, in order to be ONE with Yehovah.
Matthew 6:16-18 “Now when you fast, don’t go around looking miserable, like the hypocrites. They make sour faces so that people will know they are fasting. Yes! I tell you, they have their reward already! But you, when you fast, wash your face and groom yourself, so that no one will know you are fasting — except your Father, who is with you in secret. Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
PRAY FOR PERSONAL, GENERATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SINS
Bible verses that verify the need to ask forgiveness for generational curses:
Genesis 12:3 – And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Exodus 34:6-7 – And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Leviticus 26:39-42 – And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.
Deuteronomy 5:9 – Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me,
Deuteronomy 24:16 – The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
2 Chronicles 25:4 – But he slew not their children, but [did] as [it is] written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.
Ezekiel 18:20 – The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
Mark 11:24 – Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them].
2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Galatians 3:13 – Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:
Exodus 20:5 – Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;
Exodus 34:7 – Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation].
Numbers 14:18 – The LORD [is] longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation].
Deuteronomy 28:1-68 – And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe [and] to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth
Jeremiah 17:5 – Thus saith the LORD; Cursed [be] the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
Ezekiel 18:19-20 – Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, [and] hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live
Hosea 4:6 – My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
John 8:32 – And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Galatians 3:10 – For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
It is important to understand that forgiveness is communal, but also individual. It is a two way street in that we ASK for forgiveness , but, we too MUST give forgiveness.
“And when you pray, don’t babble on and on like the pagans, who think God will hear them better if they talk a lot. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him. You, therefore, pray like this:
mATTHEW 6:7-15
Prayers Establish Repentance
‘Our Father in heaven! May your Name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us the food we need today. Forgive us what we have done wrong, as we too have forgiven those who have wronged us. And do not lead us into hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One.
For kingship, power and glory are yours forever.
Amen.’
For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;
but if you do not forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will not forgive yours.
OFTEN Times we are more than willing to have OUR sins forgiven, yet we lack the understanding that we TOO MUST FORGIVE. How would we like Yevhovah saying we are forgiven but our sins are not forgotten? Therefore we must work to not ONLY forgive, but to forget and transgressions against us.
This is why Yom Kippur is such a solemn time of year.
Tonight we celebrate, not only that our sins are forgiven, but so too are the sins we have afflicted upon others. We are also free of generational curses! Tonight we FEAST in recognition of what Yehovah has done for us. There is much to celebrate!
Psalm 103 by David
(1) Bless Adonai, my soul!
Everything in me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless Adonai, my soul,
and forget none of his benefits!
3 He forgives all your offenses,
he heals all your diseases,
4 he redeems your life from the pit,
he surrounds you with grace and compassion,
5 he contents you with good as long as you live,
so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6 Adonai brings vindication and justice
to all who are oppressed.
7 He made his ways known to Moshe,
his mighty deeds to the people of Isra’el.
8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in grace.
9 He will not always accuse,
he will not keep his anger forever.
10 He has not treated us as our sins deserve
or paid us back for our offenses,
11 because his mercy toward those who fear him
is as far above earth as heaven.
12 He has removed our sins from us
as far as the east is from the west.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
Adonai has compassion on those who fear him.
14 For he understands how we are made,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 Yes, a human being’s days are like grass,
he sprouts like a flower in the countryside —
16 but when the wind sweeps over, it’s gone;
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the mercy of Adonai on those who fear him
is from eternity past to eternity future,
and his righteousness extends
to his children’s children,
18 provided they keep his covenant
and remember to follow his precepts.
19 Adonai has established his throne in heaven;
his kingly power rules everything.
20 Bless Adonai, you angels of his,
you mighty warriors who obey his word,
who carry out his orders!
21 Bless Adonai, all his troops,
who serve him and do what he wants!
22 Bless Adonai, all his works,
in every place where he rules!
Bless Adonai, my soul!
SukkOT – THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
Over the years, I have come to understand that Sukkot has multiple purposes and meanings, not all known to me. But two that I think worth studying deeper into is firstly, Yeshua’s birth, evidenced by His name, Emmanuel, which means Gond among us. And secondly, the wedding feast for the bridegroom and his bride.
In my understanding, we should be joyously awaiting our bridegroom! The five virgins with the oil as opposed to those still in need of preparation.