Musing – What’s the Significance of HIS (FALL) Feast Days?

 Hebraic Musing – What’s the Significance of HIS (FALL) Feast Days?

Understanding the message or significance of the FALL FEASTS is exciting for both the Jew and for today’s Christian because they foretell of our walk and future events leading up to Yeshua’s 2^nd coming:

Rosh HaShanah, or Yom Teruah, is the start of the High Holy Days in late autumn and God’s Wake-up Call with Shofars and Trumpets, recognizing that Judgment Day is near!  We can see this as the day the church will be re-gathered.  So, the Jewish custom is to do good deeds to get our name written in the Book of Life.  Obviously, the best deed we can do is to recognize Yeshuah as the Messiah!  The day starts with the Shofar blown 100 times to start a serious New Year Holiday.  Read Lev.23:23-25 & Numbers 29:1-6.

Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, is the Holiest Day of the Year.  This is the day the High Priest entered the Holiest of Holies to make atonement for all the people and a scapegoat is released to carry our sins away.  Yeshua entered the Holy of Holies (heaven itself) once for all, not more need for blood sacrifices.  The veil tore because He’s no longer hidden!  This represents the Final day of Judgment when God judges his people.  Many Jews attend Rosh HaShanah & Yom Kippur services even if they have not attended services the rest of the year.  Typically, it’s a day of total fast, reflection and/or confession of our sins in order to repent and be cleansed.  Since the Jews can no longer offer blood sacrifices (temple torn down in 70 AD) they substitute prayer and good works.

Sukkot, or Feast of Booths or Tabernacles, is celebrated for 7 days by living in booths. (And God requested they stay an extra 8^th day for fellowship with Him.)  Israelites were thus reminded of the 40 years living in the wilderness.  We Christians could use this time to reflect on the time we spent in our wilderness before we entered the promised land.  Many believe Jesus was born at this time and He ‘tabernacled’ with us; and that He may return during this feast.  This represents the final harvest when all believers will celebrate this feast.  Some believe that the Early Pilgrims celebrated “Tabernacles” and history has altered the name to “Thanksgiving”.

Simchat Torah, the 8^th day of Sukkot, celebrates “The Joy of the Torah”.  This day was appointed by God as a sacred assembly in Deut.31:10-13   "At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing.  Assemble the people — men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns — so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law.  Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."  I think the Lord wants us to read the Torah, to listen, learn to fear Him, and follow carefully all the words.  And it is for all His children, of whom I am one and so are you.  We believers are to be rejoicing with the Living Torah – Yeshua HaMashiach.

BTW -- Irene & I “experienced Jerusalem” by celebrating Sukkot and Simchat Torah in Jerusalem in 2014; so recent events on that date have special significance for us! 

SUMMARY of the significance of the God’s Feast days represent a complete salvation message.  Remember our deliverance from slavery (salvation), learn to live without sin, know that the bread of life arose so we can have everlasting life, with His commandments written on our minds and hearts for our own good, as we recognize and acknowledge preparation for a judgment day, when there will be a final harvest.  So, let’s read and listen and fear and share the LIVING TORAH – Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus, the Messiah). 

Points to Ponder

What have we been missing by not celebrating the God’s Feasts with His perspectives?

A song we sang to celebrate Simchat Torah:   
♫ The joy of the LORD is my strength; He heals the broken-hearted and they cry no more; He gives me living water and I thirst no more; He fills my soul with laughter; The joy of the LORD is my strength! ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      January 30, 2024
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings” 

Note – Edited version of June 17, 2009 Hebraic Insight #24’ “Significance of His (FALL) Feast Days”

P.S. – For more information I highly recommend “A Family Guide to Biblical Holidays” by Robin Sampson & Linda Pierce -- Good in-depth teachings as-well-as activities for children/family.

Musing – What’s the Significance of HIS (SPRING) Feast Days?

 

Hebraic Musing – What’s the Significance of HIS (SPRING) Feast Days?  

The book of Lamentations includes a verse by Jeremiah bemoaning the sins of God’s chosen people that brought about the Exile and desolation in Israel.  Are you one of God’s chosen?  The verse that caught my attention was “The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to her appointed feasts.” Lamentations 1:4 NIV  And Lamentations 2:6 tells us of the resulting consequence.  “The Lord has made Zion forget her appointed feasts and her Sabbaths; in his fierce anger he has spurned both king and priest.”

Here are God’s appointed SPRING FEASTS and they are designed to begin our relationship with Almighty God.  Each feast has significant reasons why God wants us to remember them and to remember Him!!!

Pesach, or Passover, is celebrated on the 14^th of Nissan, (April-ish) commemorating the Israelites deliverance from slavery in Egypt.  Were you delivered from slavery one day?  Is that an event worth commemorating?  When was your Re-Birthday?  Do you remember the moment?  Our Lord wants us to set aside a day to remember our deliverance from slavery through Jesus' death as the sacrificial lamb.  Remember, this was the day Yeshua was sacrificed on the cross to free us from slavery.  Reread Exodus 12 and find the significant parallels.  Do we celebrate our Re-Birthday?

Hag HaMatzoh, or Unleavened Bread, is celebrated on the 15^th of Nissan for 8 days, until the 21^st during which time we are to eat only Unleavened Bread, bread without yeast, without ‘sin’.  On this day in history, Yeshua was buried and is likened to Matzot, bread without leaven/sin.  Do we preach Sin & Obedience often enough?  This day devoted to cleansing from sin was so important to Yahweh that He declared it to be one of the three Pilgrimage Feasts.    “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles;” Deut. 16:16 NIV  Pilgrimage Feasts require a trip to Jerusalem to celebrate the three harvests.

Yom HaBikkurim, or Shirat HaOmer, is on the 16^th of Nissan when we are to remember that God gave us the land and dedicating the 1st harvest - Barley - to Him.  It is a Three-day feast.    This is a picture of Jesus' Resurrection.  Yeshua arose on the 3rd day of Passover season.  Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. …For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. … Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.” NIV   This is a picture of Resurrection Day; we are living as the New Man, replacing the Old Man described in Ephesians. 4:20-24.

Shavuot, or Pentecost, is celebrated 50 days after Yom HaBikkurim.  We remember the day and moment that God put HIS commandments on our hearts.  Do you remember the moment when you accepted Yeshua as your Lord?  The Lord declared – “The time is coming... when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.   It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them.  This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” Jeremiah 31:31-33 NIV

Yes, these are the SPRING feasts that God commanded us to observe.  I’ll bet He had good reason for us to remember the day we began our relationship with Him!!!

Points to Ponder

What have we missed by not celebrating these Feasts with God’s perspective?

Do we celebrate our Re-Birthday?

What was the Lord telling you while you were digested His Word?

Next week let’s look at the FALL Feasts and our walk and future events!

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      January 23, 2024
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings” 

Note – Edited version of June 10, 2009 Hebraic Insight #23’ “Significance of His (SPRING) Feast Days”

Musing – Man’s Wisdom vs. G-d’s Wisdom

 Hebraic Musing – Man’s Wisdom vs. G-d’s Wisdom

“Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.” Deuteronomy 4:2 NIV   Remember how Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof” was in constant search for G-d’s hand in life’s daily events.  Why do we, His people, think we might know better than the Omniscient Father God might know?  Here’s a story illustrating that point.

A king calls in his trusted minister and says: "I have an important mission for you to perform. Go to the neighboring kingdom and meet their leaders. But remember one thing - under no circumstances must you remove your shirt during this meeting. Now go and do as I say."

The minister sets off on his merry way and soon arrives at the neighboring kingdom. There he heads straight for the palace where he meets with the king. In the midst of their discussion, he sees some of the king's officers pointing and laughing at him.

"Why are you laughing?" asks the visiting minister.

"Because we've never seen someone with such a pronounced hunchback," they say.

"What are you talking about? I'm not a hunchback!"

"Of course you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"We'll bet you one million dollars that you are!"

"Fine - I'll gladly take your bet."

"Okay, so take off your shirt and prove it."

At which point the minister remembers the parting words of the king ... "Under no circumstances must you remove your shirt during the meeting." Yet, the minister reasons, a million dollars would certainly bring added wealth to the king's coffers. I know I'm not a hunchback, so I'll surely win the bet. Of course, under these circumstances the king would approve...

The minister removes his shirt and proudly displays his perfect posture. With pride in his achievement, he holds out his hand, into which is placed a check for one million dollars.

The minister can barely contain his excitement. He quickly ends the meeting and runs back to give the wonderful news to his king. "I earned you a million dollars!" exclaims the minister. "It was easy. I only had to remove my shirt to prove that I wasn't a hunchback."

"You did what?!" shouts the king. "But I told you specifically not to remove your shirt. I trusted that you'd follow instructions and I bet the other king $10 million dollars that he couldn't get you to remove your shirt!"

How many times and in how many ways do we consider our plans to be better than His plan(s)?  For example, when it comes to God’s Feast Days, sometimes referred to Jewish Holy Days, let us look for the significance from His perspective.  After all, a good parent like Our Father, always has our best interest in mind when He gives us instructions.  That’s a fact!   

Points to Ponder

Might God’s purpose for His Feast Days differ from ours?  (Next week’s topic!)

If your parents asked you to celebrate their wedding anniversary as their special day,
how would they feel if you celebrated their birthdays instead?  What might you miss?

Jesus preached “Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees” in Matthew 23:13-32.
How does Jesus’ message to the crowd apply to us today?

The bible makes no mentions of birthdays; maybe we should celebrate our “Re-Birth” day instead!

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      January 16, 2024
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings” 

Note – Edited version of June 3, 2009 Hebraic Insight #22 – “Man’s Wisdom vs. G-d’s Wisdom”

Musing – What does it take to really be a Christian?

 Hebraic Musing – What does it take to really be a Christian?

The moment I became a Christian was on August 27, 1977, when I fell to my knees and said “Jesus Christ, you are real.  I need to learn more about you.”  That was a memorable, life-changing moment for me!  At that moment I began to understand what Jesus was telling us. “…and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8b NKJV   Does “to the end of the earth” include our family, neighbors and anyone we encounter?  The Holy Spirit comes as a gift, or calling, from the Father and thus we are both called and equipped by the Holy Spirit in four distinct ways after we are “saved”?

First, the Holy Spirit calls us from above.  Jesus told them “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” Acts 1:8a NKJV   That is a call from above to be the witnesses we are called to be in the Great Commission.  And Jesus said something similar in Mattherw 4:19 – “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Note that this is Jesus’ expectation for ALL His “followers”!

Second, the Holy Spirit calls us from within.   “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 NKJV   When the council realized the truth was undeniable, they tried desperately to stop them.  “But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” v.17    And then in v.17, Peter and John being undeterred, answered! “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” vs.19-20   They made their faith public, at risk of death; a holy boldness from within!!!

Third, the Holy Spirt calls us from without!  In Acts 16:9-10 Paul was called by the Lord to fulfill a Kingdom need.  “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night.  A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’  Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.”   Paul obediently followed the Lord’s calling!  Jesus realizes the workers were few, so he called us to labor!  “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  ‘Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’” Matt.9:36-38 NKJV   Do we fully realize that the vast majority of people we meet do not know Jesus?!?!  Are we the laborers that the Lord is counting on for His harvest?

Fourth, the Holy Spirit calls us from below!!!   In Luke 16 Jesus tells of the Rich Man and Lazarus.  In vs.27-28 Lazarus cries out in desperation “I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.“ NKJV   It is interesting that Jesus spoke of Hell more often than of Heaven.  Hmmm!  Maybe we need to witness to people by sharing our testimony in order to counter the world calling them to Hell?

SUMMARY – What was your moment?  Going to church for umpteen years does not get you into heaven; nor does claiming to be a Christian or doing good deeds.  Jesus tells us in John 3:3 “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  And Jesus emphasizes it again in v.7 “You must be born again.” 

Points to Ponder

If you have not had a memorable life-changing moment, are you “saved”?  Are you “Born Again”?

Jesus expected ALL “Born Again” believers to be witnesses!  What did He mean?

Have you ever felt the Lord calling you to speak to someone?  Did you?

Are you and I the laborers the Lord is counting on for His harvest?

Do you know someone who needs to be saved, or witnessed to?  Whose job is it?

“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15 NIV

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                             January 9, 2024
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings” 

Note – Inspired by Sam Moore’s New Year’s Eve message - December 31, 2023

Musing – What are ‘Fence Laws’?

 

Hebraic Musing – What are ‘Fence Laws’?

“Praise G-d”    Did you notice that I just obeyed Chalachah (how to walk/behave) by hyphenating the name of G-d.   In order not to violate G-d’s commandment “Do not take the L-rd’s name in vain”, the Jewish custom is to build a ‘fence law’, e.g., to create self-made or rabbinical rule so strict as to protect one from violating G-d’s commandment.  Better to be extra safe, than to be sorry by offending Almighty G-d.  And I do not wish to offend a Jewish reader who has been raised to obey these particular mitzvah (good deeds).

There are good reasons for fence laws and the intentions are admirable.  A classic example is that rather than trusting a sign at the edge of a cliff, we build a fence 20 feet back to eliminate any chance someone might get hurt.  So, fences were created by rabbinic decrees designed to distance one from risk of transgressing Torah law. 

However, rabbinic fences have grown so high and so firm in their dogma that many people feel blocked out and therefore, they have lost all desire to find the grandeur contained within the Torah.  There have been so many “do not’s” written about observing Shabbat that some have lost the joy of just being human and relishing in the delights of a day resting with the L-rd.  Some develop a fear of doing the “wrong thing” because of all the many rules and regulations (fences) contained in the Shulhan Aruch, (Code of Jewish Law).  The fear of not doing something in “the right way” often discourages people from trying.  This was clearly not the intention of our biblical ancestors.  But isn’t this what Jesus had to explain/clarify to the people of His day?

Most would say the Sages constructed the rabbinic fences to protect us from inadvertent transgressions of Torah law, to create an attitude of fear or reverence of G-d.   

·        But some might believe that the fence is to lock us within its confines to the exclusion of the wisdom of the rest of the world.

·        One might also wonder whether the fence is to keep everyone else out of that inner circle and thus prevent them from gaining our wisdom. 

·        There are some Jews for whom Judaism is a set of behaviors.  What matters most to them is that the required ritual is performed in the proper manner.

·        There is another group of Jews who see Judaism exclusively as a form of social action.  They march against injustice, sign petitions, and write letters to newspapers and congress.

Could the same be said of some of the “do’s and don’ts” in our traditional Christian teachings?  Neither of these concepts can stand alone.  Ritual should be understood and accepted as a way of practicing righteous living, or Chalachah.  These rules need to be appreciated and obeyed as a way of disciplining us and teaching us restraint, balance, and compassion and to shift the focus from our perspective to G-d’s perspective.

However, one must be careful to obey a mitzvot from Deuteronomy 4:1-2  Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you.  Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.  Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the L-rd your G-d that I give you.   NIV

May we all be blessed to see the holiness (Tzedakah) within ourselves, within each other and in all of G-d’s creation.   And to appreciate why our loving G-d gave us so many commandments (Mitzvot).

Points to Ponder

Has Christianity eliminated “fence laws” in their teachings?  Or have we added some?

Jesus preached “Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees”,
Do His messages to the crowd in Matthew 23 apply to us today?

Shalom Aleichem

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      January 2, 2024
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings” 

Note – An edited version of Hebraic Insight #17 – “What are ‘Fence Laws’?” published in April 2009