The Ancient and Eternal Books

About two months ago I shifted my daily Bible reading to a chronological Bible1.  I counted the weeks from Jan. 1 and began reading with week 31, so that I'd finish the Bible by Dec. 31st.  On Jan. 1st, I'll just go back to week 1 and finish back to where I started.  Just seemed how the Lord was leading me.  At any rate, I noticed with some bemusement and wonder that this morning's reading was from Nehemiah 8-10, which fits beautifully with this blog post, being written on the cusp of Rosh HaShanah, which begins for us in the West tomorrow at sundown.  Praise God!

Looking briefly at Nehemiah 8-10, the prophet Ezra on Tishri 1 (Rosh HaShanah) began to read to the people the Torah.  He read it aloud, in the public square in front of the Water Gate.  The people stood up when he began reading, and stood for hours as he read.  They then began weeping in repentance, because they realized how far from God they had strayed as a people.  Nehemiah 8:17 says that the Fall Festivals had not been celebrated in such a way as this since the days of Joshua, several hundred years earlier.
This was no false repentance.  The people repented and changed their ways.  They covenanted together to follow the LORD their God, and they took action to align their lives with God's ways.  All of this is a gorgeous picture of the meaning behind the month of Elul, which ends tomorrow at sundown, and the Jewish new year, which begins tomorrow at sundown.

With that rather lengthy introduction, I'm going to begin sharing what Judaism says about judgment occurring on Rosh haShanah.  Bear with me, Christian, because some of it is going to sound very different from Christian theology.  But, there are lessons to be learned.

The belief in the resurrection and Messiah go hand-in-hand in Judaism.  If you go to Jerusalem today, between the Eastern Gate and the summit of the Mount of Olives, you will find a huge Jewish cemetery.  Many of the gravestones have a shofar (called a "trumpet" in the Bible) inscribed on the stone.  I've been told this is the most costly burial space in the area, because the Jews believe Messiah will start the resurrection of the dead from that geographical point.
In Jesus' day, there was a lot of theological contention between the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  Both got some things right.  However, the Sadducees did not believe in a physical resurrection; they were wrong about that.  Score one point for the Pharisees.  According to Jewish rabbinical writings (The Talmud)2, there is a pervasive belief that the resurrection of the dead will occur on Rosh Hashanah, at the sound of the shofar (trumpet).  The apostle Paul, an extremely learned Pharisee prior to his conversion, wrote the following:

51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must be clothedf with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (BSB)

Hmmmm....sort of makes my arm hair stand on end.  Let me return to the topic of resurrections later.  I am supposed to be blogging about books today....

The typical Rosh HaShanah greeting those who keep this mo'ed* speak to one another is:  "May your name be inscribed in the Book of Life."  On Rosh HaShanah, according to Judaism, all who worship Yahweh are judged, every year.  The Teshuvah (season of repentance) goes on for 9 more days after Rosh haShanah (Tishri 1) until Yom Kippur (Tishri 10), for a total of 40 days.

On Rosh haShanah, orthodox modern-day Jews believe that God opens 3 books:

• The Book of the Righteous (Sefer Tzaddikim)
• The Book of the Wicked (Sefer Rashim)
• The Book of the Bainonim (Sefer Bainonim)

The goal of every Jew is to have his or her name written into the first book on Rosh HaShanah (Yom haDin), this Day of Judgment and, if not by that day, then certainly by Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the religious calendar.
Those who do not worship Yahweh and obey His ways will have their names written into the other two books.  The Sefer Rashim is self-explanatory.  The Bainonim are those people who are neither righteous or wicked, but are sort of spiritually "middle of the road", with the capacity to become either.  And, adherents to Judaism do this every year.  It is sort of like "qualifying for salvation" or being judged, annually.

Christians, and this includes Hebraic or Messianic Christians, believe that Jesus is "the way, the truth and the LIFE (emphasis mine)", as found in John 14:6, which records His own words on the matter.  Believers in Jesus Christ can rest secure in their personal salvation.  There is no need for us to "qualify" for God's approval annually, because our salvation is not based on our own deeds, but rather on the finished work of our Savior.  Hallelujah!
However, if we Christians, as an act of reverence and worship, choose to submit ourselves to self-examination as to how we are "living for the Lord" each Elul/Teshuvah, we are rehearsing and preparing for the BEMA judgment, where all Christ-followers will be "judged".  I did write about that judgment a while back, and you can read about it here:  https://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2016/08/risin-to-bema.html

There are scriptural references to the Book of Life, and they are found in Psalm 69:28 and Revelation 3:5, 13:8, 20:15, among others.  Psalm 69:28 and Revelation 3:5 are very similar in wording.  Revelation 20:15 indicates that "books" will be opened in Heaven, but none others are named except for the Lamb's Book of Life.  Revelation 13:8 is very instructive here; keep in mind that the Lamb referred to is Jesus Christ, our Messiah; and, the time period for this event is the seven years of Tribulation at the end of the age, commencing immediately after the Bride has been caught up to be with the Bridegroom for the BEMA and other heavenly activities.

And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

Revelation 13:8

12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.

And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.

Revelation 20:12

Both Jews and Christians believe this Book of Life will be opened at the last judgment, often called Judgment Day or, more accurately, the Great White Throne Judgment.  I'm not going to go off on a tangent in this post to exegete about each of the three future judgment seats of God or the future resurrections, but I did discover from looking over my 900 or so posts that I've not written much about God's judgments.  I've never posted specifically about the Day of the Lord.
Yet......
the term, Day of the Lord, or a similar designation, is mentioned more than 300 times in scripture.3  I guess it is just not a popular topic in this day and age.  I would venture to say it should be preached on or taught on more often.

The Day of the Lord is complex, because there are several initiatives of God happening simultaneously.  So, we will camp out here on this topic for a few posts, because there is a lot to examine regarding the judgments and events of the end times, as well as their connections to the Fall Festivals.

*mo'ed - - a time appointed by God, a holy observance keyed to a specific calendar date, Jewish religious festivals which foreshadow and serve as rehearsals for the work of Messiah.

Sources:

1     https://www.amazon.com/Day-Chronological-Bible-Brown-Leathertouch/dp/1535925604/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Holman+Christian+Standard+Chronological+Bible&qid=1569704521&s=books&sr=1-1

2     https://www.gotquestions.org/Talmud.html

3     Good, J. (1998). Rosh HaShanah and the Messianic Kingdom to come: an interpretation of the Feast of Trumpets based upon ancient sources. Nederland, TX: Hatikva 

Remembrance and Concealment

Image by Ponciano on Pixabay

When I celebrate New Year's Day, I look back on the previous year and remember.  Do you?  There is also a remembrance aspect to Rosh HaShanah, the New Year's Day on the Jewish civil calendar, which is why one of the names for Rosh HaShanah is Day of Remembrance (Yom HaZikkaron).  But, remember ... what?  What is remembered on Rosh HaShanah?

You may be surprised to learn that here is something Jews believe in common with biblical Creationists:  that the Earth is almost 6000 years old, as opposed to many millions.  While this seems like a strange seque, it is relevant.

Do you know what year it is?  2019, you say.  But, on the Jewish calendar, do you know what year it is today (September 26, 2019)?  It is 5779, and will become 5780 on Rosh HaShanah.

Through the centuries, Jews have believed that God has a 7000 year plan for the Earth,1 a timeline which mirrors in millennia each of the 7 days of Creation (one day of creation for each thousand years).  So, the Creation (some say Man/Adam) was initiated on Tishri 1, and we are living in "Day Six", so to speak.  Day 7 of Creation was the first Sabbath, and "Day 7" in millennia will be the Millennial Reign of Messiah, whom we know is Jesus Christ.
When God, in the time of Moses, rotated the months so that Aviv (Nisan) became the first month on the religious calendar, Tishri then became the seventh month, the "Sabbath month".  Accordingly, it represents the seventh millennium in the 7000 year plan of God.  Ancient Jewish prophets and scholars spoke often of this period called the Messianic Kingdom.

So, the creation of the world is one thing that is celebrated and remembered on Rosh HaShanah.  What else happened, according to Jewish history and tradition, on Tishri 1?2
Well, we read in Nehemiah 8:1-9 that on Tishri 1 the prophet Ezra gathered all the returning exiles from Babylon at the Water Gate, where he read to them the Torah (the Law of Moses).  There was a huge outpouring from the people, a tremendous repentance and returning to God.  Further, ...

• It's believed that Sarah, Rachel and Hannah became pregnant with Isaac, Joseph and Samuel, respectively, on Tishri 1.
• It's believed that Noah released the dove the third time from the Ark on Tishri 1.
• It's believed that Abraham bound Isaac to the altar of sacrifice on Mt. Moriah, on Tishri 1. (Torah readings read on Rosh HaShanah are from Genesis 21 and 22.)

{In all three of these bulleted instances, I say "it's believed" because my study of the book of Genesis can find no actual references to Tishri 1 in any of these accounts.}

Regardless, it is established by God in Leviticus 23:24 that Rosh HaShanah is a day of remembrance.  The word "memorial" in that verse is "zikkaron" in the Hebrew.  This is a day when God's people remember His miraculous works and for the people to rededicate themselves to God and His ways.

What does "concealment" have to do with anything?  Rosh HaShanah, Tishri 1, because it falls on the first day of the month, occurs when the new moon may not yet be visible, may still be concealed.  For this reason, Psalm 81:3 is thought to pertain to Rosh HaShanah.

Blow the shofar at the new moon, at the time of the concealed moon.

Each of the 12 "new moons" on the Jewish, lunar calendar is a Rosh Chodesh, a special celebration, a rebirth.  Jewish sages used to say that, when the moon was renewed at the beginning of its cycle, it was being "born again". Paul affirmed, in Colossians 2:16-17, the new moon and the festivals were given by the LORD to teach things to come, particularly things concerning Messiah.  So, this is another beautiful, prophetic aspect of Rosh HaShanah.

Before we leave Colossians 2:16-17, let's take another look, as I wind up this post, because this is an important point for Christians studying these Old Testament festivals.

16Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. 17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.

These verses tell us that the Jewish practices mentioned in verse 16 pre-figure the future, but that the "body" (heavenly body) that casts the shadow belongs to Jesus Christ, the true Messiah.  So, Jesus Christ eclipses (sorry!) everything; He fulfills and supersedes it all.  Paul was a practicing Jew.  He kept the Sabbath, the festivals, etc. His admonition about letting no one judge Christ-followers as to how each person applies the principles of these Jewish elements to their Christian walk is important.  The more I study the alignment of these feasts to Jesus' life and ministry, finished work and future promises, the more rich my appreciation of them becomes.

I have a precious friend who was born Jewish and who became a Christian in her young adult years.  She is now what you would call a Messianic Christian.  She incorporates many elements of Jewish practice into her life and worship.  She has her doctorate in religious studies and her dissertation was written on this very point of "how much of Old Testament Torah should the modern-day Christian live out?"  As Christians, we know that our salvation is not by our own works or efforts, but instead by the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  That being true, there are many Christians who embrace many of the Old Testament practices as a choice, because they believe doing so honors God.  Some of my best friends in the Hebraic Christian (I have no better term) denominations have no Jewish blood in their veins.  They firmly believe in salvation by grace, through Jesus Christ alone, but they have also recognized the prophetic patterns, the beauty of the festivals of Leviticus 23.  "Keeping" the festivals deepens their worship.

Reflecting on many of the aspects of Rosh HaShanah can be genuinely edifying for all Christians.  Voluntarily undergoing Teshuva, that is, to examine our lives and measure them by God's standard of holiness, to repent and to return to God, to renew our commitment to walk in His ways - - all of these practices are commanded by God.3   (See Lamentations 3:40, Haggai 1:5, Psalm 119:59, Matthew 7:3-5, Galatians 6:3-4, 1 Corinthians 11:28, 2 Corinthians 13:5, James 5:16, 1 John 1:8-9 etc.)  And, when done in light of the truth of the gospel, this can be a healing practice for our spirit.  Furthermore, it is exciting to meditate on the parallels, the precursors for Jesus' return, in light of the Fall Festivals.  We'll look at more of those in upcoming posts.

Paul has given us an outstanding life example.  He practiced in his Christian walk what the Holy Spirit led him to do.  He was an ardent follower of Jesus Christ, believing in salvation by grace and faith alone.  Yet, he was also an observer of the rites and rituals common to the life of a Jewish man.  In the Spirit of Jesus Christ, he extended "life walk latitude" to new believers in Christ, particularly those who were from a Gentile background.  Like Paul, I believe it to be a matter of personal conscience, as the Holy Spirit directs each believer.

Sources:

1   Good, J. (1998). Rosh HaShanah and the Messianic Kingdom to come: an interpretation of the Feast of Trumpets based upon ancient sources. Nederland, TX: Hatikva 

2   http://www.torahtots.com/timecapsule/thismonth/tishrei.htm#1

3   https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Rosh_Hashannah/Biblical/biblical.html

Head of the Year

SHOFAR - Photo credit under Sources

One week from the time I am penning these words, the Jewish calendar will say Tishri 1, marking the end of the month of Elul, the month of introspection and repentance and return to God.  Recall that there are basically two Jewish lunar biblical calendars.  The names of the months are the same, but the New Year is designated in the Spring on one of them (religious calendar - Aviv/Nisan 1) and in the Fall on the other (civil calendar - Tishri/Ethanim 1).  There was only one calendar (the civil calendar) in the time of Abraham and going forward, until God instituted an additional calendar (the religious calendar) when He established Pesach (Passover) in the time of Moses.

In today's modern practice, Jews (and Christians who choose to do so) celebrate the beginning of the new year on Tishri 1, which is called by various names, most commonly Rosh HaShanah, which translated from Hebrew means "Head of the Year".  Tishri 1 has other names, which describe various aspects of the celebration of the new year.  They are:  Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets), and Yom haZikkaron (Day of Remembrance) and Yom haDin (Day of Judgment).

As a reminder, and to frame all of this:
Elul is the 12th month of the civil calendar.  It contains the first 30 days of Teshuvah (repentance season).
Tishri 1 begins the last 10 days of Teshuvah (40 days total) and ends on Tishri 9, the day before Yom Kippur (Tishri 10).
The last 10 days of Teshuvah are called "the days of awe" (Yamim Nora'im), High Holy Days, the most sacred time of the Jewish year.

There is no way I can encapsulate in 2-3 blog posts all there is to know about Rosh haShanah, before Tishri 1 arrives this year.  So, I am going to attempt to hit the high points, as an introduction to those who may be unfamiliar, as I was, and also to establish the relevance of this first of the seven festivals of the biblical civil calendar to the Christian walk.

Let's begin with the passage in Leviticus 23, which establishes this festival as one of the seven sacred festivals of the year.  (Remember that Tishri is the 7th month on the religious calendar, and the first month on the civil calendar.)

23And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.”

Leviticus 23:24 (ESV)

In general, the blowing of the shofar was done to announce the beginning of Festivals, to muster troops, to warn of danger, to assemble the people for a special purpose, and also for coronation ceremonies.1   The shofar is blown for many of these same reasons in Jewish and Hebraic Christian gatherings today.
In the month of Elul, leading up to Rosh haShanah, a shofar (ram's horn) is blown every day following the morning service.  Psalm 27 is read aloud every morning during these daily services.
These ceremonies emphasize the theme of repentance, leading up to and beyond Tishri 1, Rosh haShanah.  The shofar (trumpet) call during Elul is a call to repentance, before Rosh haShanah arrives.   The shofar blast, the trumpet blast, is also an awakening blast.  More about that in a moment.

Another Bible passage that is often read aloud in many Jewish communities during Elul is Ezekiel 33:1-7.

1The word of the LORD came to me: 2“Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.

7“So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.

In the Ezekiel passage the watchman on the wall is warning of coming judgment.  The Jewish rabbinical tradition has been for centuries that it will be on Rosh haShanah that the often-mentioned Day of the Lord will begin.

The Messianic Kingdom of Jesus Christ began at His first "advent", or coming, to Earth.  Those who believed on Him and who believe on Him today enter into God's restoration, through personal salvation, thereby gaining eternal life.  Upon their physical death, they went (or will go) immediately in spirit to be with their Savior, Yeshua haMashiach, Jesus Christ.  However, their restoration will not be complete until Jesus Christ returns to the Earth the second time, sounds the trumpet, raises the dead bodies of the righteous dead, catches up (Greek: harpazo) those Christian believers who are alive at the time, and gives to all those a resurrected body like that of the Savior.  Christ's second coming, to get His Bride, begins the great and terrible Day of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord, or Jacob's Trouble as it is sometimes called, has many other names in the Bible.  Suffice it to say, it is a time at the end of days which features horrendous judgment for those remaining on Earth.

The awakening blast of the shofar on the particular, future Rosh haShanah that begins the Day of the Lord is associated with the coming of The Messiah.  It is referred to in Isaiah 51:9 (ESV)

But My righteousness will last forever, My salvation through all generations.” 9Awaken, awaken, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of long ago. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the dragon? 10Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?

Compare that passage to Ephesians 5:14-17 (BSB).  Could the apostle Paul have been referencing an ancient Temple prayer for Rosh haShanah?

14So it is said:

“Wake up, O sleeper,

rise up from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

15Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 

The apostle Paul also describes the resurrection of the righteous and the catching up, mentioned earlier in this post, in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (BSB).

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

There's that trumpet again.  On Rosh haShanah, in most synagogues, the shofar is blown many times in succession.  To blow the shofar 100 times, in a set pattern is a common practice.2
The last blast of the shofar is called the tekiah gedolah, and is one long, loud blast.3
The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:52, refers to "the last trumpet", which many interpret to mean the tekiah gedolah of Rosh haShanah, as the moment that will signal/initiate The Rapture of Jesus Christ's Church, and those righteous dead mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

Well, this just scratches the surface of Rosh haShanah, the first of the seven sacred mo'ed (Hebrew for "appointed times").  There are additional facets and themes, which will be explored in the next post.


Sources:

1   Good, J. (1998). Rosh HaShanah and the Messianic Kingdom to come: an interpretation of the Feast of Trumpets based upon ancient sources. Nederland, TX: Hatikva 

2    https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/746659/jewish/Why-do-we-blow-the-shofar-so-many-times.htm

3    https://jewsforjesus.org/jewish-resources/community/jewish-holidays/rosh-hashanah/

Photo Credit: wallyg <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70323761@N00/9270596039">Atlanta - Poncey-Highland: Jimmy Carter Library and Museum - Shofar</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license)</a>

The Former Rain

Photo Credit to Roman Grac, on Pixabay

Of late, my studies have focused on trying to assimilate in my head the whole of the Bible, what psychologists call (a German term) the gestalt of it.  I don't know about your religious experiences; but, as a lifelong Baptist, I was taught that much of the Old Testament was, at best, not edifying to the Christian.  Preachers preached from parts of it, but much of it was obscure or even deemed obsolete.  Even though first century Christians relied on the Old Testament scriptures almost entirely, along with letters and the gospels, today's Christians have relegated much of the Old Testament to the shelf.

One of the hindrances to understanding the Old Testament is that it is not presented chronologically.  So, it is hard to follow the big-picture story of the history of the Jewish people.
Another hindrance is that, as modern-day Gentiles, we have little connection to the Jewish culture which undergirded much of what was going on.  Actually, that can also be said about the New Testament, which is full of Jewish idioms we often miss.
Poor translations of original texts abound (how many translations ARE there?!); this is yet another issue.

Case in point:  Hosea 6:3
If you look at it in the NKJV and the NIV, you read the following:

Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

Hosea 6:3 (NIV)

Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

Hosea 6:3 (NKJV)

The few times I had even read that verse, I read the part about the rains and thought, "oh what lovely poetic language".  So did some of the translators.  Take for instance these two: (Hosea 6:3)

So let us know—let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth.
Berean Study Bible (BSB)


"So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth."

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

If you examine these two translations, the "winter rains" are gone entirely, leaving only the "spring rains".  You may be thinking, "Yawn....big deal."

But look.  Did you know that, in Israel, there are two rainy seasons, one in the fall and one in the spring.  The spring rains are called "the latter rain" and the fall "the former rain".  Oh, but it gets better.....
Look at the verse again.  "He will come to us like the rain, like the latter rain and former rain to the earth."  These two divisions are intentionally mentioned by the prophet, because they picture, they foretell, the two appearances The Messiah would make on the Earth.

I've written previously about how Jesus' last few weeks on Earth, particularly His Passion Week, fulfilled (and that's a poor word, but the best I can come up with) the plans of God as pictured in the Spring Festivals - Pesach (Passover), Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag haMatzah), First Fruits of the Barley Harvest (Yom Habikkurim), and Shavuot (Pentecost).  You can read those posts at the1 links in the Sources section.  I never cease to be amazed at how Jesus met every marker - - every, single one.  I was reading aloud about this to my husband a couple of days ago and it brought me to tears.  I exclaimed, "How can anyone, Jew or Gentile, look at His work during His last days and NOT believe He is the promised Messiah?!"  It's just...astounding.

I have come to understand and believe that, through the seven Festivals of Leviticus 23, "God explains, defines, demonstrates and reinforces Himself and His plan"2 of redemption and restoration of mankind.  The Spring Festivals were fulfilled by Jesus Christ literally to the day and, in so doing, have much to teach us about God's divine plan.

Likewise, there are many, many indications that, when Jesus the Messiah (Yeshua HaMashiach) returns, He will at that time fulfill the foreshadows contained in the Fall Feasts (Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot), the time of "the former rain".  It is on that topic I am going to share with you in the next few days, as we approach the season of the Fall Festivals.  This year (2019), they begin on the evening of Sunday, September 29th.

Sources:

1   https://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2018/03/10-days-that-changed-world-passion-week.html
     https://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2018/03/monday-of-holy-week.html
     https://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2018/03/passion-week-tuesday.html
     https://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2018/03/passion-week-wednesday-not-so-silent.html
     https://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2018/03/jesus-passion-preparation-day-through.html
     https://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2018/03/first-fruits.html
     https://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2018/05/shavuot-and-pentecost.html
   

2   Good, J. (1998). Rosh HaShanah and the Messianic Kingdom to come: an interpretation of the Feast of Trumpets based upon ancient sources. Nederland, TX: Hatikva 

Relationships and the Three Rs

Image by Luisella Planeta Leoni from Pixabay

Something I've learned from studying the O.T. is that there were all kinds of offerings the Hebrews made in the Tabernacle (and later the more permanent Temple).  As Christians, we have been taught very little about them, because we are taught that Jesus has fulfilled all of those, as our once-for-all, perfect sacrifice. (See Hebrews 1:3-4 and Hebrews 10). And, that is true!

However, I don't believe this truth means we can learn nothing instructive from that sacrificial system described in Leviticus. 

For example, the Hebrews made a distinction between sinning against God and sinning against one's fellow man.  Of course, all sin is sin; any sin separates us from our holy God.  But, there were two distinct sin offerings for these two types of sin.  The offering for a sin against God was called the hataat, the sin offering; this offering made restitution with God.  The other was called the asham, the guilt offering, and the focus there was on restoring the relationship between other humans, before God.  It was understood that God would not forgive sins against Him while the sinner held back from making right sins against his fellow humans.

Did you ever wonder why, in Matthew 5:23-24 (TLV), Jesus said the following?

23 “Therefore if you are presenting your offering upon the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

Jesus, our observant Jewish Messiah, made it clear that just going through the motions, purchasing and offering something on the altar, was meaningless unless the

Repentance 

Restitution and the 

Reconciliation 

were occurring in hearts, along with the outward act of making an altar sacrifice.
(There are your three Rs!)

So, Teshuvah, the season of self-examination and repentance, has a strong emphasis of, not only confessing and repenting of personal, private sins, but also and especially of those against our fellow humans.  "Go and be reconciled to your brother..."  It's easier said than done, isn't it?

I find it interesting that Jesus did not say, "and there remember that you have something against your brother".  It's easy to remember and perseverate on wrongs that have been done to us, but isn't Jesus referring to those wrongs, slights or misunderstandings that others have against us?  Those take some real soul-searching, because they are easier to rationalize away, or to dismiss.  "I didn't do anything wrong; he's just making a big deal out of nothing".... Yet, in the heart of the believer, the Holy Spirit unfailingly convicts.  Is He laying a person or a situation from the past on your heart today?

Tomorrow is the 18th anniversary of what I call "the Pearl Harbor of our time" - - 9/11 - - the September 11th attack on our American homeland.  On that day, over 3000 people died.  Most of them did not have a chance to call their loved ones and say "good-bye"; due to modern cell phone technology, some did.  If there were chasms or breaches in relationships, most were unresolved after that tragic day.  The point is, once "your brother" is gone, there is no chance to "make asham", to make things right.  Regret, and usually sorrow, are the only things remaining.  None of us knows what tomorrow may bring (Proverbs 27:1).

Soft hearts - - that is what our Lord God desires of us at all times, but especially during this season of examination and repentance. 

Days of Introspection

One of these days I will return to my exposition of Genesis.  However, I've concluded that this is not the time for me to continue with that project here in the blog.  God's biggest "clue" was that my frequency of posting began to slow down (as if you had not noticed).  I must be hard-headed, because it took me a while to get the message that Genesis is a message for me to share at another time.  I'm going to leave off the more linear (going through a book) approach to exposition and adhere to more of a topical approach for a while.  Some of you may resonate more with that anyway.

My recent absence in blogging does not indicate in actual fact an absence from the Scriptures.  I've been studying - - just not writing.

Recently, I have been studying in the Old Testament, particularly the book of Ezekiel.  Today's focus is Ezekiel 18:30-32 (TLV - - Tree of Life version).

30 “Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways.” It is a declaration of Adonai. “Return, and turn away from all your transgressions, so they would not be a stumbling block of iniquity for you. 31 Cast off from you all your transgressions that you have committed. Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“so return, and live!”

Today is 7 Elul, 5779, on the Jewish calendar.  First a word about the Jewish lunar-driven calendars.  Yes, there are two main ones; they differ mainly in when the year begins.  The first is generally referred to as the religious calendar.  Its "new year" begins in the spring, with the months of Aviv or Nisan (March/April on the Roman solar calendar).  This is the calendar that God instituted in Leviticus 23.  You might call it "the younger" of the two.  Prior to Leviticus 23, Abraham and his people used what we today call the civil calendar.  Its new year begins in the fall, with Tishri (September/October - Roman calendar).  I mention this, because this information will be very important to future blog posts on related topics.

On the civil calendar, Elul is the last month of the calendar year.  In 2019, the first day of the month was August 31st.  The first day of the next month will be Tishri 1, Rosh HaShanah, New Year's Day, this year at sundown on September 29th.

I realize that, at this point, my fellow evangelical Christians are going "so what"?  What does this have to do with me or with introspection or with Ezekiel 18:30-32?!

As a child, we used to have "revivals" in the late summer/early fall every year, usually before school started up.  Remember those?  For the non-Christian, these meetings provided an opportunity to meet God and to get right with Him. If you were a Christian already, what was your attitude toward the annual revival at your church or in your community?  For me, it was a time of introspection, of self-examination, of re-dedication and of repentance.

Observant Jews (which means Jews who actively practice the Jewish faith) self-examine, repent and rededicate for an entire month - - the month of Elul, because it is the last month of the year.  This period is called the season of Teshuvah, which means "repentance".  They reflect back on their lives over the past year, over whether or not God is pleased with how they have lived.  Jews are still waiting on their Messiah, and so their hope of salvation lies in their own personal holiness.  They hope to attain to eternal life.

Ezekiel tells us that each one of is personally responsible for our own sins, and that is true.  Your mother can't go get eternal life for you, nor your father, nor anyone else.

As Baptists (and some other Protestant denominations), we know that Messiah has already come and, if we have accepted Him as Savior, we are forever right with Him.  "Once saved, always saved", as the expression goes.  However, the truth of that statement also leads to a good deal of laxity in the lives of the redeemed.  Most Protestants don't spend much time reflecting on how we are living our lives or on repentance.

Listen carefully.  Repentance is not merely an event.  Yes, once you have committed your life to the Savior, you are eternally secure.  However, God is not tolerant of sin in the lives of His own dear children.  Repentance is an ongoing process which, at least in my case, is needed often.

Adonai is the name for God which means King.  What can I do to more closely align my heart with the heart of my King?  What transgressions do I need to turn away from, and cast off?

The Jews have a saying for the month of Elul - - "The king is in the field".  It comes from Ecclesiastes 5:9, which references that the king has a vested interest in seeing that the fields produce because he profits from them as do the common people.  By saying, "the king is in the field" there is the element of inspection.  The king is inspecting his fields.  What will he find in my field?  Good crops?  Or, and abundance of weeds?  Have I been a good steward of my "land"?  Have I trusted in my own ways, or have I pursued the Lord's?

Hosea speaks to this when he admonishes us through the words he spoke so many centuries ago to the Israelites:

Sow for yourselves righteousness.
Reap in accord with covenant love.
Break up your unplowed ground.
For it is time to seek Adonai,
    until He comes
    and showers righteousness on you.

Hosea 10:12 (TLV)

One final note about Elul.  The four letters in Hebrew are aleph, lamed, vav lamed.  It is a Hebrew acronym for Ani l'dodi v'dodi li.  Translation?  "I am to( or for) my beloved and my beloved in to(or for) me." (Song of Solomon 6:3)
Our King Jesus considers His own dear children as His Beloved!
How can I not return?!
I pray you will join me through the remainder of this Hebrew month in a time of spiritual reflection and, as the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) leads, repentance and correction.

https://youtu.be/VN4N7hOMvTk