God's Appointed Times, a quick look; LEV 23:23-44
ROSH HaShanah or YOM TERUAH
A time of reflection, the king is coming, how do you want Him to find you? Where are you? Where are you supposed to be? Are you where you are supposed to be? Spiritually speaking? You know what is right and wrong. You know what Torah teaches. Adonai’s instructions speak loud and clear, in black and white, is there interference? Static? If we are not where we need to be, we must “Shoov” ourselves around, before we end up in the deep end without knowing how to swim.
We must “turn” “repent” have a “change of mind and heart. We must “turn” and “return” back to the basics of the faith, back to the Torah of Adonai. If you fail and test, you must “return” to the books and study some more. You forgot your car keys, so you “return” to your house to get them. Or else, the car isn’t going anywhere, and neither are you. If our carnal self has overpowered your born-again, spiritual nature, then you must “return” to Yeshua, and repent of our sins. He told the adulterous woman; “I forgive you, go and sin no more”. Forgiveness and a change of heart and mind go together. Forgiveness…of our sins…. Completely…which leads us to…………………
YOM KIPPUR
Once every year, the high priest went into the Holy of Holies. There he met with YHVH. Could we say; “Face to Face?” if one could call the “Shekinah” above the mercy seat, God’s “face” (P’nei Elohim). He didn’t come empty-handed; he took blood in with him. The blood of animals was on his hands. It was sprinkled 7 times on the mercy seat. Under the mercy seat were the stone tablets of the commandments, the whole ones, and the broken ones. Those broken commandments show our sinfulness, yet when the “Shekinah” looked down upon the mercy seat, He saw the blood before He saw the broken commandments. That blood “covered” man’s sins.
The blood of a bull, of a ram, of goats, of sheep. The bull symbolizes the strength of Adonai, the ram reminds us of the substitute for Yitzchak. Yitzchak was a sinner like we all are, yet the ram was innocent. We are sinners, Yeshua was not, yet He took our place, He is our substitute. The goats and sheep, remind us of Pesach, the “Lamb of G-d” who took upon Himself the sins of the world. The goats? Our sins that we nailed to the cross, and that we cast away, never to return.
Jewish tradition teaches that on Yom Kippur, the “Books are closed” and that “Judgment is final” but, is that really true? Does that show a God of mercy? It certainly does not. There is a lot of tradition in Judaism, some of it is based on Torah, some is just “man’s belief or idea” So when are the “books closed” and “Judgement final?” AT DEATH! We all have every opportunity to accept Yeshua as our LORD and Savior, Redeemer for our sins and become part of “B’nei Elohim” (sons of God) as long as the breath of life is within us, but after physical death closes our eyes, then, judgment is indeed “Final” in whatever condition our soul is in death, it will be so for all eternity. Either lost or saved, there is no in-between.
A youth once asked a Messianic Rabbi the following question; “Rabbi, when is a good time to accept Yeshua as my LORD and personal savior?” to which the rabbi responded; “Well, about 5 minutes before you die. That would be a good time.” To which the youth responded; “But rabbi, I don’t know the time of my death, no one knows the time of one’s own death!” “All the more reason to accept Yeshua as your LORD and Savior right now!” replied the wise Rabbi.
When we accept the sacrifice of Yeshua for our sins, He looks at us as if we were “white as snow” the blackness and darkness of sin contrasts with the pure white of holiness, of “tahor” and “Tamim”
Like I said, it is a question of black and white, no in-between. The sacrifice of Yeshua puts our names in the “Book of Life” that is if we accept His free gift of “Yeshuah” “Yeshua” offers “Yeshuah” (play on words or reality?). When we know we are saved, secure, forever, through the sacrifice of Yeshua, not once a year, year after year like in the days of old, but once and forever, not just “covered” but “completely atoned for” the debt paid once and forever, then, we should be happy! Joyous! Full of gladness! We thank Adonai that He came to earth as a man, a man who was God, and God who was man….which leads us to……………..
SUKKOT or THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
On or around this time of year, our Messiah came to “tabernacle” among us all. Born as the Bread of Life, in the “House of Bread” (Beit-Lechem) He was born to teach Torah, to build things of wood, to heal the sick, to open blind eyes (both physically and spiritually) and finally, to pay of sin debt in full. It was the Father’s plan, from the beginning of time.
He lived among those who lived back then, and now He lives within us. He “tabernacles” inside our “tabernacles” made of flesh, bone, and blood. His spirit is alive within us. It is a week of rejoicing that He came and He made it possible for us to have fellowship once again with our Heavenly Father. It was when Solomon dedicated the first Temple. The reason for the eight lights of Hanukkah, remembering the Feast of Tabernacles, and yes, the “eighth day” When Yeshua said, “I AM the Living Water” (Ani HaMayim Chayim)
We celebrate the Bread of Life, who was born in the House of Bread, who is the Living Water, We need bread to live, we need water to live. He is BOTH. He created the water we drink, the bread we eat, the fruits of the trees, the willows and myrtles, the lemon-like etrogs, We can celebrate Sukkot as a time of Thanksgiving. (sure, you can eat turkey too during Sukkot) God created the gobblers too.
So….Turn and repent…..because He paid the price………so now REJOICE!
Shabbat Shalom……Rabbi Ben Avraham
ROSH HaShanah or YOM TERUAH
A time of reflection, the king is coming, how do you want Him to find you? Where are you? Where are you supposed to be? Are you where you are supposed to be? Spiritually speaking? You know what is right and wrong. You know what Torah teaches. Adonai’s instructions speak loud and clear, in black and white, is there interference? Static? If we are not where we need to be, we must “Shoov” ourselves around, before we end up in the deep end without knowing how to swim.
We must “turn” “repent” have a “change of mind and heart. We must “turn” and “return” back to the basics of the faith, back to the Torah of Adonai. If you fail and test, you must “return” to the books and study some more. You forgot your car keys, so you “return” to your house to get them. Or else, the car isn’t going anywhere, and neither are you. If our carnal self has overpowered your born-again, spiritual nature, then you must “return” to Yeshua, and repent of our sins. He told the adulterous woman; “I forgive you, go and sin no more”. Forgiveness and a change of heart and mind go together. Forgiveness…of our sins…. Completely…which leads us to…………………
YOM KIPPUR
Once every year, the high priest went into the Holy of Holies. There he met with YHVH. Could we say; “Face to Face?” if one could call the “Shekinah” above the mercy seat, God’s “face” (P’nei Elohim). He didn’t come empty-handed; he took blood in with him. The blood of animals was on his hands. It was sprinkled 7 times on the mercy seat. Under the mercy seat were the stone tablets of the commandments, the whole ones, and the broken ones. Those broken commandments show our sinfulness, yet when the “Shekinah” looked down upon the mercy seat, He saw the blood before He saw the broken commandments. That blood “covered” man’s sins.
The blood of a bull, of a ram, of goats, of sheep. The bull symbolizes the strength of Adonai, the ram reminds us of the substitute for Yitzchak. Yitzchak was a sinner like we all are, yet the ram was innocent. We are sinners, Yeshua was not, yet He took our place, He is our substitute. The goats and sheep, remind us of Pesach, the “Lamb of G-d” who took upon Himself the sins of the world. The goats? Our sins that we nailed to the cross, and that we cast away, never to return.
Jewish tradition teaches that on Yom Kippur, the “Books are closed” and that “Judgment is final” but, is that really true? Does that show a God of mercy? It certainly does not. There is a lot of tradition in Judaism, some of it is based on Torah, some is just “man’s belief or idea” So when are the “books closed” and “Judgement final?” AT DEATH! We all have every opportunity to accept Yeshua as our LORD and Savior, Redeemer for our sins and become part of “B’nei Elohim” (sons of God) as long as the breath of life is within us, but after physical death closes our eyes, then, judgment is indeed “Final” in whatever condition our soul is in death, it will be so for all eternity. Either lost or saved, there is no in-between.
A youth once asked a Messianic Rabbi the following question; “Rabbi, when is a good time to accept Yeshua as my LORD and personal savior?” to which the rabbi responded; “Well, about 5 minutes before you die. That would be a good time.” To which the youth responded; “But rabbi, I don’t know the time of my death, no one knows the time of one’s own death!” “All the more reason to accept Yeshua as your LORD and Savior right now!” replied the wise Rabbi.
When we accept the sacrifice of Yeshua for our sins, He looks at us as if we were “white as snow” the blackness and darkness of sin contrasts with the pure white of holiness, of “tahor” and “Tamim”
Like I said, it is a question of black and white, no in-between. The sacrifice of Yeshua puts our names in the “Book of Life” that is if we accept His free gift of “Yeshuah” “Yeshua” offers “Yeshuah” (play on words or reality?). When we know we are saved, secure, forever, through the sacrifice of Yeshua, not once a year, year after year like in the days of old, but once and forever, not just “covered” but “completely atoned for” the debt paid once and forever, then, we should be happy! Joyous! Full of gladness! We thank Adonai that He came to earth as a man, a man who was God, and God who was man….which leads us to……………..
SUKKOT or THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
On or around this time of year, our Messiah came to “tabernacle” among us all. Born as the Bread of Life, in the “House of Bread” (Beit-Lechem) He was born to teach Torah, to build things of wood, to heal the sick, to open blind eyes (both physically and spiritually) and finally, to pay of sin debt in full. It was the Father’s plan, from the beginning of time.
He lived among those who lived back then, and now He lives within us. He “tabernacles” inside our “tabernacles” made of flesh, bone, and blood. His spirit is alive within us. It is a week of rejoicing that He came and He made it possible for us to have fellowship once again with our Heavenly Father. It was when Solomon dedicated the first Temple. The reason for the eight lights of Hanukkah, remembering the Feast of Tabernacles, and yes, the “eighth day” When Yeshua said, “I AM the Living Water” (Ani HaMayim Chayim)
We celebrate the Bread of Life, who was born in the House of Bread, who is the Living Water, We need bread to live, we need water to live. He is BOTH. He created the water we drink, the bread we eat, the fruits of the trees, the willows and myrtles, the lemon-like etrogs, We can celebrate Sukkot as a time of Thanksgiving. (sure, you can eat turkey too during Sukkot) God created the gobblers too.
So….Turn and repent…..because He paid the price………so now REJOICE!
Shabbat Shalom……Rabbi Ben Avraham
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