- Leviticus 23:23-25 NIV – The Festival of Trumpets The LORD .. The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the Lord.’”
I am not Jewish…by birth. I AM Jewish because I have been grafted into the vine of the Jewish ancestry line because I have the blood of Jesus coursing through my veins! This is a privileged I do not take lightly. Scripture tells us if we have been grafted in, (Romans 11:17) we can just as easily removed if our lives become an abomination to Yeshua!
For years I have been fascinated with the ‘Feasts of the Lord’ that were instituted by Moses with God’s instructions. These seven Feasts continue today in Jewish homes, and once you see the beautiful meaning behind them, maybe you will celebrate them also. You see, when we began as believers to follow the New Testament, as we should, Jesus did not say he was abolishing the law of the prophets, but fulfilling it. Therefore, let us take a look at one of the seven special feasts the Lord instituted through Moses.
Rosh Hashanah is also called the ‘Feast of Trumpets’. In 2021 it will be celebrated today, on September 7th. Many schools have the day off, if you were wondering why, it is not an extra day for Labor Day. No, no, no. It is the first day of the very solemn 10 days of Rosh Hashanah, ending on September 16th, Yom Kippur, the ‘Day of Atonement’. On the first day of Rosh Hashanah the shofar (trumpet) is blown 100 times in the synagogue services. This day begins ‘Ten Days of Repentance’ when people repent of their sins from the year before and try to increase their chances of having their name inscribed in the Book of Life. These ten days end with the High Holy Day of Yom Kippur on September 16th.
As believers in Jeshua, we would be wise to know about and maybe even recognize these Feasts of the Lord as they were part of the traditions of Jesus and can still remind us of some very important truths in our own lives.
Rosh Hashanah, also called the ‘Day of Judgement’ reminds us that Jesus said He has the authority to judge people-not us!
John 5:24-27 24“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
God does have a ‘Book of Life’, called the ‘Lamb’s book of life’. The only way to have your name inscribed there is through faith in Jesus as your Savior from sin! Those whose names are not found in the book will be judged and sentenced to hell!
Since this is the beginning of a New Year, it is traditional to wish each other ‘L’shanah tovah tikatevoo’, which means; “May you be inscribed in the book of life for a good year.” The Jews will also send cards with this greeting to their friends and family.
It is traditional to eat apples dipped in honey. The apples represent provision and the honey represents sweetness for the new year.
I hope you can see the value in the continuance of the established Feasts as a reminder of your faith in Yeshua Hamashiach! Hey, go have some apples dipped in honey and L’Shanah tovah tikatevoo! Happy New Year…may your name be written in the Lamb’s book of Life!
Leave a Reply