The Feasts

I love it how God speaks through His word and shows us what He has already done and then what is yet to come!
Pastor has been teaching about the Jewish Feast's and how they are a type and a shadow. The first 4 have already been fulfilled.

They are: The Fest of Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of First Fruits, and the Feast of Pentecost. As Christian's we can look back and see how Jesus fulfilled these through His death and resurrection. The Jewish people are bound to these fests because they do not believe in Jesus Christ the son of God as the Savior of all people. They were and are looking for a man to come in power and establish the kingdom right then and there. But that isn't God's plan and we can see that in the word.

The next Feasts that happen in the fall are a type and a shadow of what is to come - Jesus' return. The Feast of Trumpets seven days later is The Day of Atonement and then The Feast of Tabernacles (when the Jewish people would leave their homes and build a booth to spend time with God).

I just love this! We know that the scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16) and He wrote it so that we could be aware of what has happened and what is going to happen.

2 Peter 1 Simon Peter is talking about how they witnessed with their own eyes what Jesus did and the power that Jesus had and that these are not just stories they they put together - they were there - and that we have the prophetic word...vs 19 And we have the prophetic word [made] firmer still. You will do well to pay close attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dismal (squalid and dark) place, until the day breaks through [the gloom] and the Morning Star rises (comes into being) in your hearts. vs 20 [Yet] first [you must] understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of any personal or private or special interpretation (loosening, solving). vs 21 For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it [to do so - it never came by human impulse], but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled by the Holy Spirit.

We have the Word to light our path. We can see that the Feasts that are in the Jewish culture (Jesus was a Jew remember) shadowed Him. They show what He was going to do in dying upon the cross, being the first fruits offering and sending the Holy Spirit. Then it also shows is second coming through the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement.

Tonight Rosh HaShana (Feast of Trumpets) begins and during this time -10 days - the Jewish people reflect on what they have done against God, their family, and community. They think about their sin. I mean truly think about it and repent and make things right so that they will have a good year (the Jewish new year). They believe that the destiny of all man kind is written in the Book of Life on Rosh HaShana. With out salvation through Jesus Christ they are bound to their religion of laws and duties praying that they will be given mercy and grace. WOW!

Ponder that for a minute. As a Christian I know that I have salvation through Jesus Christ shedding His blood on the cross and believing in Him just as Romans says. I know that grace and mercy is given to me when I repent of my sin because I am saved, but I also think that I and Christians in general take that grace for granted. "Oh I can just repent later...I know what I'm doing is wrong but I'm under the blood...." We are under the mercy of Jesus but that does not mean we get to live and do what we want. As James 1:22 says be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth}.

We are not bound to the laws that were given but we can not think that we are not to do and be as Jesus was. That is what Christianity is - being Christ like. We have the Word to light our way to live a Holy and separated life and to be a light in this dark world. We are to be examples of Christ's love and show people the way to salvation. Jesus is the way the truth and the life and NO ONE can come to the Father but through Him. He is the door we have to go through.

As I think about the Jewish feasts I am grateful for what God has done, He made a way for us without works - doing the rituals and practices of the Jewish people. We have the blood of Jesus and we are priests caring the presence of God with us. The veil has been torn. We can come to the Lord on our own. Let us not take that for granted as He is still a Holy God and deserves to be reverenced, praised, and worshiped.