Sept 25, 2014 is the Shmittah Year and the Feast of Trumpets. Then we get a very interesting instruction: the entire book of Deuteronomy (this Torah) was to be read to all Israel every 7th year during the Feast of Sukkot (also called the Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles). The 7-year Sabbatical cycle was to be used to ensure that all generations of Israel knew the words of Torah. The 7th year of that cycle was known as the year of shmittah (the year of release) because in that 7th year Hebrew slaves were to be released, land taken as collateral on loans was to be returned to the original owner, and debts of all kinds were to be forgiven. The Sabbath (day of rest) Is the set apart observed every 7 days. There are basically 7 Sabbath ordinances/regulations that we need to follow if we are to correctly keep the Shabbat, An ordinance being a rule for conduct. Here are the seven ordinances: 1. Prohibitation on earning income and labouring on the Sabbath day. Exodus 20:8-11, 31:14-15 “not labour” 2. Prohibitation on causing others to work on the Sabbath day. Exodus 20:10, 23:12 Jeremiah 17:22,24 “carry a burden out” 3. Prohibitation on food preparation and cooking on the Sabbath day. Exodus 16:23, 35:3 “lighting fires” 4. Prohibitation on travelling on the Sabbath day. Exodus 16:29 “Let every man remain in his place” 5 Prohibitation on entertaining others on the Sabbath day. Exodus 16:29 6. Prohibitation on self-gratification on the Sabbath day. Leviticus 16:31, Isaiah 58:13 “from doing your own pleasure” 7. Prohibitation on war on the Sabbath day. Ecclesiastes 3:8, 2 Kings 11:9, Chronicles 23:8 “a time of war” There are however, exceptions to these rules but not the law of the Shabbat. These exceptions are permissible if and only if, they conflict with a higher law of the Kingdom. These higher laws being; 1. The higher law of Love. For example doing good works on the Sabbath i.e. that is healing Mathew 12:10-12 helping your neighbour Mark 3:4 2. The higher law of Mercy. For example Yahushua went to the house of the tax collector Mathew and he said go and learn what it means, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” Mathew 9:13 3. The higher law of Life. For example Yahushua while going through the grain fields on the Sabbath did that which was unlawful but He replied by explaining how David and his men had eaten the forbidden bread of the temple because they were hungry. Mathew 12:2-4 4. The higher law of the Priesthood (Sheparding). For example in the same Scripture above verse 5 Yahushua explained how priests work on the Sabbath yet they are blameless. 5. The higher law of Duty (to your Neighbour) For example Yahushua explained that if a donkey got caught in a ditch on the Sabbath or it was thirsty we have a duty to rescue it. Luke 13:15 also if our neighbour got hurt we have a duty to help them as in the example of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:33 This higher law of duty includes all those services of which is life giving. For example rescue, emergency, medical, communications and travel. CONSIDER THIS FOR THE FEAST DAYS ALSO. We have learned that there are seven basic prohibitions (ordinances) that we are to follow when observing the Shabbat and their were five general exceptions to these rules. Sabbath can generally refer to ANY God-established and sanctified cycle consisting of 7’s…..7 days, 7 weeks, 7 years, 7 years of years (Jubilee), 7 weeks of weeks. Shabbat is used to refer to that unique once per week 7th day of rest. The Torah teaches eight feasts that we are called to observe. 1. Peasch/ Passover (day of preparation) Crucifixion These first 3 feasts occurred in the spring during an eight-day period. 2. Chag HaMatzah/Feast of Unleavened Bread (Matzah) Death to Sin 3. Yom HaBirkkurim/Day of First Fruits (Birkkurim) Resurrection 4. Shavout/ Pentecost/Feast of Weeks (Shavout) Re-gathering of Israel – 50 days 5. Yom Teruah/Day of Blowing (Trumpets) Self examination and repentance. , unleavened bread and first fruits. These 3 fall feasts occurred during an eight-day period. 6. Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) Oneness with the Righteousness of Yahweh 7. Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) Remembrance of 40 years in Wilderness (Also the Birth of Yahoshua) 8. Last Great Day when all is revealed (John 7:37) (Also 8th day Yahoshua was Circumcised) They are listed in Leviticus 23:1-44 Six main points to say about these feasts. 3 Spring Feasts have been Fulfilled. The Fall Feasts are not. 1. The Torah calls these feasts, the feasts of YAHWEH. This is very important! These are not Jewish feast or Israelite feasts but they are YAHWEH’s feasts. Many have made the graven mistake of calling these feast Jewish or Israeli feasts. “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: The feasts of the LORD, (YAHWEH) which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.” Leviticus 23:2 2. The Torah commands ALL Israelites to observe these feasts. They are appointed by YAHWEH! “These are the feasts of the LORD (YAHWEH), holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.” Leviticus 23:4 The Messiah clearly observed these feasts. See Mathew 27:17, Luke 2:41-2, John 5:1 The Apostles and early believers observed these feasts. Saul instructed in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 to celebrate the festivals “with sincerity and truth.” Saul himself clearly observed these feasts. See 1 Corinthians 16:8 and Acts 20:16 Therefore, we too are required to celebrate these feasts. 3. The Torah commands that these feasts are to be observed FOREVER. YAHWEH places the observance of the feast in Leviticus 23 along side the weekly Sabbath. In fact these feasts are a Sabbath as the word Sabbath is plural in the Scripture. “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.” Leviticus 23:3 During the millennium these feasts will be kept as a memorial or a reminder of what our Master Yahushua has done for us. 4. The Torah commands that these feasts are to be kept HOLY (qodesh). The feasts are called Holy (set apart) convocations. The Prophet Isaiah spoke against Israel because they had profaned YAHWEH’s feasts by not keeping them set apart. “Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies; I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.” Isaiah 1:13-14 That is why Saul said that we are to keep the feasts with sincerity and truth. He knows the heart, if you are putting on a show for others or not. 5. The Torah calls that these feasts CELEBRATIONS. The word “moedim” actually means a celebration or a festival because they are associated with the agricultural harvest of Israel. In other words these feasts are tied to the land. They unfold YAHWEH’s plan for His creation. They all involve sacrifices and offerings, which come from the land. They are meant to be holidays for His people. 6. The Torah calls these feasts REHERSALS. The word convocation comes from the Hebrew word “miqra” which also means rehearsals. Exodus 12:16 When we celebrate them we rehearse or depict our entire walk with YAHWEH. The Passover (Pesach) speaks about personal redemption, Pentecost (Shavout) infilling of the Spirit and Tabernacles (Sukkot) restoration of the Kingdom. What these feasts (Moedim) were designed or created to do. 1. They convey spiritual truths. The Scripture teaches first the natural then the spiritual. 1 Corinthians 15:46-50. These feast are rich with spiritual truths that are conveyed to us in natural settings. They convey principles and laws of sowing and harvest. 2. They create the identity of YAHWEH’s people. These feasts become the culture and traditions of His people, they were designed to make Israel a special people. In Number 23:9 Moses said this of Israel “For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him; There! A people dwelling alone, Not reckoning itself among the nations.” 3. They are sacred signs marking out YAHWEH’s true people. The words “appointed season” in Leviticus 23 also conveys the picture of an assembly of people who are set apart. When we observe these feasts we become signs to the world that we belong to YAHWEH because He has marked us out. 4. They are designed to be road marks. The Scripture speaks of ancient road marks that the remnant will come to see as there way back into Israel. See Ezekiel 37:16, Jeremiah 6:16; 31:20-21 These feasts were created to be road marks to point the remnant back to our identity as true Israelites. Countless non-Jews are returning to keep the feasts because they see the ancient road marks. 5. They are designed to heal and restore. The Passover was designed to heal us (Israelites) spiritually and physically, Pentecost was designed to empower us and Tabernacles was designed to restore to us the authority of the Kingdom. This also applies to healing the divide between the house of Yahudah and Ephraim. 6. They are designed to point us to the Messiah. All of the feasts speak about Yahushua and His life. They foreshadowed our Messiah and what He would do for us. These feast were all fulfilled in His life, death and resurrection and they were not abolished. Sign and Seal The two most ignored commands in the Bible are the sign He has given us and the seal by which we are preserved. Briefly, we find that the “sign” is keeping His Sabbaths: “Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a SIGN between me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh that sanctify them. (Ezekiel 20:12 )…And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a SIGN between me and you, that you may know that I am YAHWEH your Elohim” (Ezek. 20:20 ). We are sanctified by keeping His Sabbaths; that is, we are set apart as a special people for His holy purpose. The seal is His Name: We are sealed with His Name upon baptism (Rev. 14:1) and already carry His Name for we are known as “His wife” (Rev. 19:7), and have prepared and made ourselves ready. The sealing agent is the Holy Spirit: “And grieve not the holy Spirit of Yahweh, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30 ). We are to be baptized into the saving Name of Yahshua, the only Name that has salvation (Acts 4:12 ). Exocus 13 says if we keep Your Feasts, Sabbaths and Commandments You will place Your Seal on our foreheads (by what we know and think), on our hands (what we do in our acts), calling us Your Children and writing our names in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Bible and this is where He tells us who we are and shows us how to live in order to have a good life). YHWH’s SEAL is His Name; Creator is His Title; the Heavens and the Earth is His Territory.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 05:53:36 +0000
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