Come Seek With Me

Hello dear readers!  Last we were together I promised you I would start connecting the dots between King Jeroboam's sin and the tradition of Christmas.  I aim to keep my word.  If you are new to this series, please ➜  start here with Part 1 .  It will make much more sense that way!  😀 I have been transparent with you that my original purpose in researching biblical holidays had nothing to do with Christmas.  Like you, I have many warm and happy memories of Christmases shared with family and friends.  It is not my intent to marginalize those memories of my own OR to make you feel guilty for treasuring your own special memories.   My intent is to share what I have learned.   Squirrel!  Do you remember the last time you really "learned" something?  Something that you had to work at?  There is always a bit of discomfort in it.  In the education world, teachers know that they must provide enough challenge to create disequilibrium in their students, while making sure tha

In my previous post, we looked at King Jeroboam of the divided kingdom of Israel and the false festival that he instituted in order to keep his people from returning to Jerusalem.   (1 Kings 12:26-33 if you would like to review). Why did he do that? Power ... Control ... Fear... If the people went back to Jerusalem, they would know the true way that YHVH desired to be worshipped, and they would recognize the imitation that Jeroboam had given them as the fake that it was. My friend Christy Jordan of Seeking Scripture  has a saying that certainly applies to this situation: You won't recognize a  counterfeit if you don't know the original!   That is what Jeroboam was banking on, and it worked! If you have ever read through Kings and Chronicles, you know the rest of the story... The divided kingdom was marched away into exile by the Assyrians in 722BC.  I contend that the context of scripture surrounding this fact points DIRECTLY  to the institution of

Last we were together, we looked at a quick summary of the biblical feasts listed in Leviticus 23.  Full disclosure:  my eyes used to glaze over when I read that chapter.  I had no idea what any of it was about.  If you are feeling that way, be encouraged.  It takes time, but with YHVH's gentle leading, you can learn His feasts.   So why, as believers, do we really not know about these feasts?  In my previous writing, I mentioned that it had something to do with a cycle of sin begun by King Jeroboam of Israel around 930BC.  But, as I have been preparing to write this blog today, I think I can see that it goes back even further.  Are you familiar with Aaron, as in "Moses and Aaron?" If you will recall, Moses went up to receive instruction from YHVH and Aaron used that time to construct a gold calf for the people to worship.  Oh, how many times I have shaken my head at Aaron.  I would never have done that!  I bet you have said that, too.   But I want you to notice som

In my previous Christmas blogs, I shared with readers that my questions about the holiday originated by my questions about the feast days listed in Leviticus 23 .  So let us take a moment to look at those biblical holidays that are found within scripture. Interestingly, the first feast day mentioned in this chapter is the Sabbath:    'For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings.  [Lev 23:3 NASB]  Next, we find Passover: Our Passover Table 2020 'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover.  [Lev 23:5 NASB]   Followed by Unleavened Bread: 'Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.  [Lev 23:6 NASB]  Seven weeks later is the Feast of Weeks - You know

I am in the habit of reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation each year.  I am in Luke this week and am reminded that most of us know Luke Chapter 2 as the Christmas story.  It is indeed the story of the birth of Jesus, but is that related to what we know and celebrate as Christmas?   First, I will show you my results from a quick search for the word "Christmas" in the NIV, NASB, and KJV translations of the Bible.  (Resource: Blue Letter Bible ) Here goes: It's not there. For years, we have understood as believers that Jesus was not really born on December 25.  We have been okay with that, understanding that Christmas is just a random date that the church uses to commemorate the birthdate of Jesus.   But I find it interesting that the church has the authority to create a day...a sacred remembrance...that is not even mentioned in the Bible, yet, will not acknowledge the feasts of YHVH noted by name in Leviticus 23. Many believers are eager

One of the few pictures I have with my dad made in front of my Christmas tree circa 2007 Have you ever heard of Christmas in July?  I think summer is a great time to begin dialogue about Christmas, as the heat and general lack of cheer takes away that emotional feeling that so many of us get at the mention of the word.   Like most of my readers, I have celebrated Christmas for my 40+ years.  Most of those years I did not have a thought in my mind as to how it all started...except for the obvious connection to the birth of Jesus.  Santa just came because he was supposed to according to tradition.  Families gathered over tables because we were merry.  Gifts were exchanged with family and friends because of the gifts of the wise men.  Indulgence was a thing because...well, because it was Christmas.   The older I get, however, the more I question many things that are a "normal" part of my life.   Christmas is one of them. I really did not start out to question it.