Christmas in July: Part 3

-
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 this one as Pentecost:

'You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD.  
[Lev 23:16 NASB] 

In the 7th Month (Sept/Oct on the Julian calendar that we follow) we find the Feast of Trumpets:

"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing [of trumpets,] a holy convocation.  
[Lev 23:24 NASB]

Followed by the Day of Atonement:

"On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD.  [Lev 23:27 NASB] 

And the cycle is completed with the Feast of Tabernacles (also called Booths...or Tents...or Sukkot):

Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD.  [Lev 23:34 NASB]

I would like to ask you to consider whether we can glean any meaningful truth about Jesus from studying these feasts.  It is not the purpose of this series to teach these feasts in great detail, but let us look at one that is easy to see without much explanation:  Passover.

My guess is that most of you have made the connection that Jesus was crucified at Passover.  It was not a coincidence.  He was given (yes given, not taken) at Passover as the sinless lamb.  He was the fulfillment of something that started in the desert of Egypt.  He was the ultimate sacrifice that Israel had faith in and looked forward to. 

Can we as believers and followers of Jesus in our time learn from keeping this ancient holiday? 

I will let each reader decide for him/herself, but for me and my house that answer has been a firm and loud ABSOLUTELY!

I challenge you dear reader with this truth:  

Every feast of YHVH found in what we call the Old Testament has relevance to Jesus.

 Every

Single

One

So the question remains, why do the majority of believers not celebrate them?

I will submit for your consideration that we have fallen into a cycle of sin begun by King Jeroboam of Israel written about in 1 Kings Chapter 12.  If you are not familiar with him, you may be surprised to learn of the particular way that he offended YHVH, and how our current culture continues in his sin.

 Want to know more?   

Come Seek With Me!

Ready to Move Forward?
Christmas in July: Part 4

 Need to Catch Up?







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Counterfeit

-
Image
As I write today, a solar eclipse is literally less than 48-hours away.  There is a bit of eclipse hysteria in the air.  People are scrambling to get their approved glasses, and many travel plans are being made in order to get the best possible view.  Some groups see the impending eclipse as a cool learning experience, while others preach that it is a sign of soon-coming doom.  Seems like a good day to broach an end-times subject that many of us don't like to think about: the mark.   Of course when I mention "the mark," I am guessing your mind goes straight to the mark of the beast.  I have spent much time pondering the mark of the beast.  I find in conversing with fellow believers that many are uncomfortable thinking about, discussing, and studying it.  I think a lot of us are more comfortable pretending that Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation do not exist.  Why is this? I believe the answer is, fear.   It is human nature to fear what we do not understand, and let
Read more

Are You Willing?

-
Image
Anyone out there like me...thinking that "the good shepherd" statement made by Yeshua (Jesus) was a simple analogy made up "on the spot" to convey His caring nature?   Oh boy! In my quest to understand the Old Testament (OT), I am finding that so many things in the New Testament (NT) are just re-teachings of original OT teachings.  This good shepherd  statement is a prime example, and it explains why the Judean leaders wanted to stone Yeshua for blasphemy! (John 10:33)  Without the context of the OT, one could not possibly understand the complete gravity of what Yeshua was claiming when referring to Himself as the Good Shepherd.   So, let's take a look... Ezekiel 34 (whole chapter) Jeremiah 23:1-4 John 10 (whole chapter) There is quite a bit of scripture reading today, but if you've been able to take the time to read the above passages, it has probably "clicked" with you as to why the Judeans were divided (John 10:19) and why the Ju
Read more

Haggadot

-
Image
Are you looking for a Christ-Centered Haggadah?  Here are a few of my favorites! 1) This is what I affectionately call "the long version" Haggadah .  I created it in 2021, and to date, that was probably my favorite Passover.  (But let's keep trying, right!?) 2) Because there is a long version, you knew there had to be a "short version" Haggadah , right?  After a few l-o-n-g years 😉, my teenager helped me understand that sometimes a shorter version is just what is needed.   3) If I had all the time in the world, I would use this beautiful (and 40 page!) Haggadah from Torah Resource .  I love the Hebrew recitation, the traditions, and the New Testament connections.  As a matter of fact, I am thinking of pulling a few pages from this Haggadah and meshing it with "the short version" in 2024.  Does that mean we may have a medium version to share next year? 😎😂 4) I am also a big fan of the Haggadah published by Chosen People Ministries (CPM).  An added b
Read more