Categories
Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Discussions Firstfruits Passover Pentecost/Shavuot Prophets and Writings Tabernacles The Eighth Day Torah Trumpets Unleavened Bread

God’s appointments with humankind gain meaning over time – not obsolescence

A number of theologians have wondered publicly if the festivals of the LORD are relevant for today or are just historical or intellectual curiosities. Many dismiss Sukkot as either a harvest festival only applicable in the Land of Israel or only relevant with a standing temple. Let’s explore what the Bible says about the past, present and future layers of meaning in these annual appointments and how they teach us about the Messiah and ourselves.

We will look at the different layers of the festivals: past, present and future.

In a sense, they are like a wedding anniversary, on which the couple remembers all the experiences layered on top of one another since the cutting of that first wedding cake.

Categories
Apostolic Writings Discussions

Luke 14: Whose honor do we seek?

Yeshua’s schooling of a Pharisee member of Israel’s ruling council on allowable actions on Shabbat seems disconnected from the parables that follow in Luke 14. Yet they all are threaded together with learning God’s view on justice, compassion and mercy then honoring God through lifelong commitment to those principles of the kingdom of Heaven.

Not honoring God by seeking that change of “glasses” for seeing the world — and seeing the One through Whom the change would come — doomed much of Israel to be scattered and regathered repeatedly.

Categories
Discussions Shabbat Torah

Genesis 1:26-2:8: The Sacred Pause: Discovering Shabbat as a Divine Invitation

The last two things God created was the Shabbat/Sabbath and the Garden of Eden. God did not create the Shabbat because He was exhausted or tired. Rather, He wanted to set aside a day for mankind to have a special time with Him. Also some are confused about the creation narratives of Gen. 1 and Gen. 2 but a careful reading of each shows us that Gen. 2 focuses specifically on the creation of mankind and the special Garden called Eden that was made by God as mankind’s primary residence.

Categories
Appointments With God Discussions Firstfruits Pentecost/Shavuot Shabbat Torah Unleavened Bread

‘Feasts to the LORD’; ‘the LORD spoke to…’ (Leviticus 23–24)

The 23rd chapter of Leviticus is a relatively obvious passage. The explanations are simple and self-explanatory, except for questions about the biblical timing of Firstfruits and Pentecost.

The 24th chapter is a bit unusual and not so simple to decipher. When you read the book of Leviticus and you find the phrase “the LORD spoke to…” pay attention to whom is supposed to hear the message. There were some messages for the sons of Aaron but some messages were for the people of Israel. Each group had their own duties and responsibilities, and it’s God Himself Who decides.

Categories
Discussions Torah

Shabbat and the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus 35-37)

https://hallel.info/wp-content/uploads/file/100820-Exodus-35-37-Shabbat-and-building-the-Tabernacle.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:26 — 12.0MB)Subscribe: RSSAs we continue going through the book of Exodus, Richard Agee discusses the building of the tabernacle according to God’s instructions in Exodus 35-37. He emphasizes that the artisans were not to follow their own artistic interpretations, but precisely follow God’s commands as revealed […]

Categories
Discussions Torah

Journey to the 10 — Exodus 16 — manna and Shabbat

We need to make our own personal connection to the Exodus and the events leading up to Sinai. These events are not only for those who have an ethnic Jewish heritage. This history belongs to all who are called by God our Father to take hold of Yeshua as our elder brother and kinsmen redeemer. At this point in the Exodus, God gives them manna to eat but also gives them very specific instructions of how, when and what to do with the manna after they gather it. The people violated those instructions and incurred different punishments for their folly.

Categories
Apostolic Writings Discussions

Acts 17 part 1 — Paul’s unified message to Jews in Thessalonica and Berea and to philosophers in Athens

Many think Paul “blew it” but getting philosophical among philosophers at the Areapogas (Mars Hill), rather than “just preaching the Cross,” as he did in the synagogues. In reality, Paul did preach the crucified and risen Messiah on Mars Hill, just with a different starting point.