Dancing in the arms of God

Galatians 5 tells us that the flesh wars with the Spirit, but we who are in Christ, are called to be in step with the Spirit, and when we are, we reflect His character, and I think that is like dancing in the arms of God. Being in step requires letting God lead, being neither ahead, nor behind, but with, and trusting Him to orchestrate my life into a beautiful dance, with music and joy, even in the tough times.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Intro to the Seven Feasts of Messiah

A great many Christians of the Western World look at the traditions of the Old Testament as Jewish traditions that are not relevant to the modern Christian. But I want to challenge you to ponder that there are God ordained traditions, such as the seven feasts (and one fast) of Leviticus 23, which are for all those who follow Him, for in them He reveals much about His character and His plan for mankind through the ages (past, present, and future). As adopted children into the family of God, it seems to me that whether or not you feel led to practice them, we would all do well to learn the traditions which honor our Heavenly Father, for they hold models of His truth which will enrich our walk of faith.

“The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: These are the appointed feasts of the LORD that you shall proclaim as holy convocations (or proclaim as sacred assemblies); they are My appointed feasts.” (Leviticus 23: 1,2)

I would never advocate allowing tradition to become empty ritual, or to replace relationship. That is always a temptation of the flesh; however, I believe that an understanding of, and participation in, God ordained traditions, can add another dimension to our relationship with Him. My viewpoint is that we should consider the instructions God has given through time as being good for us. For example, it is true, no food is unclean to us any more, and we are not called to observe the kosher dietary rules that were once vital to health, although those rules are still healthy if someone chooses to follow them. But I also think that we get so comfortable in our cultural ways, that sometimes we fail to see that we might have abandoned something good for something pleasurable and not so good, just because “we can” and perhaps God intended something better for us. Just a thought to contemplate.

Before I say anything else, I want to emphasize that Jesus was a Jewish man who lived a Jewish lifestyle within the Jewish culture. He observed these traditions, and the first New Testament believers, both Jew and Gentile continued these traditions for many years. Jesus, Yeshua, the Lamb of God, became the ultimate sacrifice, paying the penalty for our sins, fulfilling the law and abolishing the need for any further animal sacrifices (which were instituted as a temporary measure to satisfy the law until Messiah came and fulfilled the law). As we examine each feast, we will see how Yeshua fulfills the role of sacrifice, thereby replacing the old covenant with the new covenant within the feast. This is why the believers understood what Paul was saying in I Corinthians 5:7-8 when He said “Christ the Passover is sacrificed for us, therefore let us keep the feast.”

The other really cool thing I learned, is that God has purposefully chosen to reveal Himself and bring about significant events on the feasts, and the meanings of these events with their corresponding feasts is fascinating! Not all seven have been fulfilled. There is a reason! Its discovery is exciting! For now, let’s just say that seven is a number of completion, and the history of man is not yet complete!

Before we can discuss the appointed feasts of the Lord, we must understand some basics. The Biblical day is from sunset to sunset. Sabbath, or Shabbat, is from Sunset of the 6th day of the week [Friday] until sunset of the 7th day of the week [Saturday]. (Leviticus 23:3) [Christians later replaced the 7th day Sabbath with the first day to worship because Christ rose on the first day of the week]. I think both traditions honor God.

The lengths of the Biblical months are related to the New Moon. According to the Biblical calendar, we are in the year 5767; although the Hebrew civil calendar does not recognize the new year until Rosh Ha Shana, which is a civil celebration that falls within the feast of trumpets. [Lev 23: 23-25], so if you look at a calendar and it says 5766, that is why (as of this writing July 2007).

Over the next few weeks, I will briefly explain what I have learned over the past year about the seven feasts of Messiah. There are, of course, many good books which go into greater detail, and I will recommend some. This is just a brief summary from my experience of being discipled by a wonderful Messianic Jewish sister in the Lord, and hopefully it will wet your appetite to learn more. And don’t just take my word for things, go to His Word and ask the Holy Spirit to testify of truth to you.

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