Simchat Torah: Rejoicing In Torah

The Feast of Tabernacles has drawn to a close, and today marks the Simchat Torah, A day of rejoicing with the Torah. This is not a biblical feast, it was added later to the Jewish holidays, but I love the implications. 
Devout Jews read through the Torah cyclically through the year. The eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles marks the end of the cycle of weekly Torah readings with Deuteronomy 34, and the new cycle begins, going back to Genesis 1. Synagogues hold services on this day, and at the end of the reading service, a ceremony call the Hagbah is performed. The Hagbah is lifting the Torah Scroll for the people to see. It is held in a way where it is reversed with all the weight of the scroll on one side to symbolize turning the Torah back to its beginning. This eighth day is said to be the last great scene of Jehovah’s joy in the accomplishment of His purposes of grace.

What are the implications here for believers in Yeshua? Jesus is the Living Word, the Living Torah, written upon our hearts, so that we can truly dance and embrace God’s Truth. David said of the Torah:

I delight in following your commands more than in having great wealth. I study your instructions; I examine your teachings. I take pleasure in your laws; your commands I will not forget {Ps. 119: 14-16 NASB}.

In Nehemiah 8, Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites, gathered the people to read them the Law {Torah}, because it had been lost for so long, and the people did not know or understand what was written in the Law:

Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.”  All the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them {vv. 9-12}.

The people were weeping at the reading of the Torah. If Only we would be in awe over hearing God’s Word. Nehemiah instructs the people not to mourn, but that this is a time of celebration. Celebrate over the Word—celebrate over the Word. Right after this, the people realized that the Feast of Booths had not been celebrated since the days of Joshua.

The sons of Israel had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And there was great rejoicing. He read from the book of the law of God daily, from the first day to the last day. And they celebrated the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance {vv.17-18}.

Again there is celebration over obeying the Word; such an example for us.

Jesus said in Matt. 5:17, that He came not to destroy the Torah, but to fulfill the Torah. He is the embodiment of the Word. Jesus Is the Word and He came down and dwelt among us;

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it… And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth {John 1:1-5,14}.

Jesus is the Word and we should be celebrating Him every day. We should be thankful for His Word, and allow it to guide our lives—daily.

The Word came to make you whole, and to heal you. I love the account of the woman caught in adultery. The religious leaders threw her at the feet of Jesus, at the end of Sukkot {Jn.8}. Jesus had remained in Jerusalem during the conclusion of the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and it was during this time that a woman caught in her sin, had an appointment with the Word Himself. Not to be condemned by it, but cleansed by it.   

The Torah in which they were celebrating, {Numbers 5} describes a test for a woman suspected of adultery. If a husband suspected his wife committed adultery but could not prove it, he would bring her to the priest. The priest wrote the curses of the law on parchment. He would then mix the water from the dirt and pour it over the ink-stained parchment. This would cause the ink to bleed into the cup. The woman then was required to drink it. If she was not guilty she would have no ill effect. If she was guilty her thigh would swell.

This test for adultery is known as the trial of bitter waters, and it usually is performed in the temple. The leaders however, decided they would kill two birds with one stone; condemn the woman and trap their enemy. They did not understand that they brought her to Christ—for the Living Torah Himself to bring judgement according to the Word. He simply knelt down and wrote in the sand. He wrote in sand with the finger that created the universe.

Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame.Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water {Jeremiah 17:13}.

They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more” {John 8:6-11}.

Whatever Jesus wrote in the sand that day, we will not know—at least not on this side of eternity. But He was most likely writing in the very dust that would have been used at the woman’s bitter waters trial that day. The religious leaders brought her to Jesus to condemn her according to the Torah; He restored her according to the Word. He told her to go and not sin—He never condoned her sin, He freed her from it. Now we can rejoice that the living Torah delivers us the sinner from sin and guilt, and restores us to life. This is worth celebrating. 

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The God of Second Chances: The Day of Atonement

On that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord {Lev. 16:30}.

So Christ also having been once offered to bear the sins of many shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him unto salvation {Heb. 9:28}.

I love the Jewish feasts; Jesus celebrated the feasts, and each one is a beautiful illustration of the person and work of Jesus Christ. The feasts are not just Jewish holidays; Leviticus refers to them as God’s appointed days. For Christians, Jesus fulfilled the feasts for us. Now our eyes are fixed on the atonement of Christ. But it does not end there. Every event in Jesus’ life, beginning with His birth, through His ministry, and with His death and resurrection—all occurred on a festival of Israel—God’s appointed time—a kairos interrupting the chronos of a fallen and broken world. Many scholars argue that events yet to be fulfilled will occur on a kairos—God’s appointed feasts of Israel. 

On the Day of Atonement, the high priest enters the Holy of Holies to offer a sacrifice on behalf of the sins of Israel. Jesus Christ is our High Priest and was the perfect sacrifice for our sin, the epithet of the type and shadow woven in the liturgy of the Day of Atonement.

The first offering was a sin-offering and a burnt-offering for Aaron and his house. Then two goats for a sin offering and a ram for the burnt-offering for the congregation.

On this Day of Atonement, the high priest was required to first sacrifice an offering for himself and his family, then he could bring an offering on behalf of the people. First, it was a day of humiliation for the priest. He was required to put off all his priestly garments of glory. A shadow of Jesus, the King of Glory, leaving glory—from the foundation of the world; to redeem the world. Jesus’ humiliation on that day cries to us still through His Passion in the Scriptures.

On the Day of Atonement, two goats were brought; their fate decided by the priest’s lots. The Lord’s lot would determine which goat would die for the sin of the nation. The other— the scapegoat. Aaron the high priest would lay his hand upon the scapegoat and send it into exile in the wilderness or Azazel; the people’s sin is lost in the wilderness—to be remembered no longer. The act of slaughtering the goat, laid the judgment of death upon it—represented the people’s sin.

The casting of the lots to determine the scapegoat is displayed on the world’s stage between two men; Jesus and Barabbas. Their fate lies in the judgment of the people—who will die and who will escape…the scapegoat. The people’s voice was heard that day in Pilate’s court—choosing a brutal murderer to escape forever—laying the sin of the people on Jesus. Jesus would be the sacrifice the Lord’s lot fell upon that day—fulfilling the atonement offering.

Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish {John 11:50 ESV}.

 

The word atonement is used in the book of Leviticus forty-eight times, and it means covering. The blood offering was sprinkled on the mercy seat once and before it seven times. The high priest would then place incense on the altar before the mercy seat and a sweet cloud covered the mercy seat—a fragrant offering. The blood and the cloud of incense covered the mercy seat and this illustrated the work and worth of our precious Lord Jesus Christ—His blood causes the believer to be drawn near to Him.

This beautiful prose is part of the liturgy for Yom Kippur; a precious prayer of repentance:

We have become guilty, we have betrayed, we have robbed, we have spoken slander. We have caused perversion, we have caused wickedness, we have sinned willfully, we have extorted, we have accused falsely. We have given evil counsel, we have been deceitful, we have scorned, we have rebelled, we have provoked, we have turned away, we have been perverse, we have acted wantonly, we have persecuted, we have been obstinate. We have been wicked, we have corrupted, we have been abominable, we have strayed, you have let us go astray (Artscroll, 777).

The story of Jonah is recited on this night of atonement, revealing the God of second chances. Jesus fulfilled the sin offering for us, and absorbed God’s wrath.

I pray this inspires Christians to meditate on this Day of Atonement—of Christ and His sacrifice for us and instead of each one of us.

May God bless you on this, the Day of Atonement—He is the God of second chances…

L’shanah Tova may your name be inscribed in the Book of Life!

Shalom. 

Sabbath Sanctuary: The Days of Awe: Awe and Wonder

Rosh Hashanah commenced the New Year—literally the head of the year. It is a fresh start, a brand new year. It also is the beginning of the Days of Awe, (Yamim Noraim), or the Days of Repentance, which will culminate on Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement.  It is a season of chronos, interrupted by a kairos—an appointed time. Jews worship in the synagogue, and break bread with loved ones—at home and within the community of faith. 

The Days of Awe are filled with wonder and worship. They are days for self-reflection, fasting, and prayer; they are solemn days. The Yamim Noraim are meant to set the tone for the coming year. Traditionally, this is a time of reconciliation with others. Reconciliation and Reflection.

Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering {Matt. 5:23-24}.

So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless {Eph. 5:26-27}.

But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world {1 Cor. 11:31-32}.

Our heart should be drawn to the Lord in worship; worshiping Him in spirit and truth {see John 4:24}. We should stand in awe of Him and all that He has done for us, and all that He is going to do. He is Amazing. He is Awesome. He is Wonderful. He is Magnificent. He is Holy. This is awe.

YHWH (Yahweh) is God’s sacred covenant Name. Adonai and Elohim were heard among the nations, but Yahweh is the name unique to His people; by this Name God identified Himself with His people. He desires to dwell with His people. The Creator of the universe desires to make His abode in our hearts. I am brought alive by this, and it should stir in us the Awe and Wonder that He deserves—He wants to be with us. He loves us that much.

Yom Kippur is approaching next week, though I don’t keep the Jewish festival of The Days of Awe, I feel a nudging in my heart to spend this week in self-reflection, fasting, and prayer. I will search my heart: “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” {Heb. 12:1-2}.

I pray for a revival to restore the Awe of God to His beloved, precious, blood bought Church, and that His people would come alive with Awe and Wonder at the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. I pray His Word would come alive in the hearts of His people, afresh and new. That our eyes will be opened and our hearts awakened again by His Word.

They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us? {Luke 24:32}.  

Yahweh, I want to be in awe of You. I want to fall in love with You and Your Word. I pray that it wash and cleanse me of all that breaks Your heart. Open the eyes of our hearts Adonai, to all that Your Word reveals about You. Let us be in awe of You again. 

Rest this Sabbath in Reconciliation, Reflection, Awe and Wonder. 

to read about the Feasts of the Lord click here

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