Luke 2:21

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Yeshua.

We are now drawing to the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. The traditional guest to receive in our midst on this day is Messiah. A Messianic tradition holds that this eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles is the day of Yeshua’s circumcision (Luke 2:21).

Ritual circumcision is an outward sign of belonging to God’s people. One of the ideas of circumcision is make an outward sign in our flesh of our belonging to God. We alter our body in order to litterally become a new creature. This is quite an idea. People couldn’t say that they were believers in the God of Heaven in a solely ethereal fashion. They couldn’t just quote a statement of faith. They had to show a sign in their flesh that proved and showed that they were a different person from the rest of the world.

In his letters to the Messianic congregation in Diaspora, Paul told the gentiles that joined themselves to the Jewish Messianic movement that Yeshua was the circumcision that allowed them to enter the covenant of Israel, that they joined God through the circumcision of Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah. Paul did not enforced physical circumcision on these gentiles who turned to the God of Israel through Yeshua, but he did nevertheless expect the proof of their commitment through an outward change of lifestyle. They could not get away by just quoting an ethereal creed as a proof of their faith. It had to show in the fact that they drew away from their idolatrous lifestyles. In first century ethics, to turn away from idols unto the God of Israel was as dangerous as today a Muslim becoming a Christian. Paul made no mention of these things to Jewish believers on Messiah. He didn’t need to as there was no issue to address since Jews already circumcised their children on the eighth day.

Jewish traditional circumcisions are usually followed by festivities among relatives and friends. When after her purification Miriam came to present her first-born to God in the Temple, an old man called Simeon, took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel" (Luke 2:28-32). On this day therefore of Yeshua’s circumcision, on this day that His flesh enters the Covenant of Israel as a Jew, it is not incumbent for just Jews to rejoice, but on the whole world as Simeon said that He will be a light for revelation to the gentiles. Yeshua is the Jew mentioned by the prophet Zechariah of whom the nation grab the side fringes because they heard that God was with Him (Zechariah 8:23).

Hear O nations this lone baby cry in the Temple. Hear O nations the groaning of He who brings all people into Covenant with the Almighty. From the very beginning of His life the cut in His body, the drawing of His blood, these signs in His flesh are His invitation at the table of the Almighty. Will you come to Him? Will you change your lives and your habits so you can be found sitting at the table of the God of Israel? Will you follow Him, live like Him, and be found worthy of the high calling whereby He has called you?

Revelations 5:5

“And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."

King David is our penultimate guest for this season of Tabernacles. The ruddy looking David became the standard by which all ensuing Judean king would be measured.

King David finished the job started by Joshua. He is the one who finally completed the conquest of the Land, subjugated Israel’s neighbors, brought Jerusalem under Jewish control and got rid of idolatry. These were his greatest accomplishments along with planning and financing the building of the Temple, and organizing its priesthood and liturgy.

A careful study of David’s life teaches us about Messiah. As Yeshua, David was despised by his older brothers; when Samuel visited Father Jesse in search for a King, David was even passed up. His brothers shamed him for his indignation about Goliath’s challenged until the young shepherd boy showed them that the spirit of Hashem was with him. After he killed Israel’s main enemy, David had to flee the country, even spend time living with the gentile Philistines until such a day when he made a triumphal entry in Jerusalem. He also orchestrated the bringing of the Ark to Jerusalem. All this speaks to us about Messiah who after slaying the devil fled the scene and even until today lives in exile alongside with His people even though they ignore Him. One day He will make a triumphal entry in Jerusalem where he will rebuild the temple. The ensuing period will be one resembling the Solomonic era. Israel will live in peace and prosperity and all the nations of the earth will come to bring it their glory as well as to hear the Words of God. The prophet Zachariah tells us that at that time, all the nations will be required to come to Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths, and that under the threat of impending drought (Zechariah 14:16-19)!

David has been accused of having been a lenient father, that he didn’t discipline his sons and therefore brought trouble to Israel. It could be so, but one must not forget that when he started making a family, the prophet Nathan gave David a prophecy. This prophecy stated that David’s son would build the Temple and become the Messiah. How did he know which son? To kill one of his sons could have been disastrous and thwarted God’s plan. David felt responsible for his family, for the Jerusalem that God had given him, but also for the glorious future of the Jewish nation and its Messianic role of teaching about the one true God to the world.

Solomon may have built a temporary temple, but Yeshua, David’s Messianic son is now building the final Messianic Temple. He is doing it the same way He did it before. First He gathers His congregation out of Egypt, brings to His Place, then builds the Temple. For over 2,000 years now Messiah has been gathering a congregation of Jews and gentiles to eventually bring them unto His Place: Jerusalem, and at the end of this Messianic era, He will rebuild the Jerusalem Temple which will then truly become a House of Prayer for the whole world. May come speedily even in our days!

Hebrews 5:4

And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

Aaron and Moses may have been brothers but they each had a very different childhood. Aaron was raised by father Amram and mother Jochebed, who was also Amram’s aunt (Exodus 6:20). Aaron escaped Pharaoh’s edict by little and learned to live as a slave making bricks in the hot sun for Pharaoh’s building projects. Moses was raised in the cool shade of Pharaoh’s palace; he was educated, and became an army officer and a skillful international diplomat.

Through the story of Moses’ and Aaron we are given the definition of a prophet. Moses felt inadequate to speak to the people of God, so Hashem said of Moses’ brother, He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him (Exodus 4:16). Aaron’s job was to be Moses’ mouth not only to Hashem’s children, but also to the incredulous world of his day, And the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet (Exodus 7:1). According to these statements, the definition of a prophet: is someone who has the ability to effectively communicate God’s messages to a desired audience.

Later Aaron was given another function to execute for the people of Hashem. He became High-Priest. As a High-Priest, he continued his function as Moses’ mouth-piece and executive, but people came to him to find the will of God, which Aaron communicated through the use of the Urim and Thummim. These were the stones on Aaron’s breastplate by which he judged Israel, And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly (Exodus 28:30). When Aaron was speaking by the Spirit the right one lit. For the Hebrews, prophecy was a very pragmatic matter. The Children of Israel didn’t always obey the Word they heard, but there was very little doubt as to who said it.

As a High-Priest, Aaron led the priest-hood. The priesthood dealt with the sins of Israel. Though punishments and restitutions were to be executed as a result of sinful acts, offerings also had to be brought to the Temple for the restitution of fellowship with Adonai which was broken because of sin. The sinful person killed the animal, not the priest. The priest only brought the blood to the altar. Once a year also, Aaron the High-Priest brought an offering for the whole nation on Israel in the Holy of Holies. In a certain sense, the function of the priesthood served to remind us of our sinful state; it convicted of sin. In talmudic wrtings, Aaron is also known the peacemaker (Psalms 133).

Aaron’s role was therefore that of a communication medium between us and Hashem, one that also reminded us of our sin. How like the Ruach-HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit Aaron was!

Hebrews 11:24-25

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Oh for the wonders of Hashem’s Words of Torah inscribed in Heaven from before the foundations of the earth! See how, as in an unbreakable code, Hashem wrote the plan of redemption in the very lives of our fathers. What an illustration of the Torah incarnate! Jacob told us of Israel, Joseph of the first coming of Messiah. Hear now, the story continues in the life of Moses.

At Moses’ birth, an Egyptian Wiseman warned Pharaoh that a male child was born to the Hebrews, one who would deliver them from Egyptian slavery. Pharaoh responded to the threat by ruling that all male Hebrew newborns should be thrown into the Nile River. Moses found refuge from certain death by hiding in ‘Egypt’, actually in the very heart of it: in Pharaoh’s palace. As a young man, Moses tried to deliver his people, but his leadership was not recognized by the then elders of Israel. He fled, disappeared from the scene for forty years, to eventually come back in power and glory to not only save his people, but also to answer Pharaoh’s question: "Who is Adonai, that I should obey his voice (Exodus 5:2)”.

Can you see? Can you see that Yeshua who was born under the menacing deadly threats of unbelievers, He who had to flee to preserve His very survival, who seemingly failed in rescuing His people, that very Yeshua will return to succeed this time, and also to give a mighty powerful answer to the incredulous world who asks: "Who is Adonai, that I should obey his voice (Exodus 5:2)”.
In the Book of Revelations John, the beloved disciple gives us a vivid description of this time of the ‘Return of the Master.’ He describes plagues and destructions similar to the ones inflicted upon Egypt 3,400 years ago. He speaks of rapture of God’s children unto the Presence of Hashem, and of their eventual arrival in Land of Promise.

"Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation” (Acts 13:26):let there be no mistake: the Word written in Heaven and in the life of the patriarchs of our faith, the Word that was indelible concerning the past, is indelible also concerning the present and … the future!

Genesis 45:4

And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.”

Just as the life of Jacob merges with the destiny of Israel, the life of Joseph, Jacob’s son, merges with that of Yeshua.

Joseph was born of a barren womb and His brothers rejected his God-appointed leadership over them. At the time appointed, because of jealousy they threw him in a pit where according to Jewish literature Joseph stayed three days and three nights. Later, They sold him for the price of a slave and brought the blood of a goat to his father as a substitute to his own. Joseph then spent time in a prison where he became steward, to eventually rule over the entire gentile world.

Doesn’t that tell us of the story of Yeshua who: was born of a barren womb, whose God-appointed leadership was rejected by his brothers because of jealousy;; who spent three days and three nights in a pit; was sold for the price of a slave, spent time in the prison ministering to the disobedient spirits and who later became the ruler over most the gentile world?

Since the life story of Joseph tell us of the beginning of Yeshua’s life, could the end of it reveal to us the future? Wise King Solomon did say, What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

We must not fail to mention that not all of Joseph’s brothers were against him. Benjamin was still at Jacob’s side and was not part of the plot against his brother. Benjamin loved and believed in his big brother Joseph!

When Egypt faced a famine so dire that it threatened the very life of the empire, God raised Joseph to save Egypt. Egyptians looked to Joseph as he who saved then from famine. Canaan also suffered so Joseph’s brothers came to buy grain from the Egyptian Viceroy, who of course was Joseph. The brothers didn’t recognize their brothers. Joseph looked, acted and spoke like an Egyptian. Joseph recognized his brothers and proceeded to test tehm to see if their heart was changed. He tested them by creating a situation where Benjamin would be enslaved. At that moment, Judah offered his own self as ransom for the life of Benjamin which showed Joseph the change of heart. Whereas before, they gave their brother to save their lives, now they were ready to give their lives to save their brother. This is the time when Joseph revealed himself to them and said:”I am your brother: Joseph!”

What does this tell us? Who is Benjamin today? Would he be the Jew who did not reject and sale Yeshua? Will then there be a time in the soon future when God will test ‘Judah’ with ‘Benjamin’? In present-day Israel the conflict between Orthodox and Messianic Jews is fierce. It is a 2,000 year old conflict. Will Judah pass the test so that eventually, Yeshua reveals Himself to them and say: “I am your brother: Yeshua!” The Hebrew Scriptures say he does. May it come quickly, even in our day!

Genesis 32:28

"Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed."

Jacob has been honored in so many ways. The name given to him became the very name by which God would later be identified: the God of Israel.

As his latter name indicates, the life of Jacob merges with the destiny of the country of Israel. His very birth springs out of potential annihilation and all throughout his lifetime, he has to contend to inherit and keep what God has rightfully given him. Later on, under the threats of his brother Esau, Jacob leaves his birth place of Canaan for Babylon, where he is employed by his uncle to watch his flocks. He marries the two daughters of the uncle and secretly leaves twenty-one years later to return to Canaan. As Jacob arrives, he is met by an angelic host before hearing of his brother who stills seeks his life. It is then that a mysterious powerful ‘messenger’ meets Jacob, changes his name and thereby his heart (Genesis 32).

How is it possible not to see the birth of the nation of Israel in Jacob’s life’s story: sprung out of Egyptian slavery and persecution; pursued by Pharaoh; fought by the Amalekites and throughout their history struggled to preserve their independence and autonomy, only be found expelled from their country for not twenty-one years, but so far, twenty-one centuries. Now Israel is returning to its land where Esau meets and wants to kill him. This battle will end in a bloody war with all the countries in the world gathered against Israel (Zechariah 12). At that time the Messiah, God’s Messianic Messenger will return and …

The rest of Jacob’s story tells us the end from the beginning. Jacob’s Messianic Messenger fights against him and Jacob prevails. Jacob does not let Him go; he hangs on to Messiah at any cost until he gets the blessing causing him a deep wound in his thigh. When Jacob now Israel meets Esau, they make up and Israel enters Canaan, the land of his future, the land promised to his grand-father Abraham.

In the distance, we can already hear the Messenger, the galloping hooves of his horse. He comes in greatness and strength from Bozrah in a garment dipped in blood (Isaiah 63:1). He will fight, wound and bless Israel, change his heart as that of his brother, and carry him to his country with an angelic welcoming committee.

That my friend, is Messiah’s roadmap to peace in the Middle-East. May it come soon, even in our days!

Hebrews 11:19

He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

Of all the patriarchs Isaac may be the most mysterious. It is a miracle that he even lived at all. He was born out of time from a sterile womb; his life was challenged by his step mother, by his step brother; and if that was not enough, God asked for his life. The big question though is: what happened to him after Mt. Moriah?

When he goes to Mt. Moriah, the text constantly reminds us of Isaac’s presence alongside Abraham. Abraham even mentions to the servants waiting at the foot of the mountain, that he and the lad will return to them. But after the offering scene, all we are told is that Abraham returned to the servant and went to live in Beersheba (Genesis 22:19). But what happened to Isaac? We do not hear of him until Abraham decides to marry his son off over twenty years later (Genesis 24:3; 25:20), and then when Rebecca falls off her camel when she sees him (Genesis 24:64: I know that some Bibles write that she ‘dismounted’ her camel, but the Hebrew says ‘fall’).

Many Jewish sages have pondered the question and came up with various answers and parables about it. Here is what I find to be the most amazing ones. The hope of every Jewish father is for his son to become a Torah scholar, so a jewsih scholar supposed that Abraham may have sent Isaac to learn at the feet of Melchizedec, or even went to Heaven to learn at the feet of Messiah. Of all of them, I like the one about Isaac going to learn at the feet of Messiah in Heaven. The parable tells us that at the offering scene, Isaac did die but revived right away and went to Heaven to learn Torah. He would only return later to marry the bride brought to him from Babylon, by Eliezer (the name means: my God is my help), Abraham’s servant.

In Jewish literature, Isaac is often represented as a foreshadow of Messiah. We see it each year in the Passover Afikomen. Paul must have known about the parable of this old rabbi because he said: He (Abraham) considered that God was able even to raise him (Isaac) from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back (Hebrews 11:19). The Greek text from which this verse is taken doesn’t say ‘figuratively speaking’ but, ‘as in a parable’. Abraham must have had mixed feelings; he knew his son was a ‘goner’, but he still told the people at the foot of the mountain that he would return with him.

What sounds amazing to me is that as a foreshadow of Messiah, the picture in this parable fits perfectly. Hasn’t Messiah died on the wood, resurrected right away, disappeared from the scene as He went to the Father, and he will return solely to marry His Bride brought to Him from Babylon (this world) by the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit/ God’s Helper)?

Wasn’t the old rabbi who figured that out from the question: ‘What happened to Isaac?’ on to something?

Hebrews 13:2

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

There is a tradition of hospitality for the Feast of Tabernacles. The idea is to entertain a distinguished guest each night of the Festival. These guests include in order: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses Aaron, King David and Messiah. Of course, the patriarchs do not actually physically come in the sukkah, but their presence is invited through reading, talking and learning about them.

Hospitality was a fundamental virtue to workings of M.E. society in the days of the patriarch Abraham. When a guest was in your house, he was under your wings and protection. If an enemy came to hurt him, you were to use all your resources to protect your visitor; no matter what the cost, your company could find total sanctuary in your house.. A very good example of that is found in the story of Lot even offering his daughters to the sodomites in order to protect his angelic guests.

In traditional writings, Abraham is the standard for hospitality. To be invited to the table and tent of Abraham was a great honor. He would treat you to the best of his flock as if you were a dignitary. Tradition describes that the patriarch would send his servant Eliezer to the highways and byways (and we are talking great distances in the desert) to compel people to honor him by finding restoration and rest in his tent. Again, in M.E. tradition, guests didn’t just stay for a cup of coffee and cookies to quickly be on their way. They got their feet washed, maybe stayed several days at the host’s expense while they, their host and their animals were tended to. Aside from Melchizedek, Abraham seemed to have been one of the rare persons acquainted with the God who made Heaven and earth. This act of hospitality from Abraham was his outreach program in the midst of an idolatrous world. He would invite people and treat them like God would. Abraham wanted to show people God’s favor!

Come to think of it, as we invite Abraham to our sukkah for this first day of tabernacles, we also have all been invited to his table. The tent of Abraham represents God’s favor and an invitation to come to the Messiah, his descendant. Abraham was God’s representative and prophet, and through him, all the families of the earth are blessed (Genesis 28:14). The whole world is blessed as they come to the table of Abraham to have a taste of the World to Come, of the marvelous things God has prepared for those who put their trust in Him through His Messiah. That is why in the synagogues of Paul’s day, those of the gentiles who joined themselves to the God Israel were called ‘those of the family of Abraham’ (Acts 13:26).

May those that meet us on our daily path, may those who get to know us as the Children and representatives of the Almighty Creator of Heaven and earth also find in us, and through us, the bounty, beauty, and restoration Messiah would give them. May all those who come in touch with us get a taste, however small, of the World to Come, of what God has prepared for them. Like with Abraham, may this be our witness in this sad world of darkness.

Revelations 20:5

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.

This is the first resurrection.

Following the logical flow of the text, since those who first resurrect are those who refused to receive the mark of the beast, those ‘did not come to life’ are those who received it. Much is speculated about this mark. We may not at present be sure of its form, but we know its function. In biblical terms the head, especially the forehead represents the will; the hands represent the actions birthed by the will. That is why Jews put these little prayer boxes with a Scripture scroll inside of them when they pray: to remind them of what should be the focus and direction of both their thoughts and their actions. The devil will also try to control our thoughts and actions by attempting to place his mark on our foreheads and hands, and in the sight of God, that is death.

We are used to think of death as a permanent state. But in this verse the dead await resurrection in order to go to their reward, good or bad. We are obviously then talking here about more than biological death, something different than the mere corruption of the body. There are people who are alive and yet who are more dead than the dead; while there are those who are dead, but who are more alive than those still in the body (Matthew 22:32)!

What is then a life that is more substantial than this present state? And what is a death more empty and void than the mere corruption of the body? King David put it in these wonderful words:’ I shall dwell in the house of Adonai forever’ (Psalms 23: 6). In other words, presence with God is life more alive than this life, but absence from God is more mortal than mere body corruption.

As long as we are alive, the candle, however small at times, of the life of God lives in us. Its light is manifest in our hearts via the twinges of our conscience. To others, it is manifest in either strength or weakness according to our obedience of Messiah’s commandments. When we die, that candle is extinguished, but then, until the time of resurrection to judgment, we come to either more than life, what Yeshua called: the bosom of Abraham, or to less than death: the she’ol.

We must take this life more seriously. The good, the bad and the ugly of this life do follow us in the World to Come. We may then shed many tears of regret; Messiah will surely wipe them, but that doesn’t mean that we will not still have to learn the substance of the lesson from the disobedience that caused these tears.

If we are truly sealed with the mark of the Messiah, let us make sure that in each day of this life, both our will and hands are synchronized with those of our Master. Then and only then will the prayer: ‘Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven!’ be answered!

Revelations 20:4-6

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

About this time of future restoration and reorganization of the world, Paul, our Master’s apostle also specified, Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life (1 Corinthians 6:3)!

We are not given too many details about this judging of angels (and the secret things belong to God said Moses); we are simply told in that and other passages that at the time when Messiah will physically reign on earth the faithful will share in His exaltation and judging of the universe which therefore implies judging angels. The idea of mankind judging angels birthed from the Book of Enoch, which was a very widespread Jewish writing from the 1st century C.E., a book the early believers seem to have been familiar with.

What we are told though, (and the things that are revealed belong to us and our children forever Moses also said (Deuteronomy 29:29)), is that if we are to judge angels in the future, we should today be able to judge earthly disputes between ourselves. In essence, our training for judging angels tomorrow starts today with learning to maturely take care of our own issues between oursleves.

The problem is that today, as with many other things, we are not encouraged to manage our issues and disagreements by ourselves. We go to the police, we get a lawyer, or worst, a psychologist! As far as I can understand from his epistles, to Paul the fact that those who called themselves by the name of Yeshua could not manage their own problems themselves was a disgrace and a bad testimony of Messiah’s congregation in front of the non-believers. He said that it would be more valuable to be defrauded that to be such a poor testimony in front of others (1 Corinthians 6:7).

It is high time that we take control of our lives; that we take responsibility of our affairs. We, as Messianic congregations, must organize ourselves into a coherent movement that is self sufficient in every way including self-legislated just as the Hebrew nation was taught to be by Moses in ancient times. Then and only then, we will ever be able to fulfill our destiny of entering the Promised Land of His divine will, and be an example to all nations of life under the rulership of Messiah.

Revelations 20:1-3

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

I heard it said once, ‘When you kick sin out, don’t leave a forwarding address!’

At the time of His coming, Yeshua, the Messiah-King will rule on earth. The Adversary will be under control and therefore, the evil inclination that causes us so much trouble will be greatly diminished. Living by God’s commandments and avoiding sin will be easier then. But at the end of these 1,000 years of relief from the Adversary’s work, Satan will be released. At that time, he will again be allowed to tempt us as he is today.

We must ask ourselves, The Messiah may rule the earth then, but does He rule my heart now? Is He my King today? During the High Holidays, we go through deep introspection, we confess our sins and we deny ourselves on the Day of Atonement. But what happens after that? Is it life as usual? He may have done the atoning work, he may ‘cover’ for our ‘credit card’ debt to the Father, but there is a chilly warning for going back into the works of darkness after Messiah did the hard work of cleaning us up. The writer of the book of Hebrew puts it in these following words, For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries (Hebrews 10:26-27).

As we prepare for the next Festival on our calendar we are told to look back at the time of our sojourn in the desert, at the time when we lived in sukkhas, in temporary flimsy shelters totally vulnerable and dependent on the Father’s mercy. This Festival should also speak to us about our temporal situation on this earth, looking forward to the time when we will enter what John called New Jerusalem, the Tabernacle of God with men. (Revelations 21-22). In that place nothing shall hurt nor destroy; sin death and corruption will not be allowed.

In preparation for that day, we need to learn today to stay away from sin. Like Joseph of old, flee temptation when it comes, even leaving our coat behind when temptation tries to hold onto us. That is our work to do and the idea behind the apostles words to, ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).’

May it be good in Your eyes!

Should believers in Yeshua fast on Yom Kippur by Patrick Gabriel Lumbroso in Beith Hallel

YOM KIPPUR 2010, with Patrick Gabriel Lumbroso from Messianic House of Praise on Vimeo.

Matthew 25:1-7

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.

But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.

Behold the night is far advanced. It has been a long wait and drowsiness has taken hold of the congregations. The Master is getting ready to come with the Bride, and the ten virgins, friends of the bride are expected to stay awake with the bride to serve and help her. But just like the disciples on the Mt of Olives, their eyes are heavy (Matthew 26:43). Will we watch one hour with Him? Will we stand guard, watch and pray?

On the eve of the manifestation of His Messianic nature Yeshua asked his disciples to watch with him, to stand guard in prayer denying themselves of the sleep they so needed. Even today, as we await His manifestation in the world, as we await for the time of the wedding ceremony we are to watch, pray and stand guard. Are our eyes heavy? Can we deny ourselves waiting even though we do not know at which hour he is coming?

A sudden cry pierces the night, ‘The bridegroom is coming, the Bridegroom is coming!’. See him majestically riding on a white horse. He is coming for the Bride and the friends of the bride rise from their drowsiness to fix their lamps. They make sure that it burns clear bright and without smoke: they must trim their wicks. Even so, there comes the time (and even we hear the sound in the horizons); there will be a shout in the heavens, ‘The Bridegroom is coming, the Bridegroom is coming!”. Let us rise from sleep. Let us shake our drowsiness. Awake, awake Isaiah says (Isaiah 52:1,9).

It is time now for us to rise from our sleepiness and appear before the king of the universe. He comes to take the bride and to bring His people to the greatest party ever thrown. He has sent his servants to cry in the streets, in the highways and byways compelling people to come in. He has sent white robes to each one to wear at the feast.

Let us now be ready, trim our wick so the light of our love through our keeping of His commandments shine bright and unequivocally, distinctly and without smoke. Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Matthew 24:48-51

But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Those of us who acknowledge Yeshua as our Master and Rabbi have been given both assignments and responsibilities over His heritage. We are expected to behave as shepherds and responsible leaders over His flock. He left us in charge while He is gone on a journey, but at the time appointed our Master will return. At that time we will sit down with Him for an audit. He will look at what He left us with and require the increase. If there is no increase He will examine the situation and demand an explanation. This is the time when the priorities of our lives will be examined and evaluated.

We all mean to do good and I doubt if any person reading this actually beats his fellow servants or drinks with the drunkards. On the other hand, we can all admit to neglecting our responsibilities by just being selfish, self-motivated, negligent, and over-concerned with our personal pleasure, entertainment and comfort.

As we prepare for rehearsing the Day of the Lord through the Festival of Yom Kippur, we may need to do a little self-auditing. There are several questions we can ask ourselves that can help put us back in perspective: What does Yeshua expect of me? Have I been fulfilling His will and wishes for my life? If not, why? Where am I in my relationship with His family, my brothers and sisters? Are there any sour relationships that I need to sweeten? Would I want Him to ask me the question: ‘why is your relationship with so and so in such a state of negativity?’ Are there people I am responsible for in ether my social or biological entourage, people I am expected to look after? Am I fulfilling my responsibilities with them? If not, why?

James the apostle exhorts us in this way: ‘For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.’ James’ mirror is the Scriptures that project for us the perfect standard expected of us. It is a bit like the evil witch’s mirror in the fairy tale Snow White. We are meant to look in it and compare our lives with the beauty of His Words. The idea is for It to point out our blemishes so we can fix them through repentance and prayer. Sad to say though, like in the story, some of us use it to retaliate against anything that challenges our innate self-righteous spirit. The apostle then continues and says, ‘But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing (James 1:23-25).

Amen!

Matthew 24:45-47

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.”

Since the days of John the Immerser we have been told, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’ “At hand’, means easily reachable. Isn’t it strange that more than 2,000 years have passed and the Kingdom has not been established on the earth yet?

Every generation learns that ‘the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand’. In fact, many generations have been convinced that they were going to see the return of Adon Yeshua in their days, but it did not happen. In a way, it is right that it should be so; if not, how would we feel the necessity to ready ourselves for that Day? And even more important, how would we feel the urgency to teach our children about it? If we did not in every generation apprehend the return of Yeshua ‘at hand’, within two generations the whole message would be lost.

Each year during the High Holidays we rehearse this return of our Master; we look forward to His judgment, His vindication, and final take-over of the kingdoms of this world. He will then usher us into 1,000 years of restoration. All wrong will be made right, day will conquer the night. The lost will be restored, injustice rectified. In the glory of His ruling majesty, as Solomon of old, the great King will listen to our pleas, wipe our tears away, vindicate the souls of those persecuted for righteousness’ sake and challenge those who destroy the earth. May it be soon Abba, even in our days!

PRAYER:

May we be ready for that great Day! May we be at that time found doing those which pertain to Your will, not in lip service only, but from the heart living a life that reflects unswerving love and dedication to Your Commandments. May we be found worthy of the title of disciple: one who emulates his Master.

How To: "Soul Accounting" in 5 Steps

Rosh Hashanah is about coming in the presence of the King of the universe for an evaluation of our lives.

We are taught that Yeshua takes our sins upon Himself and it is true. On the other hand, the apostle tells us that we are ‘work out our salvation with fear and trembling’.

I agree that Yeshua takes from us the sins that we know and even the ‘secret faults’ as David called them. Some sins we don’t know because we haven’t grown to know them, but some sins we don’t know because we don’t want to know or we are not even searching.

We should make an effort sometimes to acknowledge our sin to ourselves by seeking deeper into our hearts and being using more aggressive in the matter.

How can we be better people if we don’t know how to fix it, and no it doesn’t just happen by the stroke of the magic wand of the Holy Spirit. We have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Such a soul searching (cheshbon hanefesh), such work takes time, and many a businessman shuts down his operations for a day in order to draw up his yearly report.

What is a good way to appropriately quantify soul-searching?

Mathematics wouldn’t help us. Mathematics deals with dry numbers, whereas an "accounting of the soul," as suggested by its name, deals with matters of the heart and soul.

A Chassidic Rabbi one day gave a relevant parallel to the cheshbon hanefesh: the account and balance sheet every business creates yearly.

Now, any businessman knows that without a balance sheet he has no way of knowing whether his business drew profits or losses. The fact that a store is full of shoppers doesn't say anything; people may come to browse and compare prices, but do not make purchases. Only when the owner draws up a proper balance sheet does he know whether his business is profitable and the year successful.

We, too, can be busy from morning to night, but once a year, we need to take time off to contemplate our most important "business"—that is, our service of our Creator.

Have we progressed towards this goal in the past year? Have we improved our relationship with God? Have we become better people, better Children of God, better examples of Him to others?

Here is a practical guide for conducting a cheshbon hanefesh. It may take some time, there's no need to complete it in one day.

Step One:
Draw two large squares on a paper. Title the first one: "Me and God"; the second: "Me and My Fellows."

Step Two:
In the "Me and God" category, write down the various spiritual commendments you observe, those you are aware of in your heart, those you are responsible to know. Next to each of these, write down whether this is an area in which you incurred a profit or loss in the past year.

Keep in mind that identical balance sheets can indicate a profit for one person and a loss for another. For example, a man who began to keep Shabbat this year who writes, "I kept Shabbat almost every week" has shown a profit; for someone who has done it since the age of 13, it is considered a loss.

Step Three:
In the "Me and My Fellows" section, write down all your notable relationships—e.g., your children, spouse, parents, friends, work buddies, and acquaintances. Here, too, write down next to each one whether you became closer to these people, distanced yourself, or did things you'd have been better off not doing...

Step Four:
The next two steps are the most important ones; without them, all the time invested in this accounting goes down the drain.

Take the "losses" of the year, and turn them into profits. Ask yourself, how can I be a better parent? How can I ensure that I keep Shabbat weekly? How can I improve the atmosphere in my home? How can I devote more time to Torah study? And should I be expanding my ‘business’? Are there other areas that don't even yet exist on my balance sheet that I should explore? A new commandment? A new relationship?

Step Five:
Until now, all the reckoning has been relatively quantifiable, and as such not so difficult. This step takes it to another level altogether.

Now it's time to look beyond all the individual behaviors, and analyze the patterns. Or to put it differently, to look at the inner soul workings that caused all the profits and losses.

• Why are you failing in certain areas?

• What is your perspective on life?

• How important to you are your relationships?

• Do you have a deep-seated commitment to fulfill your spiritual calling in life?

Once you have a better picture of who you are now, and who you'd like to be, then come the High Holidays you are ready to get under the covering and make the necessary changes and commitments.

You can become a different person.

Today's devotion Acts 24:14-16

Acts 24:14-16 (E.S.V).

But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.

Hear these words spoken by Yeshua’s apostle Paul, several years after his encounter with the Master: I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Torah (my edition) and written in the Prophets. In other words, Paul’s defense against the High-Priest’s accusations of sedition and profanation was that he never swayed from practicing Judaism; that he believed and practiced the commandments written in the Pentateuch, as well as the teachings of the prophets, which in Jewish understanding is everything else except the poetry books.

Judaism is not a creed; it is a way of life. It is not something that can be practiced without it showing on the outside. The High-Priest knew it and couldn’t refute Paul’s confession; that is why he had to add accusations of seditions to the package of accusatory evidence against Paul. Ananias knew that the Roman governor couldn’t care less about religious squabbles, but disturbing the peace of the Empire was a very serious offense, especially in Jerusalem.

Paul proclaimed his innocence by insisting that he always took pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. In the mouth of Paul, what did this mean? It means that he kept his conscience clear of offenses in front of God and man simply by his sincere efforts to serve God by obeying his commandments. By bringing these facts to the fore, he hoped to close the mouth of his accusers.

The Accuser is always in front of us, accusing us of evil not to the Roman emperor, but to the King Creator of the universe. It is one thing to be accused of an evil that we have done, and we all have done plenty, but this we can do to close the mouth of the Adversary: we can strive to take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man: before God, by obeying His commandments, and before men by submitting to the ordinances of earthly authority; to strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

There are times when we may feel that man’s command goes against God’s command, but I have observed that it is very often our personal tangential application of both which creates the conflict, which then becomes striving for conflict, not for peace.

Let’s take the stand and today make the resolution to follow in the footsteps of the apostle; to for peace.

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