Preparing for the Feasts:Learning How to Pray

 

 

The upcoming fall feasts of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Succoth (Tabernacles), this year falling on Oct. 2, 11, and 16, become even more important as we see the unfolding of End Time events, and the imminent return of Jesus drawing near. Jesus will fulfill the fall feasts just as He fulfilled the spring feasts of Israel.

As Israel and Jews and Christians around the world observe the feast days ahead, it is at a time when Israel, as a nation, observes its 68th year. Daniel, the prophet, describes the major events of 69 weeks of years, so we must consider this time in the history of Israel to be significant.

As the feasts approach, prayer becomes a vital preparation for all of us.

The disciples knew that there was something powerful about Jesus in prayer that they desired to know. Even after they had returned triumphantly telling Jesus that the demons were subject to them, Jesus informed them that there was something greater in which to rejoice:

"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."    Lk. 10:20

 

It was immediately following this, that the disciples noticed the special time of prayer that Jesus experienced. They asked him to teach them about it (Lk. 11:1-4):

"And He said unto them, "When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name."

Jesus instructed them to speak directly to our Father in heaven. It is not prayer, according to the teaching of the rabbis, unless it is spoken to God. The Israelites sought to escape from direct communication with God when God descended upon Sinai. They begged Moses that they should not talk to God, but rather Moses do so for them:

"...let not God speak with us, lest we die."     Ex. 20:19

Many believers also pray to others, rather than praying to God, Himself. However, Jesus did not teach this, as we can see above. By using the address "Father", He also emphasized having an intimate, loving, familial relationship with God, as a child with a father.

Jesus continued teaching:

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth."   Lk. 11:2

We recognize that the purpose of prayer is to agree with God's will. His will is His Word-they never contradict each other. We recognize that His will should be in our mouths, rather than our own.

"Give us, day by day, our daily bread."   Lk. 11:3

We attest by our mouths that God sustains and provides us with all we have need, not only the physical bread for food, but the spiritual bread of life, His Son, His Word. Jesus asks His disciples, "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish, give him a serpent?...if ye then,...know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?"  Lk. 11:11-13

He will not ignore our needs, as we ask Him.

"And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us."   Lk. 11:4

We come to God asking for that mercy blood of Jesus that cleanses us of sin, and resurrects (redeems) us from death. Even though by our own efforts, we are not righteous, we can approach Him with confidence knowing that we have been rescued from this condition by our Savior.

Equally important, as we rely upon His forgiveness of us, we must also forgive others. How can we come before Almighty God bearing unforgiveness towards others? How can we come before Him without first examining our own hearts? Let us approach with a reverent heart, a humble heart "...forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Eph. 4:32)

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."   Lk. 11:4

Let us know that there isn't one of us who is beyond temptation. Temptation comes with every thought, word, and deed. Jesus says that we need the help of our Father to guide us away from these evil things.

 

 

Jesus told us that when we see the signs of the end begin to happen, "...look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."   Lk. 21:28

We certainly see the signs of the end of this age all around us. As we prepare for the feasts, we are also preparing for the nearness of our redemption. All creation is waiting and groaning for this redemption, through which we manifest as the sons of God. We ourselves, along with the rest of creation, "groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies."   Rom. 8:19-23

We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption. The communications out of our mouths, and the thoughts of our hearts should reflect this Seal, and not grieve Him. (Eph. 4:29-32).

Prayer, as a type of communication acceptable to the Holy Spirit, reaffirms our seal in Him as we await that redemption. The word "pray" in Hebrew is spelled with the letters pe, lamed, lamed. Pe means to open the mouth, to command, to speak, a beginning. Lamed, which is used twice in the word for emphasis, means a shepherd's staff, to teach, to learn, to urge forward, tongue. As Jesus taught about prayer, it is as much a preparation, and an affirming, as it is a petition.

 

 

As scripture emphasizes the communications out of our mouths as all creation awaits the soon-coming redemption, or resurrection, of our bodies, God talks about "tabernacling" with our mouths:

"And the LORD said unto him (Moses), "Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."   Ex. 4:11-12

This is the very definition of the letters of the Hebrew word "pray".

The communication that should be in our mouths, as Jesus and Paul taught their disciples, is the same communication that God instructed Joshua:

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night...Have I not commanded thee?...For the LORD thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest."   Josh. 1:8-9



God promises that as His Word is in our mouths, He is in our mouths.

Daniel told us that in the Latter Days:

"... the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits...and they shall be wise that shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they shall turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."   Dan. 11:32, 12:3

We desire to do exploits for God, even turning many to righteousness. What greater exploit can there be than to open our mouths in prayer being led, taught, and urged forward by the Shepherd's staff, with the promise of God that He is with us, and with our mouths? It is the prayer out of our mouths that prepares creation and ourselves for these fall feasts, and the soon-coming Redemption.

 

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Other Sheep and A Forgotten Prophecy

 

Many churches are dealing with the challenges of bringing new sheep into the spiritual sheepfold of Christ. As we consider these sheep, we may find that there are many whom we have overlooked, or neglected. Jesus spoke about some of them as He taught of Himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep:

"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd."   Jn. 10:14-16 (excerpt)
The "other sheep" about whom Jesus is speaking may include those whom we seldom consider.

When God made a covenant with Abram (The Exalted One is My Father), He described the great multitude that would be Abram's seed (Gen. 15:5). He also described the land that would be given to Abram's seed:

"In the same day, the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "Unto they seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates."  Gen 15:18

This great territory extended from Egypt eastward and northward over the Arabian peninsula, to the easterly point of the Babylonian/Assyrian lands, which were bordered by the Euphrates River.



The first of Abram's seed would come from his wife's Egyptian maid, Hagar (Flight).

 

 

As Hagar was with child, she fled from Sarah's anger. She came to a place of a fountain ("ayin", eye). Here, an angel prophesied that she would have a son, Ishmael (God Will Hear), "because the LORD has heard thy affliction". The angel said Hagar's seed would be multiplied exceedingly, unable even to be numbered. He described Ishmael as being wild, and aggressive, with other men aggressive towards him also. The angel also said, "...and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."   Gen 16:10-12

At this fountain (eye) Hagar exclaims that the LORD has seen her: "Thou God seest me", and names the place of this water, Beer lehai roi, "Well of Life, the Living One".

Some years after Ishmael is born, God renames Abram, Abraham, meaning "Father of many nations, or a multitude". Ishmael is circumcised with the rest of Abraham's household.
Later, when Hagar and Ishmael were again cast out, and dying in the wilderness, Hagar placed her son under bushes (commune, speak, pray aloud, sing, meditate). The LORD told Hagar, "...fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is".   Gen 21:17

Even as God made the precious promise of Isaac to Abraham, He blessed Ishmael, saying twelve princes and a great nation, multitudes, would come from him (Gen 17:20). While Abraham left all he had to Isaac, he made gifts to his other descendants (Gen. 25:5-6).

After Sarah died, Abraham married Keturah (incense, smoke from sacrifice), and produced more seed (Gen. 25:1-4).

 



 

Generations later, Moses was shown all of the land that the LORD ordained for Isaac's descendants (Deut. 34:1-4), which is also a description of the approximate territory of present day Israel. This land is just a portion of the land that was promised to all of Abram's seed in Gen. 15:18. 

Even more important than the covenant of land promised to all of Abraham's seed, is the spiritual covenant that God made concerning not just Isaac, but the others as well:

"The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah (children of Keturah); all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD. All the flocks of Kedar (son of Ishmael) shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebajoth (son of Ishmael) shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory."  

and

"In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt (Hagar's nation), and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD...And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it....He shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and He shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless saying, "Blessed be Egypt, My people, and Assyria, the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance."     Isa. 60:6-7, 19:19, 21-25

Surely the preaching of the Gospel is to all men, but especially to all of Abraham's seed. Particularly, it must be to all those to whom He has revealed Himself as "God sees me, God will hear me". Ishmael's place is to be "dwelling in the presence of all his brethren".

Israel has an everlasting covenant with God regarding land. So do all of Abraham's seed. Israel has a spiritual covenant with God that Messiah would come from the line of Isaac and Jacob. Salvation is of the Jews, and is to be to the Jew first (Jn. 4:22, Rom. 1:16). However, the rest of Abraham's seed also has a spiritual covenant with God according to the Word. It is a covenant of reconciliation with God, and with their brethren, Israel. Now is the time to consider the promises of God, particularly His promises to this         unreached multitude of Abraham's seed.

This month before Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called Elul. It is a time of reflection, and turning back to God. By tradition, it is considered a time of God's "chased" mercy and favor. The Hebrew letters that make up the word "Elul", aleph, lamed, vaw, lamed, have the meanings of The Head (Chief), The Shepherd's hook, The Nail or Tent Peg (a joining), and The Shepherd's Hook again. The Shepherd's hook is emphasized.

It is a special time to remember those words of our Good Shepherd concerning His other sheep, and to discern the Lord's body:

"...they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd."





 

 

 

 



Behold, the Lamb of God!

                                                       

This time of year sees the world celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.
The Gospel of John opens with both a declaration and a depiction that reminds us of the purpose and identity of Jesus:
"The next day John (the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!...Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"                                                                             John 1:29-36

The New Testament also closes with both a declaration and depiction of Jesus as the Lamb of God. The angels, elders, and creatures of heaven are declaring loudly:
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"           Rev. 5:12

"Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."                                  Rev. 19:7

"The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light."                               Rev. 21:23

The name of "Lamb" is given to Jesus because on Passover, He was the sacrifice for sin on the cross, and our Father's provision for our deliverance from death. He rose from the dead on the third day after Passover. His association with Passover has a deep importance for His acceptance by the Jewish people, as well as a contextual and spiritual meaning for Gentile people. God decreed the blood of the Passover lamb thousands of years ago in the Torah as He delivered His people from the bondage of the Egyptians. He revealed Passover's prophetic significance in the New Testament/Covenant with Jesus' death on the Passover feast. The term "Passover" in Hebrew includes the meaning of "a sacrifice made that provides a sparing immunity from penalty and calamity". Yet centuries ago, the Church, as a whole, made a decision to separate the sacrificial Lamb of God from the Passover, and instead to calculate the date of His death and the celebration of His Resurrection each year from the date of the Vernal Equinox, the arrival of spring.
This would be error enough, but in addition, by making this change, the Passover Lamb of God has become associated with the goddess Ishtar, with Easter becoming the name given to His day of resurrection. This day is celebrated with new spring outfits, elaborate bonnets, and with cartoonish depictions of bunnies and eggs. While these springtime activities seem harmless enough and pleasant, and provide "fun" for our children, the goddess Ishtar, was a vile, destructive creature. She was the Assyrian/Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sexual promiscuity. Those whom she chose to "love", were eventually reduced to slavery, and then destruction. Her worshippers would construct tabernacles, or booths (Succothbenoth), of idolatrous prostitution. In her various identities, depending upon the culture, she was considered the personification of the planet Venus. She was not just associated with carnality, but she also carried weapons of war.
Her legend also includes an account of her descent into the Underworld, that should give all Christians serious pause. Ishtar's plan was to violently storm the gates of the Underworld in order to bring the dead back to earth to kill and consume the living. It would be a counterfeit, demonic version of resurrection. Why would we, as Christians, want to be any part of that? Why would we want to associate our Savior with that?  In the beginning, this mixing of Jesus' greatest gift to us with pagan worship was a decision made by the Church that may even have been done with good intentions. However, man should not think that he can change and "improve upon" the will and word of God, especially regarding His beloved Son. Now the tradition is continued perhaps in ignorance. However God gives a strong warning in His word that His people are destroyed from their ignorance and lack of knowledge (Hos. 4:6).

If we remove Jesus, the Lamb, from the delivering power, timing, and deeply prophetic meaning of Passover, which was commanded by God to be taught to all our generations as an everlasting ordinance (Ex. 12:13-14), we lessen the meaning of His resurrection.

The Apostle Paul also exhorted the New Testament Church to observe the true meaning of the Passover:
"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.                                    1 Cor. 5:7-8
 

If we associate Jesus' death and resurrection with a pagan goddess instead of the Passover, we have placed a barrier to faith and knowledge of Messiah before the Jewish person, and robbed the Gentile of the full meaning of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. We have created a spiritual mixture that does not bring the Lamb the glory He deserves. 
In past examples, as God's people mixed His name with the names of idols, He delivered them into the hands of their enemies, and they suffered the consequences as He removed them out of His sight (2 Kings 17 and 18). By continuing to manipulate the date of the Resurrection, and celebrate it as Easter, we do the same thing, creating the same mixture, by joining the sacred with the profane. 

Jesus certainly did not separate Himself from the Passover. On the night He was arrested:

"... He said unto them, "With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not anymore eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God."                                                        Lk. 22:15-16

With His suffering, death, and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled the Passover, as He, the Lamb of God, was purposed to do. Let us connect the Lamb again with the Passover in our understanding, and in our hearts. He desired and suffered so much to fulfill it on our behalf.

 



                                                                                   

                                             Above: Matza incl. Afikomen, Unity Bag, cup of wine  

                                                        

 

                                                      

                                                            Above: Seder plate with lamb shank

 

 



 

Above Depiction: Blood of the Passover Lamb applied to the doorposts and lintels