Sabbath Reflection - Hope in the Holy Days

This is my favorite time of the year.  The seasons are changing so that we have warm enough days but cool evenings, the garden has produced its bounty for the year - and we are in the middle of the Fall Holy Days.  This evening at sunset, we begin observing the Day of Atonement.  With the passing of these Holy Days, we will then head off to wherever we are going to be for the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day.

 God has given His people a glimpse of the future through His Holy Days.  You and I have a foretaste of the hope that God has held out down through time to all of those who follow His ways.  The Day of Atonement shows that hope as well.  Being physical, we are well focused on the lack of food that day - and we are to fast, albeit for better reasons than simply going hungry.  God promises forgiveness of sin and healings if we turn from our ways, humble ourselves and seek Him (2 Chronicles 7:14).  God tells us to fast so that we will be focused on His ways - a lack of food and water can do that.  While it can be a somber day for many, God reminds us that it is also a day that we celebrate (Leviticus 23:32).

 When God sent the prophets to Israel and Judah, more often than not their responsibility was to show the nation their sins and God's desire for them to repent.  Sometimes they listened - but mostly they did not.  God gave them ample opportunity to turn back to Him, telling them of the ultimate punishment to come if they continued in their sinful ways.  In the midst of that hard message was also a message of hope.  God told them of the hope of the resurrection (Ezekiel 37).  He told them of the hope of being restored to their land after captivity (Zechariah 10:6-12), and even a restoration of the land (Haggai 2:15-19).  He promised the hope of the Messiah to take away and pay for their sins (Micah 5:2-5, Isaiah 2:1-4).  What God truly seeks in having us keep His Holy Days is obedience to Him (Zechariah 7:5-7) - for in our obedience to Him, we take on His character.  Justice, mercy and faith are principal points of His character that He consistently cried out to Israel to take on (Zechariah 7:9-10, Micah 6:8, Hosea 12:6, Matthew 23:23).

We have plenty of reasons to celebrate.  Recently we were reminded that the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25) gives us hope that the madness of mankind's carnal nature (influenced by Satan) will not erase all life off of this planet.  We look forward to all that Christ will implement in God's Kingdom (His reign). 

Tomorrow, The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32) pictures a time when mankind (for the first time in his history) will be out from under the evil influence of Satan.  With the removal of Satan, it is then possible to set up, once again, God's Kingdom on Earth, and to reconcile all of mankind to Him.

 The Feast of Tabernacles (picturing the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ) will show mankind, not only what is possible under Christ's reign, but also how unfruitful and broken Satan's way of life is.  The Millennium will be a time of unprecedented peace, prosperity, and Godly love for mankind.

 The final step in God's plan of salvation for mankind is represented in the Last Great Day (the Eighth Day - Leviticus 23:36).  This Holy Day shows that God is fair, and that all mankind will be resurrected to have the opportunity to understand what they need to do and become in order to be judged worthy of salvation (Revelation 20:11-15).

What an amazing plan of salvation!  God is building a family through mankind, and we understand that plan, and have that hope, now.  Let's remember what this tenth day of the seventh month pictures and ushers in - and celebrate before God!

I wish you a spiritually rejuvenating Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day,

Joe Greene 

Pastor for Richmond and Roanoke, VA