Print
E-Mail
tool name
closeOn faith: The process of redemption in the Lord’s feast
Brent Emery
guest columnist
Jews all over the world recently celebrated Passover. The festival comes each spring and commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, where G-d delivered His people from slavery.
With a strong hand and outstretched arm, G-d led His people from bondage in Egypt to the wilderness, where the first generation would wander and die because of their unwillingness to be obedient.
Passover is the first festival of five that are listed in the 23rd chapter of Leviticus. Following Passover is the festival of Shavuot (Weeks), which completes the spring festivals.
Every fall, there is Yom Teruah (Trumpets), Yom Kippor (Day of Atonement) and, finally, Sukkot (Tabernacles).
These five festivals come to remind us of the work of G-d among His people. They are the calendar of G-d’s choosing. If the people of G-d desire to understand Him, they must follow the festivals, as well.
In the past, I have written about how the festivals speak of Yeshua’s (Jesus) first coming (spring) and His second coming (fall). Yeshua was impaled on Passover as the Lamb of G-d that takes away the sins of the world.
On Shavuot (Pentecost, in Greek), the Holy Spirit was poured out to take the message of salvation to all nations. The Apostle Paul tells us that Yeshua will return with the sound of the trumpet to let us know that the second coming of Messiah Yeshua will occur of the festival of Yom Teruah (trumpets).
While this study of the festivals is vitally important, I want to show you another facet of the festivals.
Passover is a picture of redemption, as G-d saves His people from slavery. After Passover, the people are to count 49 days until they reach the festival of Shavuot (weeks).
At the first Shavuot, Israel was brought to Mount Sinai, where they were given the Torah (Instruction for Life). In other words, salvation is not completed until the One who redeems us becomes our Lord.
It was never G-d’s intention just to redeem us/them so we could wander the wilderness and do our own thing. He redeemed us so He could become the King that would sovereignly rule all of our life.
Many Yeshua believers want only His redemption failing to realize that redemption is a process whereby we are saved so we can serve the One who redeemed us.
But how do we know the will of G-d unless He reveals Himself to us and thus the revelation at Sinai? It is the responsibility of everyone to go to Sinai and submit to the commands of G-d, not just the Jews.
Egypt is redemption, but Sinai is revelation.
Knowing our lives will not be perfect, the Lord allows us the opportunity to seek forgiveness through repentance. The festivals of Yom Teruah and Yom Kippor remind us we need the grace of G-d to renew us from within.
When we confess our sins, G-d is faithful to forgive us, but we must realize our need for His grace and mercy. Living in a world where sin and death holds sway, we need the washing of G-d’s word to cleanse us and remind us of the need for His revelation once again.
The goal of the process of redemption is Sukkot (tabernacles), where we will reside with our G-d forever.
Make no mistake that G-d is preparing a people so they can reside with Him for eternity. Sukkot comes at the end of the festival cycle to remind us that G-d wants to live with us.
The King of the Universe wants to live forever with you and me. Not on our terms but His.
First, He must redeem us. Then He reveals Himself to us in the Torah and asks us to be obedient to His commands. Everyone (Jew and Gentile) must go to Sinai and submit to the Torah for the purpose of sanctification. If you bypass Sinai, you will come back to it eventually.
Once we have lived in this world, we renew ourselves with repentance and a willingness to once again submit to G-d’s commands.
Finally, we will one day reside with Him, but the preparation for that day begins now.
Thus the festivals come to teach us the process of our G-d’s work in His people. Redemption (Passover), followed by Revelation (Sinai), then Renewal (Yom Teruah/Yom Kippor) and finally Residing (Sukkot).
These festivals of the Lord come to us to reveal G-d’s work in time, and His work in you and me.
The reference of ‘G-d’
Some readers have contacted The Peninsula Gateway curious about Brent Emery’s reference to God in his On Faith column.
The following is an explanation from www.jewfaq.org:
“Judaism does not prohibit writing the Name of God per se; it prohibits only erasing or defacing a Name of God. However, observant Jews avoid writing any Name of God casually because of the risk that the written Name might later be defaced, obliterated or destroyed accidentally or by one who does not know better ... Normally, we avoid writing the Name by substituting letters or syllables, for example, writing ‘G-d’ instead of ‘God.’ ”