6 aYour boasting is not good. bDo you not know that ca little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?7 Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our aPassover also has been sacrificed.8 Let us therefore celebrate the feast, a not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1Co 5:6-8 NAS)
Mentally
Realizing the time–We must first understand which calendar to reference. There are 3-calendars with 3-different perspectives: the Gregorian (which is secular/of the world/developed by the Romans in the 4th to 5th century). Then there’s the Rabbinc or the calculated Jewish calendar developed by Hillel in the 4th century CE; calculated; not always in proper alignment with the Creator’s reckoning of time. Lastly, there’s the Creator’s calendar–instituted by Yehovah and today has been re-instituted by Karaite Jews; it is Biblically based, agriculturally driven; it requires sighting of the renewed moon to commence each month; it can be estimated but never substantiated before the actual time.
CJBGenesis 1:14 ¶ God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to divide the day from the night; let them be for signs, seasons, days and years; (Gen 1:14 CJB)
CJBPsalm 104:19 You made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to set.(Psa 104:19 CJB)
The Month of the Aviv is the beginning of the Biblical new year, which is contrary to both the Gregorian and Jewish or Rabbinic reckoning of when the new year is to start (i.e., on the Gregorian it is January 1st and on the Jewish/Rabbinic it start on Rosh HaShanah or the Day of Atonement). The term “Aviv” always refers to the state of barley maturity in the land of Israel. When the barley is deemed to be in an Aviv state, that coupled with the sighting of the renewed moon over the land of Israel, signals the beginning of the Creator’s calendar year. Aviv (also spelled Abib in some translations) as used in the Scriptures only refers to mature barley and that is determined each spring in the month of March/April. There are a couple of Karaite-based organizations that make it their mission to search out Aviv barley each year. One group is headed by Nehemiah Gordon–well known Torah scholar and teacher.
CJB Exodus 13:4 You are leaving today, in the month of Aviv. (Exo 13:4 CJB)
NAS Exodus 23:15 “You shall observe a the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the bmonth Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And 1cnone shall appear before Me empty-handed. (Exo 23:15 NAS)
CJB Exodus 34:18 ¶ “Keep the festival of matzah by eating matzah, as I ordered you, for seven days during the month of Aviv; for it was in the month of Aviv that you came out from Egypt. (Exo 34:18 CJB)
CJB Deuteronomy 16:1 ¶ “Observe the month of Aviv, and keep Pesach to ADONAI your God; for in the month of Aviv, ADONAI your God brought you out of Egypt at night. (Deu 16:1 CJB)
For a more detailed explanation on the various calendars and their appropriate places in the Believer’s life, check out my blog posting on this issue at http://www.themessianictorahobserver.org/2015/01/02/happy-new-year-whats-on-your-calendar-for-2015-2/
I personally follow the Creator’s Calendar publish by “A Rood Awakening International– http://www.aroodawakening.tv/biblical-hebrew-calendar/
Are we always going to get it right in terms of determining the exact timing of the Feasts? No. There will be times when we may miss a date entirely or we misjudge when a feast day will occur. If we are convocating with others, there may be times when we inadvertently get flights and travel arrangements mixed and tied in with key feast days when it is commanded that no work is to be done on those days. When these things happen, we can’t beat ourselves up too much. We should repent and try ever so hard not to repeat the mistake or oversight again. Consider:
CJB2 Timothy 2:15Do all you can to present yourself to God as someone worthy of his approval, as a worker with no need to be ashamed, because he deals straightforwardly with the Word of the Truth. (2Ti 2:15 CJB)
Understanding the meaning of the season and Spring Feasts of Yehovah
The Feasts of Yehovah are “shadow pictures” of good things to come.
16 ¶ mLet no one, then, pass judgment on you in matters of food and drink or with regard to a festival or new moon or sabbath.1 17 These are shadows of things to come; the reality belongs to Christ.n (Col 2:16-17 NAB)
In terms of Passover, it is a shadow picture of what Yehovah would accomplish for His people through the agency of Yeshua HaMaschiyach.
Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
This is referring to Yehovah’s “Plan of Redemption”–that plan in which Yehovah would reconcile His creation unto Himself. But in order to do this, Yehovah had to deal with the issue of sin and that is part and parcel of the shadow pictures that are depicted in the Spring Feasts of Yehovah.
These Feasts are holy convocations or “Miqra” or rehearsals. These are Feasts that belong to Yehovah–NOT Feasts of Israel or the Jews.
DBY Leviticus 23:4 ¶ These are the set feasts of Jehovah, holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons: (Lev 23:4 DBY)
The Feasts of Yehovah were meant to be holy assemblies (holy miqra) or rehearsals to be kept by His people.
(Exo 12:16)–NAS Exodus 12:16 ‘And aon the first day you shall have a holy assembly (miqra), and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten 1by every person, that alone may be 2prepared by you. (Exo 12:16 NAS)
Rehearsals because in commemorating each feast we “rehearse” or “depict” our relationship with the Creator as well as our walk with Yeshua Messiah. When we celebrate the feasts we “re-hear” lessons that encourage and build us up in our walk. We are reminded of the sacrifice made by our Lord and Savior. We are reminded of just how much the Father loves us. We are reminded of just how far we are from the “mark” and how much further we need to go in living Torah the way Yeshua showed us.
The feasts portray a 3-phase plan for our lives (reference Batyah Wootten):
-
-
- Passover/Pesach (personal redemption)
- Pentecost/Shavuot (infilling of the Ruach Kodesh)
- Tabernacles/Sukkot (restoration of the Kingdom of Yisra’el)
-
From there, the 7-annual feasts are broken into 3 clusters (reference Batyah Wootten):
-
-
- Spring Feasts (8-day period) that includes: Passover (Pesach), Unleavened Bread (Matzah), and Day of the Wave Sheaf (First Fruits)–collectively referred to as Passover
- Early summer–Shavuot (50-days after First Fruits or Wave Sheaf)–. AKA, Feast of Weeks
- Fall Feeasts–Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot=21-day period or Tabernacles
-
What exactly are the Feasts as described by the Creator? Levitcus 23 describes them as “mo’edim” or “appointed times” during the Creator’s calendar year. These are “set apart times” in which we are to proclaim the truths depicted in the particular feast being celebrated.
DBYLeviticus 23:2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,Concerningthe set feasts of Jehovah, which ye shall proclaim as holy convocations — these are my set feasts. (Lev 23:2 DBY)
The act of a believer in Yeshua HaMaschiyach keeping the Feasts as well as keeping and obeying Torah can be best described (in my humble opinion) as “honoring Torah” and “honoring the Feasts.” Ours is a “love-based obedience” as opposed to simple-blind adherence to or obedience to Torah commandments; or simply taking off from work to sit at home in acknowledgment of the Feast day. Recall the depiction of the stony versus fleshy heart in which Yehovah prophecied would happen at some point in the future to His chosen ones? When Torah would no longer be a simple keeping of tasks and commandments. But Torah and Feast-keeping would become a joy and something that profoundly resonates within our being. That we obey Torah and keep His Feast-days because we love and honor Him–the Creator of the universe.
NAS Ezekiel 11:19 “And I shall agive them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within 1them. And I shall take the bheart of stone out of their flesh and give them a cheart of flesh, (Eze 11:19 NAS)
Indeed, we realize that salvation cannot be earned. We realize that salvation is received as a gift; that our eternal life comes through grace which is Yehovah’s unmerited favor. This gift is received by faith in the person and work of Yeshua Messiah. So why then honor or celebrate or keep the Feasts of the Lord? Because of our abiding love for Yehovah and His son, Yeshua HaMaschiyach. No longer do we follow the Father’s ways out of blind fear of being punished; or because the Bible says so. We follow the Father’s ways because “we want to”; because we want to please our Father. We cannot really “keep” the Feasts because the Temple is no longer in existence. Thus, we are inclined to “honor” the Feasts in “spirit and truth.” Blindly keeping the Feasts as many have unfortunately fallen subject to, devoid of spirit and truth only serves to upset Yehovah as mentioned in Isaiah:
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.112 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? 113 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 1 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.116 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.1 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. (Isa 1:11-20 KJV)
Having our families and ourselves in a prepared state of mind or mindset that is focused to accept the arrival of the season and Feasts with joy and reverence is key to gaining the tremendous spiritual blessings inherent and available to every Believer in Messiah Yeshua.
I would encourage you to re-read Exo 34 and Lev 23 and parallel the command Yehovah gave His people regarding the keeping of Passover and the Crucifixion story.
We will run into those who insist that the Feasts of the Lord do not belong to those of us who proclaim Yeshua HaMaschiyach as our Redeemer. We must be ready to defend our actions of honoring the Feasts and stand firm in our hearts and minds that the Feasts of Yehovah are for us to honor and celebrate with all joy. One way we can respond to allegations that the Feasts were abolished is that the Feasts were “shadow pictures” of Messiah and His work among His chosen people (Col 2:17; Heb 10:1; 1 Pet 1:1; 2:9,10). Thus, Yeshua is the substance to which the feasts all point. Indeed the Spring Feasts have objectively been “fulfilled” in Yeshua. But then so has Christmas, Easter, the 4th of July, etc. Thus as a race, we do not stop celebrating an event or person per se because the event being commemorated has already occurred. We celebrate because “it occurred.”