I told him to clean it up while his sister and I got ready for school.  Immediately he began to whine and complain–my flesh gets frustrated and cannot stand to hear whining and I begin to feel anger rise and I say another quick prayer…Lord help me please.  I know my son is to obey You because it pleases You, it’s not about me. Our faithful God hears my prayer and responds…

I gently ask my son to go to his room and I pray again to prepare my heart.  The verse that came to mind when I saw my son complaining was, ‘Do all things without grumbling and disputing…” I stop, pray once again and open the Bible to Philippians 2:14-18 and read the entire passage:

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.  You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. “

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

After I pray and read God’s Word, I’m ready for the Lord to use me to restore my son. I open the door and immediately I see the stars in his room and I ask him:

“How do the stars in your room light up?”

“The light needs to be on, and it needs to shine on them.”

“What happens when we turn the lights off?”

“They shine. The longer they are in the light, the brighter they shine.”

“Yes, who made the stars in the sky?”

“God“

“Who made you?”

“God“

Do you know you were made to shine for God?  Let me read to you from God’s word…I read Philippians 2:13-18 to him and I ask him questions to see his understanding:

“According to what I just read why should we not grumble or dispute (complain)?

“Because I am a child of God and I should be a light.”

Yes. My son, sometimes it’s hard for mommy to obey without grumbling too but mommy stops and prays and asks God to help her, through the power of His Holy Spirit that lives in me.  He will give you the grace to pick up one cheerio at a time. Do you want to pray and ask God for the grace to obey without complaining?”

“Yes“

We get on our knees and I take my firstborn to the throne of grace, and he is transformed by the renewing of his mind through the word of God…he is restored, smiling and eager to obey. Just. like. that.

Do you realize the more time we spend with God and our minds are fixed on Him, the brighter we will shine in the darkness? I pray you spend your time with Him seizing every opportunity to know Him more intimately, so you can shine…even when the milk spills.

A first of its kind find, indicative of activity in the Temple, was recently discovered: a tiny item that probably “certified” the ritual purity of an object or food in the Temple Mount compound and in the Second Temple.

The official press release from the IAA (a more permanent link here) says the seal was found in excavations near the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount. All of the excavated soil in this area was wet-sifted. (This process involves soaking and then sifting soil/debris. It’s meticulous and a bit messy, but makes it easier to identify small objects.)

According to the excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, archaeologists Eli Shukron of the IAA and Professor Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa, “The meaning of the inscription is ‘Pure for G-d’. It seems that the inscribed object was used to mark products or objects that were brought to the Temple, and it was imperative they be ritually pure… To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such an object or anything similar to it was discovered in an archaeological excavation and it constitutes direct archaeological evidence of the activity on the Temple Mount and the workings of the Temple during the Second Temple period.”

Ferrell Jenkins notes that this kind of seal could have been used in a situation described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  (Matthew 5:23-24 ESV)

A “gift” such as an animal, grain or a libation (drink offering) would have to be certified as ritually clean in order to be presented at the Temple. Worshipers either brought their offerings to a screener who provided them with a token like this one, or possibly purchased a certified offering at a booth and received the purity token with it. The token and the offering would then be presented to the presiding priests at the altar.

Inscribed clay seal discovered next to Jerusalem's Temple Mount. The Aramaic inscription translates as, "Pure for God." (Photo courtesy of the IAA by IAA photo by Vladimir Naykhin.)

Photo courtesy of the IAA by Vladimir Naykhin

Photo courtesy of the IAA by Vladimir Naykhin.

As Jim Davila at PaleoJudaica puts in, “The fact that it happens to be announced on both Hanukkah and Christmas is, I’m sure, entirely coincidental.”

Here is my own summary of what we know of Kh. Qeiyafa at this point. It was a planned fortress city constructed around the beginning of the 10th century B.C. – the time of David’s monarchy in the Bible. It sits at the border of ancient Judah and Philistia along the Elah Valley, where David fought Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. The population at Kh. Qeiyafa appears to have been Judahite for the following reasons:

• The city’s architecture is similar to other cities in Judah. It is different than that of the nearby Philistines, or even the northern tribes of Israel.
• Five seasons of excavation have yielded virtually no pig or dog bones. Pig and dog bones are common at Philistine and Canaanite sites but rare-to-nonexistent in Israel and Judah, who considered both animals to be unclean.
• The pottery at Qeiyafa is clearly not Philistine, even though ancient Gath is just a few miles away. It bears closer resemblance to Israelite and Judahite ceramics.
• Finger impressions on storage jars at Qeiyafa may be precursors to the later LMLK stamps that marked government property in the Kingdom of Judah.
• An inscription discovered at Qeiyafa in 2008 is believed by many to be Hebrew. The inscription’s language is clearly Semitic, not the Indo-European language of the Philistines.
• The city’s unique two-gate design leads the excavators to identify it as Shaaraim (Heb. – “two gates”). Joshua 15:36 lists Shaaraim as a city of Judah. 1 Chronicles 4 mentions it as a possession of Simeon, a tribe that existed in the midst of Judah.

Here are photos of the cultic (religious) room discovered in 2010. Human and animal figurines are common in Philistine, Canaanite and even northern Israelite cultic sites, but none were found in this room. These finds may offer a window into pre-Temple religion in Judah during David’s time.

A cultic room unearthed at Kh. Qeiyafa in 2010. The room adjoins the casemate city wall. A massebah (standing stone) is visible in the elevated part of the room. A bench sits along the far wall. A drain opening is visible just to the left of the bench.

The massebah (standing stone) in the 2010 cultic room at Kh. Qeiyafa. These stones frequently represented a god, sometimes perhaps YHWH, the God of Israel. A flat stone "offering table" is visible on the right side.

This incense basalt altar was unearthed at Kh. Qeiyafa in 2010. Altars from other peoples, including the later Kingdom of Israel, are typically engraved with human or animal figures. This Kh. Qeiyafa altar shows markings that might indicate a palm tree, but human or animal images are notably absent. Garfinkel believes this reflects the prohibition on "graven images" in Israelite religious law. (Exodus 20:4-5)

This is a vessel specifically designed for libations - fermented drinks that were poured over an offering. Vessels similar to this one were displayed on the "Table of Showbread" in the Israelite Tabernacle. (Numbers 4:7) Libations were an important component of sacrificial offerings in the Law of Moses.

Details on these finds have recently been published in Hebrew in the journal Qadmoniot. An English article was sent to BASOR (Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research) but it was reportedly rejected because the reviewer stated that an aniconic cult (religion with no icons/images) is not possible for that period. We will see how things develop as more data comes in.

Speaking of more data, Garfinkel announced the discovery of two additional cultic rooms at Qeiyafa from the 2011 excavation season. Garfinkel sent me this comment on our 2011 finds:

“In the two new cultic rooms various cultic objects were found, but no human or animal figurines. They confirm the results of the 2010 excavation season. The new cultic items are still under cleaning, restoration and documentation, so they will not be presented at the lecture.”

I helped to unearth one of the cultic rooms in 2011. It was certainly rich with finds, but as Garfinkel mentions we didn’t find any figurines or engraved images. Yossi plans to publish in the near future, so we should have access to more data soon.

Judah in the 10th century B.C. is comparatively sparse for archaeologists. These finds are filling in blanks in the archaeological narrative. These finds are consistent with the textual narrative we find in the Bible.

Last night I stayed up late working on a video for my students (I am a middle school teacher). Did I have to do this? No and yes. I did not have to make this video. However, I felt like it was something that my students needed to help them understand what I am teaching, and therefore I needed to do this.

I am a perfectionist, of sorts, when I do projects like this. This fact, coupled with a slow computer that kept crashing the editing, kept me up to WAY past my bedtime. I was able to talk LA into getting ready first, and this let me get a whopping 4 hours of sleep (I need at least six to feel functional and 7-8 to feel rested). So, like I said, I am tired.

Usually, given these type of circumstances, I would turn to the help of an energy shot like 5 Hour Energy, or the like. For those that are skeptical, they do work. You have non-jittery energy for about five hours with no crash at the end. When it is over, you feel tired like when you started, but no crash. At least this is the experience for me. I do wonder about the side effects. This stuff is too good to be true. I keep waiting for a study to link it to something bad. That is why I try to use it sparingly.

Today I did not have time to buy any. So I have spent the day on the rest that comes from four hours of sleep. And you know what? To quote REM (rest in peace…they announced their break-up today), “I feel fine.” Though, I did barely get through our faculty meeting after school.

As we were driving to get NB from daycare, my wife and I were talking about this. The thought came to me that the times that I stay up late or use my energy in serving others, somehow I have just enough energy for the next day though I shouldn’t. I thought of several other times when I had the same experience.

The Spirit started to speak to me with the idea that this is the way it is supposed to be. We are supposed to pour ourselves out in service of others, doing what we know is right, and then rely on God through the Spirit to give us strength to keep going. We are supposed to offer ourselves up for the cause of others and wear oursleves out for them. This, in turn, should turn us to the Spirit in trust that he will give us the energy that we need for our daily lives.

As I have been reading through the Bible, it has become very clear that one of God’s main “deals” is service to others and justice for others. Doing what is right and fair for the sake of others. It is talked about constantly in both the Old and New Testaments, and it is exemplified in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Becuase Christ died, was raised, and went to live at the right hand of God the Father, the Spirit was poured out on us. As we pour our lives out for others, the Spirit sustains us. He fills us back up. Once we our full, we can pour ourselves out again and start the cycle over.

Paul said it best in Philippians 2, in verses 14-18.  He was talking about how there should be joy in the fact that we are wearing ourselves out in service to others. We shouldn’t complain about it. There is joy in this that comes from the Spirit (I added this part, but it where we get our joy). He said that even though he could die, he doesn’t think it is in vain because it was in the service to others (the Philippians and other churches like theirs). The “drink offering” is a referance to the Old Testament laws that governed Temple worship. Wine was poured out as a offering of worship to God. And this is what we do now. We pour ourselves out as a drink offering…we pour our lives out in service to others.

Being refilled by the Spirit, getting my strength and energy today from him, is WAY better than a 5 Hour Energy! I am tired, but I feel great. I will get some sleep tonight, and then pour myself out again from my students and coworkers tomorrow! I can’t wait!

What about you?  Do you know what I am talking about when I talk about getting strength and energy from the Spirit?  Do you pour yourself out for others?  How?  Do you feel energized by this because you know you are pouring yourself out in worship of Jesus, who poured himself out for us?

 The ESV Study Bible makes this comment:

This may at first seem wasteful of David, and ungrateful, but it is a gesture showing great value. He likens the water to the blood of his men, and for David to drink the water obtained at the risk of their lives would have been to take their blood lightly. But to pour it out before the Lord was a way of saying that he was not worthy of it, and he was offering it to the Lord instead. Such “drink offerings” were often poured out before the Lord: see Gen. 35:14; Num. 15:7–10; 28:7–15; etc.

I grew up the daughter of a music minister and granddaughter of a Baptist Pastor and Healer. Until I was of age, going to church on Sundays was mandatory. I grew up hearing about my grandfathers gift of healing, how he would pray for people and they would be healed. I grew up seeing the positive aspects of this man, my grandfather. It wasn’t until my teen years, until he passed away, that the truth came out about this man. Yes he was a Pastor and a healer, but he was also an adulterer and had an ugly side. On my grandmothers deathbed, he informed her that he was leaving her for her best friend. My grandmother died shortly after of heart troubles, but my mother and I both know she died of a broken heart. When my mother last saw my grandmother, I was told, my grandmother handed my mother all of her rings and jewelry, telling my mother that she was tired. I think, now, I know what she means.

I think my grandmother was tired of living the lie, of sacrificing her life for a man and his vision, for playing the role of the First Lady and getting nothing but heartache in the end. Who knows if being the First Lady, being a preachers wife was what SHE wanted to do? And if she didn’t–but stayed married and supported him through it anyway–imagine the reality check and her disappointment when, in her late 60′s at this time, the man she’d given it all up for was going to discard her in the end. It was their marriage that helped me realize that I did not want to marry a man of the cloth, at least in part. I simply could not view the coveted “Preacher’s Wife” position with rose-colored glasses, having seen the inside edition of the life of Preacher’s Wives. I later attended a Christian University and heard so many girls wish they were preachers wives or desire to be married to a minister. I would often shake my head internally. “You have no clue what you’re asking for and what it all entails” were my thoughts.

My parents’ rocky marriage also did not help. My father was called to be a minister early in his youth but blamed my mother for not answering the call. He’s been bitter with her ever since. I grew up, as a child, knowing that while my father said he loved my mother, that his love for her was twisted. My father never loved my mother passionately or sacrificially. His lack of love toward her was so clear to me that at the age of 9, I’d told my mother that she should divorce him. “He doesn’t love you, mom” I would say. When the topic of “submission” would come up, my father would be quick to quote scripture, telling my mother that she was not being a submissive wife and that all good and submissive wives “obey.” I remember thinking “I wasn’t aware that mom was a dog.” My father wasn’t the only one who felt that good wives should “submit” or “obey.” According to this crowd, the husband is the decision maker. The wife can give her opinion, but only in private. In the end, the husband is the head of the house and whatever he says is law. I would often go to church and hear preachers–most of them male–discuss the topic of submission in regards to marriage, and would leave in total disgust. Very rarely did I hear a sermon that held the men accountable in their marriages, to sacrifice their lives as Christ gave His own life for the Church, one verse above the “wives submit to your husbands” verse. More often than not, these same preachers would skip over that verse. Very rarely did I hear these preachers discuss women as their equals.  It was more important for them to drill into their congregations heads that the wife’s only job in the marriage is to “submit to her husband.” Hearing these sermons made it difficult for me to desire a Christian man.

The subject of submission extended beyond marriage. I later left my grandfathers church and found another church to attend in the city. It was hip and the pastor made it his job to make the Bible something that all people of all ages could understand. The same theme or topic of submission came up YET AGAIN. Around this time, so-called prophets like Juanita Bynum and others were on this “submission” kick. If one is truly submissive to the pastor, then one does not speak against him or anything he does, even if that pastor is in error. I could not agree LESS. So if someone in the congregation sins, it’s OK to call them out, bring them before the church board and hold them accountable; but if the pastor is in sin, no one can hold him accountable because “that is not submission”? Something was wrong with that to me. I’ll admit that when it comes to church, I hold to a more Egalitarian style of interpretation. Everyone is on the same level in the eyes of God, just with different duties. No one is above being held accountable. Years later, this same pastor was exposed for having several sexual relationships with the women in his church. I knew this was true because a close personal married friend had gotten involved in an emotional affair with this man; yet because of the false teachings about submission, no one held this man accountable for his actions.

Submission and I had issues.

My awakening to the reality of God happened at an early age. I remember being 8 or 9 and realizing a few things. I went outside one day, randomly, stood on my porch, looked at the sky and started speaking. I knew I was talking or thinking to God. “I am not at home here.” This was twofold. One, I knew that my home was not the United States of America. At the age of 8 years old, I felt that the Pledge of Allegiance was a lie. I did not feel comfortable pledging allegiance to a thing, nor did I like the idea of pledging allegiance to a country that killed and raped Native Americans and African slaves in order to build a country based on racial supremacy and greed. I knew there wasn’t liberty or justice for all, even at the age of 8. America wasn’t my home. Two, I knew that this earth was not my home. I looked out into the sky and knew there was another realm and that God was real. I started reading the Bible, but felt a connection to the Old Testament as opposed to the New Testament. In my opinion, Jesus talked too damn much. I was baptized because I loved water and wanted to know what it felt like, but I knew what it meant. When I attended church, I felt so caged. I often felt that God and I were forced into a box together.  I knew that God was beyond church, beyond our human comprehension of Him/Her, beyond and bigger than our traditions.

As a child, I questioned much of what the church taught. If God said for us to come to the alter or to Him/Her “as we are” then why am I forced to dress up? Why must I wear a dress or a skirt? Why do Christians say that drinking alcohol is sinful when Jesus turned water into wine? How could Christians say such things when the Jews, the very people who gave the Christian religion its foundation, drink wine themselves? In the Old Testament, the Jews were often told to make a sacrifice or offering with their “strong wine or drink” (Numbers 28:1-8; Deuteronomy 14:22-26) in honor of God. Where is my tithe going? Is tithing for New Testament Christians?

I later attended a Christian University, which will remain nameless for now, and saw a whole different side of the Church. The school which I attended was and is considered a Charismatic Christian University but allowed all denominations to attend. There were many big named preachers’ kids who attended the University, but lets get to the scandal. There was supposed to be a fund raising telethon for students who wanted to attend the University but couldn’t afford to stay. The monies collected were to be used as grant or scholarship money for those who could not continue to attend the University on their own dime. As a student who needed a few thousand to stay in school, I never saw this grant money. Years later it came out that these same monies were used to pay for private trips, vacations, and shopping sprees for the President and his family, namely his daughter and her friends. Having worked for the Housing department and knowing a few people, I also found out that those who were in the Presidents’ daughters’ inner circle–most of them rich and able to afford their education–were given grants and scholarships. Other less fortunate students prayed and fought for grants and scholarships at this University.

Class-ism and status in the Church was also something I encountered, this hierarchy and special treatment of the VIP’s, the racism, the prosperity gospel. There were so many things going on at this University and in the Church that was completely unlike Jesus. Many people idolized the President, his wife, and other preachers as if their words and actions were those of the Savior. Favoritism was an everyday occurrence, and justified by the President’s wife. For example, it was against school code to park a car on the walkway, but the President’s wife always parked her car there. Students complained about it, and via her daughter, the complaints reached her. She addressed the issue during a chapel service, saying that she paid for the walkway, therefore she could do whatever she wanted. The rules clearly did not apply to her.

The ladies had to wear skirts during the hot months and were only allowed to wear pants during the cold months. There was a curfew. Young marriage was pushed upon the students as a solution to having premarital sex. The men feared me because I refused to tone down my sensual/sexual self in a way that would make them comfortable. This is not to say that I would run up to men and sexually harass them. Some were just uneasy being in my presence, as it made their own issues with lust manifest. During my time at the University I was completely celibate, never even kissing a young man while I was there. Sexuality or sensuality is shunned in the church, although the church pretends to love and revere it. Unfortunately, I was both sexual and sensual. Very few men were brave enough to talk to me and carry on a friendship, others would avoid me altogether, judging me for a seductress. So many men at the University were closet homosexuals, many of them throwing themselves into church in order to hide what they really were. Many of the students attending the University were living in the closet in some way: closet alcoholics, lesbians or gay, atheists. All shunned in the Christian world. I rarely encountered someone of the opposite sex who was more man than myself at the University level or in the Church (and I am feminine as hell).

I attended a church that shall also remain nameless that made me hate going to church altogether. I attended this church because I truly did feel God there. The people were nice enough, and the gifts were in operation. I grew a lot spiritually there. Because of my curvy figure and the stylish way I dressed, I was soon labeled the Seductress of the church. I was sexy, pretty, feminine, confident, chose to fly solo most of the time. I missed church for a week or two and got a call from a member who felt it necessary to tell me that the sermon was about how God was going to start judging those who were secretly in sin. I knew exactly what she was insinuating: clearly I must be in sin because I am sensual, sexual, and I’ve missed church for a week or two. I gladly told this young woman that the last time I’d been sexually active had been 3 years prior to coming to their church and that while I was glad for her sharing the message with me, that it did not pertain to me, and hung up. When I returned to church the next Sunday, the sermon was on obedience. Those who were obedient to the will of God attended church regularly. When the pastor and I had our one on one, he decided to tell me that I had a beautiful face but that my body had to match and that there were many men in the church who were looking for a wife. I knew he meant that he wanted me to lose weight so that he could marry me off to a man in his church. I wanted nothing to do with it. The men in that church were so spiritually minded that they were no earthly good. A couple at this same church got married and on their wedding day hugged instead of kissing each other. Their logic was that they wanted to be holy and respect & revere their pastor. It was almost as if kissing was wrong for them to do until the wedding night. I was officially turned off from dating anyone from that church or the Church, period.

I left that church and University the following semester, leaving the University for financial reasons. I’d done everything in my power in order to continue attending the University but I wasn’t able to find the extra money to stay, with the funds being used for the Presidents’ daughters trips and the family vacations and all. I was glad to wash my hands of the place. I learned much about God and Church, two separate entities in my opinion. God was not in ANY of the things I experienced those 3 years.

I realized that if I wanted a man who wasn’t afraid of me and my sex drive, that I would have to seek a man outside of the church, especially since the ones in the church would avoid being in my presence for fear of wanting to hump me. It is my opinion–and the opinion of many other women I’ve discussed this topic with–that the Church somehow feminizes men. In all of my growing up years, I rarely met a balanced Christian alpha male. Either the men were weak and docile or, like my father, the men overcompensated by making women second class citizens. I realized that if I wanted to be with a man who would treat me as his equal and not as his submissive, that I would have to look outside the Church and possibly outside of this country. I did not want a man tainted by the false teachings of the prosperity gospel, the condemnation of drinking alcohol, a man afraid of my sexual self; nor did I want a man who had a love/hate relationship with sex due to the Church’s praise and condemnation of sex. I did not want a man confused by the Church and its false standards and doctrines, some of them based more on the traditions of man than scripture.

The hour is late, but there will be a part two.

I would just like to look at verses 6-8, which read:

⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Paul knowing that his death is imminent, writes these three verses about his past, present, and future.  My hope is that when that point comes for each of us, we will be able to say much the same.

Deliberately reread this passage. Absorb its every fact and inference. What we have just read, and hopefully digested, is radical and its implications are just as radical for the true contemporary follower of Jesus. Does it make you feel a little uneasy? Actually, I pray that it makes us all feel a little queasy.  After all, don’t we all need something to rattle our spiritual cage and thrust us from the routine of what we often call “being a Christian” in America?

Does the title to this blog make you uncomfortable? I hope it does – that is the intention. It makes me feel uneasy, too. Yet, I unequivocally believe that American Christians need to be just that! This passage describes a faith so radical and sacrificial that it stands diametrically opposed to what most Western professors of Christ consider the norm in following Jesus. The American dream for modern confessional Christians doesn’t look vastly different from a self-serving, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, and comfort-seeking pagan world. When taken to heart this description of surrender should jolt us out of our lethargy and complacency. This is what it meant to follow Jesus in the early church. And I believe it means the same thing today.

Although we will probably not hear this passage preached from many pulpits (and I dare say not be broached by typical televangelists) it captures the essence of the radical nature of Christ-projecting sacrificial living. What the writer espouses is that those who have received the light of the truth of Jesus are transformed in such a startling way that they are faithful (“stand their ground”) in the battle that ensues while following Jesus. This war includes insult, persecution, and standing with those who are. This battle means that we sympathize with the imprisoned. It may also mean the joyful confiscation of our earthly possessions. Does the American Christian culture get that?  Do you and I get that? The apostles certainly did when we consider that Luke stated, “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” (Acts 5:41).

Why such extreme devotion to the name, kingdom, and cause of their great Savior? Because they saw they saw themselves merely as warrior pilgrims whose true home was in the heavenly realm. I rarely read (or like) bumper stickers but one recently caught my eye. “I AM AN ALIEN” it said (which casued me to peer suspiciously at the driver). But in smaller letters it included, “This world is not my home”. Such an attitude is why Paul rejoices that his life was spent for the cause of Christ – “But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you” (Philippians 2:17). Again we see that sacrifice for Christ engenders joy.

Granted, American Christians do not typically face the persecution our international brethren often face. But, even though our culture doesn’t yet have such a hostile environment, I’m accosted by the question: when did I ever stand so strongly for the truth and my Lord that I exposed myself to suffering, ridicule, and loss? Or am I just busy being all cozy in my own comfortable church “womb” and tied to the umbilical cord of this world’s stuff – reputation and possessions. Would I be willing, when the situation presents itself, to stand as courageously as those described by the inspired writer of Hebrews? In an even simpler vein, am I really willing, with little chance for truly harsh repercussions (much less taking delight in the plundering of my property), to share my faith with those I know are not believers?

But this passage also encourages us with a promise for those who live a radically sacrificial life that images forth the model of Jesus. It is a guaranteed and greater reward than this world (and its stuff) can ever furnish - Jesus Himself and our ultimate home with Him. The great London preacher of the 19^th century poignantly articulated it this way:

“The Christian will be sure to make enemies. It will be one of his objects to make none; but if to do the right, and to believe the true, should cause him to lose every earthly friend, he will count it but a small loss, since his great Friend in heaven will be yet more friendly, and reveal himself to him more graciously than ever” and “You must bear the cross, or you shall never wear the crown; you must wade through the mire, or you shall never walk the golden pavement. Cheer up, then, poor Christian!” – C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.  Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. (verses 12 – 18).

Verse 17 stood out to me – the illustration of being poured out as if from a pitcher was an interesting one for me to ponder as I was preparing to go to Nebraska and serve.  The context of the verse is on serving as Christ did. Since I was not all that familiar with a drink offering, I decided to spend some time looking at what it was and how it was used.

If one looks back and looks at the Levitical priesthood,  you see that the primary offerings were animals, birds and grains.  God ordained that with each sacrificial offering, there would also be a drink offering which consisted of wine poured out together with the offering.  This is what Paul is referring to as he speaks of pouring out his life for the Philippians.

What does it look like to pour out ones life as a drink offering?  Paul was referring to the old testament practice as he is writing as his life blood is about to be poured out to seal the offering he was bringing to God – the fruits of his ministry.  By way of inference, a life that is poured out in God’s service is an acceptable offering in the sight of God.

I am sure that there is much more to a drink offering and I am still studying it, but for me as I was in Nebraska pouring myself out meant being willing to walk with my dad around the addition with constant reminders of what he needed to do and then do it a few hours later knowing that he would not remember what we had just done.  It also meant bending over, putting more stress on my back to be able to look my dad in the eyes when I was talking to him, putting my hand on his back to put pressure on him to keep him in the right position with the walker and putting pressure on the walker to keep Dad from pushing it too far out in front.  Since my dad’s brain and body do not communicate well, it sometimes meant physically moving his right side to help him to keep moving.  Sometimes it meant taking the walker and showing Dad what he is currently doing and then illustrating what he needs to work towards.  It also meant being willing to get up with dad at least twice each night to help him get to the bathroom and if necessary change his clothes.

I realized a couple of things during this visit.  One thing is that mom rarely eats a meal with my dad and she does so grudgingly when we are there.  Dad is a very social person and the additional people around him this weekend helped to stimulate him.  He didn’t care if we talked to him, just having us around was important to him.

The second thing is that physical touch is so important.  My dad loves to dance and is used to giving signals to his dance partner with his hands.  The same is true for my dad at this point.  I am learning how to “direct” my dad’s body through the use of directed pressure on my dad’s back.  He responds rather quickly to this type of direction as it “shows” him where he needs to go with his body.  I tried to get mom to do this – but she refused.  She said she could watch him from the table.  The problem with that is that she is not there if he falls or needs to have some help in getting his body to move.  Using physical touch to help Dad get what he needs indicates a willingness to give of your self in order to help another.  She is not one to do more than the minimum necessary to take care of my dad and she does it grudgingly.

Giovanna gets what it means to pour oneself out as demonstrated by this picture;

Giovanna helping her Grandpa!

She has been through a difficult recovery from surgery and knows how important physical touch is!  She was a great help as I worked with Dad.  He seemed to enjoy her interactions as well.

I know that Dad responds well to both Gary and I as we work with him, especially during the night time.  He senses that we love and care for him and willingly (at least most of the time) does what we ask him to do.   We provide the rationale behind what we are asking so that he understands why we are asking certain things.

Dad has a long road ahead of him and I have no idea what God has in store for him, but I am asking God to use the illustration of pouring out my life for his faith to point him to God and the work of Jesus on the cross.  I am willing to pour out my life sacrificially in order for my dad’s faith to be built.  Please pray that God will accomplish that in my dad.

Psalm 23:5 You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

The overflowing cup; a cup completely filled up, running over and pouring forth. Rivers of living water flowing out from deep within (Jn 7:37-39). Pouring forth from a heart that has received Jesus Christ as the Word of truth; a heart marked and sealed with the oil of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13-14). A heart that knows how to drink deeply from the well of salvation(Isa 12:3) in the shadow of the Almighty’s wings.

Psalm 36:7-9 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures{delights}. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

Psalm 23:5 and this image of the overflowing cup being filled and pouring forth living water in abundance was on my heart recently. It inspired me to see a beautiful clear cup being filled and running over with splashing blue water which drenches anything that is near. Part of the reason this cup splashes over is because the water is poured on to a dove that is already in the cup. Like Psalm 23, there was a sense that the promise of the overflowing cup was not only for the present, but also for the future and forever.

This made me think about my cup overflowing and pouring forth. My cup can only overflow and pour forth after receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior thru the Holy Spirit. My cup can continue to pour forth in the future and forever only thru the Holy Spirit. My cup overflows and pours out only because Jesus Christ poured himself out first.

Isaiah 53:12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He *poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.

Philippians 2:5-11, 17 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation{emptied, poured out Himself}, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. … But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

Jesus Christ poured out as a drink offering!

Psalm 116:12-17 What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me{all He has poured out on me}? I will lift up the cup of salvation{deliverance} and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfil my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains. To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the LORD.

The overflowing cup, pouring forth, I never realized before that this image represents the pouring out of a drink offering! From the above psalm this pouring out of a drink offering was part of a thank offering.

To take the cup offered at a banquet and drink was a sign of thanksgiving! This is especially significant in regards to Psalm 23:5-6. For it’s at these verses that the imagery of the Good Shepherd turns into the gracious host who has prepared a feast for honored guests. The Shepherd prepares the table as the host of a banquet and invites the sheep as honored guests to come. The Lord, a God of abundant provision prepares a royal banquet! The table prepared in the presence of enemies may reflect the custom that a person could not be attacked while eating in another’s tent/house. You are safe from your enemies while eating in God’s dwelling!

It was also a custom to anoint guests at feasts. Honored guests were anointed with perfumed oil. The anointing oil when mixed with perfume refreshed and revived the guest. It was applied to the face, head and hair of the guest. For the rest of the feast that person would then smell the sweet perfume. It was a way of welcoming the honored guest to let them know that they were cared for and loved.

The cup running over speaks of abundance and drinking one’s fill at the Lord’s table. The picture of the Lord as host filling the honored guest’s cup to overflowing also has a custom behind it. When you came to a person’s house (even if a stranger) you were offered a cup of wine or water along with a meal. As long as the cup was being refilled you were welcome to stay; if the cup remained empty it was time to go. If the host enjoyed your company and decided that you could stay as long as you liked, the cup would be filled to the rim and overflow. This overflowing cup was only offered to special guests because in the desert you just don’t waste water or wine. So the Lord as host, by offering the overflowing cup is saying, stay as long as you want, I have an abundant supply of wine, oil and bread to meet your needs both now and forever.

Psalm 104:15 [The Lord provides] wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens man’s heart.

By drinking the cup offered, the cup of salvation, the honored guest was giving a sign of thanks; a thank offering for all Christ has poured out for us. This sacrifice of thanksgiving is only possible after the honored guest drinks the cup of salvation offered! This realization made me take an even closer look at the drink offering. The drink offering is part of the thank offering and also part of the burnt offering making a sweet aroma to the LORD.

Numbers 15:3-5 ‘and you make an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering or in your appointed feasts, to make a sweet aroma to the LORD, from the herd or the flock, ‘then he who presents his offering to the LORD shall bring a grain offering of one–tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one–fourth of a hin of oil; ‘and one–fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering you shall prepare with the burnt offering or the sacrifice, for each lamb.

The drink offering is poured out on the burnt offering along with the grain offering mixed with oil. Lambs were used as burnt offerings. Jesus as our Passover Lamb (1 Cor 5:7) is a picture of a burnt offering. Jesus seen in both the drink offering and the burnt offering! Just what do these three offerings: the drink, the burnt and the grain mixed with oil represent? This question made me think of John 6 where Jesus talks about His body and blood. When Jesus says“my flesh is real{true} food and my blood is real{true} drink” (Jn 6:55) it’s a picture of His blood as a drink offering (Phil 2:17; 2 Tim 4:6) and His body as a grain offering; the wine and the bread mixed with the oil of the Holy Spirit!

The overflowing cup, pouring forth in abundance, because Christ first drank the cup His Father set before Him(Mt 26:42;Lk 22:20;1 Cor 11:25). It’s only because of Christ’s sacrifice that we can have communion with Him and with each other. Because of Christ’s sacrifice we can drink, be filled and pour forth from the cup of salvation; a cup of joy.

1 Corinthians 10:4, 16-17 … and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. … Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

How beautiful is the cup of salvation lifted up; a cup overflowing with thanksgiving for all Christ has and is pouring out on us. Blood poured out from the broken body of the spotless Passover Lamb. Spiritual drink, spiritual food offered and consumed in the presence of His people. Living water flowing in abundance from the Rock(1 Cor 10:3-4; Ex 17:6; Num 20:11; Ps 78:15 ) Sing to the well, the well of your salvation, with the rod of your mouth strike the Rock that it may yield it’s living water for all who are thirsty to drink(Num 21:16-18;Num 20:8;Isa 11:1-4;Rev 22:17)!

Drink from the cup of salvation, be filled from the river of delights; the fountain of life. Let your cup of joy run over and over flow!
Pour forth!(Ps 51:15)

Hebrews 13:15 Through Him{Jesus} then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

John 16:24 LB You haven’t tried this before, but begin now. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and your cup of joy will overflow.

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing [2 Timothy 4:6-8].

Despite the hardship of my current situation, I continue to be amazed by the depth of the joy that God is giving to me. Thinking about it now brings tears to my eyes. I have humbly offered myself to him as a living sacrifice, and he continues to amaze me by how he works in and through me, despite my enormous weaknesses and failures. My awareness of God’s omnipresence grows and grows, as my eyes seek him afresh each day.

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The idea of salvation in the Jewish mind — as written in Isa. 12:2 for example — is tied to the feast of tabernacles. The reference in verse 3 to joyfully drawing water from the springs of salvation reminds the people of the ceremony practiced each day of the feast in which water is drawn from the Pool of Siloam, and it foreshadows the day when Jesus would stand, on the final day of the feast, and proclaim, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink” (John 7:37).

“As the Jew was reminded by the feast of tabernacles of his wanderings in tents in the wilderness, so the Jew-Gentile Church to come shall call to mind, with thanksgiving, the various past ways whereby God has at last brought them to the heavenly “city of habitation” (Ps. 107. Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset, David Brown, A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments, S. Is 12:2).

Everyone can see Jesus in the Feast of Tabernacles by noting the Messianic symbols God gave us — and Jesus fulfilled — in the feast, most notably:

1.  The tabernacle.

2.  The water.

3.  The light.

4.  The harvest.

Read more about the feasts of Israel.

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Background

The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, is the seventh and final feast God gave Israel. It is the most festive of all the feasts and is mentioned more often in scripture than any of the others. The word sukkot in Hebrew is translated “tabernacles” in English and means booths or huts. Throughout this seven-day feast, the Jews are required to live in temporary shelters to remind them of God’s provision during their 40 years of wilderness wandering. The holiday also is called the Feast of Ingathering (Ex. 23:16; 34:22) because it is observed after all the fall crops are harvested. This happy feast commemorates God’s past provision in the desert and His present goodness in providing the fall harvest.

The feast begins on the 15th day of Tishri (September/October), five days after the Day of Atonement. The first day of Tabernacles and the day after Tabernacles (known as Shemini Atzeret) are sacred assemblies, or Sabbaths. No work is permitted on these days. This is one of three pilgrim feasts, along with Unleavened Bread and Weeks (Pentecost), requiring all Jewish males to appear before the Lord in the Temple.

The Biblical Observance

Four passages of scripture outline the observance of Tabernacles: Lev. 23:33-43; Num. 29:12-39; Deut. 16:13-17, and Deut. 31:10-13. A great number of sacrifices are required each day: one goat, 14 lambs, two rams, and a number of bulls – 13 on the first day, then decreasing by one each day. In addition, the accompanying meal offerings and drink offerings are presented. The work is so intense that all 24 divisions of priests help carry out the sacrificial duties. 

It is during the Feast of Tabernacles that Solomon dedicated Israel’s first Temple. The Shekinah glory of God descended from heaven to light the fire on the altar and to fill the Holy of Holies (2 Chron. 5:3; 7:1-4).

Jewish pilgrims from around the world travel to Jerusalem for this feast. They build booths, or huts, in which they live for one week – all carefully located within a Sabbath day’s journey (a little more than half a mile) of the Temple. At sundown, the ram’s horn (shofar) blasts and the celebration begins as fires from thousands of Jewish camps blaze in a half-mile radius around the Temple.

Water-libation ceremony. Israel’s rainy season is from November through March. Tabernacles gratefully acknowledges the harvest and, at least in part, beseeches God for the coming moisture necessary for future harvests. So each morning of the feast, the high priest pours a pitcher of water from the Pool of Siloam into a special basin in the inner court of the Temple as a visual prayer for rain. At the same time, a drink offering of wine is poured into another basin. Three blasts of a silver trumpet follow, and the people listen as the Levites sing the Hallel (Ps. 113-118). The congregation waves palm branches toward the altar and join in singing Psalm 118:25: “Lord, save us! Lord, please grant us success!”

Psalm 118 is a messianic psalm and gives the feast a messianic focus. Centuries after this Psalm was penned, the crowds in Jerusalem greet Jesus with shouts of Hosanna (“save now”) and wave palm branches as He enters the city triumphantly (Matt. 21:8-9; Luke 19:37-38; John 12:12-13). This imagery continues in heaven where the saints worship around the throne with palm branches in hand (Rev. 7:9-10).

Temple-lighting ceremony. On the second night of Tabernacles, the people gather in the spacious outer court of the Temple known as the Court of the Women. Four towering lamp stands are in the center of the court, each with four branches of oil lamps. The wicks are made from the worn-out linen garments of the priests, who ascend tall ladders to keep the lamps filled with olive oil. The elders of the Sanhedrin perform torch dances all night long. Levites stand at the top of the 15 steps leading down to the Court of Women. As flutes, trumpets, harps, and other stringed instruments accompany them, they sing the “Fifteen Psalms of Degrees” (Psalms 120-134). With each psalm, they descend one step.

This celebration is repeated every night from the second night to the final night of Tabernacles. The brilliant lights, bathing the Temple and flooding the streets of Jerusalem, remind the Jews of the descent of the Shekinah glory in King Solomon’s day as the people look forward to the return of the Shekinah in the days of the Messiah (Ez. 43:1-5).

It is the day after Tabernacles that Jesus proclaims in the Temple, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Later that day, He heals a blind man and declares, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). The Pharisees bristle at both statements. The best they can do is to accuse Him of healing a man on the Sabbath. Incidentally, there are no Mosaic laws against healing on the Sabbath; the tradition of the Pharisees is the only thing Jesus violated.

Hoshana-Rabbah ceremony. On the seventh day of the feast, the Temple water-pouring ceremony, which is performed each morning throughout the week, takes on great importance. Jewish tradition holds that it is on this day that God decides whether there will be rain for the next year’s crops. Instead of three silver-trumpet blasts, there are seven sets of three blasts. Rather than one circuit around the altar, the priests make seven circuits. The day is known as the Hoshana Rabbah, or “Great Hosanna.”

It is during this ceremony that Jesus stands up and shouts, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within” (John 7:37-38). The Jewish leaders are infuriated; some want to seize Him, but no one lays a hand on Him  A debate ensues among the people, many of whom do not realize, or will not believe, He is the Son of David, born in Bethlehem, the Messiah (John 7:40-44). The chief priests and the Pharisees rebuke the Temple officers, who had the authority to arrest Jesus for disturbing the ceremony, but the officers reply, “No man ever spoke like this” (John 7:46).

The Modern Observance

The sukkah, or tabernacle, is the primary symbol of the feast today. As soon as Yom Kippur is past, observant Jews build rough booths in their yards or on their patios. The booths are three-sided and covered with branches. The roofs are thatched so that there is partial shade in the daytime, and so the stars can be seen through it at night. Throughout the feast, Jewish families eat their meals in the booths, and some even sleep there. These booths remind the Jews of their hastily built housing in the wilderness.

Leviticus 23:40 instructs the Jews to take fruit, palm branches, the boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook and rejoice for seven days. Observant Jews may build their booths with these items, or carry them in their hands as they rejoice, or both.

At the synagogue, congregants circle the building and sing Psalm 118. The Torah scroll, rather than the ancient altar, is the center of the ceremony. Since the destruction of the Temple, the feast is more closely connected to Yom Kippur. Hashanah Rabbah, the last day of the feast, is seen as the last day on which the judgments God declared on Yom Kippur could be reversed, so observant Jews ceremonially beat willow branches on the synagogue pews to remove the leafs, symbolizing repentance and the removal of sin.

The Fulfillment

The Bible often compares the harvest with God’s judgment (Hos. 6:11; Joel 3:13; Matt. 13:39; Rev. 14:14-20). In keeping with this imagery, God designed the Feast of Tabernacles to foreshadow the day in which He will gather His people to Himself and send away the wicked (Mal. 4:1-3). When the Messiah returns and sets up His earthly kingdom, He will bring together Jew and Gentile to worship Him in Jerusalem (Zech. 14:16-17).

Further, the Lord Himself will tabernacle, or pitch His tent, with the redeemed (Ez. 37:27-28; Rev. 21:3). The Shekinah glory will be seen again (Isa. 60:1, 19; Zech. 2:5), covering Mount Zion with a cloud by day and a fire by night (Isa. 4:5-6). God’s people will enjoy intimate, face-to-face fellowship with their Savior.

An interesting observation: Some believe Jesus was born during the Feast of Tabernacles, based on scriptural information regarding the timing of John the Baptist’s birth. If that’s true, it more fully illustrates the truth that Jesus is the Tabernacle of God. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and took up residence (lit. and tabernacled or and dwelt in a tent) with us.” Col. 2:9 states, “For in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily.” Jesus will again tabernacle with us when He returns in power and great glory.

In another way, the shelters that are built represent the physical bodies in which we temporarily live today – bodies that eagerly await their glorification at the return of Christ (Rom. 8:23; 1 Cor. 15:51-57; 2 Cor. 5:1-4).

The Old Testament visions of the coming of all nations to worship at Jerusalem refer to the Feast of Tabernacles on the occasion of their pilgrimage (Zech. 14:16-21). This feast speaks of Christ’s millennial reign – a new beginning without the ravages of sin. The earth gives bountifully, all animals are docile (Isa. 65:25), armies no long march against each other, every man sits under his own fig tree (Micah 4:4), and righteousness becomes a lasting reality on the earth. As the Apostle John wrote in Rev. 22:20b: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

This concludes our study of the Jesus in the Feasts of Israel.

The Scapegoat by William Holman Hunt 1854

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The Day of Atonement foreshadows two significant events: Jesus’ sacrificial death, and Israel’s repentance at the Messiah’s return. “They will look at Me whom they pierced” and repent, the Lord declares in Zech. 12:10. God will deal with the nation’s sins and remember them no more (Isa. 43:25; Jer. 31:34). Isaiah prophesied that the nation would be born spiritually in a day (Isa. 66:8; Rom. 11:26-27). This will be the prophetic fulfillment of the Day of Atonement as Israel comes face to face with its Messiah at the end of Daniel’s “70th week” (Dan. 9:24-27), a seven-year tribulation period that begins with the rise of an evil world ruler known in Jewish theology as Armilus and in Christian theology as Antichrist. Throughout the tribulation, many Jews will turn to Christ in the midst of great persecution, acknowledge Him as Lord and receive Him as Savior. At the same time, God will pour out His wrath on a wicked and Godless world. At the end, perhaps on the very Day of Atonement, the Jews will receive their Messiah as He comes in power and great glory as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Note the similarities between the work of the high priest on the Day of Atonement and the work of Jesus in His sacrificial death:

• The high priest does all of the work – offering 15 blood sacrifices, lighting the candles, etc. Jesus, our “great high priest” (Heb. 4:14), did all the work of redemption so that salvation is by grace alone through faith (Eph. 2:8-9).
• The high priest humbles himself, wearing simple white linen clothing. Jesus humbled Himself by becoming a man (Phil. 2:5-8).
• The high priest must be spotless, having his sin atoned for before he may enter the presence of God behind the veil. Jesus was sinless (2 Cor. 5:21).
• The high priest enters the Holy of Holies only once a year, taking the atoning blood of bulls and goats behind the veil into the presence of God. Jesus offered His own blood once and for all, and the veil of the Temple – symbolizing the separation between holy God and sinful man as well as representing the body of Christ – was torn in two (Matt. 27:51).
• The blood the high priest takes into the Holy of Holies can only cover sin. Jesus’ death at Calvary took away sin (Heb. 7:27; 9:12, 25-28; 10:4; John 1:29).

In addition to the high priest, the goats also foreshadow the work of Messiah. Both goats have to be spotless, as Jesus was sinless. The goat “for YHWH,” whose blood is shed, symbolizes the substitutionary death of the Messiah. The goat “for azazel” symbolizes the finished work of Jesus in taking away our sins, never to be remembered again. Just as the high priest takes the blood of the goat “for YHWH” into the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the people, Jesus entered the heavenly Holy of Holies with His own blood as the once and final payment for our sins.

Finally, in Lev. 25:8-17, God gives instructions for the Year of Jubilee (every 50th year). He tells the Jews to sound the trumpet on the 10th day of the seventh month, which is the Day of Atonement. Why not the first day of the seventh month – or, for that matter, the first day of the first month to mark the beginning of this special year? The reason becomes clear when we see the results of the Day of Atonement. In the Year of Jubilee, land reverts to its original owner, slaves are set free, all debts are cancelled, and the land rests. What a marvelous picture of the results of Christ’s sacrificial death. Jesus cancelled our sin debt, redeemed us out of the slave market of sin and set us free, promised us a place in heaven, and gave us rest. The sorrowful self-denial of Atonement is turned to joy as Jesus, the Lamb of God, invites us to enter His rest.

The Scapegoat by William Holman Hunt 1854

This is the sixth in a series of articles on Jesus in the feasts of Israel.

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Background

Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is Israel’s most solemn holy day. Kippur is derived from the Hebrew word kaphar, which means “to cover.” On Yom Kippur, atonement is made for the previous year’s sins by the priests and people through the sacrifice of spotless and innocent animals. The event takes place in the fall, on the 10th day after the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) and completes the “Days of Awe,” the 10-day period of self-examination and reconciliation from Trumpets to Atonement.

God designated Yom Kippur as a day in which “you must practice self-denial” (Lev. 23:27, 32). It is a day of fasting and repenting of sins for the previous year. It is such a vital day that God said the person who refuses to devote himself to fasting and repentance “must be cut off from his people” (Lev. 23:29). In addition, all forms of work are prohibited. Those who ignore this command are to be put to death (Lev. 23:30).

Yom Kippur is an especially significant day for Israel’s priesthood. On this day only, the high priest enters the Holy of Holies and stands in the presence of God’s glory. Many animal sacrifices are offered on this day. Besides the daily burnt offerings with their required grain and drink offerings, additional offerings are made, including a bull, a ram and seven lambs for the people, and a ram for the priesthood (Num. 29:7-11).

The Biblical Observance

The high priest normally does not perform the Temple sacrifices, but during the week leading up to Yom Kippur, he serves beside the priests, and on the Day of Atonement performs all of the services alone. He stays the entire week before Yom Kippur in the Temple area, and is sprinkled twice with the ashes of a heifer to make sure he has not somehow become unclean by touching a dead body (Num. 19:1-13).

The morning service. Even though the Jewish day begins at sunset, the Temple service for Yom Kippur does not take place until dawn the next morning. The high priest, who normally washes his hands and feet before serving in the Temple, on this day totally submerges himself in a special bath behind a large linen curtain where only the shadow of his movements may be seen. He then dresses in his high priestly garments: a purple robe hemmed with small golden bells, and the golden breastplate studded with 12 precious stones as a reminder that he represents the 12 tribes of Israel. Then, the high priest washes his hands and feet and conducts the morning service. He returns later, washes his hands and feet again, bathes again, and dresses in his white linen clothing for Yom Kippur. In all, the high priest bathes and changes clothing five times, and offers 15 blood sacrifices, on Yom Kippur.

The afternoon service. This service is central to the observance of Yom Kippur, as atonement is made for the priests and the people. It begins as the high priest places his hands on a young bull, as a sign of identification with his substitute, and confesses his sins. Three times during his confession, he pronounces the covenant name of the Lord (YHWH – Yahweh or Jehovah), and each time the priests and the people fall on the faces and say, “Blessed be His name whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever.”

Next, two priests – the deputy high priest and the chief priest of the division of priests chosen to minister that week – escort the high priest to the eastern side of the altar, where two identical goats await. The high priest casts lots for the goats. One is determined to be “for YHWH” and the other is “for azazel.” Together, the two goats constitute a single sin offering for the Lord. The goat “for azazel” is immediately marked with a red woolen strip tied to one of his horns. The goat “for YHWH” is left facing a stone altar where he will soon shed his blood. There is some debate about the meaning of azazel. Some believe it’s either a term for Satan, a demon who lives in the desert, or a pagan god in the form of a goat, while others contend that the term comes from the Hebrew word azel, which carries the idea of “escape.”

The high priest returns to the bull a second time, placing his hands on the animal’s head and confessing the sins of the priesthood. He then slaughters the bull and collects its blood in a golden bowl. An attending priest stirs the blood so it will not congeal.

Next, the high priest takes live coals from the altar and two handfuls of incense and makes his way through the thick veil that separates the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. Inside, he pours the incense onto the coals and waits for a fragrant cloud of smoke to fill the room so that he will not see God face to face and die. In Solomon’s Temple, the Ark of the Covenant was in the Holy of Holies and the Shekinah glory of God rested above it. After the Babylonian captivity, the Ark was never recovered. The Holy of Holies was an empty room except for a single stone, called the foundation stone, projecting about two inches above the floor.

The high priest leaves the Holy of Holies momentarily, returning with the golden bowl of bull’s blood. He sprinkles the blood in front of the altar – once upwards and seven times downward. Then he again leaves the Holy of Holies and places the golden bowl on a golden stand.

He sacrifices the goat “for YHWH,” collects the blood in another golden bowl and enters the Holy of Holies for a third time, sprinkling the goat’s blood the same way he has sprinkled the bull’s blood – always counting aloud to prevent errors. After, he sprinkles the outside of the veil with the bull’s blood, then the goat’s blood, and finally he mixes the bull’s blood and the goat’s blood and sprinkles the horns of the altar in the courtyard.

Now the attention focuses on the remaining goat – the one “for azazel.” The high priest places his hands on the goat’s head and confesses the sins of the people. The “scapegoat” is then led by a priest 10-12 miles into the wilderness and released, never to be seen again. Some Bible commentators say that in the days of the second Temple, the priest would lead the goat to the edge of a rocky ledge and push him off so that he plunged to his death; if this is so, it is more than God required, for He commanded that the goat be released. In any case, the goat, symbolically carrying the sins of the people, could not be allowed to return. While this is happening, the high priest finishes sacrificing the bull and the goat on the altar. Then he addresses the people, reading the Yom Kippur passages from Leviticus and Numbers. Last, the high priest offers burnt offerings on the altar.

One last time, the high priest enters the Holy of Holies to remove the fire pan and incense ladle. He bathes and changes into his golden garments just as the cool autumn night approaches.

The Modern Observance

Yom Kippur today bears little resemblance to the biblical observance, primarily because after the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. there was no longer a prescribed place to offer the sacrifices. A leading rabbi in Jerusalem at that time, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai, led the nation to abandon atonement through blood sacrifice in favor of mitzvot, or good works. As a result, human traditions have replaced biblical practices in the observance of this feast.

Synagogue services are the focus of Yom Kippur today. These services draw huge crowds, much like Easter services in Christian churches. The synagogue is decorated in white and adorned with white flowers to symbolize cleansing from sin, and worshipers even wear white as a reminder of the white linen the priests wore on this High Holy Day.

In very orthodox circles, the tradition of Kaparot is observed. It involves the killing of an innocent animal, normally a chicken, to atone for sin.

The Fulfillment

The Day of Atonement foreshadows two significant events: Jesus’ sacrificial death, and Israel’s repentance at the Messiah’s return. “They will look at Me whom they pierced” and repent, the Lord declares in Zech. 12:10. God will deal with the nation’s sins and remember them no more (Isa. 43:25; Jer. 31:34). Isaiah prophesied that the nation would be born spiritually in a day (Isa. 66:8; Rom. 11:26-27). This will be the prophetic fulfillment of the Day of Atonement as Israel comes face to face with its Messiah at the end of Daniel’s “70th week” (Dan. 9:24-27), a seven-year tribulation period that begins with the rise of an evil world ruler known in Jewish theology as Armilus and in Christian theology as Antichrist. Throughout the tribulation, many Jews will turn to Christ in the midst of great persecution, acknowledge Him as Lord and receive Him as Savior. At the same time, God will pour out His wrath on a wicked and Godless world. At the end, perhaps on the very Day of Atonement, the Jews will receive their Messiah as He comes in power and great glory as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Note the similarities between the work of the high priest on the Day of Atonement and the work of Jesus in His sacrificial death:

• The high priest does all of the work – offering 15 blood sacrifices, lighting the candles, etc. Jesus, our “great high priest” (Heb. 4:14), did all the work of redemption so that salvation is by grace alone through faith (Eph. 2:8-9).
• The high priest humbles himself, wearing simple white linen clothing. Jesus humbled Himself by becoming a man (Phil. 2:5-8).
• The high priest must be spotless, having his sin atoned for before he may enter the presence of God behind the veil. Jesus was sinless (2 Cor. 5:21).
• The high priest enters the Holy of Holies only once a year, taking the atoning blood of bulls and goats behind the veil into the presence of God. Jesus offered His own blood once and for all, and the veil of the Temple – symbolizing the separation between holy God and sinful man as well as representing the body of Christ – was torn in two (Matt. 27:51).
• The blood the high priest takes into the Holy of Holies can only cover sin. Jesus’ death at Calvary took away sin (Heb. 7:27; 9:12, 25-28; 10:4; John 1:29).

In addition to the high priest, the goats also foreshadow the work of Messiah. Both goats have to be spotless, as Jesus was sinless. The goat “for YHWH,” whose blood is shed, symbolizes the substitutionary death of the Messiah. The goat “for azazel” symbolizes the finished work of Jesus in taking away our sins, never to be remembered again. Just as the high priest takes the blood of the goat “for YHWH” into the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the people, Jesus entered the heavenly Holy of Holies with His own blood as the once and final payment for our sins.

In Lev. 25:8-17, God gives instructions for the Year of Jubilee (every 50th year). He tells the Jews to sound the trumpet on the 10th day of the seventh month, which is the Day of Atonement. Why not the first day of the seventh month – or, for that matter, the first day of the first month to mark the beginning of this special year? The reason becomes clear when we see the results of the Day of Atonement. In the Year of Jubilee, land reverts to its original owner, slaves are set free, all debts are cancelled, and the land rests. What a marvelous picture of the results of Christ’s sacrificial death. Jesus cancelled our sin debt, redeemed us out of the slave market of sin and set us free, promised us a place in heaven, and gave us rest. The sorrowful self-denial of Atonement is turned to joy as Jesus, the Lamb of God, invites us to enter His rest.

Next: the Feast of Tabernacles

Copyright 2008 by Rob Phillips

This is the third in a series of articles on Jesus in the feasts of Israel.

Background

Firstfruits marks the beginning of the cereal grain harvests in Israel. Of the crops sown in winter, barley is the first grain to ripen. For the Feast of Firstfruits, a sheaf  (a bundle of stalks tied together) of barley is harvested and brought to the Temple as a thanksgiving offering to the Lord. It represents the entire barley harvest and serves as a pledge that the rest of the harvest will be brought in. Keep in mind that Passover occurs on the 14th day of Nisan; Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th day of Nisan and goes for seven days; and Firstfruits takes place on the 16th day of Nisan.

Firstfruits is seen primarily as a time marker. It marks the beginning of the grain harvest in Israel. It also marks the countdown to the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), which is celebrated 50 days after Firstfruits. As a result, this period of time is known as the Sefirat Ha-Omer (“the counting of the omer”) because of the ritual of counting the days from Firstfruits to Pentecost.

The Biblical Observance

The regulations for Firstfruits (Lev. 23:9-14):

• A sheaf of barley is to be brought to the priest at the Temple. He waves the sheaf before the Lord for acceptance.
• Accompanying sacrifices are to be brought as well: an unblemished male lamb of the first year, a drink offering of wine, and a meal offering of the barley flour mixed with olive oil.
• The people are forbidden to use any part of the harvest in any way until after they offer their firstfruits to the Lord.

The ritual for Firstfruits (Deut. 26:1-11):

• Firstfruits is to be observed, “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance …” (v. 1).
• The firstfruits are to be brought to the priest and the giver is to say, “Today I acknowledge to the Lord your God that I have entered the land the Lord swore to our fathers to give us” (v. 3).
• The priest takes the firstfruits and places them before the altar at the tabernacle (later the Temple), and the giver recites the story of God’s deliverance of the Jews from Egypt and the giving of the Promised Land (vv. 4-10).
• The giver then bows down and worships the Lord (v. 10).
• The giver joins the priest and even the foreign resident among the people in rejoicing in all the good things the Lord has given him and his household (v. 11).

In Scripture, both the nation and the family observe Firstfruits.

For the nation:

• A special barley crop is raised just outside Jerusalem in the Ashes Valley. Just before Passover, representatives of the Sanhedrin, Israel’s ruling religious body, mark off a part of this field and designate it as firstfruits.
• At sundown on the 15th day of Nisan (the start of the 16th^h day), a three-man delegation from the Sanhedrin leads a multitude of observers to the barley field with sickles and baskets. They reap one ephah (about 3/5 bushel) from the designated firstfruits and bring the grain back to the Temple.
• On the morning of the 16th day, one omer (about two quarts) of the barley flour is mixed with ¾ pint of olive oil, with a small amount of frankincense sprinkled on it. The priest then waves it before the Lord as Lev. 23:11-13 instructs and burns a small amount on the altar. The rest is given to the Levites.

For the family:

• Each family marks out the firstfruits of its barley harvest, usually with a cord, and on the morning of the 16th  day brings the firsfruits to the Temple, along with a lamb or, if the family is poor, two turtledoves or young pigeons for a burnt offering. The man who brings these – the head of the household – might say with great feeling, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
• As the priest holds the lamb or the turtledoves, the man confesses his sins, and then the priest, in accordance with Lev. 1:10-17, kills the sacrificial animal(s).
• Standing face-to-face with the priest, the man repeats the familiar Firstfruits prayer: “Today I acknowledge to the Lord your God that I have entered the land the Lord swore to our fathers to give us” (Deut. 26:3).
• The man then hands the priest a basket containing the omer of barley as his Firstfruits offering. The priest places his hands under the basket and slowly waves it before the Lord as the offering bearer continues his prayer: “My father was a wandering Aramean. He went down to Egypt with a few people and lived there. There he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. He led us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. I have now brought the first of the land’s produce that you, Lord, have given me” (Deut. 26:5,9-10).
• The priest then takes a handful of the grain and tosses it into the fire. The offering bearer falls on his face and worships the Lord.
• With the requirements now fulfilled, the man rejoins his family.

The Modern Observance

The sacrifices and offerings of Firstfruits are not offered today since there is no Temple. The only surviving ritual is the counting of the omer, the days from Firstfruits to the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost).

The Fulfillment

Jesus rose from the dead on the third day of Passover season (Nisan 16), on the day of Firstfruits, completing the prophetic picture the spring feasts painted of His work of redemption: death (Passover), burial (Unleavened Bread) and resurrection (Firstfruits). Paul proclaims in 1 Cor. 15:20-22: “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man [Adam], the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man [Jesus]. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” As Kevin Howard and Marvin Rosenthal point out, “The resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee and the beginning (firstfruits) of the final harvest, or resurrection, of all mankind. The Messiah fulfilled the prophetic meaning of this holy day by rising from the dead to become the firstfruits of the resurrection, and He did it on the very day of Firstfruits.” (The Feasts of the Lord: God’s Prophetic Calendar from Calvary to the Kingdom, p. 86)

Next: The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost or Shavuot)

Copyright 2008 by Rob Phillips

Beloved, the time is perilous.

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