Leviticus 23?

Many people like me desire to observe the Holy Days of Leviticus 23. However, while the laws contain eternal truths, they are couched in the technology and culture of when they were first revealed. It is difficult, if not impossible, to woodenly port these over into a modern observance; instead they need to be morphed to modern times while always being aware of the various principles expounded in the Law.

(Note that the links are to the parts of the series that I finished last year. I hope to finish the series this festival season.)

These principles include: The Principle of Worship (a Holy Convocation in the KJV Bible); The Principle of Pilgrimage (you need a critical mass of people); The Principle of the Placement of God's Name; The Principle of Temporary Shelters (booths); The Principle of Sacrifice; the Principle of Tithing (There was a separate tithe for these observances);The Principle of Community (There are aspects of community sharing); The Seasonal Principle (3 times in the year); The Principle of Decoration; The Principle of Beer Drinking (rejoicing by means of physical food consumption); and finally the principle of Education (the Torah was to be read every 7 years). To a degree these principles are in tension with each other. For example: it is difficult to construct, transport, and live in a temporary structure and travel a few hundred miles to a pilgrimage festival site; and it is difficult to listen to the Torah being read and explained and do anything else that year. 

We will discuss these principles over the next few weeks in future blog posts leading up to and including the Feast of Tabernacles, and hopefully come to some conclusions about modern festival observance. I will begin tomorrow with an overview of the various festivals discussed in Leviticus 23. 

Kenny Drew—Jazz Piano

I was in the mood for some jazz, I hope you are too. 

The End Is Near!

Pam Dewey has been writing a series of blog posts about the current mania in some circles about 2012. This subject is always topical, even as 2012 comes to an end, because the same pattern repeats over and over again. People get scared and think the current situation is somehow unusual. There is a phrase that you probably know—Snafu. It is derived from the military so I will clean it up, Situation Normal All Fouled Up. Things not going well is really not that unusual. 

  

If you want to start up on her series, click here for part 1.

  

Pam also gives seminars around the county. Here is one she gave on this same subject of prophecy panic. 

  

Prophecy: Are You Prepared--for the Unthinkable? from Oasis Ministries on Vimeo.

Going to Fast, or Going Too Fast?

To continue the series on the feasts of Leviticus 23 that I started last year I thought I would begin by repeat a post from last year.  

 Not eating food for a period of time for meditative or religious reasons goes way back in history. Most cultures do it. Looking at my waist, I can see that this is not a common practice here in America. 

Jesus was criticized because his disciples did not fast in the prescribed manner of the Pharisees, twice in the week, in fact. Here is what he said (Mat 9):

¹⁴ Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”

 ¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. 

The point here is that Jesus expects his disciples to fast after his departure. Do you fast? 

Matt 6 tells us this:

¹⁶ “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Jesus did not say: "If you fast." He said: "When you fast." Do you fast? 

Tomorrow is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Leviticus 23 tells us:

²⁶ The LORD said to Moses, ²⁷ “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present a food offering to the LORD. ²⁸Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. ²⁹ Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people. ³⁰ I will destroy from among their people anyone who does any work on that day. ³¹ You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. ³² It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”

The phrase “deny yourself” is idiomatic and refers to fasting. 

So Jesus said his disciples would fast after he had departed. Leviticus 23 tells us that tomorrow is a day of fasting. Do you fast? If not tomorrow, when? 

(There are obviously people who should not fast due to medical reasons. Looking back over my "religious life," I can see that common sense was sometimes lacking. I suggest you use common sense on the issue of fasting.)

Stockman Right Again!

I like David Stockman more and more. He is saying what I have been saying for the last year—the US needs to let the Bush era tax cuts expire, cut spending, “means test” Medicare (one solution I might support), and cut defense spending. He might not agree with my observation that we need to print money! 

Here is Stockman being interviewed at a Casey Research Event. 

If you do not wish to watch something this long, click here and watch a shorter appearance on CNBC.