Today is the day of atonement. According to Jewish Tradition the day the book of life is sealed for another year.
Read John 6. Jesus says that God has put his seal of approval on him. So if you are found in Jesus you are in the book of life! So are you found in Jesus?
Where are some other places that the seal is used as a metaphor?
Friday, September 21, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Rosh Hashanah
Many of you may know that tomorrow (9/12/07) at sunset begins Rosh Hashanah. Besides that the name is fun to say do you know the meaning of this Jewish Holiday?
Rosh Hashanah begins the High Holy Days. 10 days of reflection and repentance that ends with Yom Kippur (the day of atonement). I believe Sukkot (the feast of booths) is also included in this.
Not being born Jewish, I decided to research this solemn holiday a little further.
Rosh Hashanah is found in Leviticus 23:24-27. It is the feast of trumpets. It begins by a series of blasts on the shofar (also known as a trumpet made from a rams horn). The purpose for the blasts are to signal that the high holy days are approaching and to issue a call to repentence. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. Is arrives 10 days before Yom Kippur, or the day of atonement/judgement. In Jewish tradition your good deeds are written in the book of life. Once a year God opens this book to judge your deeds, to see if you will remain in the book for another year and whether it will be a good year for you. For the 10 day period between the two Holidays you can repent and do good deeds to ensure that you have enough to remain in the book of life. So really Rosh Hashanah is a call to repentence.
I believe Jesus used this reference in many of his teachings. So many times the leaders added to what was required by God, and much of what Jesus taught was correcting this.
First, look at Luke 10:18-25 (for the sake of space I won't type out all of the scriptures). This is where Jesus sends out the 72 disciples. He tells them what to do... Heal the sick, cast out demons, etc. When they come back they tell him all that they have done, that even demons submit to them in His name. Then he tells them. "I have given you the authority to trample snakes and scorpions and to OVERCOME all the power of the enemy... Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
I think he was telling his disciples don't rejoice because you have done good deeds, rejoice because your names are in the book of life.
Also overcoming is referenced throughout Revelation. The dead are judged in chapter 20:11-15 referencing the books of deeds and the book of life. Then 21:7 "He who OVERCOMES will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son." We aren't written in the book of life by doing good deeds, but by using the authority given by Jesus to overcome the power of the enemy.
Now on Yom Kippur, the book of life is SEALED for another year.
In John 6 (this wasn't at the time of Rosh Hashanah, but I think its relevant) Jesus feeds five thousand people with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Then he gets away because the people want to make him king by force. The disciples leave without him. I don't know where they thought he went. A storm comes up and Jesus walks out to them. The next day the people that were fed followed Jesus to the other side. Jesus basically said, you aren't looking for me because you saw the miracle, but because you ate and were full. The next verse is very important.
John 6:27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the father has placed his SEAL of approval.
Let's break it down.
1. Do not WORK for food that spoils. Basically don't go chasing after something that is only going to satisfy you for a little while. reference Isaiah 55
2. But do work for food that endures to eternal life.
3. Which the Son of Man will give you. = Son of Man is Jesus, he gives eternal life AND he gives the food that endures to eternal life.
4. On him God the father has placed his SEAL of approval. That could be taken a lot of different ways, but for our argument, let's say it is like sealing the book of life.
So the obvious next question is: v. 28"What must we do to do the works God requires?"
Answer: v.29 "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
Rosh Hashanah begins the High Holy Days. 10 days of reflection and repentance that ends with Yom Kippur (the day of atonement). I believe Sukkot (the feast of booths) is also included in this.
Not being born Jewish, I decided to research this solemn holiday a little further.
Rosh Hashanah is found in Leviticus 23:24-27. It is the feast of trumpets. It begins by a series of blasts on the shofar (also known as a trumpet made from a rams horn). The purpose for the blasts are to signal that the high holy days are approaching and to issue a call to repentence. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. Is arrives 10 days before Yom Kippur, or the day of atonement/judgement. In Jewish tradition your good deeds are written in the book of life. Once a year God opens this book to judge your deeds, to see if you will remain in the book for another year and whether it will be a good year for you. For the 10 day period between the two Holidays you can repent and do good deeds to ensure that you have enough to remain in the book of life. So really Rosh Hashanah is a call to repentence.
I believe Jesus used this reference in many of his teachings. So many times the leaders added to what was required by God, and much of what Jesus taught was correcting this.
First, look at Luke 10:18-25 (for the sake of space I won't type out all of the scriptures). This is where Jesus sends out the 72 disciples. He tells them what to do... Heal the sick, cast out demons, etc. When they come back they tell him all that they have done, that even demons submit to them in His name. Then he tells them. "I have given you the authority to trample snakes and scorpions and to OVERCOME all the power of the enemy... Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
I think he was telling his disciples don't rejoice because you have done good deeds, rejoice because your names are in the book of life.
Also overcoming is referenced throughout Revelation. The dead are judged in chapter 20:11-15 referencing the books of deeds and the book of life. Then 21:7 "He who OVERCOMES will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son." We aren't written in the book of life by doing good deeds, but by using the authority given by Jesus to overcome the power of the enemy.
Now on Yom Kippur, the book of life is SEALED for another year.
In John 6 (this wasn't at the time of Rosh Hashanah, but I think its relevant) Jesus feeds five thousand people with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Then he gets away because the people want to make him king by force. The disciples leave without him. I don't know where they thought he went. A storm comes up and Jesus walks out to them. The next day the people that were fed followed Jesus to the other side. Jesus basically said, you aren't looking for me because you saw the miracle, but because you ate and were full. The next verse is very important.
John 6:27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the father has placed his SEAL of approval.
Let's break it down.
1. Do not WORK for food that spoils. Basically don't go chasing after something that is only going to satisfy you for a little while. reference Isaiah 55
2. But do work for food that endures to eternal life.
3. Which the Son of Man will give you. = Son of Man is Jesus, he gives eternal life AND he gives the food that endures to eternal life.
4. On him God the father has placed his SEAL of approval. That could be taken a lot of different ways, but for our argument, let's say it is like sealing the book of life.
So the obvious next question is: v. 28"What must we do to do the works God requires?"
Answer: v.29 "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
