Chapter 5- Hannukah

‘Hanukkah, oh Hanukkah, Come Light Menorah!
Let’s have a Party, We’ll all Dance the Horah!’


What is Hanukkah? Is it the Jewish answer to Christmas? Well, it’s probably so popular here in the states because of the competition with Christmas… Hanukkah cards, tons of gifts for the kids, I’ve even seen a Hanukkah ‘bush’!


Traditionally, cards are sent at Rosh Hashanah. Gifts for the children are traditionally only gelt that is money, coins, or chocolate coins. I don’t know what a pine tree really has to do with a Christmas let alone Hanukkah.




But I think of Hanukkah not as the Jewish Christmas, but as being more of a Fourth of July, an Israeli Independence Day. Without Independence Day, there would be no United States. Without Hanukkah, there would be no Israel, no Messiah, no Christmas.


About 200 years before our time, the patriots, lead by George Washington, beat the British army and ‘established these United States of America.’ About 200 years before Jesus was born, the Israelites lead by Judah Maccabee beat the Assyrian army and freed Israel. So when Jesus celebrated Hanukkah, he probably felt the same kinds of feelings for his country and it’s heroes as we feel for ours.
Over 2000 years later, Israelis are still celebrating this independence day of Hanukkah. I knew very little about the holiday that first year I spent in Israel. Actually, my knowledge didn’t go much farther than an attempt made by a fellow fourth grader to share his holiday with the class.



I remember being amazed by his presentation… this kid had no Christmas. No tree, no Santa, just some strange candles and weird square tops? How could someone who sits right next to me in class be so different and I not even know it?
So I approached Hanukkah with a sense of pity and alienation until the Hanukkah, which I spent, on the kibbutz. The decorations in the kibbutz-dining hall showed me that Hanukkah was not some substitute for Christmas.


It is the celebration of a great victory. Two armies adorned the picture windows, which lined the hall. One army was well clad with armor and swords. The other had farmers, yet these farmers were fierce and obviously triumphant. When I learned the inspiring story of Hanukkah, all pity left, replaced by admiration for the faith and strength remembered in this Holiday.


In 165 B.C.E., Israel was once again a defeated country. The Hellenistic Empire reigned supreme over all the Middle East. The early death of Alexander the Great had led to four of his generals fighting over the kingdoms. Finally Antiochus, King of Syria, overcame the rest and ruled with a heavy hand. This, the Israelis could stomach. Israel and Judah had been conquered many times in the past and would be in the future. But when Antiochus changed his name to Antiochus ‘Epiphanes’ or ‘God manifest,’ things grew intolerable.
Antiochus demanded to be worshipped as a God. He had the temple desecrated. The Perpetual Light, the great Menorah or lamp, was extinguished. This seven-branched candleholder was a symbol of God’s spiritual presence. The holy oil, used in the great Menorah, was poured out.


King Antiochus required all his subjects to give up their ways, worship only Greek gods and adopt the Greek way of life.
Then a hero arose. An old priest named Mattathias refused to cooperate. Soldiers had come to the small village of Modi’im, insisting that Mattathias lead the people in a pagan ceremony. He and his five sons killed the soldiers and began the revolt against Antiochus.




One of his sons, Judah became the leader and was nicknamed Maccabee or the ‘hammer’ for his persistence against the enemy. The freedom fighters soon became know as the Maccabees, a fitting name for an army of farmers and craftsmen. Their cause seemed hopeless. The Maccabees were fighting an army that was well trained, well supplied, and huge. How could these villagers defeat the soldiers of King Antiochus?
The answer is on the dreidel, the little square top, a symbol of Hanukkah. On the dreidel are four Hebrew letters Nun, Gimmel, Hay, and Shin. They stand for the saying, 'Nes Gagol Hiya Sham or Great Miracle Happened There.' Of course, in Israel the dreidels say 'Nes Gadol Hiya Poe' or 'Great Miracle Happened Here.'


Well, a Great Miracle did Happen There! This little ragtag army defeated the great army of Syria or to use Stars War’s terms the Rebels beat the Empire.


Great rejoicing began but as they entered the temple in Jerusalem, their hearts fell. It was a mess, defiled and desecrated. The Perpetual Light, the Great Menorah had gone out. Pigs had been sacrificed on the altar. Idols had been erected in the holy sanctuary.


So Hanukkah began. Hanukkah means dedication and is what took place. The temple was cleansed and all traces of idolatrous worship removed. The Perpetual Light was rekindled but only enough holy oil was found to burn for one day. It would take 8 days to replenish the supply. How sad it would be to see it burn out again!


But each day as they came into the temple ‘Nes Gadol Hiya Sham.’ The Menorah kept on burning. It continued to burn the full eight days, another miracle of Hanukkah.


Hanukkah or the Feast of Dedication centers on these two miracles, the dedication of the Maccabees in defeating the great army of Antiochus Epiphanes and the rededication of the temple in the miraculous glow of the Great Menorah. The Jews and Israel had been saved from annihilation.
Well, if that’s not enough to make you want to celebrate Hanukkah as much as the most Hassidic Rabbi, I’ll give you another reason.
Jesus did!


John tells us in his tenth chapter, verse 22.
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem:
23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon.


There Jesus was, walking through those same pillars that brought tears to Judah Maccabee’s eyes as he saw the desecration left by Antiochus. Jesus was stepping on those same stones that the priests had scrubbed and cleansed from blood of pigs sacrificed by Antiochus’ soldiers.


Did he look up at the Perpetual Light that day and think of the Hanukkah 165 years before when the oil continued to burn for 8 days?


Oh, I think Jesus did and I think he was enjoying the Feast of Hanukkah when, he was interrupted by some Jews that day.
John 10:24b
“How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”


Here it was, Hanukkah, a feast of miracles. Jesus answers his questioners in the spirit of Hanukkah. Humble as ever, Jesus refers to his miracles as good works or mitzvoth.


John 10:25 “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these bear witness of Me.”
He reminds them with these words, of all the amazing battles he has fought and won throughout Israel. The Maccabees defeated the enemy on the hillsides, roads, and valleys of Judah.


Jesus also defeated the enemy. The blind could now see, the deaf could hear, and the lame could walk. Demons had been cast out, the hungry had been fed, and even the dead had been raised back to life. Yes, like in the days of Judah Maccabee, a Great Miracle Happened There and the enemy had been defeated.


This Messiah, this Son of David, then speaks of another miracle. Like the eternal light shining in the Great Menorah, he speaks of another miracle that God has ordained. This miracle is the eternal light of life shining forth from the hearts of his followers. Their light cannot be snuffed out, no they cannot be snatched out of His Hand. (John 10: 29)


Thank you God, that you have lit the Holy Oil of your spirit in our hearts. Thank you Lord, that you keep us burning, burning, burning.


Paul has a little Hanukkah lesson for us as well. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul quotes Isaiah 52: 11 saying that we are God’s temple. God dwells in us and walks among us.
Be clean. Be holy. We need to clean up our temples.
II Cor. 6: 16b For we are the temple of the living God…


Our temples have been desecrated. We have worshiped at the altar of our own pride, lusts, and selfishness. Just like the temple in the days of the Maccabees, a Great Miracle is needed to save us and make that light shine.

Yeshua Ha Mashecha, Jesus the Messiah is that miracle as He calls us to be the sheep, who hear his voice. (John 10: 27 -part of Jesus' Hanukkah sermon.) Or as the scriptures say in Isaiah, to be the sheep of His Hands.
Don’t miss out on the fun and the lessons of this Feast. Buy or make a Hannukiah, a nine pronged candle holder with one candle (the Shamash or servant candle) more elevated than the rest. The Shamash candle is used to light the other candles, one more each night until all eight are shining brightly.
Make some latkes, and sufganiyot, (potato pancakes and donuts) and talk about how they are cooked in oil. Oil reminds us of that holy oil that continued to burn. Pray that God will give us the oil of his Holy Spirit and that it will keep “burning" in our lives.


Thank you God, for the bravery and strength of Mattheus, Judah, his brothers, and the Maccabees. Thank you that faith beat out worldly might. Thank you God for putting your holy oil in that lamp and keeping it burning. Thank you for preserving the Jews once again so that we can now live in the everlasting light of Messiah, Son of David, King of the Jews.


Spin the dreidel and speak of the great Miracles that Happened There to the Maccabees,

without which, we wouldn’t have the greatest miracle of all, our Messiah.

Questions for Hanukkah
1. Read Philippians 2: 5-11. These verses speak of Jesus as being a bond servant but also as being highly exalted. What lessons can we learn from these verses and how does the Shamash candle represent Jesus? Can you think of some examples in your life when you have taken the job of a servant and been highly blessed for it?
2. Luke 11: 33-36 How can we keep our lamps clear?
3. Matthew 25: 1- 13 What is this oil? How can we keep our lamps trimmed?
4. “Give me oil in my lamp keep me burning, burning, burning.
Give me oil in my lamp I pray.
Give me oil in my lamp keep me burning, burning, burning.
Keep me burning till the break of day!’
How are the words from this old spiritual related to Hanukkah? What significance do they have for you in light of what you have learned about this Holiday?

Chap.4-The Feast of Tabernacles

One thing about being a Gentile celebrating the Jewish holidays is that I can break the rules a little. One year our succah or booth definitely broke the rules.
Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles centers on the booth or tabernacle that each family builds together. It must be a temporary dwelling place with at least three walls and a roof. The walls and roof are usually made of fresh green branches and one must be able to see the stars through the roof.
Since we live in Southern California our booth is usually covered with palm branches. But one year, I made a change. We put our frame up in the spring and I carefully trained a morning glory vine to grow as our walls and roof. That year we had a living tabernacle.
Not exactly a ‘kosher’ booth but a feast for the eyes, as well as, for the passing bees and humming birds. It’s customary to begin building the booth at the end of Yom Kippur not in the spring as I did.
The solemn holiday of Yom Kippur comes to an end and we have five days to build our succah and prepare for the joyous celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. A very traditional family would really need those five days to prepare. Their booth would need to be big enough and sturdy enough for the whole family to live in for eight days. In Israel, I remember seeing families bring out carpets and beds as well as tables and food. One family even had their TV in their succah.
Leviticus 23: 39-44
39 ‘On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day.
40 ‘Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.
41 ‘You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statue throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
42 ‘You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths,
43 so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”44 So Moses declared to the sons of Israel the appointed times of the Lord.

Maybe the pilgrims had these verses in mind when they brought in their harvest and had their outdoor Thanksgiving feast. One theme of the Feast of Booths is the harvest celebration. The succah is decorated with fruit and vegetables thanking God for the harvest.
But why live in these little shacks? I’ve heard the theory that families all needed to be on hand in the fields during the harvest and that living in booths made this a bit easier. But I think the book of Leviticus has given us the reason right along with the command.
Lev. 23: 43 so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt.

We need to remember that journey out of Egypt to the Promised Land. Our children need to remember it and teach it to their children. Was living in the wilderness in booths a hardship? Perhaps. But it’s not the hardships of the journey that these booths we build signify. They signify the blessings!
These blessings are the blessings of God’s constant provision. That is; manna in a fruitless wilderness, water in a barren desert, escape from ruthless taskmasters. But the greatest provision, the main theme of Succoth is God’s presence, Emanuel or ‘God with us.’
After 300 years of slavery in Egypt, the wilderness was freedom. But even more importantly God was now physically with them. He dwelt or ‘tabernacled’ with them.

Exodus 40: 34-38
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
36 And throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out;
37 but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up.
38 For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.

As a pillar of fire by night providing light and warmth and as a cloud by day providing relief from the sun and heat, God dwelt with them. He even had his own booth!
Now, as we sit in the succah, a temporary structure, we remember that the wilderness experience was not permanent, that the Promised Land was ahead.
We can see the stars through the branches reminding us of God’s sovereignty.
The walls are heavy with fruit reminding us of His provision.
But most importantly the Booth itself, reminding us that God dwells, that is, tabernacles with us.

Leviticus 23:40
40 ‘Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.

This is another fun part of Feast of Tabernacles, waving branches before the Lord. As we read in Leviticus not just any branches. Four species are wrapped together and waved in four directions, north, south, east, and west, while reciting the Hallel or praise psalms, Psalms 113-118. Palm, myrtle, willow, and an Israeli fruit called a citron (sort of a big lumpy lemon) are raised in praise. Of course, this is another area where I break the rules a little and use whatever branches, I can. But one year while we were living in Tiberias by the Sea of Galilee, I decided to get an official-kosher lulav and citron. With two babies in tow, I made my way to the market place and found the stand selling citrons and lulavs… I should say lulavim (plural for lulav). A lulav is the name for the wrap of branches. The very orthodox salesman looked quite surprised by my request and I was quite surprised by the price. I thought our congregation back home had to pay so much because they brought these in from Israel but I guess they are just plain expensive.
Well, my lulav was lovely. The palm branch was taken from the new shoot right from the center of the tree. It was so fresh that it still pointed straight up like an arrow. The children in our neighborhood were very impressed with my purchase. I suppose only the rabbi or leader of a synagogue get them in Israel just like back home.
I had them wave the branch and repeat the blessing with me:
“Ana Adoni Ho Shiana”
“Lord do save us!”
We waved them to the north, south, east and west.
Then on the last day of the feast, we shared the citron. Most of the children had never tasted one before. I hadn’t either. It was sour with a lovely perfume.

One of Jesus’ best friends while he walked in Israel, was a young man named John. Jesus had a nickname for him and his brother, ‘Sons of Thunder.’ Their father’s name was ‘Zebedee’ meaning thunder but the fact that they were quite outspoken and self-assured, probably also had something do with the nickname.
But I’d imagine Jesus usually called John by his Hebrew name Yochanan. Yochanan had been a follower of John the Baptister but quickly became a disciple of Jesus, when he was told, “this is the Lamb of God.”
Yochanan loved the Biblical Holidays and included them in the book he wrote about his time with Jesus.
In the first chapter, Yochanan speaks of Messiah, calling him the Word.

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God.

John goes on to describe how Messiah would come into the world but not be accepted by the world.

John 1:10-13
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Then in verse 14, John gives us the true reason why the Feast of Tabernacles is such a beautiful holiday.

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt (or tabernacled) among us.

Jesus was Emanuel, which means in English, ‘God with us.’ He dwelt with us; living God made flesh, tabernacling with us.
In John 15: 1-11, Jesus speaks of his followers as branches. These branches must abide in the Vine, the Vine that he claims to be.

John 15: 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing.

Surrounded by our booth made of branches, which symbolize Jesus dwelling with us, we can truly feel the way John must have felt when he wrote these words of Jesus’. We can bear fruit if we abide in him as He abides in us.
Sit and feast in the Succah of the Lord. Rejoice in his provision of abundant fruit. Feel his presence, Emanuel, God dwells with us.

Yochanan writes of lulav waving in his book.

John 12: 12-13a On the next day the great multitude who had come to the Feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet Him,

This didn’t happen during the Feast of Tabernacles but the people seemed to be caught up in the Spirit of Succoth. They began to quote from the Hillel Ps. 118:25-26 directly.

John 12: 13b “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.”

Like the kids in our succah in Tiberias they were shouting out, ‘Lord Save Us!’ while waving the palm branches.
If we read a few verses earlier from this Hillel Psalm we find a mirror of John’s words from the beginning of his book.

Ps. 118:22
The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.
John 1:11
He came to His own and those who were his own did not receive Him.

But did this Son of David, this Galilean claim to be the ‘chief cornerstone’? Yochanan shows us the answer at another Feast of Tabernacles celebration he spent with Jesus. They were in Jerusalem and it was the last day of the feast, the great day.
A joyous procession took place on this final day of Succoth. Water was drawn from the Pool of Siloam and carried by the Priest to the temple where he poured it out upon the altar. In the midst of these joyous festivities John tells us that a voice cries out.

John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
38 “He who believes in Me, as the scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’”

This man stands up and claims to be the answer to the prayers being offered up. As the people pray for rain and as the traditional song from Isaiah 12:3 says “ water from the wells of salvation,” is sung.
A man, whose name, Jesus or Yeshua, means salvation, calls out that he is that living water. He is the fountain of living water spoken of by Isaiah.
A man claims to be in no uncertain terms, the well of salvation, the foundation, the Chief Cornerstone.
Was Jesus thinking of Zechariah or was Zechariah thinking hundreds of years ahead when he wrote:

Zechariah 14:8a And it will come about in that day that living waters will flow out of Jerusalem…

One thing for sure Zechariah was looking forward to the days of Messiah. He had faith that those days would come. He ended his book with an amazing account that I’m sure Yochanan loved to read:

Zechariah 14:16-18 Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.
17 And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them.
18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the Lord smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.

I believe Zechariah was looking even beyond our time when he wrote these words. He was looking to the time of Messiah, to the time when Messiah will tabernacle with us without end, to the time when the Feast of Booths will never end.
So perhaps my unconventional succah holds a special message. A living tabernacle representing our living God who will dwell with us forever and forever, in Hebrew, 'Vaed!'

Questions for Succoth
1. Whenever I see a new palm shoot pointing straight up on the top of a palm tree, I think of the lesson of God’s presence with us. Are there certain examples in nature that make you mindful of God?
2. Read Nehemiah 8:18. The Israelites discovered a tradition which had been lost and immediately began celebrating and practicing it again. Do any of your discoveries of the Biblical Holidays cause you to want to begin celebrating?
3. Read Psalm 113. Can you find Jesus in this Hillel psalm? (verse 6a compare with Phil.2:8.)
4. Read John 15. How can you abide in him even when the Succah is taken down for the year?
5. John 7 takes place during the Feast of Tabernacles. Outline this chapter giving special attention to the days of the Feast.

Chap. 3-Yom Kippur

At the end of Rosh Hashanah, at the ceremony of Tash Lich, we watch the breadcrumbs float away and our hearts rejoice to think of our sins cast away “into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:19). In ten days will be Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and these ten days are spent in preparation.
As volunteers on the kibbutz, my husband and I had very little. Our room had 2 beds, a wardrobe, and one desk. We had brought only what we could carry in our backpacks so sleeping bags became our blankets and jackets, our pillows.
We were surprised and delighted when during these ten days of preparation, we became the recipients of many mitzvahs or good deeds. Tables, blankets, even, an old black and white T.V., were given to us by kindly kibbutzniks. It’s no coincidence that a telethon is held in this season.
Those crumbs may have sunk to the depths of the sea but now a real attempt is made to start off on the right foot and try to do good works. Of course, we’ve all made these attempts. Unfortunately, our resolutions are usually built upon human resolve and like New Year's resolutions through the ages, doomed to fail.
Actually I’d say ten days is just about enough time to realize that once again I won’t make it. These days of repentance, ‘turning around,’ making tishuvi, are pointless without Yom Kippur. When Yom Kippur arrives we are heartily ready for it!

Now I shall have to talk about two different Yom Kippurs, most of which isn’t practiced today. Leviticus gives directions to the priests on the sacrifices to take place on this most holy of days. The priests or Levites chose a special lot-selected goat called the scapegoat. This was the one-day during the year that a priest entered the Holy of Holies, a special veiled place within the tabernacle. He offered the blood from the sacrifice within this holy place. Then the priest would lay his bloodied hands upon the scapegoat and send it off into the wilderness. This scapegoat was selected by lot to bear the iniquities of the people. As it says in Leviticus 16:22;
And the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land, released into the wilderness.
Well, today there is no sacrifice, no temple, no tabernacle… there are Levites but they aren’t priests. As one of my kibbutznik girlfriends explained it, because her father’s family name was Levi, he sometimes did special things in the synagogue. But when I tried to ask her about the blood sacrifice of Yom Kippur and about the scapegoat, she had no idea what I was talking about. “Oh blood sacrifices, that’s a Christian thing,” she said.
Yom Kippur of today is still a solemn ‘Sabbath’ or day of rest so solemn that my girlfriend dreaded it. Fasting from sundown to sundown, no TV, or other entertainment, a long synagogue service, there’s no animal sacrifice, but instead a personal sacrifice of humbling oneself. Fasting, prayer, and gifts of charity have replaced the blood sacrifice and the scapegoat. Much time is spent in the synagogue listening to the Torah (Bible) reading for the day and praying. Yom Kippur ends with the ‘Neilah’ or the 'closing of the gates' service. Some believe this is the last chance to make it into those gates of heaven for the coming year. Then the shofar (trumpet) blasts a long tekia gedolah (great blast) and the gates close, Yom Kippur has ended for another year.
But what about the Kippur, the Atonement? Atonement means reconciliation (forgiveness) for the guilty by divine sacrifice. Where is that scapegoat? An often-used symbol of Yom Kippur is the balancing scales. I know that if I were being judged, I would be like King Belshazzar in Daniel 5:27…
You have been weighed on the scales and been found wanting.
I have a suspicion that most people would agree with me about themselves and if they didn’t agree they would be even more ‘found wanting!’

So how can we hope to tip those scales with humbling ourselves, prayer, and charity? It’s not enough. That’s why there were the blood sacrifices and the scapegoat. The fasting just wasn’t enough to carry those iniquities into the wilderness. We need propitiation, a divine sacrifice, a scapegoat to bear our iniquities and remove them as far as the east is from the west.
Thankfully God has always known our need for atonement and has always provided a sacrifice. There were the animal skins covering Adam and Eve’s nakedness. The ram caught in the bushes given instead of Isaac for Abraham to offer on the altar. But as Abraham spoke prophetically to his son Isaac on the way to the mountain, “God will provide himself a sacrifice.” That Atonement, that scapegoat, that propitiation was yet to come. My kibbutznik friend was mistaken. Blood sacrifice was and is a very important part of Judaism and especially of Yom Kippur.
The scripture reading for Yom Kippur includes Isaiah 58. Isaiah was a prophet of amazing vision and insight. He spoke of things that would happen to his generation and of things that would come many generations later. His words in Chapter 58, verse 1., are perfect for Yom Kippur.
Cry loudly. Do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet,
And declare to my people their transgressions,
And to the house of Jacob their sins.The mention of the shofar reminds us of the repentance of the Feast of Trumpets, of returning to God and turning from our sins.
Then in verse 3-10, Isaiah speaks of the right way to fast, the right motives to have in your heart. This is a wonderful message for Yom Kippur.
But this fasting and humbling isn’t enough. As we read on in Isaiah 59:2…
But your iniquities have made a
Separation between you and your God.
And your sins have hidden His face
From you, so that He does not hear.There is a separation between God and us. A gap, a chasm, our sins keeps us from Him. No matter how hard we try this is not a river we can ford. God, himself must provide the solution, the Kippur, the atonement.
Then in Isaiah 59:16, God gives Isaiah a prophecy of that solution.
And He saw that there was no man,
And was astonished that there was no
one to intercede;
Then His own arm brought salvation to Him;
And His righteous upheld Him.His own arm would bring the solution. The one to intercede, the one to bring salvation, the one to be the scapegoat would be ‘God himself.’
As we continue to read Isaiah’s book, we come to chapter 61. In fact, Jesus was called up to read from Isaiah one Sabbath. He was home for the holiday as any good Jewish boy would be. Attending services in his hometown synagogue, waiting for the fast to end so he could have some of his mother's good cooking. He was becoming a famous prophet and rabbi so the community was delighted to have him read this Sabbath.
Luke 4:16-21 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.
17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach
The gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim re-
Lease to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are downtrodden,
19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”He stops half way through a verse and closes the book as it says in verses 20 and 21.
20 And He closed the book and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon Him.
21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”Which scripture is he referring to?
He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he sent me to proclaim release to the captives recovery of sight to the blind… to set free those who are downtrodden…
He was here to set them free. It is finished. I am here. Heneni, which translates from Hebrew… ‘Here I am.’ I am the atonement, the Kippur. He was claiming to be the atonement. There was no more vengeance. That was over and done.
Jesus is our Kippur. Jesus is our atonement. These words that Jesus spoke about proclaiming liberty to captives, freeing prisoners and binding up the broken hearted. This mirrors the verse from Isaiah 58. These verses spoken on Yom Kippur from Isaiah 58:6
6 “is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free,
And break every yoke?
Today, this has been fulfilled by the Messiah himself!
8 “Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’Heneni! It is finished. It is ended. God provided Himself a sacrifice. Jesus is our scapegoat.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.
Isaiah 59:16 And he saw that there was no man,
And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;
Then His own arm brought salvation to Him;
And His righteousness upheld Him.Thank God that His own arm, his own Messiah has brought salvation.

Group Study Questions for Yom Kippur
1. Read Micah 7:19 and celebrate your own Tash Lich daily. Those sins are gone. How can we keep from fishing for them again? Do you think God ever goes fishing for them?
2. Think of some times when your resolutions have been ‘found wanting.’ Ask God to give you goals instead of setting goals from your own ego or desires. Share!
3. What’s the fast, which God desires? Hints…. Isaiah 58, Psalms 51, Matthew 6:16
4. Study the ‘Here I ams' of the Bible. Discuss their significance.

Chap. 2-Rosh Hashanah

Dip apples in the honey for a sweet new year!
“L’shana tova!” or “Good New Year!” I quickly learned this happy greeting during my first High Holiday season in Israel. The High Holidays begin with Rosh Hashanah or the 'head of the year', and continue till the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, a few weeks later.
This early fall holiday comes after a long summer interlude without any biblical holidays.

On the kibbutz, tables were spread for a glorious outdoor celebration and feast welcoming in the New Year. I should explain what a ‘kibbutz’ is for those who have forgotten from high school Sociology class. A kibbutz is a community of people in Israel who work and live together for the common good. It a commune that actually works! We volunteered on a kibbutz, which had a small factory as well as a farm and was quite prosperous. There were about 800 members and everyone ate together in a spacious dining hall but had separate living quarters. It was a small paradise.


That feast with all those tables set was a beautiful thing to behold. It took a lot of work, but everyone had a part in the preparations and cleanup. After a long, hot summer of toil, this feast was both a reward and a blessing.


Rosh Hashanah is considered the Jewish New Year. Once on the kibbutz, I was babysitting for an American kibbutznik, who had an Israeli husband. She wanted to go out on December 31st and celebrate New Years Eve. Her husband protested saying, “this is not our New Year. Ours is Rosh Hashanah!” Well, needless to say, they went out, but he was right!


Personally, I think it’s actually a much better time for New Year celebration. The new school year is beginning, and summer break has ended. What better time to start again, to reassess, to return to our hopes and dreams.


I know it’s not the beginning of our calendar but it’s not the beginning of the Jewish calendar either. Which, by the way, is different than ours. That is why all the holidays seem to come on a different day each year. Theirs is based on the cycles of the moon. You always get a lovely new moon for Rosh Hashanah. It was beautiful at the kibbutz feast.


It’s also not the beginning of the Torah reading for the year. This New Year celebration is a spiritual New Year.


Another name for this holiday, as seen in Lev. 23:23 is the Feast of Trumpets. Now, this trumpet isn’t like the common band instrument. The trumpet or ‘shofar’ in Hebrew is literally a horn, a ram’s horn. Some are short, some long but all are curved and all come from an animal which has died. Unlike antlers, which shed each year, there’s only one way to get a horn and that’s by the death of the animal.
The shofar’s blast is the key element of this holiday. There’s nothing like that clear call of the ram’s horn breaking through the dark, announcing the New Year. It sure beats banging on pots and pans.
Although the shofar has no keys like a modern trumpet, it can make a variety of sounds. The first is a kind of a blast. The Hebrew word for this blast is “tek’ and has the same root word as ‘shout.’ That blast from the shofar is a sort of a shout. The second sound is a series of broken notes, short and staccato. This in Hebrew is called ‘shevarim.’ Next, the ‘teruah’ or alarm starts on a lower octave and rises up. Finally, we have the great blast or ‘teki gedolah.’ This blast lasts as long as the shofar player can continue on one breath. It’s amazing to hear how long some players can hold this note. The voice of the shofar shouts its message into the heavens.


Just as the shofar has a variety of sounds, it has a variety of messages to proclaim. In Exodus 19:13, 16, and 19, the ram’s horn is sounded with a ‘long blast’ or ‘tekia gedolah’ on the third day proclaiming God’s presence and assembling the people to the Mountain of the Lord. The “blowing of trumpets” in Leviticus 23:24 is announcing the feast. The judge Ehud blows the shofar in Judges 3:27 to gather the nation for a great victory. Nehemiah uses the trumpet as an alert against the enemy in Nehemiah 4:8. In I Kings 1:34, King David has the shofar blown to herald the new King, his son Solomon. The voice of the shofar filled its hearers with fear, awe, and expectation.


Rosh Hashanah is a time of joy, hope, and return. It is a time to heed the shofar’s voice and return to God. The watchword or theme for this High Holiday is 'tshuvi.' 'Tshuvi' or to make ‘tshuvi’ means to return to God. It’s a time of reflection, repentance, and re-gathering. We reflect on the past year and our shortcomings and sins. We repent of our past actions and look hopefully towards the coming year. Called together by the shofar’s warning, we re-gather and return to Him.


Isaiah 27:12-13
And it will come about in that day, that the Lord will start His threshing from the flowing stream of the Euphrates to the brook of Egypt; and you will be gathered up one by one, O sons of Israel. It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown; and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.Called together from the threshing floor, from Egypt, perishing and scattered, called by the great trumpet to come and worship the Lord, in his holy mountain.


There is much hope surrounding this holiday. We dip apples in honey with hopes of a sweet prosperous new year. We hope that our names are inscribed in the book of life. We make round challah, the sweet Sabbath bread. It’s circular shape symbolizing the continuation of life in this New Year. We throw crumbs from that challah into the sea in hopes that our sins will be far removed from us. This tradition is called Tashlich and is performed at the end of the holiday.
But for me the hope of Rosh Hashanah comes from the shofar. A sweet Jewish woman named Hannah tells of the hope.


Hannah was barren. The one desire of her heart was for a child. Her prayers were answered and she was blessed with Samuel, her first born. Once Samuel was weaned she gave him to the Lord to live and work in the temple.
Immediately after she gave up her heart’s desire, her son to the Lord, Hannah was given a prayer, a prophetic prayer.I Samuel 2:1-10
Then Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord,
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Thy salvation.
There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, there is no one besides Thee,
Nor is there any rock like our God.......


......The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
And He will give strength to His king,
And will exalt the horn of His anointed.”




In the first verse, Hannah speaks of a horn being exalted and lifted up in the Lord. Then in the last verse of her prophecy, she speaks again of this horn as an anointed King. The word, anointed one, in Hebrew is Messiah, in Aramaic, Christ.


Who is this horn that brings so much hope to the people?


Zacharias knew! He too had experienced childlessness. He too gave up his long hoped for child, his heart’s desire to the Lord. Instead of naming his child, Zacharias, after himself as was the established custom for a firstborn son, he gave the child the name the angel had given him, Yochanon or John. John means “Yahweh has been gracious.” The Lord gives gifts that are undeserved.
Then like Hannah, Zacharias was given a prayer, a prophetic prayer.Luke 1:68-79
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited us and accomplished
Redemption for His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of David His servant-
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old-
71 Salvation from our enemies,
And from the hand of all who hate us;
72 To show mercy toward our fathers,
And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
74 To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation
By the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high shall visit us,
79 To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Verses 68 and 69 speak once again of this horn, this horn full of redemption and salvation. This horn will bring a ceasing of fear as it says in verse 74. It will bring forgiveness of sins in verse 77 and be a guide into the ways of peace, verse 79.
Zacharias knew that his son John was not this horn but would go before this horn and prepare his way, verse 76.
The desire of Zacharias was for a son but his heart’s desire was for Messiah to come.

Israel was living under Roman rule and many looked to the hope of Messiah to save Israel. Maybe Zacharias was expecting a conquering ruling king, a Messiah of political and military strength but remember our shofar....


This horn was curved and bending to the will of the Father. This horn came from a slain ram. This horn was ‘exalted’ or in other words ‘lifted up’ but it was not yet blown.


The shofar is a beautiful symbol of the Anointed One, Messiah Jesus Christ. He came to do God’s Will; he bent himself to the will of the Father. As it says in the Psalms, “I come to do thy will, oh God." The gospels share Jesus’ word, “I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 5:30b) and “Not my will but Thine be done.” (Luke 22:42b). Even when he taught us to pray he said, “Thy will be done.” (Matthew 6:10).
The curve in the shofar reflects this bending of Messiah. Having the voice, the word of total authority but choosing to be a humble servant.Philippians 2:5-8
Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.Jesus was perfectly bent to the will of the Father.


When Abraham showed himself willing to give up his son, Isaac as a sacrifice to God, God provided himself as an offering.


Genesis 22:8-14
8 And Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there, and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
12 And he said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”


There in the bushes, caught by the horns, was a ram. Abraham sacrificed this ram on the altar instead of his son.

The shofar is a ram’s horn, a reminder of the sacrifice. The blood of goats and sheep is no longer shed for an offering. God has provided himself a sacrifice.

Yochanon, Zacharias’ son or as he was later called John the Baptist called Jesus “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." Jesus, our Messiah, gave himself as the perfect sacrifice to end all sacrifices. But more on that at Yom Kippur!


Zacharias speaks of this horn being exalted and perhaps he thought the Messiah would immediately be a ruling King.

But Messiah said, “if I be lifted up from the Earth, I will draw all men unto me.’ (John 12:32). He was lifted up, lifted up on a cross and all will be drawn unto him.


In Matthew 24:31, Jesus speaks of the Tekia ha Golah, the Great Trumpet blast and his elect being gathered together from one end of the sky to the other. Is. 27:12-13 also speaks of this gathering up at the great trumpet. All those perishing and scattered will be brought together to come and worship in Jerusalem.

I Cor.15: 52, our friend Paul writes of the last Trumpet, that long blast which seems to break open the heavens.…in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.Again in I Thes. 4:16a, Paul tells of the Lord, Himself descending with a shout (tekia) with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God…Study Isaiah 40:10, Revelation 22: 7 & 12, Hebrews 10:9, Psalms 40:7-8. All of these verses mirror the voice of the Messiah as he returns with a shout;Behold I come, as it is written in the Word.
Behold I come to do Thy Will, oh God.


So what is this great shofar announcing? Why all the fuss? Remember the uses of the shofar…
Announcing of a feast, gathering the nation, heralding the new king, alerting against the enemy, proclaiming God’s presence…
This shofar encompasses all the uses in one long blast. It alerts us against our enemy, sin, which like the crumbs for Tachlich in Micah 7:19 have been cast ‘into the depths of the sea.’
The voice of the shofar shouts out of God’s presence in our lives, that the ruling master of sin’s chains, have been broken and God can be in communion with us.


“Wake up, get ready, the long wait is over, the king is come!” It calls us together to re-gather as a nation as one body. The shofar is a herald of the new King, the Anointed One, Messiah, Christ Jesus.
And finally as in Rev. 19:9, it announces the feast, the wedding supper of the lamb.
The long wait and toil are finished. The king has returned and the table has been set for a feast of reward and blessing. Maranatha! (Our Lord, come!)
Questions for Rosh Hashanah
1. Remember, that Rosh Hashanah comes after a long hot summer, the longest wait between holidays during the year. Some say that we are in a time of waiting now. Waiting for our king to return… What do you think Rosh Hashanah represents in light of this?
2. Habakkuk 3:2 says ‘Oh Lord revive Thy work in the midst of the years
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy.’
Why would this be a good verse for Rosh Hashanah?
3. Lamentations 5:21 says, ‘Turn thou us unto thee O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.’
Jeremiah wrote this soon after the city of Jerusalem had been destroyed on August 15, 586B.C. Do you think he had Rosh Hashanah on his mind?

Chapter One - Wild Olives

“Mommy, Michael’s Jewish like us!” My five year old commented as we walked by his friend’s house. That simple statement is what makes me feel qualified to write this book. But I’ll explain to you like I explained to my son, “No honey, we’re not Jewish, we love the holidays, and the people, and Israel but we’re not Jewish.”
“You mean we’re Gentiles!?” he asked a little disgustedly.

My son isn’t the first one to think our family is Jewish. When we lived in Israel many neighbors tried to convince us of our Jewishness.
“You celebrate the holidays, you light the Sabbath candles, you love God…you’re Jewish!”
“But remember we believe Yeshua, Jesus is the Messiah…”
“So, nobody’s perfect.”

Well, we are not Jewish and that’s because of our heritage not because of our belief in the Messiah. I have many Jewish friends who do believe Jesus is the Messiah, and yet, they are still very Jewish. The question is why aren’t we, Gentiles who believe in this Jewish Messiah, more Jewish? Why did the Christian Church give up the Jewishness of Christianity? Heck, we started as a small sect of Judaism. The church centers around this Jewish Messiah, Jesus, who celebrated the holidays, had a very Jewish mother, and even had the only Bar Mitzvah ever mentioned in the Bible.
This sect was continued by a band of Jews who, at first, required those that joined to convert. They had to have a conference to decide whether or not to allow gentiles into The Way. Thankfully, we were allowed and welcomed. Soon we even became the majority, but lost our Jewish roots.
The Jewish holidays are really the Biblical holidays and the beauty, there in, is something that should not be missed. Jesus celebrated these holidays and you shall see that he IS these holidays. His life, death, resurrection, and even his return are seen and foretold within them. They are pictures, reflections of Jesus, our Messiah or in Greek, Christ or in English, the Anointed One.

Let me introduce you to another nice Jewish boy, Paul the apostle, or St. Paul, or his Hebrew name Saul. Paul was “a Hebrew of Hebrews.” (Phil. 3:5) Zealous and righteous, well educated, he loved the Torah, the Law, and the Prophets. He was also a writer and wrote a wonderful letter to us, Gentiles called Romans.
In Romans 10:19, Paul gives us one of the reasons we, Gentiles (nations other than Israel and Judah) were brought to the light of Messiah, Jesus.
He quotes from Moses and Isaiah:
19. I will make you (Israel) jealous by that which is not a nation
By a nation without understanding will I anger you
20. And Isaiah is very bold and says
“I was found by those who sought Me not
I became manifest to those who did not ask for me.

So we are saved, in part, as a means to make Israel jealous. We found Messiah, because of God’s love for us, but also because of God’s love for Israel, in order to make them long for God once again. Just let me say, “It works.”
It works especially when a Jewish person sees a Gentile like me get totally into the Biblical holidays. I love the holidays because God gave them to me. But, it’s cool to see Him use this love of mine to make a Jew long for Him.

Another point Paul wanted us, Gentiles to get was where our roots are…

Romans 11:17 and 18
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.

We are but wild olive branches grafted into the rich root of a cultivated tree, that tree being Judaism, Israel, the Torah, our Father God, Elohim Himself. Drinking deeply from these roots, we will discover the beauty of the Biblical Holidays. Like Paul, we can see how these roots point to the Messiah. Unlike Paul, we can have a special thankfulness that we, Gentiles have been grafted into the Olive Tree.

Questions for Chapter One

1. Read Acts 22:3-21 to find out more about this man, Paul. Who was he?
2. Notice in verses 17 and 19 of Acts 22 that the temple and synagogues are mentioned. Who was worshipping in these places? Why?
3. Acts 15:1-21 is about the debate over whether or not Gentiles should convert to Judaism. How does the fact that this debate even took place make you feel?
4. Read Romans 11:11. Can you accept this statement that salvation has come to the Gentile in part to make the Jew jealous for God? Does this bring some new insight into your purpose in life?
5. Romans 11:25 and 26 speaks of the Olive tree. How can we stay grafted to this cultivated olive tree?