Yom Ri-shon, Tammuz 14, 6002 – July 9, 2017
Comfort In The Feasts
Many people speak of comfort foods – cakes, pies, ice cream, etc. These have high sugar and carbohydrate content. They are sweet to the taste. When we consume them they taste good and the content makes us “feel good” for the moment. It is not bad to enjoy good or fun foods. Eating is meant to be a celebration with those with whom you dine. But one thing to consider is this – if this type of eating comforts our human fleshly bodies, is this a type for another eating that comforts us on another level? The scriptures suggest that there may well be – the feasts of Yahuah (Lord).
Leviticus 23:1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
The “feasts” here are not necessarily referring to eating in the sense of consuming food in the physical world. This word in Hebrew is “mo-ed” and means appointed times and/or signals or signs. How important are they? We see in Genesis that they are very important.
Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
The lights in the heaven are for seasons – mo-ed. So these feasts, these apoointed times and signals, should bring us comfort. How can they do this? Paul spoke of it, quoting Nahum and Isaiah.
Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Isaiah explains how it was the time of the revealing of the feasts to Israel during the Exodus that this good news was revealed. It was at the time of the Exodus that our Father revealed His name – Yahuah (Lord) – to the children of Israel.
Isaiah 52:1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
4 For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
So, Paul was saying that it is important to have someone that brings good tidings and publishes peace. Nahum tells us how.
Nahum 1:15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.
We see that the gospel of God that the Messiah preached was that Yahuah was on our side, cutting off the wicked one. The revelation of the name Yahuah is very important to our comfort in this story. Isaiah stated this.
Isaiah 45:21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Paul quoted Isaiah twice from this passage. The first was in regard to what any one man does. We are to judge not another person for what they do regarding anything related to God. Not because everything is okay, but because each person has to answer for themselves to the Father, in the courtrooms of heaven each one answers for what they do.
Romans 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
The second time had to do with the name Yahuah. Paul wrote of this to the Philippians, again quoting this same scripture.
Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
If this were said in the Hebrew and translated, using both the Hebrew for the name Jesus and the name for Lord, we would get this:
Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Yeshuah every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Messiah Yeshuah is Yahuah, to the glory of God the Father.
This is also why Paul says each person must work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.
Today, be comforted that our Father is on our side.
Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are King! Praise the name Yahuah! Bless the name Yahuah! Let Your will be done in this earth as it is in heaven. You are our King, Father, You alone are our King! Send us today Your overwhelming blessing of provision. Forgive us our trespasses and transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have trespassed and transgressed against us. We wish to publish peace. Hear our cries, Father, for the gods of Egypt and powers of darkness are oppressing Your people. Cut them off from our midst and forever from the earth. Deliver us from this evil. Heal us from the inside. Cleanse our hearts and minds, and fill them with thoughts and memories of only You. Restore unto Your people all that has been taken or held back in any way, one hundredfold. Let us rejoice in the day and the evening, trusting that on the morrow we will be free wealthy people, as in the days of the first Exodus. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.