September 14, 2023: Yom Teruah: Contrite Before YAH, Chazak Before Circumstances
Yom Teruah, also known as the Feast of Trumpets, is a two-day Jewish celebration of the New Year that begins at sundown. It is observed on the first and second days of the Jewish month of Tishrei, which is the first month in the civil calendar. This year, it will start tonight, the evening of Thursday, September 14th, and end at sundown on Friday, September 15th. It is a day of rest. Yom Teruah is the biblical name for this holy day.
How do we prepare for Yom Teruah?
23Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord."
Leviticus 23:23-25
Yom Teruah is a time set apart to take stock of our spiritual condition, and make the necessary changes for the up coming year.
The Jewish people take this time to do a spiritual preparation for Yom Kippur, where they believe the Book of Life is opened and ADONAI will make important decisions on their behalf, for the year to come. And the decisions are influenced by their obedience to His commandments.
Indeed the Feasts are portals of a deeper connection to receive blessings, mainly because we are justified by the faith in the atonement of YESHUA and obeying His commandments.
"Here is the perseverance of the saints —those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Yeshua." Revelation 14:12
Why do we celebrate the Feasts?
It's a prophetic vision of the Father's heart and His plan of provision for us.
He wants us to celebrate it with Him, just as YESHUA celebrated it, while He was here on the earth.
We are called to follow and fulfill the commandments and plans the LORD has for us to accomplish.
"Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the commandments." Proverbs 29:18
A phrase repeated frequently in the Word of God, is the word Chazak, which means "Strive and be brave. To strengthen oneself inwardly by acquiring courage and confidence." This exhortation in Joshua 1:6-9 involves a profound teaching about the courage required to obey the LORD and to follow His commands in order for us to live a prosperous life:
"6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7“Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:6-9
Obedience to ADONAI involves a determined effort of will. While "brave" comes from the root word in Hebrew "amats", which is related to being daring or facing fear, being mentally alert.
As Joshua 1:9 says, "Do not be afraid or frightened, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
It refers to the courage that it takes to face dangers, in the fear of ADONAI rather than of men.
Psalm 27:3: "Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident."
We see that obedience to God requires spiritual strength that is acquired with training, not feelings that come and go. As it says in Isaiah 35:3-4
"3Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you.”
What's the purpose of Yom Teruah?
1) To bring us closer to ADONAI, because it's His appointed feast, His appointed time.
2) It's a time of regathering, bringing unity in the body of Messiah; To gather with a pure heart and faith in ADONAI. There is power and strength in unity to encourage one another to walk in the ways of the LORD.
3) We sound the shofar, firstly as a sounding of the alarm to repent and return to the ancient paths and follow the ways of ADONAI.
"This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16
Secondly, the sound of the shofar opens the portals of heaven for special fellowship with the King of Kings, High Priest and Judge to come!
For us as Believers in YESHUA HA'MASHIACH, He is honored at this time for being our atonement for sins. Reverencing Him even more, because He is our Advocate and Redeemer. Most importantly, we are to praise Him for His mercy towards us.
In Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets) we receive a better judgment, because of the price that YESHUA paid for us on the cross.
"22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the congregation of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Yeshua the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel." Hebrews 12:22-24
4) To remember the Voice of ADONAI, we blow the shofar to declare His faithfulness in forgiving us of all our iniquities.
His Voice continues to declare His love towards us! The blood of YESHUA ecos that declaration over us today! It speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. The blood of Yeshua cries out on our behalf, for forgiveness, breakthroughs, judgment for mercy, and so much more!
YESHUA is seated on the Mercy Seat, next to the Father!
The Shofar is then blown in 4 different notes. And so prophetically too, on Rosh Hashana all Israel is to appear before the King of Kings, with the sounding of the shofar, which is a "wake up" call to hear the voice of ADONAI!
On Yom Teruah, there are two shofars that are sounded:
The first one is the Ram's Horn.
It's a short shofar, that resembles the mooing/crying of a bull or cow being sacrificed.
In the Torah, when the animal is sacrificed, the sin was spoken over the head of the animal, representing our sins.
Just as the ram represents the atonement for sin, in the same way the binding of Isaac is the Torah portion that is usually read during this feast. The faith of Abraham was tested and it was accounted to him as righteousness, as it states in James 2:23 "And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God."
Just as our father Abraham believed in the provision of the ram, at Mount Moriah, we have assurance of the provision of YESHUA!
Chazak! Strength! We humble ourselves and are contrite in heart before Him, yet strong (Chazak) and courageous in faith, regarding our circumstances.
The second shofar is the Kudu Shofar, which has the sound of a loud piercing blast, just like in the passage of Exodus, where the people gathered at Mount Sinai, to receive the 10 commandments.
However, the shofar also works as a weapon of praise and honor to the LORD! A shout of victory over the enemy!
The "accuser of the brethren", is working very hard to accuse us, right now.
Because of this, we are encouraged to read Psalm 47 and the book of Job on Yom Teruah.
The accuser of Job was confronted and defeated because Job always praised ADONAI through his trials.
We too are tested in different ways, but it's in these trying times that the character of our hearts are revealed and it awakens us to the fact that we can't live life without ADONAI. This then opens up the opportunity for us to come before Him with praises, demonstrating that our trust is in HIM, in His love and mercy, even though we may not understand the circumstances.
"But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls." Hebrews 10:39
Therefore the shofar blast is an unconditional praise to ADONAI. It doesn't matter what the situation may look like. It may seem like you're loosing the battle, but we know that through HIM we can do ALL THINGS, and NONE of His plans can be frustrated! Just like Job. And through the blast of the shofar we declare praises to our King and Judge! In YESHUA'S MIGHTY NAME! AMEN!
If you don't have a shofar or ram's horn and are looking to purchase one to celebrate the Feasts, you can order your SHOFAR OF PRAISE at our Lion of Judah Judaica Store today!
If you would like to give a Feast Offering to support our ministry, we will send you a JUDAICA GIFT as a
Thank You!
We encourage you to let the sound of the shofar be heard in your home, on Yom Teruah, even if you don't have a shofar! Why? Because the SOUND of the shofar, brings VICTORY into our homes and into our lives!
Below is a video of the shofar being played. You can play it on any device.
Let the resounding sound of the shofar be heard in your home this Rosh Hashana, bringing VICTORIES and BREAKTHROUGHS into every situation of your life!
All prophets, apostles and feasts point to YESHUA. And He calls us to celebrate His plan for mankind, the grafted-in believers in the olive tree together as ONE NEW MAN, with Israel, according to Ephesians 2:11-17.
The feasts teach the nature of ADONAI. He loves celebrations! And He is the One Who is inviting us. Therefore we should celebrate it with newness of heart!
16"So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival [Feasts of the LORD] or a new moon [Rosh Chodesh] or Shabbats, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Messiah." Colossians 2:16-17
It was thought by replacement theology that you shouldn't celebrate the feasts, because they belong to the Jewish people only. But these are the Feasts of ADONAI, and are a shadow of things to come! It's the reality of YESHUA'S sacrifice and return to the earth. So enjoy it and rejoice in His Presence!
Shana Tova Umetukah & Gamar Hatima Tova!
Which means "Happy Sweet New Year" and "May you be inscribed in the Book of Life".
Hatima means signature. We are so grateful that YESHUA has signed our name with His blood, in the Book of Life!
Yom Kippur will be coming up, shortly after Rosh Hashana, on the 10th of Tishrei (September 24th, 2023).
Please pray for the salvation of our Jewish people and for peace in Jerusalem. That when they cry out "Give us a Redeemer" on Yom Kippur, that YESHUA will be revealed by the Holy Spirit, through His Word, and the scales removed from their eyes!
16“Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. 17“Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you." Deuteronomy 16:16-17
We want to THANK EACH ONE OF YOU who have given so generously to our ministry here at RESTORE ISRAEL MINISTRY. You are a VITAL PART of this work, through your prayers and financial support!
THANK YOU to those who have given ONE TIME GIFTS and those who are FAITHFULY committing to PARTNERING with us on a MONTHLY BASIS, in order to help us maintain this ministry that the LORD has entrusted to us.
Even though you are not able to come up to Jerusalem at this time, to celebrate the Feasts, you can still be part of the celebration by bringing in and sowing your financial gifts for ADONAI, through the work that is being done in the lives of our people, as the LORD leads you to do so.
Please remember that your continued prayers and financial gifts are very important for the work of the LORD!
Thank you for partnering with us!
May ADONAI bless you favorably with health, joy and the sweet Presence of His shalom in the coming year,
The Elia Family & Restore Israel Team
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