“One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks,” Romans 14:5-6.

More and more, I see believers quoting Hebrew feasts, their names, and a myriad of dates that many seem to follow.

And yet I know and believe in the “finished” work of Jesus, and that “finished” work doesn’t mean that I have to observe certain days, customs, or a quandary of names associated with them.

I have no problem with those who profess these things, and I realize the origin and beauty in their recognition of them. But my focus, is only in what Jesus, Yeshua, has done for me, and who He is.

I don’t have to refer to Him by His Hebrew name to know who He is to me. I don’t have to refer to God as Yah, or Yahweh, although again, I know of the origin of His name. I know “HIM.”

Many I believe, go overboard in their zeal proclaiming these things, almost like an Amway salesman. The feasts were given to our spiritual fathers to point us “to Christ.” They were a shadow of what was to come. And yet the feasts were ordained by God, and they were a good thing. But Christ is better than the “shadows.”

While the Israelites were in the wilderness it became quite difficult for them to observe each and every festival and sacred assembly. Some were ignored and for decades and years, as there wasn’t always a consistent practice of many of them. Years and years later, the Pharisees and Sadducees helped point the people towards a more regular practice of them.

The law of Moses regulated almost every aspect of Jewish life. The Ten Commandments and several other laws, defined the aspects of morals, government, and just about every other aspects of one’s life. It required animal sacrifices, male circumcision, tithing, property rights, unclean and clean animals, and a whole host of other categories.

Jesus didn’t abolish the moral or ethical laws that had been in effect since the time of Moses. However, He rather expanded those rules and laws and said that the matters of the heart were even more important. In contrast to the dietary rules of the Law, Jesus said no food can defile a person; it is bad attitudes and actions that can make a person unholy (Matthew 15:1-20, Mark 7:1-23).

Jesus frequently criticized the scribal laws (Matthew 23:23, Mark 7:11-13) and some aspects of the civil law (John 8:3-5,10-11)

We need to remember that Jesus is the “fulfillment of the law.” The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross ended the need of animal sacrifices and other ceremonial laws.

Jesus taught during Passover and the feast of Tabernacles, but He continually pointed the people to the “living waters” rather than to the law. The only festival that Jesus commanded was to, “do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24).

Paul does quote 1 Corinthians 5:8 when he says, therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Then in verse 6, he writes, “Don’t you know that a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough?” This proverb is similar to a modern one: “One rotten apple can ruin the whole bunch.”

If Paul had written that, he would have been comparing rot to sin, indicating that rot must be removed before it spreads. In a similar metaphor in verse 6, Paul is comparing yeast to sin — and sin, if it’s not corrected, can spread through the whole community.

So therefore, since Christ has been sacrificed for us, let us do away with the “old leaven.” Actually, our relationship with Christ is a continual festival, and not necessarily an adherence to certain feast days.

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: we have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, see, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord,” Hebrews 8:1-9.

 

Selah,
~ Stephen Hanson

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Stephen Hanson of In His Truth Ministries came to the LORD is a special way in 1975 and has prophesied regularly since. In these end-time birthing pangs we are reminded that judgment must first begin with the household of God. Will we be prepared and ready?

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