Reading Scripture is an important part of preparing for any of the Biblical holidays! Since the Creator's holidays don't get the hype of the cultural ones with sections of decorations in stores or songs on the radio, saturating yourself in the pertinent Scriptures is a great way to build anticipation for these special times and to calibrate yourself to our Creator's calendar! Here are Scriptures to read for Yom Kippur. They would also be great to study on the day of or to have children act out as part of the festivities.
Yom Kippur Scripture Reading List:
Leviticus 16 - instructions for Yom Kippur.
Leviticus 23:27-32 - talks about Yom Kippur being a day of rest.
Numbers 29:7-11 - details the offerings to be presented to YHWH.
Psalm 32 - a Psalm about the blessings of having our sins be covered.
Isaiah 53 - prophecy of the Messiah being killed for our sins.
Jonah - this is traditionally read on Yom Kippur. The topic of repentance and forgiveness coincides with this set apart time.
Acts 27:9 - here is a mention of New Testament believers paying attention to the Biblical holidays, long after Yahusha ascended into Heaven.
Romans 5 - the Messiah's blood justifies us, and we are forgiven of our sins through him.
Hebrews 9-10 - this is a passage with many details on the Messiah's sacrifice and priesthood. It also calls for perseverance of our faith.
Hebrews 13:11-13 - talks about how the Levitical high priest would offer sacrifices on Yom Kippur and compares that to the Messiah's work. Calls our attention to Yahusha's priesthood over the Levitical.
1 Peter 1:2 - says that we are sprinkled with the Messiah's blood.
1 Peter 2:24 - says that the Messiah bore our iniquities on the tree and quotes from Isaiah 53.
1 John 2:2 - the Messiah is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Is it legalism to celebrate the Biblical holidays?
If you are someone that keeps the Creator's set apart times, then chances are good that someone has told you that you're being legalistic. Or maybe you've heard about the Biblical holidays but you've always thought keeping them would be akin to picking up a giant burden of legalism?
I have been told by many well-meaning Believers that celebrating Passover, Sukkot, and the rest of the feasts is a burden that is just too heavy to bear. And that sure, while it's in the Bible, YHWH never intended us to be so excessive as to actually observe these times. And to be honest, I guess I used to feel that way too. But that was before I started celebrating. Now that I have experienced these things for myself and know the joy that comes from that I wouldn't want to go back to ignoring the times Scripture says to set apart. I don't find anything legalistic, overbearing, or unpleasant about them. It is meaningful and joyful to celebrate the holidays given to us by the Creator.
Every year I marvel at how many churches and ministries have special events going on during the Feasts. There are retreats and fall festivals during Sukkot. Ice cream socials and special worship nights happen on Shavuot. Every year a church down the road from us has a beef and noodle dinner (unintentionally) on Yom Teruah.
I could literally give you a hundred examples of things like this. Churches host potlucks and concerts. Youth groups camp out during Sukkot. Ministries have fund raising events or volunteer appreciation night. Does anyone think going to one of these things is being legalistic?
Really, do you think it's legalism to put together a special event? What if it's an event intended to honor YHWH or to bring his people together? Do you feel like that's something that shouldn't be done or something that the Creator wouldn't want?
If you don't currently celebrate the Biblical holidays, you should know that the celebrations are a lot like the above events. A night of worship, a beef and noodle dinner, or carnival activities would all be great ways to spend one of the set apart times...and if you don't have a problem with doing those things at other times of year, why is it a problem to do them when Scripture tells us to?
Recently there was a social media post by a popular Christian author about how excited she was for Labor Day and how she could get behind any holiday that calls for a day off. Well good news for her, there are seven days in Scripture where we are told to rest. (In addition to the weekly Sabbath.)
I truly believe that our Creator put a longing deep within each of us to celebrate his festivals, and that's why people go so nuts for Fall, are overjoyed at the thought of Springtime approaching, and are so ready for summer by the end of May...these are all times he has set apart for us. But if we don't know what his holidays are, or if we have believed the lie that these days are somehow bad, then that desire might end up manifesting as a love for pumpkin spice lattes, cute sweaters, and the leaves changing colors, or being excited for Labor Day. That longing is there for a purpose and The Creator has more for us at these times of year.
More on the Biblical set apart times:
You are invited to keep the Feasts!
What are the Biblical holidays?
Celebrate Yom Teruah
Honoring Yom Kippur as a Believer in Messiah
Why I started celebrating the Biblical holidays
It's beginning to feel - just a little - like autumn. As the transition from summertime to the fall happens there is an undeniable excitement in the air. While most of the country would say that's because of pumpkin spice lattes, football season, and cozy sweaters, I can't help but see that the Creator intended this autumn anticipation to be for his set apart times.
Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot are coming up soon. Those ten days were created for spiritual significance and also as a time of tremendous joy! While many of us have been told that keeping the feasts is a burden too heavy to bear, I'm just not convinced of that. Vacation days, outdoor time in the beautiful fall weather, cookouts with delicious foods, bouts of laughter with friends and family, travel, relaxing evenings in the starlight, spiritual growth...those are things to celebrate.
The Creator invites you to these special moments of joy with him. Here are a few things you can do to start preparing.
Six things you can do today to get ready for the Fall Feasts:
Prepare your calendar. If you don't know when the upcoming feasts are then now is the time to find out! Different groups use different calendars, pick one and go with it. Then free yourself up to celebrate! Put in for time off from work, let teachers know when your kids will be out of school, don't plan any major home projects, and clear other commitments from your schedule if need be. The most common dates that Land of Honey readers go by can be found here.
Make plans. How do you want to spend these holidays? Do you have a congregation nearby? Can you pitch in with planning for a group celebration? Would you like to travel to spend time with like minded believers? Now is the time to see about meeting with others. You could throw a stargazing party and invite friends and family to learn more about the feasts. Or you could take a camping trip for Sukkot. Whether home or away, you can plan for festive dinners, times of Scripture study, and fun activities and games throughout the feast times.
Study to learn about Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. Studying helps to build anticipation and excitement and there's always something new to be learned about YHWH's set apart times, no matter if you've celebrated before or not. Read through Leviticus 23 or do a word study on 'teruah' or learn what the Messiah had to say during Sukkot. You could also delve into a book such as Eddie Chumeny's The Seven Festivals of the Messiah.
Plan your sukkah. Once you've decided how to spend Sukkot, take some time to go over the logistics. Where are you going to put your sukkah? Will you need supplies to make it? If you'll be camping in a tent or camper, double check that your tent, sleeping bags, etc. are in good repair. If you're traveling away from home, make a packing list. Is the weather looking to be especially chilly or hot? Plan your supplies accordingly.
Shop and prep for fun stuff. Honestly, get ready to have some fun! What special foods would you like to make or order? How about ordering or creating decorations for your celebrations? If you have kids, look into crafts and activities for them related to the feasts. Do you want to give gifts or maybe get a special Sukkot shirt for yourself? Do you need camping supplies or extra groceries? Make a list of what you need and get to the store or order those items to avoid the headache and hassle of squeezing it in at the last minute.
Take time to spiritually prepare. What would being emotionally and spiritually prepared for the feasts look like to you? Would it be studying the Scriptures to be as familiar as possible with these set apart times? Or taking some time to evaluate the past few months or year and setting goals for the season ahead? What about addressing emotional pain with the help of a counselor? Pray and ask YHWH what he is doing in your life at this time. I would also recommend taking some time to process these questions, and discussing them as a family or with someone supportive.
You still have plenty of time to plan to celebrate the Biblical holidays this fall! Even if you feel like you don't know what you're doing, I would encourage you to just start somewhere. Each year you celebrate one of YHWH's times you learn and grow! Don't miss out on these significant times to our Creator.
"Let everyone who names the name of the Messiah depart from breaking the Torah." -2 Timothy 2:19
Take a second to ponder that verse...if you serve the Messiah, it's time for you to stop violating his commandments.
It's worth noting that this is a New Testament verse. This instruction isn't just for people in Bible times or those before the Messiah. Paul wrote his letters to Timothy years after the Messiah ascended into Heaven. This verse is talking to you and me.
If we are going to follow the Messiah, then it's time for us to do what we can to stop breaking his commandments. This isn't about doing everything perfectly or being held to an impossible standard. This is about intentionally taking steps to honor the Creator.
I like the use of "depart" in this verse because it makes me think of departing for a journey. When you prepare for a trip you are intentional, you make plans for visiting this new place. You've carefully considered the weather and what you'll need to pack. The Messiah is asking you to step out on a new journey with him. Have you thought about what you'll need to do to depart? What would it look like for your faith to grow in this way?
What would it take for you to depart from breaking his commandments? Do you need to study Scripture to see what those instructions are? Are you feeling challenged to start taking the Sabbath day seriously? Would practical ideas for showing love to others help? Make plans for your departure now. And once you've set out on this journey keep looking at the map! The Creator does not expect you to figure it all out at once so keep growing and making changes as you continue to study the word.
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