Shabbat Midrash (Teaching) Outlines

Historical Background

• Unlike Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur has a specific biblical reference to its name
• Leviticus 23:26-32
• Long considered most Holy Day on the Jewish calendar
• Once a year, on this very day, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the entire nation
• Yom Kippur illustrates regeneration for those who follow God's way of atonement
• Lev 16 - Details of the ceremony: Adonai is instructing Moshe concerning how Aaron is to enter the Holy of Holies and make the sacrifices necessary for both himself, his household and the nation of Israel
• Aaron is to take a bath and put on the holy garments - tunic, linen shorts, linen sash, linen turban
• Aaron is to take 2 male goats - cast lots to determine which one is for Adonai and which one is for Az'azel (scapegoat)
• The one whose lot fell to Adonai is to be sacrificed as a sin offering
• The one whose lot fell to Az'azel is to be presented alive before Adonai - Aaron is to lay his hands on its head, pronounce the sins and trangressions of Israel over it and send it away into the desert (someone is designated to lead it out and release it)
• Aaron is then to remove the holy garments, make a burnt offering for himself and the people
• The remains of both the bull and goat are to be taken outside the camp and burned
• What was begun on the first of Tishri, repentance and self-evaluation, was completed on the tenth of the month with atonement and regeneration
• In 70 C.E. the Temple was destroyed. How can Yom Kippur be celebrated without the proper place of sacrifice and without the proper Kaparah (atonement) sacrifice?
• Tefilah (prayer), Teshuvah (repentance), and Tzedakah (charity) now replace sacrifices in the modern observance

Traditional Jewish Observance

• The 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are called the Yomim Nora'im, "Days of Awe"
• Torah observant Jews spend these days looking inward, asking how their inner lives might be more pleasing to Adonai
• Lev 23 states that Israel is to "humble your soul" based on the Hebrew "oni" - means fast (going without food)
• Before sundown on Erev Yom Kippur, a festive meal is enjoyed, lighting of the candles, blessings are said over wine and bread
• Fast begins at sundown - Jews attend services at local synagogues - prayers focus on the need for atonement for sins
• Yom Kippur closes with Neilah service (closing of the gates) - Final blast of the shofar is sounded
• Break-the-fast meal is eaten after sundown
• Sweet wine is tasted first, then the sweet challah (bread) as reminders of the sweet new year they hope to experience
• As Messianic believers, we can rejoice in the confidence that our Messiah has paid the price that God required

Yom Kippur in The Renewed Covenant

• Shaul (Paul) explains the significance of our atonement in the context of Yom Kippur
• Romans 3:23-26
• Kapparah is a Greek word that means to appease an angry Greek god
• The Hebrew equivalent of the word means more than appeasement, it means atonement - any first century Jew could relate to this meaning
• On the cross, Messiah Yeshua was displayed as our Kapparah, our sacrifice, our atonement, the fulfullment of what Yom Kippur is all about

Prophetic Fulfillment

• Yom Kippur has a prophetic truth that is relevant to all who believe in Yeshua
• The prophet Zechariah spoke of a future day of repentance when God will pour out His spirit in the latter days and they will look to the one who is pierced - Zech 12:10
• After Rosh Hashanah comes Yom Kippur - after repentance, regeneration
• All of Israel will supernaturally experience the fulfillment of Yom Kippur and the return of Messiah Yeshua
• Romans 11:25-27
• This is the prophetic fulfillment of Yom Kippur - the final atonement realized and received by that generation of Jews living at the second coming of Yeshua
• We as born again Messianic believers can rejoice in atonement now, yet pray for the realization of this blessed hope to come to Israel soon! Amen!

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 9/30/2005

The Day of The Blowing of The Trumpets (Shofars)

• Rosh Hashanah not found in the scriptures
• Referred to as Yom Teruah - The Day of The Blowing of The Trumpets (Shofars) - Feast of Trumpets
• Referred to as Yom Hazikaron - The Day of Remembrance
• Referred to as Yom Hadin - The Day of Judgement
• Referred to as The Jewish New Year - literally "The beginning of the Year". The first month of the Jewish year is Nisan yet Rosh Hashanah is celebrated on the first two days of Tishrei, the 7th month (the jubilee year commenced on this month and slaves were freed and property was restored to its original owners). The Jewish calendar is built on two main cycles - religious cycle begins in the Spring and civil cycle begins in the Fall. Months are not named in the Torah, only numbered, beginning with Nisan in the early Spring, which is the first month according to the religious calendar.
• Marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days

Customs

• Dipping of bread into honey after Kiddush (wine blessing) and Ha-Motzi (bread blessing), as a symbol of the hope that the new year will be sweet
• Dipping pieces of apple into honey, for the same reason
• Use of round loaf of hallah (bread) instead of the usual braided hallah, symbolizing the shape of a crown
• Avoidance of nuts because the numerical value of the Hebrew word for "nut" is the same as the word for "sin"
• Tashlikh ceremony in which "sins" are ceremoniously tossed into a river and washed away, as penitent prayers are said

The Shofar

• A reminder that the flesh has to be removed from us in order for us to be used as an instrument of God
• Associated with the coronation of a king
• Heralds the beginning of a penitent period
• The Torah was given amid blasts of a shofar
• The prophets compare their message to blasts of a shofar
• It is a reminder of the substitutionary sacrifice of the ram for Isaac
• It fills us with awe
• It is associated with Judgement Day
• It heralds the Messianic Age
• It heralds the Resurrection
• The Four (4) Sounds

1) Tekiah - 1 long simple note, like an alarm

2) Shevarim - 3 medium blasts

3) Teruah - at least 9 short blasts

4) Tekiah Gedolah - a single blast that lasts until the blower runs out of breath

Significance

• According to Orthodox Jewish tradition, the "Ten Days of Awe" which begin at Rosh Hashana are the time in which God determines the fate of each human being
• On Rosh Hashana, the wholly righteous are inscribed in the Sefer Ha-Hayyim, or Book of Life
• The wholly wicked are inscribed in the Book of Death
• The fate of all others hangs in the balance until Yom Kippur
• Consequently, it is a time for introspection, taking stock of one's behavior over the past year and making amends for any wrongdoing

From Beginning to End

• Only when we come to realize how all the Feasts of Israel have been fulfilled in Messiah can we begin to fathom what God has done from beginning to end
• Revelation 22:13 - "I Am The Beginning and The End"
• In Yeshua we learn the spiritual significance illustrated in the ancient Feasts of Israel which prophetically foreshadowed what the Lord intended to accomplish from beginning to end through Yeshua our Redeemer
• Yeshua is our Pesach (Passover) Lamb through whose sacrificial death we have been set free from a life of sin
• It is through faith in Yeshua that we receive the Ruach Ha-Kodesh (the Holy Spirit) and the Torah written upon our hearts, the fulfillment of Shavuot
• Yeshua warned the people of pending judgement, calling them to repentance, thus fulfilling the prophetic meaning of the Feast of Trumpets
• Yeshua became the scapegoat to bear our sins through the shedding of His blood that atonement has been made, the fulfillment of Yom Kippur
• Yeshua is the Holy One of Israel who came to tabernacle amoung His people, fulfilling the prophetic meaning of Sukkot

Our Response

• If we do not respond to the blast of the shofar on the Day of Trumpets that calls us to awaken from our slumber and repent of our sins, then we remain dead in our sins.
• We strive in vain to attain righteousness by observing the Law, but unless Yeshua writes His Law upon our hearts, as promised through the Renewed Covenant, we will forever be toiling in vain to attain everlasting righteousness
• The Rabbis continue to heap heavy burdens on the Jewish people, insisting that they achieve their redemption through good works
• Everlasting righteousness comes only through faith in the Messiah
• Yeshua said,

"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

• This is the true Sabbath rest planned for the people of God in which we rest from our own works and enter God's rest
• Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 9/23/2005

Righteous Judgement (According to Torah)

• Deut 16:18-20
• Not to distort justice
• Not to show favoritism
• Not to accept a bribe - blinds the eyes of the wise

*** Justice is fundamental to the maintenance of a Godly society. We have seen the effects of a perverted justice system all too often, and where justice is perverted, respect for God also does not exist. Corruption, bribery and all the things that make for un unjust society are all present in a judiciary or government that does not respect, honor and fear God. Sadly, this all too evident even in our courts and governments in America. ***

Mitzvot Concerning Worship (Deut 16:21,22-17:1)

• Not to erect an Aserah pole beside the mizbeach (altar of sacrifice)
• Not to set up a pillar (stone) beside the altar
• God hates such things - Thou shall not have any other gods before me
• Not to sacrifice a cow or sheep with defect or anything wrong with it - abomination to God would have perverted the type and shadow of the sinless Lamb of God that was to come

Dealing with Idolator (Deut 17:2-7)

• Transgressing his/her covenant - God looks at this as a personal decision
• Not to worship sun, moon or anything in the sky
• If someone is accused, the matter is investigated
• Accused brought to city gates
• Death sentence pronounced only if there is testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses - not just 1
• Accusers are the first to stone the idolator, then others join in
• This is a method to put an end to the wickedness

Safety in a Multitude of Counselors

• Deut 17:8-13
• When dealing with difficult cases, Moshe instructs the person to seek the counsel of the Levites, priests and the judge - together they will decide
• The judgement is to be carried out, not turning to the left or right (must be Torah-based)
• Anyone who does not pay attention to the verdict must die
• This will cause the people to fear and not act presumptuously (deterrent)

Guidelines and Requirements for a King

• Deut 7:14-20
• Appoint a king Adonai will choose
• Must be a kinsman - cannot be a foreigner (must be able to identify with the people)
• Not to acquire many horses
• Not acquire many wives
• Not to acquire excessive quantities of gold and silver
• The king is to write a copy of the Torah for himself and study it every day
• King will learn to fear Adonai and keep the words of the Torah
• Keep the king from thinking he is better than his kinsman
• Prolong his reign and that of his children - Generational Blessing!

*** The whole nation was considered guilty for the faulty courts and corrupt judges who were allowed to continue practicing law. ***

New Covenant Reference (I Cor 6:1)

• If any of you has a grievance against another, do you dare to take it to court before the unrighteous, instead of taking it before the saints?

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 9/16/2005

Possession and Dispersion

• The covenant made with Abraham and his descendants gave the children of Israel the "promised land" as an everlasting possession - (Gen 13:14,15/Gen 15:17,18) - see map
• At a predetermined time, however, their descendants would be scattered (dispersed) among the Gentile nations - Lev 26:31-33
• The words spoken by Moses predated Israel's conquest of the land of Caanan
• 1300 years prior to the birth of Yeshua, the Israelites were destined to be dispersed from the land given to them as their heritage - see map

Assyrian Dispersion

• After the reign of Solomon, King David's son, the 10 Northern Tribes renounced their allegiance and the "promised land" was divided into the kingdoms of Judah and Israel
• In 722 BC Israel fell to the Assyrians and the 10 Northern Tribes were taken as captives to various parts of the Assyrian empire

Babylonian Dispersion

• In 586 BC, a century and a half later, the Southern Kingdom was taken by the Babylonian army led by Nebuchadnezzar. Jerusalem was ramsacked, the Temple burned, and the captives exiled to Babylon. After 70 years of captivity in Babylon, the restoration of the Israelites to the "promised land" began. Unfortunately, as the prophets foretold, their descendants would experience the third and most devastating of the dispersion.

Roman Dispersion

• Yeshua, speaking to the religious leaders in 33 AD, declared the purpose and time of the third dispersion - Matt 23:35,36
• 70 AD-135 AD - Rebellions against the tyranny of Imperial Rome
• Roman armies crushed each revolt so ruthlessly that the ground was saturated with Jewish blood
• The Romans sought to eradicate their Jewish identity in the land
• Jewish Temple destroyed in 70 AD
• Severed the system of "sacrificial worship" from Judaism
• Roman Emperor Hadrin rebuilt Jerusalem as a Roman city called Aelia Capitalina
• Jews sold as slaves
• Remnant of Jews left in the land forbidden to enter the city
• Land of Judea renamed Syria-Palestine after the Philistines

Restoration

• Ezekiel 36:24,25
• The restoration of the Jews and the land would end both sentences - dispersion and desolation

20th Century - First Waves of Jewish Immigrants

WWI (1914-1918)

• Conclusion of WWI initiated tremendous upheaval within kingdoms and reshaped the face of the world map
• Cataclysmic event that changed the Middle East - defeat and break up of the Ottoman Empire
• Palestine, including Jerusalem, was liberated from 400 years of Turkish rule

Balfour Declaration

• Divinely directed steps
• British Empire established itself as predominate power in Middle East
• Lord Balfour, British Foreign Secretary - sympathetic toward Jewish asperation to have a homeland
• Several Jewish spokesmen influenced him to authorize a declaration approved by Parliament to make Palestine the Jewish homeland
• Objections from a few cabinet members led to the "watering down" of the original declaration - the land given was far less than originally proposed

Zionism

• In the latter part of the 19th century, the implanted seed within the Jewish hearts blossomed into maturity - Zionism was borne
• Woodrow Wilson was instrumental in getting Britain to issue the Balfour Declaration
• League of Nations in 1920 authorized a mandate for Great Britain to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine

Arab Nationalism - Anti-Semitism

• News media misled people to believe that Arabs had independent states for centuries
• Politicians misled Arabs for their own selfish gain
• Arab peasants in the land eking out a meager existence became easy prey to volatile leaders who turned their poverty into hatred for the Jews - sound familiar?

First 20th Century "Land for Peace" Deal - 1922

• Final mandate given to Great Britain by League of Nations
• Arab demands caused land area to be decreased (Transjordan excluded)
• Arabs got eastern part - three and a half times larger than land for Jews
• Resistance to Zionism resulted in Jewish blood being spilled onto the land

WWII (1939-1945)

• Great Britain gave in to Arab demands
• Issued McDonald White Paper (1939) - Jewish immigration cut to 1500/month
• Four months later Great Britain engaged in WWII
• Restrictions by Great Britain on Jewish immigration left many Jews trapped in Europe
• 6 million exterminated by demonic Nazi war machine
• The greatest contemporary hero in the Arab world was "Hitler"
• Arabs received 7 seats in UN Assembly - Jews were without a country

Second "Land for Peace" Deal (1947)

• Hostilities grew in western Palestine in 1947
• UN proposed second "Land for Peace" deal
• Western Palestine would be partitioned along Jewish/Arab owned land lines
• Jews accepted the proposal to have a home - Arabs rejected the proposal

War of Independence (1948)

• League of Nations mandate for Great Britain to govern Palestine ended in 1948
• Jews proclaimed their independence on May 14, 1948
• After 1800 years of painful travail, Israel was reborn in one day as a nation, fulfilling the prophetic word of God - see map
• Isaiah 66:8-10
• Arabs (140 million) attacked with 5 armies the 650,000 Jews in Israel
• To the world's astonishment, the Jewish army valiantly drove back the Arab invaders
• Only people of faith understood that the Jews, in order to fulfill their prophetic destiny, were sustained by the "power of God"!
• Most disturbing was that Jerusalem became a divided city for the first time in its history
• The Jews controlled West Jerusalem, the Jordanian Arabs the East, including the old city with its holy sites
• Independence! But what an enormous cost - 3/4 of the land originally designated for the Jews in the Balfour Declaration was given to the Arabs

*** How long will God tolerate this mockery of His decree with His chosen people? ***

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 9/09/2005

Some Interesting Facts

• Since the beginning of recorded history, the world has been at peace only 8% of the time
• From 1500 BC until 1860 AD, more than 8,000 treaties of peace, designed to remain in force forever, were dissolved
• The average time that they remained in force was only two years
• Man has continuously sought for a means to eliminate war, but his best intentions have failed (the Word says that there will be wars and rumors of wars)
• Since wars are the by-product of man's selfish ambitions, the solutions have always been sought in the natural realm - using man's reasoning to bring peace to a hostile world
• The real underlying cause of war; however, is in the spiritual realm. Therefore, the Bible, God's written word, should be our ultimate source for fighting the battle that is raging in the heavenlies
• Micah 3:8

"For it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says Adonai."

The Story of Jephthah

• The time is 1143 BC
• The place is the east side of the Jordan River
• The people are the tribe of Gilead
• The problem is that Gilead had forsaken Adonai and had gone whoring after the 'gods' of the surrounding nations
• The consequences of their idolatry was 18 years of constant harassment and oppression by the people of Ammon - namely the Ammonites - just one of the many "ites" that were occupying the land around the tribe of Gilead

Jephthah

• From the tribe of Gilead
• Dwelled in the land of Tob (Syria)
• Ostracized for being the son of a harlot
• When Ammonites threatened war against the Gileadites, the elders of the tribe sought out Jephthah to lead their army for he was "a mighty man of valor"
• I Kings 11:28 - Jeroboam was "a mighty man of valor"
• Judges 6:12 - Gideon was called "a mighty man of valor"
• Jephthah agreed to accept the position of commander of the army and he brought with him a group of men similar to those assembled by Gideon
• Jephthah fulfilled an act of Divine providence

The Dispute

• The dispute arose out of a joint claim to the land occupied by the Gileadites - the Ammonites also claimed this land
• Judges 11:12 - Jephthah's claim to the land
• Judges 11:13 - The king of Ammon's response
• The king of Ammon insisted that Israel exchange the disputed land in their possession for peace - sound familiar?
• He initiated an ancient "Land for Peace" proposal
• The accusation made by the king of Ammon implied immoral behavior by the Israelites in their acquisition of the disputed land
• Judges 11:15-22 - Jephthah's rebuttal
• The historical overview by Jephthah revealed the series of events that lead up to Israel's possession of the disputed land
• Sihon, the Ammorite king, rejected the negotiations for a peaceful passage of the Israelites through his land
• He chose to engage them in battle (bad mistake!)
• Sihon's defeat left the Israelites with the spoils of war - possession of the Ammonite land!

Jephthah's Declaration

• Judges 11:23,24
• Jephthah justified the Israelites' possession of the land as an act of God
• He introduced the concept of spiritual warfare in regard to dominion of lands - which is the key to understanding the present dilemma in the Middle East

The Principality Chemosh

• Usually associated with the Moabites
• Means "to subdue" in Hebrew
• Whatever land the king of Ammon conquered, he would dedicate to Chemosh
• Chemosh personified a spiritual principality who sought to subdue the land claimed by the Israelites

God's Judgement

• Jephthah made a bold statement concerning God's judgement
• The children of Israel had not sinned by possessing the disputed land, but the king of Ammon was guilty of injustice for leading his people against Israel - sound familiar?

Judges 11:27

• The king of Ammon rejected Jephthah's diplomacy, he imitated his predecessor, Sihon

Judges 11:28, 32, 33

• The manifestation of God's judgement gave the children of Israel possession of the "disputed land"
• Likewise, 20th century wars initiated by Arab aggression against Israel have yielded the same result - the Israelis possessing the "liberated lands" of the defeated Arabs

Assessment

• Jephthah's presentation of historical data proved the Israelites innocent of any moral injustice
• The illustration proved that God rejected the "Land for Peace" proposal
• God did not lead Jephthah to "compromise" even though the consequence was war

Conclusion

• Unlike their ancient predecessor, some modern day Israeli leaders are blinded to the danger in "compromise". They are going against the very title deed given to the Jewish people by God himself.

*** The rest of the story. . .Jephthah's vow to the Lord ***

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 9/02/2005