Good morning, 

The Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot/Feast of Booths/Feast of Ingathering begins on the evening of 29 September 2023 and runs through the evening of 6 October 2023. This is one holiday with four different names and meanings. This week we will explore these events. 

The Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot/Feast of Booths/Feast of Ingathering 

The Facts: 

What do the Scriptures say about it? 

Lev 23:34 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord.” 
Lev 23:35 “On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.” 
Lev 23:36 “Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto YHVH: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto YHVH: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.” 
Lev 23:39 “Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.” 
Lev 23:40 “And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.” 
Lev 23:42 “ Ye shall dwell in booths seven days…” 
Deut 16:13 “Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:” 
Deut 16:14 “And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.” 

When is it? 

Lev 23:34 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, the fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto YHVH.” 

What are we commanded to do? 

1. Keep it Holy as a regular Sabbath, doing no servile work or the things associated with the seventh day Sabbath on the first day and the eighth day of the feast. 
2. Keep it at its time and season on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. 
3. Have a holy convocation on the first day of the feast and on the eighth day of the feast. This is a calling of the assembly or community of like-minded believers to assemble together and celebrate Tabernacles. If no one is able to convocate then call together your own family or travel to where another group of believers are assembling and keeping this day Holy or set apart. 
4. We are to build “booths or sukkahs” out of various branches mentioned in Lev. 23:40. We are to dwell in booths or tents for seven days and rejoice before YHVH. This is one of the pilgrimage feasts where all of the males have to appear in Jerusalem before the Lord. 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur begins on Sunday evening, 24 September 2023, at sunset. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) is the most holy day on the Jewish calendar. This week we will see why. 

YOM KIPPUR 

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT 

ELEMENTS OF YOM KIPPUR 

1) Afflicting your soul 

The word in Hebrew is “anah” and means “to afflict, oppress, humble, be afflicted, be bowed down”.  This occurs through fasting.  God requires a fast to be humbled and afflicted on the Day of Atonement. 

a) Prayer 

b) Confession 

c) Repentance 

d) Renewal 

The picture is of a lost sinner, searching for the Messiah, Jesus, finding Him, confessing and repenting their sin before Him. 

2) Sabbath 

No work is to be done on this day. There was a penalty for working on this day. “And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.” (Leviticus 23:30) The day was to be completely dedicated to God. 

This is a picture of the rest we have in the Messiah. 

3) Atonement 

“To cover, purge, make reconciliation”.  The atonement was a reconciliation of the children of Israel to their God. This happened through the blood sacrifice of the bullock and goat. The scapegoat was a picture of the sins of Israel being taken by the scapegoat. 

This pictures what Jesus did on the cross. He paid the sin debt for all mankind through his blood sacrifice on the cross at Calvary. No more need for animal sacrifices.  

CONCLUSION 

Yom Kippur is: 
 

• A day of reflection 
• A day of rest 
• A day of fasting 
• A day of renewal 
• A day of confession of sin 
• A day of repentance of sin 
• A day of reconciliation between man and God 
• A day of atonement 
• A day of salvation 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur begins on Sunday evening, 24 September 2023, at sunset. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) is the most holy day on the Jewish calendar. This week we will see why. 

YOM KIPPUR 

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT 

Believers Perspective on Yom Kippur

Followers of Jesus the Messiah confidently look forward to eternal life, because our names are written in the Book of Life. When Jesus died, the veil of the Holy of Holies ripped in two, symbolically breaking a barrier between humans and the presence of God. Previously, only the High Priest had access to this room, and he only entered it once a year on Yom Kippur (Matt. 27:51). However, Jesus’ death gives believers access to God, because He entered into the Heavenly Holy of Holies to offer His blood for our redemption (Heb 9:11-12). Unlike the Israelites’ annual sacrifices on Yom Kippur, Jesus’ one sacrifice continues to provide atonement to this day. Yom Kippur, for followers of Jesus, reminds us of the certainty of our redemption through the blood of our Messiah and High Priest, Jesus. 

Yom Kippur also reminds us of the ultimate salvation of the Jewish people. The prophet Zechariah speaks of a day when the nation of Israel will recognize her Messiah and “they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son” (Zech. 12:10). When the Jewish people recognize Messiah, as Paul writes, “All Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:26). The Day of Atonement thus reminds us of our own salvation and also looks forward to the salvation of Israel. 

Tomorrow, we will examine the elements of Yom Kippur. 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur begins on Sunday evening, 24 September 2023, at sunset. The day of atonement (Leviticus 16) is the most holy day on the Jewish calendar. Today we will see why. 

YOM KIPPUR 

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT 

²⁹ And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: ³⁰ For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. ³¹ It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. ³²And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: ³³ And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. ³⁴ And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses. (Leviticus 16:29-34, also reference Leviticus 23:27-32 and Numbers 29:7-11)  

“On the day of Atonement we are to solemnly afflict our souls; that is, to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, to submit ourselves to Him, and His ways, and His commandments. We have just gone through 40 days of teshuvah, or repentance, in preparation for this day. It is to examine ourselves, to see if there be any wicked way in us, so that we may repent of it and depart from it.” (Perspective,” on afflicting the soul”, 20 September 2018) 

INTRODUCTION 

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar. The Bible prescribes Yom Kippur as a day of affliction (Lev 16; 23:26-32). In the ancient world, the High Priest woke up early, donned his priestly garments, and sacrificed a bull for both himself and his family. He then cast lots over two goats, choosing one for the Lord and designating the other as the goat to remove sin. Only on this day did the High Priest enter into the Holy of Holies in the Temple to offer incense and sprinkle blood on the Ark of the Covenant. Before concluding the sacrifices by burning both the bull and the goat, the High Priest placed blood from the Lord’s goat onto the second goat. He then cast the second goat into the wilderness, thus symbolically removing Israel’s sin. 

In modern observance, Yom Kippur involves a fast from both food and drink. Many spend the entire day praying in the synagogue. During the Ten Days of Awe preceding Yom Kippur, many Jewish people give tzedakah (charity) which some consider a replacement for the animal sacrifice. A small segment of the Orthodox Jewish community practices kapparot, a ceremony in which a person waves a chicken over his head, before killing the chicken as a symbolic transfer of sin. According to tradition, the Book of Life and the Book of the Dead are closed on Yom Kippur, and the fates of those within the books are sealed for the coming year. 

Followers of Jesus the Messiah confidently look forward to eternal life, because our names are written in the Book of Life. When Jesus died, the veil of the Holy of Holies ripped in two, symbolically breaking a barrier between humans and the presence of God. Previously, only the High Priest had access to this room, and he only entered it once a year on Yom Kippur (Matt. 27:51). However, Jesus’ death gives believers access to God, because He entered into the Heavenly Holy of Holies to offer His blood for our redemption (Heb 9:11-12). Unlike the Israelites’ annual sacrifices on Yom Kippur, Jesus’ one sacrifice continues to provide atonement to this day. Yom Kippur, for followers of Jesus, reminds us of the certainty of our redemption through the blood of our Messiah and High Priest, Jesus. 

Yom Kippur also reminds us of the ultimate salvation of the Jewish people. The prophet Zechariah speaks of a day when the nation of Israel will recognize her Messiah and “they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son” (Zech. 12:10). When the Jewish people recognize Messiah, as Paul writes, “All Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:26). The Day of Atonement thus reminds us of our own salvation and also looks forward to the salvation of Israel. 

ELEMENTS OF YOM KIPPUR 

1) Afflicting your soul 

The word in Hebrew is “anah” () and means “to afflict, oppress, humble, be afflicted, be bowed down”.  This occurs through fasting.  God requires a fast to be humbled and afflicted on the Day of Atonement. 

a) Prayer 

b) Confession 

c) Repentance 

d) Renewal 

The picture is of a lost sinner, searching for the Messiah, Jesus, finding Him, confessing and repenting their sin before Him. 

2) Sabbath 

No work is to be done on this day. There was a penalty for working on this day. “And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.” (Leviticus 23:30) The day was to be completely dedicated to God. 

This is a picture of the rest we have in the Messiah. 

3) Atonement 

“To cover, purge, make reconciliation”.  The atonement was a reconciliation of the children of Israel to their God. This happened through the blood sacrifice of the bullock and goat. The scapegoat was a picture of the sins of Israel being taken by the scapegoat. 

This pictures what Jesus did on the cross. He paid the sin debt for all mankind through his blood sacrifice on the cross at Calvary. No more need for animal sacrifices.  

CONCLUSION 

Yom Kippur is: 
 

• A day of reflection 
• A day of rest 
• A day of fasting 
• A day of renewal 
• A day of confession of sin 
• A day of repentance of sin 
• A day of reconciliation between man and God 
• A day of atonement 
• A day of salvation 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur begins on Sunday evening, 24 September 2023, at sunset. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) is the most holy day on the Jewish calendar. This week we will see why. 

YOM KIPPUR 

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT 

INTRODUCTION 

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar. The Bible prescribes Yom Kippur as a day of affliction (Lev 16; 23:26-32). In the ancient world, the High Priest woke up early, donned his priestly garments, and sacrificed a bull for both himself and his family. He then cast lots over two goats, choosing one for the Lord and designating the other as the goat to remove sin. Only on this day did the High Priest enter into the Holy of Holies in the Temple to offer incense and sprinkle blood on the Ark of the Covenant. Before concluding the sacrifices by burning both the bull and the goat, the High Priest placed blood from the Lord’s goat onto the second goat. He then cast the second goat into the wilderness, thus symbolically removing Israel’s sin. 

In modern observance, Yom Kippur involves a fast from both food and drink. Many spend the entire day praying in the synagogue. During the Ten Days of Awe preceding Yom Kippur, many Jewish people give tzedakah (charity) which some consider a replacement for the animal sacrifice. A small segment of the Orthodox Jewish community practices kapparot, a ceremony in which a person waves a chicken over his head, before killing the chicken as a symbolic transfer of sin. According to tradition, the Book of Life and the Book of the Dead are closed on Yom Kippur, and the fates of those within the books are sealed for the coming year. 

Next time we will see how this holy day is significant to the believer in Christ. 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur begins on Sunday evening, 24 September 2023, at sunset. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) is the most holy day on the Jewish calendar. This week we will see why. 

YOM KIPPUR 

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT 

Scriptural basis for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement 

29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. 31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. 32 And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: 33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses. (Leviticus 16:29-34, also reference Leviticus 23:27-32 and Numbers 29:7-11)  

“On the day of Atonement we are to solemnly afflict our souls; that is, to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, to submit ourselves to Him, and His ways, and His commandments. We have just gone through 40 days of teshuvah, or repentance, in preparation for this day. It is to examine ourselves, to see if there be any wicked way in us, so that we may repent of it and depart from it.” (Perspective, ”on afflicting the soul”, 20 September 2018)    

Tomorrow, we will introduce this holy day. 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning,

The eye of God!

(James Smith, “God’s Knowledge of Us” 1865)  Play Audio!  Download Audio

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account!” Hebrews 4:13

“The Lord searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought!” 1 Chronicles 28:9

“I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person!” Revelation 2:23

“O Lord, You know!” Jeremiah 15:15

God’s perfect knowledge is like the pillar-cloud which led Israel out of Egypt, and through the wilderness: it is dark and a cause of terror to His enemies, but it is light and a source of comfort to His children.

“O Lord, You know” my SINS and FOLLIES! No one else does. No one else ever will. How could I look anyone in the face–if I thought he knew what was passing in my heart, or what is transacted in the chambers of my imagination within!

The Lord alone can search the heart. He alone knows the worst of us, and He alone knows the best; for the best and the worst, are both concealed in the same heart. The eye of God sees . . .
  every motive,
  every thought,
  every lust,
  every action!

His eye is on that mysterious portion of our nature called the imagination, on which such strange pictures are often painted, in which such fearful scenes are sometimes transacted. “You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from You!” Psalm 69:5

What streams of moral filthiness sometimes flow from the heart into the imagination! How difficult sometimes to keep it back.

What a depth of pollution there is within us!

What billows of corruption sometimes roll and swell!

Little does the young Christian think what the pure and holy eye of God sees within him; and what his own eye will one day discover, filling him with alarm, if not with horror, with shame and self-loathing! Then he will enter into poor Job’s confession, “Behold, I am vile!” and into Isaiah’s exclamation, “Woe is me! I am undone!“

“What more can I say unto You? For You know Your servant, O Sovereign Lord!” 2 Samuel 7:20

But blessed be God, the righteousness of Jesus covers all, and conceals all; and the grace and Spirit of God will ultimately purge away the whole foul heap from us!

Now our iniquities are forgiven, and our sins are covered.
But then our natures will be perfectly purified, and be as white as the falling snow!

“Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is!” 1 John 3:2
    ~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Rosh Hashanah’s religious services focus on the concept of G-d’s sovereignty. God does rule in the affairs of men. Today we will look at the sovereignty of God. 

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY means that He is the Supreme Ruler who immanently and personally rules over all the affairs of the universe—and this includes our personal lives both as individuals and as a local body of believers. God’s sovereignty is a place of rest for the child of God.

                A.  GOD REIGNEST OVERALL (1 CHRON 29:11-12) V12

Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.

12 Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

          B.  THE WORLD IS GOD’S (PSM 50:10-12)

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

          C.  GOD CREATED (GEN 1:1) V1

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 

          D.  GOD CHOOSES ISRAEL DOES WHAT HE PLEASES (PSM 135:4-6)

For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.⁵ For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.⁶ Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

          E.  GOD IN CONTROL (1 SAM 2:6-9)

The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.⁷ The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.⁸ He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.⁹ He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

          F.  GOD CONTROLS RULERS (PSM 75:6-7) V7

For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.⁷ But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

          G.  GOD DOES HIS PLEASURE (IS 46:9-10)

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,¹⁰ Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

          H.  CAN NOT FLEE FROM GOD (PSM 139:7-10) V10

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?⁸ If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.⁹ If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;¹⁰ Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

          I.  GOD’S WORD WILL NOT RETURN VOID (IS 55:11)

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

          J.  GOD REIGNS OVER DEATH (JOHN 5:21)

For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

          K.  GOD ‘S COUNSEL (EPH 1:11)

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

These verses show why God has the right to rule in our lives. Please meditate on these verses and allow God to speak to you. You might be surprised what you learn.

God has given each one of us a free will to make choices. He has given us His precepts in the Bible to guide us through this life. We choose to follow God by faith or rebel against God and serve Satan. Satan is the enemy of God. There are consequences for following or rebelling against God. God rules over both Godly believers and wicked unbelievers.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Meditation

(Octavius Winslow, “Gracious Surprisals”)  LISTEN to audio!  Download audio

“My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned.” Psalm 39:3

That is, while I was retracing all the way the Lord had led me;
while I was meditating upon the fullness and preciousness of His Word;
and while I was musing upon the great love with which He had loved me
–the fire in my soul was enkindled.

There are few more powerful aids . . .
  to growth in grace,
  to progress in sanctification of heart,
  and humbleness of mind
–than devout meditation.

“Isaac went out to meditate in the field at evening.”

“I meditate on You in the night watches.”

Cultivate, my reader, this holy and useful habit.

In a world of incessant action, and in an age of restless excitement–we have great need to imitate these holy examples, and to retire to the “calm retreat, the silent shade,” and there abandon ourselves to devout meditation upon divine, heavenly, and eternal things!


“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8
 
 “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:2 
 
“I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways!” Psalm 119:15 

“Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long.” Psalm 119:97  

Be sure to watch this 4 minute video by Paul Harvey, first broadcast via radio in 1965: “If I were the devil!“

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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Rosh Hashanah

Head of the Year

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:24-25)

On the evening of 15 September 2023, begins the observance of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, “head of the year” or “first of the year.” Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. The Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.

“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.”

The shofar is a ram’s horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue. No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of G-d’s sovereignty.

This would be a great time to wish all our Jewish friends a hearty Happy New Year. It would also be a good time to reflect on our own lives. Are we keeping short accounts with God? When He reveals sin in our lives, do we confess it (1 John 1:9) and move on serving God? What does the blowing of the trumpet mean to believers in Yeshua (Jesus)? (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) What does it mean that God is sovereign?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com