Holiday Blessings B’Shem Yeshua,

Yom Teruah: Beginning a Holy Month

Yom Teruah (YOHM t’ROO-ah), literally “The Day of Blowing” [of the Shofar] is the first of the fall appointed times, the Lord’s moadim מועדים (moh-ah-DEEM)—special times to meet with the Creator. The Lord said to Moses, “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'” (Lev. 23:24).

Many ask: “Why do we wish our friends a “Happy New Year” if it is the seventh month? Because Israel has two calendars—a religious one and a secular one. The biblical calendar begins at Passover (the first month), so Tishrei is the seventh month. The secular calendar begins in the month of Tishrei, so it is the first month of the civil year, hence, “Happy New Year.” On God’s liturgical, religious, biblical calendar, the month of Tishrei (which begins on October 2nd this year) is a holy month because of the number seven, and because the “High Holy Days” occur in this month. In 2024, all three fall holidays happen in October, beginning in the evening. After Yom Teruah comes Yom Kippur “The Day of Atonement” (October 11th-12th), then Sukkot “The Feast of Tabernacles” (October 16th-23rd).

Additional celebrations include Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (October 23rd-25th).

The Shofar: Israel’s Ritual Trumpet

The central observance of the feast of Yom Teruah is blowing the ram’s horn (shofar) at synagogue services. One hundred blasts of the shofar are sounded during the morning services alone. It is not uncommon for house calls to be arranged so that the infirm and house-bound might hear the sound of the shofar.

Yom Teruah is also known as Yom HaZikaron (Day of Remembrance) and Yom HaDin (Day of Judgment) since it is traditionally believed that on this day, as the shofar is sounded, all inhabitants of the world pass before God like a flock of sheep and their fate for the year ahead is determined. God is acknowledged as King, and His people are exhorted to proclaim Him as such, accepting His Kingship in their lives anew.

A final shofar is sounded on Yom Kippur, following ten days called Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe). During these ten days, a person’s fate can be altered, depending on their prayers, repentance, and charity. The final, long tekiah gedolah blast of the shofar signifies that one’s fate is sealed for the year.

As Messianic believers, we rejoice on the gracious, loving truth of Titus 3:5, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” On Yom Kippur, we hear the voice of God—as of a shofar—assuring us that our names are eternally written in the (Lamb’s) Book of Life because final atonement has been made for us through the blood of Yeshua the Messiah, God’s only Son. Psalm 89:15 becomes a victory verse for us: “Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.”

The Akedah: The Torah Focus

Genesis 22:1-19, known as the Binding of Isaac (Akedat Yitzakh) is customarily read in synagogues worldwide on Yom Teruah. One reason is the connection with the ram’s horn and the ram caught in the thicket by its horns that God provided as a sacrifice in lieu of Abraham’s son, Isaac. The ram’s horn trumpet is like a prayer without words, reminding God of Abraham’s faith and God’s provision (with hopes of His similar action in the lives of Abraham’s descendants).

The Akedah, עקדה (ah-KEE-dah) is also read because just as Abraham’s faith, trust, and obedience to God was tested, Yom Teruah is a time of testing and proving an individual’s loyalty to God. The rabbis say that there is a reward in showing this loyalty—just as Abraham was rewarded by having his beloved son restored to him.

Genesis chapter 22 is one of the most important chapters in the entire Bible. There was a time when pious Jews recited this portion of the Torah daily, since the Akedah shows the supreme example of self-sacrifice in obedience to God’s will. (John 3:16 in the Brit Hadashah shows an even greater example!) In traditional Jewish thought, man must be willing to sacrifice everything to God. There is no love without sacrifice. Whenever we have the opportunity to do good, or not do evil, God might be testing us. The New Covenant is not silent on this point: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1).

Abraham

Genesis 22 begins: “Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.'” A lot had passed—Abraham’s name had been changed from Abram to Abraham, Isaac had been born when Abraham was 100 years old, and Abraham had another son, Ishmael. But Isaac was the son of promise.

The Bible has much to say about Abraham. First, listen to what God says about him, “‘But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend'” (Is. 41:8). Abraham believed God (James 2:23). We are exhorted to look to Abraham, our “father”—Avraham Avinu (Is. 51:2). In Hebrews 11, the believers’ “hall of faith,” it says, “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called'” (Heb. 11:17-18).

God “tested Abraham.” What does this mean? I found a really profound explanation by MacLaren (BibleHub) of the difference between temptation and testing. “Temptation says, ‘Do this pleasant thing, do not be hindered by the fact that it is wrong.’ Trial, proving or testing says, ‘Do this right and noble thing; do not be hindered by the fact that it is painful.'” Abraham’s test was painful indeed—the constant reference to the father-son relationship of Abraham and Isaac in the text shows how emotionally excruciating the conflict of fatherly love and obedience to the Lord must have been for this friend of God.

When God called Abraham by name, and Abraham responded “Here I am” hineni הנני (heh-NAY- nee), we see that Abraham knew the voice of God. His “hineni” was Abraham’s response of instant obedience, total abandonment, and readiness to do the will of God. He did not know yet that this call to obedience would jeopardize the patriarchal promise (Gen. 28:14) as well as cause him the deepest grief of his life. Abraham actually said “hineni” three times in Genesis 22—ever ready to obey. “Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you'” (Gen. 22:2). This is the first time the word “love” אהבה (ah-ha-VAH) appears in the Bible. Very significant: the love of a father for his son. God was asking Abraham to have his love and fear of God supercede his natural love for his son. (Yes, he had two sons. But Ishmael was not the son of promise. Isaac was.)

It took Abraham three days to get to Mt. Moriah. When he saw the place in the distance, he told his servants to wait for him and Isaac. They would go and worship and then come back to them. This is the first time the word “worship” is used in the Bible, נשתחוה (neesh-tah-khah-VEH) from the root shakhah—to bow down, bend, do reverence, or humble oneself. We see here that Abraham had faith that God was able to resurrect Isaac from the dead, if need be, although during the three days (prophetic) it was as if his son was already dead.

The Akedah continues with Abraham laying the wood on his son Isaac (also prophetic), and when Isaac asked his father where the lamb was for the burnt offering, Abraham’s answer is considered by some to be the most prophetic statement in the entire Bible: “And Abraham said, ‘My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.’…” (Gen. 22:8). Some versions of the Holy Scriptures, e.g. the Complete Jewish Bible, omit the word “for,” indicating that God Himself would (one day, prophetically) be the sacrificial Lamb.

Isaac

“Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood” (Gen. 22:9). Isaac was not a little boy at the time. It is estimated that he ranged from 25 to 37 years old. Consider Isaac’s faith and trust in his father! No resistance. No questioning. Loving submission and yielding to his father’s will. Isaac did not say, “No, Abba, please don’t do it!” Like his father, Isaac had great trust.

I learned this year that a Muslim high holiday, Eid al-Adha (Holiday of Atonement/Offering) celebrates the “Binding of Ishmael” (Akedat Ishmael). Muslims believe that Ishmael, not Isaac, was bound by Abraham to be sacrificed. They sacrifice a lamb and partake of it during the festivities. Of course, this contradicts the Torah but highlights the age-old, continuing struggle between Isaac (the Jews) and Ishmael (the progenitor of the Arab nations).

An excellent article in a 2015 “Revive Israel” publication pointed out that the question of the “correct” offering was settled once for all by God when the Son of Avinu Habashamayim (our Father in Heaven), Yeshua, was bound and offered up for Jews, Arabs, and whosoever will. This Greater than Isaac said, “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (Jn. 8:29). Abraham put Isaac on the altar. God put Yeshua on the altar. If God wills, are we willing to put our Isaac on the altar if the Lord asks us to?

The Angel

“But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ So he said, ‘Here I am.’ And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me'” (Gen. 22:11-12). The Angel of the LORD, Malach Adonai— מלאך יהוה —uses the sacred name of God. This is no ordinary angel! A few verses later (vs.16), the Angel says, “‘By Myself I have sworn,’ (declares the LORD)” again using the sacred name of God, (יהוה).

This same “Angel” is the One who first appeared to Hagar, the mother of Abraham’s son Ishmael, telling her that He would multiply her descendants. Hagar said, “You are the God who sees me” (see Gen. 16:13). The Angel of the Lord elicits reverential fear and is a God who supernaturally provides.

In Abraham’s case, the provision was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. “And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide (Yahweh Yireh יהוה יראה)…” (v14). The song “Jehovah Jireh” resulted from the Christian world using the letter “J,” which does not exist in the Hebrew language. Oh well, as long as no one says SHAY-lome instead of Sha-LOME, it’s ok! 😄

The Lord’s gracious provision for Abraham foreshadowed the ultimate provision and sacrifice of God’s Son, the perfect Lamb: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). What God did not require of Abraham, He required of Himself.

The Place: Moriah

The place, “hamakom” המקום (ha-mah-KOHM), of God’s provision for Abraham was Mt. Moriah. I had a fascinating time researching this mountain: Har haMoriah. Its Hebrew meaning seemed endless: the hill country, the land of teaching, the land chosen by Adonai, the land of myrrh, and the land of worship. One professor of Bible and Ancient Semitic languages, Robert Harris, said that an exact understanding of the name (or word), Moriah, will likely always elude us.

What we do know for sure is that Mt. Moriah is the site where King David purchased Araunah’s threshing floor (see II Sam. 24; I Chron. 22) and King Solomon built the Temple (see II Chron. 3:1). We also know for sure that Mt. Moriah today is known as the Temple Mount, revered by both Jews and Muslims. For Jews, the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) is sacred ground, the holiest site in Judaism where the third and final Temple will be built when the Messiah comes. For Muslims, the Mount is one of the holiest sites in Islam. The Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque sit atop the Temple Mount. The site, and the term “Al-Aqsa” in relation to the whole plaza area, is a central identity symbol for Palestinians.

It has been said that the essence of the 2024 conflict in Israel could be called “The Temple Mount War” since that is how it is perceived by Hamas and Iran and its proxies. In fact, Hamas named its October 7, 2023, attack “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.” Many people are not aware that Mt. Moriah today is the most highly contested piece of real estate on planet earth, the “ground zero” of biblical prophecy. Although the area has been under Israeli control since 1967, Jewish people are not allowed to pray there. Many years ago, Neil and I were inside the Dome of the Rock. It was pointed out to us at that time that part of the inscriptions in Arabic on the ceiling of the Dome says, “There is no god but God. He is One. He has no associate. God is only One God. Far be it removed from His transcendent majesty that He should have a son. He is all that is.” The God of the Bible would object. He has a Son who is the Savior of the world! The day is coming when He (not Allah) will be worshipped once more on Mt. Moriah.

Yeshua and the Akedah

Yeshua made a thought-provoking statement in John 8:56-58, answering a group of Judeans who accused Him of having a demon. He said to them, “‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad…Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.'” When did Abraham see Yeshua’s day? One possibility is at the Akedah. Did Abraham have a glimpse of a far greater Akedah with a Son to be born supernaturally, sacrificed, and then resurrected? Perhaps he saw Yeshua’s day, a day looked forward to by faith, of which the psalmist proclaimed, “This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24).

Some of the Parallels between Genesis 22 and Yeshua follow:

“Abba, thank You for Abraham’s example of unwavering faith in You and for Isaac’s example of trust in his father’s love. Help us to be like these patriarchs so that You will be pleased with us. We are grateful for Yeshua’s great sacrifice on our behalf, making it possible for our names to be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and giving us the honor and privilege of being friends of God and the bride of His Son.” AMEN.