Fall Festivals || Yom Teruah Yom Kippur & Sukkot

For every Feast of Yahweh listed in Leviticus 23, as well as the minor celebrations of Purim & Hanukkah, there is free E-book to download designed to teach you the basics of this special season!  

The festivals were to be the highlight of our year! There are many traditions that surround each one because they each have thousands of years of history! But if we get so caught up in trying to “keep the traditions”, we can miss the entire point of the feast itself!  First and foremost, this is a Divine Appointment with Yahweh! It’s all about Him! Secondly, these festivals were to be a joyous time and they were family oriented! This “guide” is to help explain the basics of the festival and also give you and your family ideas to help make it your own.

It’s our family history, it’s our future, & it’s our story!
We now find ourselves entering into the 6th month of the Hebrew calendar – the month of Elul!  With every season, every month, there is a message embedded within revealing the plans Yahweh has for you and I.   This message also gives insight in to the direction we should be going and should direct our steps, words, thoughts, and actions!  The month of Elul begins the 40 day season of Teshuva (repentance) leading to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  Elul is the month of soul and heart searching, the weighing out of our words and deeds.  In fact it is connected to the Aramaic root meaning to search.  Yet at the same time, this Hebrew root means vain or nothingness – perhaps indicating for some this month is a season of searching and anticipation, while for others a wasted season filled with vanity and nothingness?

Most are probably familiar with the fact that Elul is an anagram for the Hebrew phrase “Ani L’Dodi, V’Dodi Li” – “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” (Song of Solomon 6:3).  Perhaps this month reveals those who have this as their heart cry?
It is also often pointed out that this season in ancient Israel, occurs directly before the coronation of the King at Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets), and before the King sits in judgment (a pattern based off of the cycles of our Heavenly King of all Creation)!  This is the season the King could be found walking in the field…accessible and among His people. Perhaps the deeper meaning of this month is that not only must we search our own hearts, but its about putting forth the effort to search out the one who our heart longs for, our beloved, who is Himself in the field waiting.  Yet the field is also symbolic of the work and cares of the physical world.  Perhaps here we find the line of demarcation.  Many will find themselves distracted by the worldly matters during this season, their hearts will chase other desires, their search will lead them elsewhere, a path that leads to vanity and nothingness.  

Yet for those who put forth the effort to find the King in the Field, they are those who will be called in return by Him, My beloved!  Looking further, the numerical value of Elul is the same as the Hebrew word Binah בינה to build, to rebuild – this is the month and season that those who seek the King will in turn see the materialization and building of the vision and promises we have been entrusted with!  

The field connection lends further insight…it’s directly connected to the daily afternoon prayers, the Minchah prayers. The minchah prayer (part of the Amidah) is said to be taken from Isaac, in Genesis 24:63 – “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide:”

The Hebrew term for meditate is suach שוח meaning to meditate, commune with or speak; closely related to another Hebrew term shavah meaning to become like, to resemble, to be sufficient, or fitting!

Could this be the purpose of the month of Elul?  To spend this month lifting up the heart’s cry and prayer that has the ability to change you and I?  To cause us to become like the King we are seeking, to be seen as a sufficient and fitting helpmate to our beloved?  This season, our prayer is that not only will we stay the course on our search for the King, but that when we find ourselves standing before Him, that He will see one that mirrors Him!  1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, now we are the sons of Yah, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”

The King is waiting…