Yom Kippur and the Breaking Dawn
Yom Kippur is a day of teshuvah, repentance and return to YHWH. As believers in Yeshua, the day holds particular significance because this is the message that John the Baptist heralded and Yeshua boldly proclaimed, āRepent, for Godās rulership over this earth is drawing near!ā Yet we must always be on guard to observe the Fast in the right manner. The prophet Isaiah brought rebuke against the nation who practiced Yom Kippur as an outward ritual with deadness in their hearts (Isa 58). He chastised them for making the day about them; about their idea that God would have to listen to them if they just put on the proper religious show for Him. What is the Fast that YHWH truly wants? What our King desires is for our Yom Kippur to be a day of loosing the bonds of oppression, taking care of the needy, spending time with our families. It is a day of introspection to make sure that we are not placing a yoke on people, pointing fingers at others, and speaking wickedness. If we will follow the Kingās protocol, our light will break forth like the dawn; we will become the people that YHWH designed us to be, a light to the nations. But we must learn to follow the King. This means that we must stop spending so much time blaming others (Christians and Jews) for their shortcomings and look at ourselves. What idols do we have in our lives? What paganism is in our lives? When we stop focusing on the external and start learning the true roots of idolatry and paganism, we will see that we truly still battle these things. We must repent and ask for Godās Spirit to lead us away from everything not of Him.
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Recommended Resources
- NIV Application Commentary on Genesis by John Walton
- Isaiah 58
- Matthew 13
- Psalm 115
- Isaiah 6
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Good job Ryan. Love your heart. Thanks for leading His people to true repentance.
Hi Ryan, Could you explain further the Messiah’s answer as to why he spoke in parables: lest they hear and repent. Sounds like he did not want them to turn so he could heal them. Why would it be worded this way…. a Greek or Hebrew that translates confusingly into English? Thanks…
There is not a problem with the translation. Both the Hebrew text of Isaiah 6 and the Greek text of Matthew 13 both clearly indicate a messenger giving a message in a manner so that the people who are afflicted with idolatry will not hear the message. I wrote a paper on this a while back for one of my classes. You can read it here: https://rooted-in-torah.com/understanding-isaiah-6/
Really threw me for a loop.. Have always considered anyone who was still upright and walking around every day as being that way because God was giving him/her another dat, another opportunity to make a decision to follow HIM! Guess that isn’t true at all….sad.
Yes!!!! Constantly willing to change! Become flexible and bendable to proper understanding of God’s Sovereignty and authority to be a witness and light in this dark world! Thanks Ryan!!!!
Very good Ryan. I really like your teachings.
It’s so easy to be focused on what sins we see in the world – and, in fact, the outward sins we see in ourselves. However, we must look deeper if we are to be truly blessed and freed. Yom Kippur is such an important time to get this right, but it needs to be held onto throughout the year and lived in spirit and in truth.
Thanks Ryan.