Walking Therein

Biblical Holidays and Feasts - The OT in the NT

2:15 PM, Saturday, January 6, 2007 .. Posted in Oh LORD, Help Me Live Biblically .. 2 comments .. Link

I just read: Celebrating the Biblical Holidays at Robin's Heart of Wisdom blog here on HSB. She posted this in response to a question by Babymakers, one which I myself raised last month:

"Why, as Christians, do we celebrate "Christian" holidays? Why don't we celebrate Jewish holidays like Passover?"

    I visit Robin's blog whenever I remember I need to, as I am still learning about the HOWTA. I need to get over there more often. God is God in the fact that He has culminated my learning about a Bible-First, Child-Directed approach to homeschooling as He was teaching me about Biblical Living. HOW fits right into this. In all of this, I am learning how Judaism fits with - is a part of - Christianity.
    I have heard so many times from Christians the opinion that "the Old Testament is under the law," and "we, as Christians, are under the New Testament 'grace'." Yes, I do understand that statement. I understand our souls are no longer bound by the law, and we have received grace through the sacrifice of our Savior. We are no longer bound to the laws by our sins; they are forgiven by His grace. What doesn't make any sense to me is the fact that without the Law, there is no need for grace. What doesn't make sense to me is that we see who God is in the Old Testament, but we are discounting God and His Laws, His 'personality', if I may, and only "becoming like Jesus", studying only - or mostly- the NT.
    So, my question is: "How can I be like Jesus if Jesus studied, memorized and lived the Law, loving God as God designed (through the OT Law), and I don't?" How can I know the why's and wherefore's of Jesus' teachings, if I don't know where He is teaching from? Isn't that like trying to apply algebra without the full knowledge of addition or subtraction? I can apply pieces of the NT to my life, and generally make it fit what I am seeking, but am I really understanding what law Jesus is applying or refuting?
    OK, maybe this only makes sense to me, and maybe that analogy isn't the best one. I do, however, know that I am learning so much more about real-life Bible-Living because I am taking in the OT. I am seeing God in the OT, instead of an OT story. I am seeing the Holy Spirit in the OT. I am seeing what Jesus means in the NT, because I saw the application from an OT perspective.
    Jesus did not quote Paul or Luke, etc. when He told us how to live. He quoted God and the OT prophets, Psalms, etc. I am by no means discounting Paul or any of the Acts or Epistles.We get much of our NT Biblical direction from him, if not Jesus' own words or actions. I am saying that even Paul was a learned Jew who was well-versed in the Law. God used this knowledge to show him what grace meant. He was led by the Holy Spirit to teach the Gentiles through this knowledge.
    So, I am learning. I am pleased to read the article Robin wrote about the importance of the "OT" Feasts and Holidays. She brings out the point that:

Paul wrote to the Gentile believers in Colossians 2:16-17 that the holidays are a shadow of things to come. Each of the spring holidays is a picture of Christ's first coming. Jesus was sacrificed for our sins on Passover, buried on Unleavened Bread, and arose on Firstfruits. The fall holidays are a picture of His second coming and the beginning of the Messianic reign.

The OT is not all names and lineages and sins and sin offerings. It is Hope. It is the foretelling of Jesus'. It is God's promises to Believers. You will be blessed as the hope of God's plan for His people is told of and hoped for and sacrificed for. You will learn of the Father God that Jesus spent most of His life praying to and whose laws He lived for, teaching us how to be who God has for us to be.

Each of the biblical Jewish holidays teaches us about our wonderful relationship with God. His whole redemption story is portrayed for us in these festivals. Passover pictures salvation or deliverance from Egypt (flesh or sin). Unleavened Bread shows us that God saved us in order that we may be holy and set apart for Him by putting off the old sin nature. Firstfruits teaches us the purpose of salvation: fruitfulness in the Kingdom of God (John 15:1-5) and putting on the new man, the nature of God (Eph. 4:24). The Feast of Weeks instructs us further concerning the kind of fruit we must bear spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-23) through the power of the Holy Spirit.

If Jesus truly had a plan for His life from the moment of His conception, set forth by God, then we must also get to know the God who has set forth our lives with His plan too. We will see Him and His plans as we read the OT and study His law and the Feasts and Holidays.
May You Be Blessed-

Leave a Comment

Off topic...

12:43 AM, Monday, January 8, 2007 .. Posted by aCleanHeart
Just wanted to let you know about The Colossal Clutter Clean-Up going on! It's not too late to join in!

Bless your heart and home,
Amy

My thoughts.........

11:14 PM, Wednesday, January 10, 2007 .. Posted by babymakers
Hi,

I totally understand where you are coming from. I have a different view about the OT law. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that people were ever saved by the law. The were saved by faith by the looking forward to the Messiah. We look back to the cross and they looked forward.

The Bible talks about fulfilling the law...it doesn't say it was ever done away with.

Then there is the book of Acts where it says he doesn't have to be circumcised and then goes on to say that he still has to stay away from eating blood (or is it things strangled) and one other thing in the law that I can't remember. Why is this? Because he is trying to say circumcision won't save (as some were trying to teach) you but you should still keep the law BUT NOT FOR SALVATION!

If you read all the verses spoken in the NT about not being under the law you can see that they are always referring to salvation. We can't be saved by the law.It is a yoke that we can't keep even for a day. We are suppose to keep the law. At least if you love God.

Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments. Jesus, being God, is talking about the COMMANDMENTS and there are more than 10 of them contrary to what people think.

So there is my thoughts.....I think we should be keeping the OT law if possible but not trusting it for salvation. I think we should celebrate the holidays of the Bible.

Now look...you made me write a book!! LOL I just hope it made sense.

{ Last Page } { Page 441 of 595 } { Next Page }

About Me

Recent Entries

Walking Therein

Biblical Holidays and Feasts - The OT in the NT

Off topic...

My thoughts.........

About Me

Links

Categories

Recent Entries

Friends