Do You Teshuvah?

About ten years ago, my husband and I started feeling led to look into the Biblical feasts. I had an uncle who was a Messianic Jew(in the most basic terms, he was an orthodox Jew who also believed Jesus was the Messiah, so he also followed the New Testament), and before he died we had several really moving talks about his faith journey. I knew full, Messianic Judaism wasn’t for me, but something about the celebrations called to me. My husband and I discussed it several times, but ultimately never went any further until about four years ago when we knew our time at the church we’d been attending since our move to Virginia was coming to an end. Through an acquaintance on YouTube of all places, I found a church that livestreamed their services every week so we checked it out from home. They were, “Torah-Observant Christians.” In short- born-again, charismatic style Christians who included the traditional Jewish “Torah Portion” in their weekly services, called Jesus by His Hebrew names(Yeshua or Yahweh) in all their songs, messages, etc, and celebrated the Biblical feasts. Oh- and church was on Saturdays for them. We stuck with them for a year until we found a new church home locally, but during that time we learned so much, I don’t think we can ever go back to not celebrating God’s feast days.

I’m not saying I’m an expert now- in fact I’ll say emphatically that I am the opposite. Every year before every feast comes, I spend time studying about them, to make sure I’m learning, understanding, and can teach my children the historical and Biblical truths about what it is that we’re doing. But that learning process has drawn us deeper and deeper into these incredible gifts to us from God that the feasts represent. Most recently we had a beautifully meaningful, fun, joy-filled day celebrating Shavuot- the time when we thank God for giving us His written word for all humans to read and know God for ourselves instead of relying on prophets and spokespersons. When we read the New Testament, it was at the Shavuot gathering (mentioned in Greek as Pentecost) that God reiterated the importance of this feast when He gave His people the Ruach Elohim, or the Holy Spirit, His very breath to live inside of us and be our constant companion on Earth. Shavuot is a big deal. God gave us so much more than we can comprehend through His written word that began on two stone tablets on Mount Sinai, and continued with His Ruach Elohim on Pentacost, that very same day so many years later.

When we read through the Old Testament, we can see that not every law or requirement is meant for us now. Most of them were the law until the Ultimate Sacrifice fulfilled the Law itself and removed the need. We also see repeatedly that God declared certain feasts as, “For all of time.” Not just until the law was fulfilled with the coming of the Messiah. In the New Testament we can see over and over the importance of Jesus himself celebrating the feast days, including the epic Last Supper we all know from all four major gospels, was a Passover seder.

Which brings me to Teshuvah(Teh-SHOO-vuh)- a Hebrew word which literally means, “To return.” In a faith context, it means to return to God, His ways, and search your heart for anything that needs to be weeded out of your life. Teshuvah was the first “Torah-observant” thing I really dug into, and it’s not even a feast day. In short(because I’m going to leave out details that will no doubt rub someone the wrong way, so I’m telling you now- I’m not being thorough here. Forgive me.), Elul(EL-ool) is the Hebrew month before Rosh Hashanah, or the start of the new Jewish year. During that month and through Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur(so 40 days total), many Torah-observant people, Jewish and otherwise, spend intensive time in the practice of Teshuvah- returning to God, intentionally reconnecting, digging deeply into The Word through reading, prayer, and sometimes fasting to search their hearts and lives for what sin, hidden or otherwise, God may be trying to root out. Sin is a burden. It’s baggage. It’s not 40 days of shame and punishment, it’s a time of reconnection in relationship, of cleansing, of celebration of freedom. God is not an iron fist of correction that expects perfection. He’s a loving father who wants freedom and full life for us, and I felt exactly that the first year I practiced Teshuvah. Then of course at the end of Teshuvah is Rosh Hashanah, the “Head of the Year” or New Years celebration when we celebrate God creating the world and thank Him for all His goodness. Ten days later is Yom Kippur, and, well, you know what? I’ll write more about that later.

I’d love to hear if you have ever celebrated the Biblical feasts. God said He appointed them FOR US. They’re truly a gift, and every year that we celebrate, my family enjoys them more and more. I’m so grateful we’ve been led this way… even though we still go to church on Sundays.