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September 18, 2023
Ten Days of Awe
Seek God while he’s here to be found and pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness. (Isaiah 55:6-7 Message)
Beloved one from Rosh Hashanah September 15th the New Year in Israel to September 25th the Day of Atonement are the Ten Days of Awe. What does that mean? These are the ten days are days of repentance, sanctification, or consecration before the Lord. When Isaiah the prophet tells the Jewish nation to repent for their sins, he says, ‘Seek God when He may be found; call Him while He is near. The Sages or older men say this is during the Ten Days of Awe when the gates of heaven are open, and God will listen to your prayers. (Isaiah 55:6-7) ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ (Jeremiah 33:3)
We have entered the High and Holy Days of the year beginning with the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah September 14th at sundown to sunset on September 15th. The holy days are prophetic in nature, and over the course of the year, provide a roadmap to redemption; Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, the New Year, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. They are similar in that each one involves worship, offerings, rest from labor, and usually a reminder of a great event in the history of Israel. Oftentimes, a holiday is also tied to the agricultural season and is in some way connected to the harvest. Rosh Hashanah (New Year’s Day in Israel), the Ten Days of Awe (Repentance), the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles are certainly right in the middle of farmers harvesting their crops. I declare and decree that this year will be a harvest of great reward for every farmer, those I know and bless, and those I don’t know.
It is important to note the Hebrew word translated as “holiday” in Leviticus 23 is better understood as “appointments.” I call them divine appointments set by God and He asks Israel, and you and I to remember what He did for us in history more than one hundred fifty times in the Hebrew Scriptures. He set up these appointments, or appointed times, to help His people commune with Him and remember His good works in history. Spend intimate time with the Lord during this time and fellowship with Him during these Ten Days and every day.
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