“In
Your light we see light” (Ps. 36:9).
One of the most troubling scriptures for Christians who
are having their Hebraic roots exposed by the Spirit, is Paul’s admonition to
the Colossians: “So let no one judge
you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,
which are a shadow of things to come, but the body of Messiah” (Col
2:16-17). There are many who perceive
these words to mean a renunciation of the Feasts and Sabbaths. A more careful
reading, however, reveals that Paul is simply stating that these are shadows of
things yet to come; in other words, these special days have a prophetic
significance. But, now, as believers,
we are actually stepping out of the shadows and are moving into the reality of
the true meaning of these special days. “For it is YHVH who commanded light to
shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of
the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Yeshua the Messiah” (2
Cor. 4:6). This is why Paul says that no one can be our judge in regards to
these “shadows”, but the body of Messiah, for we have His light (Spirit)
which shines into these Torah scriptures eliminating the shifting shadows. Paul was not telling us to break the Father’s
commandments, but rather to keep them in the light of their true meaning.
Those of us who are believers and are honoring this Feast,
should ask the Spirit to unveil to us the truth of the apostle John’s words:
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yeshua the Messiah His Son
cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
Please note, it does not say from “some sin”, but from “all sin”! Sin is the leaven that leavened our lump of
life, but after the sacrifice of the Lamb and the shedding of His blood,
celebrating the Feast of Unleavened Bread (e.g.) is quite clear and natural. In order to be freed from the contamination
of the power of sin that can still work in our members, we must, by faith
(which means to walk in the light), be identified to that sacrifice. Paul plainly states that, “if One died for
all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no
longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore,
from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh” (2 Cor. 5:14-16). "I have been crucified with Messiah; it
is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live
in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself
for me” (Gal 2:20). “For you
died, and your life is hidden with Messiah in God” (Col 3:3).
That is why the day after the Lord’s Passover (the 15th of
Nissan or Aviv) is a “Shabbaton”, that is, a Shabbat-like day, a celebration,
because of the removal of the body of sin on the previous day.
Paul’s passion was to present us blameless (without
leaven) before our heavenly Father through the preaching of Messiah Yeshua, and
Him crucified. “Therefore, if anyone
is in Messiah, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all
things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to
Himself through Yeshua the Messiah, and has given us the ministry of
reconciliation, that is, that God was in Messiah reconciling the world to
Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the
word of reconciliation. Now then, we are
ambassadors for Messiah, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you
on Messiah's behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:17-20).
The above words reveal Paul’s understanding of the
revelation that was given to him on the road to Damascus .
Later he put that faith into action, when he wrote:
“For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but
what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do
what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no
longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” (Rom 7:15-17). Paul was able to separate himself from sin
because he knew the truth of the Passover and of the Feast of Unleavened
bread. It was no longer a shadow, but a
living reality in his very being.
If the body of Messiah is to judge these matters (Col
2:16-17), then we should no longer be in the shadows when celebrating these
feast days and Shabbats, but truly be in the light as He is in the light, which
means to walk in the Spirit for we “are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that we may proclaim the
praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1
Pet 2:9). “For you were once
darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth)”
(Eph 5:8-9). “You are all sons of
light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness”
(1 Thes 5:5).
“For with You [YHVH] is the fountain of life; in
Your light we see light” (Ps. 36:9).
Ephraim
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