Holidays and Ordinances

[dscody]

I was reading Leviticus and at 16:29 it states:

"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you— because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins. It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance."

This raises a question in my mind about the Jewish holidays and other ordinances. Twice it says "this is a lasting ordinance." Why don't Christians follow this and deny themselves? In my study bible it said this was commonly believed to refer to fasting.

One answer could be that Jesus is our atonement which makes sense in a way except twice it is said "this is a lasting ordinance." It seems pretty clear to me that it is a lasting ordinance!

Anyway, does anyone know about this in particular and also the other Jewish holidays and feast days and such?

Thanks,
-David

 

[jiggyfly]

Welcome to TJ DSCody,

It may help you to look at some other translations but most of the English translations read pretty much the same unless they are literal, like Young's or if it is NT the Concordant version is good.

The Hebrew word used here in this text is olam and while it is translated as lasting, for ever or eternal in most cases it is an inaccurate translation. Olam means hidden or concealed, beyond the horizon of our vision past or present.

Here is the same verse in the Young's literal translation I mentioned.

`And it hath been to you for a statute age-during, in the seventh month, in the tenth of the month, ye humble yourselves, and do no work -- the native, and the sojourner who is sojourning in your midst; Lev. 16:29

In light of the New Testament scriptures and some in the Old Testament it is easy to see that olam translated as age-during is much more accurate than lasting or forever.

 

[musiclover123]

Many people see things like this in the OT, but then fail to relate them to the NT and the new covenant brought by Jesus.

In the book of Hebrews, which was a book directed at Jews at the time, touches on some of these things. Many of the things found there relate to the Law and what the New Covenant brought, for example Christ being our High Priest (which takes the Aaronic priesthood found in the OT out of the equation). It also touches on subjects of Sabbath and rest, and that Jesus and what He brought was indeed great than all that was brought with the old covenant.

One of the reasons all this was written because many Jews who became Christian at the time still wanted to hold to traditions. They also wanted gentiles to hold to their traditions (for example circumcision) if they joined the Church.

These things are touched on again, this time to gentiles, in the book of Colossians.

Colossians 2:16-17 <sup class="versenum" id="en-NKJV-29507">16</sup> So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, <sup class="versenum" id="en-NKJV-29508">17</sup> which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

This was telling the gentiles not to allow others to decide which of these things to follow, but to decide for themselves if it's required. If they wanted to keep feast days and Sabbaths then they could, but these things were only put in place to foreshadow was was to come, and that was Christ who fulfilled the necessity to do these things.

 

[macca]

I was reading Leviticus and at 16:29 it states:


Anyway, does anyone know about this in particular and also the other Jewish holidays and feast days and such?

Thanks,
-David

If you take careful note, all the law and the rules of sacrifice were to only given to the nation of Israel, not any other, so I don't believe it still applies to us.
Jesus made a NEW covenant that applies to us.