READINGS FOR OCTOBER 23, 2024: NUMBERS 29, HEBREWS 5, PSALM 109:21-31
Numbers 29
Chapter 29 continues the listing of sacrifices for various Jewish festivals.
Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) – It is a Jewish holiday that marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year. It is celebrated on the first day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, Tishri 1, which usually falls in September or October. It marks the beginning of ten days of consecration and repentance before God.
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) – It is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishri, corresponding to a date in late September or early October. It is primarily centered on atonement and repentance. The day's main observances consist of full fasting and asceticism. In ancient Israel, it ended with the sending of the “scape goat” into the wilderness for the sins of the people (see Leviticus 16).
Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) (Sukkot) – It is the seventh and last feast that the Lord commanded Israel to observe and one of the three feasts that Jews were to observe by a pilgrimage to the temple. It takes place on the 15th of the Hebrew month Tishri. This was the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar and usually occurs in late September to mid-October. The feast begins five days after the Day of Atonement and at the time the fall harvest had just been completed. It was a time of joyous celebration as the Israelites celebrated God’s continued provision for them in the current harvest and remembered His provision and protection during the 40 years in the wilderness. It was instituted by God as a way of reminding Israelites in every generation of their deliverance by God from Egypt.
Hebrews 5
For today’s commentary, I have included chapter 4:14-16 as it is connected to chapter 15. Tomorrow’s will begin at 15:11.
Your history lesson for today. The original manuscripts for the Bible did not have chapters and verses. They did not have punctuation either (but that is another story). The chapters were added to a Latin manuscript by Stephen Langston in the 13th century. The verses were added in 1151 to a Greek and Latin manuscript, by a Parisian printer named, Robert Stephanus. So, when you wonder why chapters and verses sometimes do not make sense (sentences are cut off, thoughts run in-between chapters, etc.) it is because people who were
READINGS FOR OCTOBER 23, 2024 (CONTINUED): NUMBERS 29, HEBREWS 5, PSALM 109:21-31
unfamiliar with the nuances of the original languages were making decisions on how to break up the manuscript so that it would be easier for the readers to discuss it.
The author uses the image of Jesus as the Great High Priest. In the Jewish religion, the High Priest was the one responsible for making the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement. The day where a formal sacrifice was made for the sins of the people. In Jesus, his death and resurrection replaced the need for the temple sacrifice. As the great High Priest, he ascended into heaven and is continually in the presence of God on our behalf.
Verses 4:15-16 are a powerful reminder of the grace of God through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, experienced temptation “in every way”. He knows what it is like to be human. He understands that we struggle. And yet, he was without sin. With that in mind, we can approach God with confidence. Because the High Priest knows our struggles, God’s grace and mercy will meet us at our point of need.
Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, he became “the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (V9, NIV). By being obedient to the will of his Father; by accepting his death on the cross for our sins; Jesus opened the pathway by which we all can receive eternal life (and the Sabbath rest).
Psalm 109:21-31
Psalm 109 is a hymn of lament asking God for deliverance from David’s enemies.
Verses 21-25 – David appeals to God for assistance in this matter. David appeals to God’s love to deliver him. The toll of his accuser’s ridicule has caused physical distress and a failing health. Only God can save him.
Verses 26-29 – A concluding petition to God. While David’s accusers curse, may God bless; while the accusers are disgraced, may God’s servant rejoice.
Verses 30-31 – The psalm ends with a vow to praise God for the deliverance.
