I have felt the need to post what is found below as we approach Yom Kippur. This post I initially prepared and posted on 24/03/22 in response to a Facebook post on the Biblical requirement to fast on Yom Kippur. There are additional additions to this post and such are dated as they are placed within the body of the op-ed:
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To begin with I agree with what the writer says regarding the need for and Biblical Validation of a fast-day to celebrate Yom Kippur; I believe it to be Biblically sound, I also agree with the writer that if your case with Yeshua is not right then don't waste your time and effort because works without the contrite and repentant heart is pointless - Isa_64:6 as we all have become as one unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as soiled rags. And all of us fade like a leaf, and our crookednesses, like the wind, have taken us away thus Isa_64:7 And there is no one who calls on HIS Name, who stirs himself up to be strengthened (a - Commonly understood as “Take hold of.” ) in HIM; for HE has hidden HIS face from us, and HE has consumed us because of our crookednesses.
That being said Isa_58:3-6 does tie fasting (H6684 tsum - to cover ones' mouth - to fast) and affliction (H6031 anah - afflict, depress, to hurt, to exercise force against) together, so it does seem to be a practice that was practiced and seeming one that YHWH accepted as He never told them to stop the fasting (one sees a similar principkle applied by Yeshua when HE speaks to the leadership of the day in Mat_23:23-25) - thus tying a day of fasting and afflicting to a national daily acts of benevolence towards the weak & oppressed are seemingly what YHWH is seeking (a repantant and humbled heart - again I agree with the writer). Our Elohim plainly does not want just hypocritical fasting and shallow, hollow prayer on Yom Kippur whilst the national culture of strife, social abuse and class privilege still continues unabated.
(05/10/24 - an additional later thought - "The Fast, when carried out correctly with a repentant heart, as a corban [laying down of our lives as led by The Ruach as Yeshua did] leads to and shows humilty of all those partaking - both great and small, rich & poor, Priest and Prince, King and pauper thus enabling the one fasting in such a manner, regardless of status, to Humble themselves in the Eyes of Yeshua - Jas_4:6-12 read also with Isa_58:6-14 NB vs 9 - making one's life a Sacrifice of PRAISE [perpetual thanksgiving] - Psa_116:17 Heb_13:15 through Rom_12:1 - theferfore It is not what you do, BUT the heart with which you do it! This is a Covenant Life style NOT JUST A ONE DAY OF THE YEAR ACTION = thus making the actual day of Yom Kippur in and of itself a set-apart day of rememberance of KIPPUR [H3725 > H3722 - covering, purging, reconcilliation, cleansing by the Atonement (BLOOD of YESHUA) see Gen_6:14 for the use of H3722 Kaphar - pitch] sealed by the KAPHER - thus one day of the year - 7th month [Tisheri] 10 - we commemorate ie: recall and show respect for (someone or something) with a mark or celebration (of that event or person) by doing or producing something - through / in our marking by the afflicting of our flesh our being Atoned and reconciled with YHWH our Elohim in and through Yeshua and His works on the Stake, works completed before the foundations of the earth were laid, through the eternal solemnization this day as commanded in Lev_23:27-32)
Continuation with original post of 24/03/22
If we read with Isa_58:13 - Yom Kippur, when read with Lev_23:32 is the Shabbat of Shabbats [Highest Shabbat, Moed Shabbat Shabbaton] - and it is taught by the Sages that should Yom Kippur fall on a normal Shabbat (as it does for some this year 2024) then one must fast as Yom Kippur is the more Holy Moed (if I may opine that); thus it is my opinion that the normal Shabbat should always be celebrated with with a heart of affliction anyway because is that not what dying to self and carrying our cross is all about, doing it YHWH's way and not our way? Are we not also called in Lev_23:28-32 to ensure that we, our house, our servants even our animals do absolutely no servile work at all on Yom Kippur? - See Exo_20:8-11 for the weekly Shabbat - the restrictions and wording are similar to those of Yom Kippur.
If this is the case I must then ask - What separates the normal Shabbat from Yom Kippur?
My answer ...
Lev_23:29-32 seems to me to make the distinction between affliction and work and then continues, as stated by the writer, of the actions of normal daily tasks for employment / income or other masters (ie: servile / work) will cause one to be cut you off / destroyed by YHWH our Elohim (please note the severity of this action on this set-apart day - not a day to play with!) -
This then begs the question - is it possible to read this to mean you can still afflict yourself (ie by fasting) and still continue to do normal work? I believe that this summation could be reasonably made.
Now turning briefly to The Brit Chadasah and Act_27:9 one see's Sha'ul and Luke (who wrote The Book of Acts) speaking of Yom Kippur as the "fast had already past" a Jewish idiom for Yom Kippur - the storms they were weathering were the cold winter storms which would relate to the end of the summer and beginning of winter - strengthening assumption that these occured in the Yom Kippur seasons.
When reading Lev 16 and the required sacrifices and protocols this seems to be an entire day's work and ceremony for the High Priest and his helpers - "no lunch breaks".
This is the day that the H/P pleads for the house of Yisrael and all her tribes and families - I can only imagine what real and pious believers in the coming of The Lamb in those days prior to The Messiah and His Crucifixion must have prayed as they, being heads, and wives and mothers etc of such heads, of their tribes and homes, prayed for the mercy of Elohim over their Nation, Tribes and maybe more specifically their families AND THOSE OF THEIR FAMILIES NOT YET REDEEMED THROUGH BELIEF AND REDEMPTION THROUGH THE PROMISED COMING OF THE WORD, MEMRA OF YHWH ELOHIM, MESSIAH YESHUA!
Now we all know what Yeshua had to go through to qualify as our High Priest who may now legally enter THE Holy of Holies not made by Human Hands - [Php_2:6-11] Heb_9:11 and Heb_9:24 - and may thus intercede on behalf of Yisrael, our Tribes, families - especially those not yet redeemed by FAITH through GRACE (Eph_2:8-9): I wonder how Yeshua, before the Father day and night, cries out for His Bride / Body / Kingdom? How then should we, only as emphasis of this opinion CRY OUT AND THANK THE FATHER FOR YESHUA FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US AND BEG ON BEHALF OF OUR LOVED ONES ESPECIALLY THE UNSAVED FOR HIS MERCY AND GRACE (Mercy and Grace are two seperate issues)?
If the Levitical H/P, who is carrying the weight of Yisrael and HIS OWN HOUSE on his shoulders before YHWH Elohim (and in Yeshua case for all Israel until the very end) - and not that we can ever be Yeshua or the Levitical H/P - but should we not be crying out with as much passion as they did and Yeshua still does? Then let us ask of ourselves - In such a National day and situation would there really be time to prepare food and eat? - if we are, as the writer correctly states, in a position of true spiritual affliction - would we (men being as Yeshua in their homes - Eph_5:23 ff and especially women being as Rachael crying out for her lost children - see Jer_31:15 - but please read the entire Jer 31 - this is all about the Greater Exodus and the ingathering of all the tribes, completion of The Re-newed Covenant (Brit Chadasah) and as read with Mat_2:18 - describing the death of the baby boys under the hand of Herod - a foreshadowing of the Anti-Messiah? - Is this not something to be pleading for ladies, is this not a time and day to really be begging that Yeshua will come and save His Children?)
So in my opinion I do not believe that to Fast on Yom Kippur is incorrect and additionally I do believe it was practiced and thus at this time I am of the opinion that should we really be moved by The Ruach of our Father and Yeshua, as ..... stated;
We (I) cannot, but out of heart-felt thanks-giving for what Yeshua did for me, and for His continual intercession come before His Throne of Grace, for
- Yisrael,
- my Tribe
- AND MY FAMILY through / by / in an act of praise, worship and homage as His vassel servant set this day apart from a normal day or a weekly Shabbat through the affliction of my soul by not eating or drinking for 24 hours! -
This day (Yom Kippur) is after all the day of preparation for reconciliation of the people of Yisrael; the preperation for Sukkot (Marriage Feast and final ingathering); preperation for another year of grace to enable us to practice set ting ourselves right with YHWH Elohim; preperation the Jubilee, Shmita and so much more - THIS IS THE SHABBAT SHABBATON - The Shabbat of Shabbats'. Praise YHWH through Yeshua that He has by Faith through Grace brought us back to this appointment - an appointment, moed, that in and of itself is not just a day, BUT rather a set-apart Divine and ordained meeting, occasion to bare our hearts and afflict our corrupted flesh, enemy (Rom_8:1-11) presenting for the truly redeemed House of Israel another opportunity to prepare for a continual life style of Yom Kippur and thus so much more to be thankful for.
This, for what it is worth, is my considered opinion on the choice we need to make on whether to fast or not on Yom Kippur.
Boaz - 06/10/24
