Golden Leaves

 "Also at your times of rejoicing - your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals -  you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God." (Numbers 10:10)

I was listening to the local radio station in Logansport. The secular one. I know. I'm a pastor. I publicly confess my sin. It just takes me back to a simpler time of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, the Everly Brothers, Doris Day, Dave Clark 5, and...the king...Elvis. 

Memories. No, I mean, Memories, as in the song that Elvis sang. 

"Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind.
Memories, sweetened through the ages just wine.
Quiet thoughts come floating down and settle softly down to the ground. 

Like golden leaves around my feet, I touch them and they burst apart with sweet memories." 

I am writing a bit in advance since I will not be able to submit a blog post next week. Rosh Hashanah or Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets (can be called all three) will begin on September 7th. It begins the Fall Feast series or the Fall Appointed Feasts of the Lord. 

I have always been fascinated with these feasts for the reason that they are all associated with some aspect of the ministry of Jesus. 

Spring Feasts: 

Passover - Jesus is our Passover Lamb

Unleavened Bread - Jesus is our sinless sacrifice

First fruits - Jesus is the first fruit of the dead

Pentecost - Jesus gives to the Church the Holy Spirit. 

Fall feasts: 

Feast of Trumpets - coming of the Messiah

Day of Atonement - the recognition that Jesus is the true Messiah and the people repent

Feast of Tabernacles - celebrating the Messiah's provision and eternal dwelling with his people.

There is a sense of mystery with the Feast of Trumpets and, I have to confess, a bit of nervousness. It is the least understood of the feasts because it is the least described by way of purpose. Trumpets announce. Trumpets call people to assemble. Trumpets call people to attention. To announce what? To call people to assemble for what purpose? To call people to attention for what? Mystery. Memories. 

All that we know is that it is a time of great rejoicing and a time to stir up memories of God. But I believe that encased in this feast is a great sense of expectation - which is where the nervousness comes in to play. The expectation of the coming of the King for his people and later, the expectation of coming back with Him as the Bride of Christ to be revealed to the Jewish people. Rapture and Second Coming. 

I know that other followers of Jesus may disagree with me on this point. It is not something I will break fellowship over.  

I think we can all agree to rejoice and remember what the Lord has done for us. I'm going to try and be more mindful of such things as I see those golden leaves around my feet. 

Sweet memories. Glorious expectations. 

Maranatha!