Sukkot - Feast of Tabernacles - 2013

We've just finished celebrating Sukkot this year!

It was a blessed time! What a joy YHVH's Appointed Times are!

L to R: Building the sukkah; Blowing the shofar and saying the blessings; finished sukkah!

8th Day celebration with our group! Marching up to Zion, reading the Psalms of Accent and rejoicing!

Sukkot fun! :)

Next year in Jerusalem!

Yom Teruah



Blow the ram's horn at the time of the New Moon {Rosh Chodesh},
at the full moon, on our festival day - Psalm/Tehillim 81:3

 

This past week, we were blessed to celebrate the first of YHVH's fall feast days,

Yom Teruah - known commonly as The Feast of Trumpets.

And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, 

‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you have a rest, 

a remembrance of blowing of trumpets, a set-apart gathering.

Leviticus 23:23-24

I will dance for You, YHVH \0/

Blessed are You, YHVH Eloheinu, King of the universe,
Who has set us apart by Your commandments and calls us to hear
the voice of the Shofar.

Father and son blowing the shofars at the sighting of the new moon

What's a celebration without cake?? :-)

Blessed are You, YHVH Eloheinu, King of the universe,

Who has kept us in life, sustained us,

and enabled us to reach this season. 

May we hear the sound of His calling!

Shalom and blessings!

- Christina

Shema, Yisrael, YHVH, Eloheinu, YHVH Echad. 
Baruch shem k'vod malchuot l'olam va'ed. 

Hear, O Yisreal, YHVH our Elohim, YHVH is One. 
Blessed be His esteemed Name  
Whose Kingdom is forever and ever. Amein.

Shavuot... Feast of Weeks

         {photo credit: here}

With Shavuot/Pentecost upon us, I wanted to share a few Scripture verses
and some links I've come across over the past few years.

This is our third year (I think. lol) of observing/celebrating Shavuot/Pentecost
and I am still learning SO much! It has been, and continues to be, such a joy!

I am continually amazed by YHVH's feast days!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Shavuot means 'weeks' in Hebrew.
It is The Feast of Weeks.
7 weeks (49 completed days),
counted from the day after the weekly Sabbath Day
after beginning The Feast of Unleavened Bread.

In Scripture it is a feast of harvest.
It is, also, the celebration of the giving of the written Torah,
by YHVH at Mount Sinai.

It is, also, the time known as Pentecost.
Pentecost means "fiftieth" in Greek.

It is when the promise of the giving of the Set-Apart Spirit was fulfilled.

-----------------------------------
Some of the Scriptures referring to Shavuot...

"and the Festival of the Harvest, the first-fruits of your labours
which you have sown in the field; and the Festival of the Ingathering
at the outgoing of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labours from the field"
Exodus 23:16


"And perform the Festival of Weeks for yourself, 
of the first-fruits of wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year"
Exodus 34:22


"And from the morrow after the Sabbath, 
from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering,
you shall count for yourselves: seven completed Sabbaths.
Until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath you count fifty days, 
then you shall bring a new grain offering to YHVH."
Leviticus 23:15-17 {and to verse 21}


"And on the day of the first-fruits, when you bring a new grain offering to YHVH
at your Festival of Weeks, you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work."
Numbers 28:26


"And you shall perform the Festival of Weeks to YHVH your Elohim,
according to the voluntary offering from your hand,
which you give as YHVH your Elohim blesses you.
And you shall rejoice before YHVH your Elohim, you and your son and your daughter,
and your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates,
and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are in your midst,
at the place where YHVH your Elohim chooses to make His Name dwell."
Deuteronomy 16:10-11


"And when the Day of the Festival of Weeks had come,
they were all with one mind in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind,
and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, 
and settled on each one of them. 
And they were all filled with the Set-apart Spirit 
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak."
Acts 2:1-4


---------------------------------

A few links expounding on Shavuot:
{as with anything, read with discernment and prove all things according to Scripture}

Shavuot - Pentecost - Feast of Weeks {PDF file}
(article from Hoshana Rabbah site)

Shavuot - "Feast of Weeks" {PDF file}
(a little more 'simplified' article at Restoring the Way)

What is Shavuot?
(online article at Judaism site, Chabad.com)



Activities and Coloring:

Shavuot coloring pages
{at Aish.com}

Crafts and Coloring pages
{at Challah Crumbs.com}

Shavuot Recipes and Crafts
{at HebrewPodcasts.com}

Shavuot Lapbook/Lapfolder

My Shavuot Pinterest Board (updated sporadically)



And what's a celebration without music?!

Songs:

Rejoicing in the giving of the Torah...

Love the Torah

I Love Torah

Oh, How I Love Your Torah

The Ten Commandments


Rejoicing in the Set-Apart Spirit,
Who writes Torah in our hearts...

Calling for a Flood

Joel 2

Empty Me

Bo, Ruach Elohim {Come, Spirit of Elohim}




Chag Sameach Shavuot!
{Joyous Festival of Shavuot!}

Resources for Passover

Passover - Pesach - is soon approaching
and we are very excited!


"this day shall become to you a remembrance. 

And you shall observe it as a festival 

to {YHVH}  יהוה throughout your generations – 

observe it as a festival, an everlasting law."
Exodus 12:14 


Here are some of the resources
I have come across that can be useful
as we prepare for teaching and observing
this set-apart day to YHVH.



Coloring fun:

Passover coloring pages

Passover coloring pages (in pdf)

More Passover coloring pages (in pdf)

More Pesach/Passover coloring pages



Activities and crafts:

Passover Activities for Children - matzah cover, placemats, etc...

Ten Plague Masks - a craft idea (or can use paper plates)

Ten Plagues Placard craft: Part 1 and Part 2

Four Questions Book craft - If you desire to use "the 4 questions"

Ten Plagues illustration - Could attempt to draw/paint to depict the plagues

Cardboard Tube Moses - craft idea 

Matzah Holder - make your own 

Passover Bag of Plagues -  fun idea

Matzah Cover Tutorial - make your own matzah cover


Music:

Dayenu - traditional, fun Passover song (sang by our eldest and myself)

Passover Song - Yeshua, our Passover Lamb and remembrance of Him

The Pesach Song (We're Leaving) - Beautiful song about leaving Egypt (physically/spiritually)



Videos:

Passover Story - Beautiful recap of how The Almighty delivered His people (6 minutes)

Messiah in Passover - short video showing what Yeshua fulfilled in the Passover (4 minutes)

The Messiah - Prophecy Fulfilled - Movie showing how Yeshua fulfilled the Passover and how a Jewish man shares it with his family during their Passover observation. Longer but very good. (50 minutes)

Know Your Enemy (Part 12- The Plagues) -  See how the plagues that YHVH brought upon Egypt targeted specific "gods" that they worshiped, showing His authority as the One True Elohim.
Video is less than 8 minutes. Watch and connect some dots that maybe didn't connect before.Very interesting.

Let My People Go! Passover/Pesach Skit -  A skit we did with friends one year on Pesach :)


In the past, we have not used a haggadah (traditional "telling") for Passover,
but have only had the three items mentioned in Scripture while reading the Scripture pertaining to them.

But if one desires to add some of the traditions and have a haggadah to print and use,
I have found this one to be a pretty good one.

You Shall Tell Your Children - Messianic Passover Haggadah (pdf format)



One last resource to share is the Let My People Go board game.
We have found this to be a delightful game to play as a family!
And the rhymes are very cute and catchy.
The game is a little difficult to find (about $15) but worth the buy if you can find it!


May your Pesach be blessed! As well as your preparation!

Shalom!
~ Christina



p.s. This will be an ongoing list, of sorts. Check back for additions/changes. :)

Pesach Happenings

Pesach (Passover) and The Feast of Unleavened Bread

have come to an end this year

and I was able to take some time to look through

some of the moments that we captured.

One of the things we enjoyed this year

was our new board game - Let My People Go.

We chuckled at the rhymes 

as we made our way through the Exodus.

We, also, painted pillowcases to put on our pillows

that we brought with us to the seder (order of the Passover meal) we attended. 

We "experimented" with adding some tradition this year

and using pillows during the seder is a tradition that it used

to celebrate/commemorate not having to eat

the Passover meal in haste, as in the first Passover.

This is something we are still studying

but, this year, we did bring our pillows along

because we joined a traditional seder.

This was our first year to spend Passover with other people.

Who shall ascend into the hill of YHVH? 

or who shall stand in his set-apart place?
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart...

Psalm 24:3-4

During the evening, the children put on a skit,

taking us through the plagues and the exodus.

It was a blessing to witness.

Putting the blood on the door posts

The death of the first borns

Pharoah was relentless...

We were all tickled to see Daddy do his part...

The evening was a new experience and a blessing in many ways.

The following afternoon/evening, the group we meet with

went through the parts of the Passover meal, as well.

It was a joy to meet for fellowship both times

and to hear, learn, and discuss the various applications.

Though I've only shared photos,

there was much more going on behind the scenes...

And though I may not have had some awesome revelation,

the Ruach (Spirit) was at work in my heart and mind

and it was a deep joy to draw nearer to the Father during this time.

I doubt that I will ever cease to be amazed at Abba's feast days.

They are like nothing I had ever experienced with other "holidays".

I will be eternally grateful that, in His mercy and lovingkindess,

He opened my eyes and changed my heart and mind.

Thank You, Abba.

I love You.

~ Christina

p.s. If you'd like to see the skit that the children did... here it is :)

Happy Passover (Pesach)!

"Guard the month of Aḇiḇ,

and perform the Passover to יהוה   {YHVH} your Elohim,

for in the month of Aḇiḇ יהוה  {YHVH} your Elohim

brought you out of Mitsrayim by night."

Deuteronomy 16:1

"And the blood shall be a sign for you

on the houses where you are.

And when I see the blood, I shall pass over you,

and let the plague not come on you

to destroy you when I smite the land of Mitsrayim.

And this day shall become to you a remembrance.

And you shall observe it as a festival to יהוה

throughout your generations –

observe it as a festival, an everlasting law."

Exodus 12:13-14

"... and looking at {Yeshua} יהושע walking,

he said, “See the Lamb of Elohim!"

John 1:36

"saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb having been slain

to receive power and riches and wisdom,

and strength and respect and esteem and blessing!”

And every creature which is in the heaven

and on the earth and under the earth

and such as are in the sea,

and all that are in them, I heard saying,

“To Him sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb,

be the blessing and the respect

and the esteem and the might, forever and ever!"

Revelation 5:12-13

"Therefore cleanse out the old leaven,

so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened.

For also Messiah our Passover was offered for us.

So then let us observe the festival,

not with old leaven,

nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness,

but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

1 Corinthians 5:7 

May your Passover be very blessed!

Chag Sameach!

~ Christina