The Days of Awe Part 8

Yom Kippur, known to Jews as The Day of Atonement, begins today at 6:52PM. Yeshua would have participated in some type of service on this day. For the Jews, and Yeshua, it was a day of fasting, prayer, and attending services. At the conclusion of the service, Kaddish Shalem would have been said. The Kaddish is a prayer that praises Elohim and expresses a yearning for the establishment of His kingdom on earth. The emotional reactions inspired by the Kaddish come from the circumstances in which it is said: it is recited at funerals and by mourners and sons are required to say Kaddish for eleven months after the death of a parent. The word Kaddish means being set apart, and the prayer is a set aparting of Adonai's name. The one who says Kaddish always stands. Whether other worshippers sit or stand depends on the congregation. It is customary for all the mourners in the congregation to recite Kaddish in unison. A child under the age of thirteen may say the Mourner's Kaddish if he has lost one of his parents. Most religious authorities allow a daughter to say Kaddish, although she is under no religious obligation to do so. Here is a portion of the text of Kaddish Shalem:

"Magnified and sanctified be God's great name in the world which He has created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom in our lifetime, and in our days and in the lifetime of the entire family of Israel swiftly and soon."

If we say we follow Yeshua, then why does His religious practices seem so different from ours? How many churches will even mention the Day of Atonement this week? Does it concern anyone that the early church in Jerusalem continued to participate in the Day of Atonement even after Yeshua had been raised from the dead and ascended into the clouds? Logic would seem to dictate that if you follow someone then you should do what they do. Why does this not apply to Christians? Did Yeshua abolish the Day of Atonement in His teachings?

Over the last 8 days, have you noticed the seriousness with which Jews approach sin? They mourn for their sins, they repent, and seek forgiveness. I fear that those that claim to follow Yeshua have minimized the importance of repentance and honesty concerning their walk with Elohim. As we approach Yom Kippur, it would seem to honor Yeshua by learning more about His practices and examine ourselves concerning the need to repent.