Rosh Hashana – Judgment of Individuals and Nations and Yom Kippur – Life or Death
October 2, 2006
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) began at sunset on September 23. Yom Kipper (Day of Atonement) began at sunset October 1. Between these two times there is a moral process from corruption to cleanliness that is supposed to take place in the believer’s life.
I recently came across an article by Meir Tamari, who is the founder, and was the first director of the Business Ethics Center of Jerusalem. It was an excellent article appearing in the Jerusalem Post, and was t itl
ed “From Corruption to Cleanliness,” an apt description of the moral process supposed to occur between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The following three paragraphs were extracted from the article “[ ].”
“[On Rosh Hashana individuals and nations are judged, and on Yom Kippur their futures are determined – whether they are deserving of life or death, peace or strife, prosperity or poverty, war or peace, exile or tranquility.
In that process we repetitively search and confess our wrongdoings in the knowledge that if we are sincere, atonement is assured.
The shorter form of that verbal confession is the Ashamnu prayer,
comprising just 24 words dealing with a litany of sins relating to our earning and spending money, our social treatment of each other, even our macro-economic policies.
These are evils that work their way through all aspects of life, until the whole society becomes corrupt.]”
I was not familiar with the Ashamnu prayer. The thirteen confessions offered in it are as follows:
Ashamnu, bagadnu – “We have done wrong”:
Gazalnu – “We have robbed”:
Dibarnu dofi – “We have blasphemed”:
He’evinu – “We have caused perversion”:
Vehirshanu – “We have encouraged lawlessness”:
Zadnu – “We have sinned willfully”:
Hamasnu – “We have extorted”:
Tafalnu sheker – “We have forged lies”:
Kizavnu – “We have been deceitful”:
Latznu – “We have scoffed”:
Maradnu – “We have rebelled”:
Niatznu – “We have been scornful”:
Sararnu – “We have turned away”:
Avinu – “We have been perverse”:
Pashanu – “We have oppressed”:
Tzaranu – “We have persecuted”:
Kishinu oref – “We have been obstinate”:
Rashanu – “We have been lawless”:
Shihatnu – “We have corrupted”:
Ti’avnu – “We have committed abominations”:
Ta’inu – “We have gone astray”:
Ti’tanu – “We have led others astray”:
Please allow me to quote from the second quoted paragraph preceding the thirteen confessions of the Ashamnu prayer.
‘[In that process we repetitively search and confess our wrongdoings in the knowledge that if we are sincere, atonement is assured.]’
“IF WE ARE SINCERE, ATONEMENT IS ASSURED!”
The Basic Root meaning of the Word “Sincere” is “Not Pretending.”
If a person has committed these sins, then how could such a person ever be “sincere?” These 13 confessions are indeed a thorough cross section of “THE LAW.” I am guilty of every one of them, so how could I ever consider myself capable of being “sincere?”
James 2:10 – For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Only a “righteous” person is capable of standing “sincere” before God.
Romans 3:10 – As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Only a “good” person is capable of standing “sincere” before God.
Romans 3:12 – They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
A person who “pretends” to be capable of keeping “THE LAW” cannot stand “sincere” before God, because that person is neither “good” nor “righteous.”
THE LAW was given to teach all human beings they cannot possibly make themselves “righteous” or “good” before God, no matter how “sincere” they are in their efforts to keep God’s standard of “righteous” and “good.” Only God in Christ could reconcile me to himself by His sincerity, His righteousness and His goodness.
II Corinthians 5:18-21 – And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; [19] To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. [20] Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
[21] For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
THE LAW was a schoolmaster to teach me that the only man who ever lived who was sincere, good, and righteous is Jesus Christ,
the living Son of God, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily. It also taught me I stand complete in him by faith because he lives in me, and he is my sincerity, righteousness, and goodness before God.
Galatians 3:24-26 – Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. [25] But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
[26] For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 2:9-10 – For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
[10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
I Corinthians 1:30,31 – But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: [31] That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
II Corinthians 3:7-18 – But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: [8] How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? [9] For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. [10] For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
[11] For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
[12] Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: [13] And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: [14] But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Chr
ist. [15] But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. [16] Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
Romans 11:25-29 – For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
[26] And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: [27] For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. [28] As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. [29] For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
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