PART TWO: THE MARK OF GOD - THE FEASTS OF THE LORD

When the Israelites entered the land they understood they would only keep the land through their obedience to the Lord and His word (Torah). Once the previous disobedient generation died off Joshua was allowed to take the people into the promised land (Joshua 1:6-9). It takes courage to keep the word of the Lord--be obedient and be successful in taking the land. This is not just mental assent--we must do it! We need to understand that walking in the spirit is obeying the Torah (Code of Conduct). Take the mark of God and crossover. What a person does is what they believe--it is doing. God will bless our walk. We will prosper when we crossover into the Kingdom of God.

Joshua 3 - When they crossed over they had to cross the Jordan river with the ark going before them. The ark is crossing over. In the ark was the Ten Commandments, the covenant of God. The commands go over first, then we follow (walking in the spirit). The word of God is a light unto our path. The Jordan waters parted and the people walked across. Then they stacked twelve stones as a reminder to them of the crossing and possession of the land.

Once they had crossed over God re-instituted the Abrahamic covenant. Joshua 5--They circumcised all who came out of Egypt who had not died in the wilderness. Those who were twenty years and younger at the time of disobedience were now adults. The former generation died because they would not enter in. All those who lived were now circumcised as they had not been before. The conditions for entering were to obey the commands of the Lord. This next generation was now circumcised and ready to enter after healing.

Circumcision is a sign of covenantToday we are circumcised in our hearts. In their day physical circumcision meant they were no longer trusting in the flesh--but in God. Sarah giving Hagar to Abraham was an act of the flesh and not trusting God. The Lord did not accept Hagar’s son--His covenant comes through the promise. God made them get circumcised as a sign to trust in the promises--not in their flesh (idea’s and solutions).

Even in the wilderness the people often rebelled and wished to go back to Egypt. This next generation was ready to crossover and did not desire to go back to Egypt. They were circumcised and ready to trust God. Go in and take the land! (Joshua 3:10) - They then observed the Passover on the desert plain of Jericho and God re-established His covenant with them. The crossing of the Jordan was a symbol of baptism and was also a sign of separation unto the Lord. At this time the manna from heaven ceased and they ate the fruit of the land.

At the end of Joshua’s life he reminds the people that God called Abraham to become a Hebrew--to crossover from Babylon’s ways to the ways of God (Joshua 24). Beyond the river is pagan Babylon. Abraham crossed over from those gods when God called him to come out. Joshua reminded Israel of God’s call to Abraham and exhorted them to obey the Lord.

Abraham’s father, Terah, died in Haran. He didn’t come all the way out. God is calling us to come all the way out of Babylon (the world) and walk in His ways. Josh 24:14 --Fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth. Put away the gods of your fathers--pagan imagery, feasts, and those things that are infiltrating the church today. God desires we are holy unto Him and rid ourselves of the things which would hold us back. This is an ongoing battle in our lives. God is looking for a generation that will embrace His ways and be consecrated unto Him. If we do--no man can stand before us.

The book of Judges describes the ups and downs of a people not totally committed to the Lord. The reoccurring theme is to teach each succeeding generation to follow the Lord. Each generation is responsible for themselves and must commit to the Lord afresh. Gideon showed the nation they needed to repent from Baal and Asherim worship.

2 Kings 23--King Josiah is a perfect model of how and from what we must repent. He carried out the word of the Lord and walked in the spirit. He rid the nation of pagan influences and new age beliefs and walked righteously before the Lord. He cleansed the temple (we are the temple) and purified the people by obeying God’s commands. He did away with the Sun and Moon worship the people had been practicing (false feasts).

Modern day Baal and Asherah worship is manifest in the celebration of Easter and Christmas today. Easter is a fertility festival of Asherah and was incorporated into Christianity when Rome embraced the faith. Christmas was the winter solstice celebration of the pagans. It is important we understand the roots of these festivals. Somewhere around 300 A.D. the Roman church rejected the Hebraic roots of the faith and replaced the feasts of the Lord with Pagan festivals incorporating Christian beliefs into them. It is important for us to consider these things and return to the Hebraic roots of the faith.

Josiah restored the covenant and cleansed out the pagan influences of the day. They returned to celebrating God’s feast of Passover as God had commanded. Deut 12:1-3--Josiah said “we need to come back to the covenant.” to “write it on our hearts and walk in it.” No other king had returned to the Lord like Josiah. He restored the feasts of the Lord that had been replaced by pagan feasts. The Passover feast represents the Betrothal of God to His people. Communion comes from Passover.

1 Corinthians 5 documents a church that had a difficult time turning from pagan feasts and infiltration. Paul is talking about Passover in this chapter--about cleaning out the old leaven. We need to serve the Lord in sincerity and truth and return to celebrating His feasts. We need to come out of Egypt (Babylon) and understand the Hebraic roots of the faith once again. 1Corinthians 10 explains how we should crossover and celebrate God’s feasts and not the pagan feasts. The Passover is the key to crossing over and understanding God’s word to us. The feasts of the Lord open prophetic understanding of the word and help us consecrate ourselves to the Lord.

In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul is telling the gentiles to change their culture and way of doing things. Come out of Babylon and enter into the Kingdom of God. This is the mark of God on us! End time believers will be celebrating the Lord’s feasts--people who have the mark of the beast will celebrate the feasts of Babylon. We either keep the Lord’s feasts or the pagan feasts. In Revelation 2 this is what the teaching of Balaam and fornication of Jezebel is--the infiltration of paganism/new age into the church. We are commanded not to eat at pagan tables/feasts. We are to be separate. 1 Kings 18 explains Jezebel’s table.

The voice of Elijah is crying out--prepare ye the way of the Lord--come back to His ways, discover your roots. This is how the Bride prepares. This is how we will recognize Him when He returns--and He will recognize us! How long will you waver between two opinions (1 Kings 18:21)? The people would not answer. We must decide between the Lord or Baal and Asterah. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.