The Feasts of Yahweh: The Feast of Trumpets

This passage deals with the origin and meaning of the Feast of Trumpets, one of Israel's feasts. Falling on the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, this day is a holy convocation announced by the blowing of trumpets at the start of the feast, a day when the people of Israel rest all day and offer sacrifices. The sermon stresses that the Feast of Trumpets goes beyond a mere religious ritual and is an important moment of waiting for the completion of creation and the return of the Messiah. In particular, it warns that the sound of the trumpet is the signal announcing the day that separates judgment from salvation, and that all humanity will stand before God's judgment.

The sermon points out that what matters is not formal worship and offerings, but truly knowing God, and faith. Through the sacrificial rules of the Feast of Trumpets, it explains that God wants sincerity rather than outward show, and says that believers should regard the feasts as shadows and enjoy freedom in Christ. It also analyzes the meaning of the Hebrew letters of God's name, 'Yahweh,' showing that the suffering of the cross and the plan of salvation are already contained in that name. This means that all of Scripture testifies to Jesus Christ, and that only by seeing and knowing him can we reach salvation.

The sermon makes us look at whether our names are written in the book of life when the trumpet sounds. Rather than settling into a formal religious life, it raises the question of living a life that deeply understands the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross and gives thanks for it. We must not call on God carelessly but worship him wholeheartedly, and it is important not to judge the sins of others but to keep our own faith. Through the warning the Feast of Trumpets gives, we reflect on how we know God at this very moment.