OPINION (Charisma) – The Jewish fall feast of Rosh Hashanah is a two-day celebration that begins their spiritually significant 10-day holy season, “The Days of Awe.” This year, this lunar-based season of repentance and forgiveness begins at sundown on Sept. 29. It is to be celebrated (Lev. 23:23-25) with no work and with the blowing of shofars (ram’s horns). The second fall feast, 10 days later, is Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). In antiquity, this was the day each year when the Jewish high priest offered the sacrifice that made atonement for (covered over) the sins of the people of the nation of Israel (Lev. 23:26-32). Today, on
Yom Kippur, observant Jewish people will fast and ask the Lord to forgive their sins. Author David Servant has written that “evil is endemic to human life and proves the Bible view that the human race is under a curse and cannot extricate itself from evil but must have a Redeemer.” This evil condition of all mankind is affirmed by the apostle Paul in the book of Romans. In Chapter 1, he explained that mankind “suppress[ed] the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18b, LEB) and then illustrated man’s evil inclinations with a dirty-laundry list that sounds like the talking points of modern-day news anchors (1:28-32). Then, in Chapter 3, Paul summarized the evil factor and declared that no one is good in God’s sight: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23, NASB). READ MORE
