From Trumpets to Tabernacles: The End of Drift (Part 2 of 2)

The Life of Moses- Episode #37 (Part 2 of 2)  🎺 Most people don’t walk away from God in a moment of rebellion… they drift.

Slowly. Quietly. Almost unnoticed.

That’s why I love the Hebrew feast days in Leviticus 23: they’re not random traditions; they’re divine appointments designed to interrupt our lives and bring us back to God with clarity and tenderness.

In this episode, we walk through the final three biblical feast days—The Feast of Trumpets, the Days of Awe, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)—and uncover the powerful progression they reveal:

Awakening.
Repentance.
Cleansing.
Dwelling.

These feasts are not random traditions—they are a divine pattern. A call to wake up, return to God, receive what He has already accomplished, and learn to remain in His presence.

We’ll explore the deep meaning behind the shofar’s call, the weight of repentance, the significance of atonement, and the joy of dwelling with God—along with the powerful ways Jesus fulfills each of these moments.

If you’ve felt distracted, distant, or spiritually numb… this is an invitation back.

Not just to hear God’s voice—but to respond to it.

Not just to be forgiven—but to dwell.

 If you’re longing for God’s presence, this is a pathway worth taking slowly.

Subscribe to Whispers of Grace, share this with a friend who feels far from God, and leave a review others can find encouragement in Scripture.

Key Scriptures:

Leviticus 16, Leviticus 23
 Joel 2
 Hebrews 7:23–28
 John 7:37–38
 John 8:12
 John 15:4–5
 Hebrews 3:15

Transcript

Welcome To Whispers Of Grace

Julie Colbeth 0:19

Kia ora, and welcome to Whispers of Grace, a place for women to be encouraged by God's holy word. I'm your host, Julie Colbeth, and I am overjoyed to dig into the Bible with you today.

The Quiet Danger Of Drift

Julie Colbeth 0:38

Most people don't have a rebellion problem. They have a drift problem. We don't usually wake up one day and decide to walk away from God. It rarely happens in a single moment of defiance. It's quieter than that, slower, and more subtle. We stop paying attention. We stop responding. We stop noticing. And over time what once felt alive becomes familiar and then distant. Drift doesn't announce itself. It doesn't make a scene. It just happens while we're busy with other things. And the dangerous part is that you can still look like you're walking with God while your heart is slowly moving away from him. You can still show up and sing the songs, you can still say the right things, but internally something has gone quiet. And this is exactly why God built interruption into his calendar. This is why we are looking at the feast days of the Lord. The Hebrew feast days are not just ancient traditions, they are divine appointments. Intentional moments where God calls his people to stop, look at their lives, and return to him. They're not random or disconnected, they are ordered and purposeful, and when viewed together, they reveal a progression. If you missed the last episode, I would highly encourage you to go back and listen, because these feasts build on one another and they tell a story. And when we follow that story in order, we begin to see how God consistently works with his people.

The Seventh Month Sacred Timeline

Julie Colbeth 2:26

Today we are stepping into the final movement of that story, the seventh month of the biblical calendar, the most sacred stretch of time in Israel's year. Within this one month are three feasts that unfold over approximately 21 days. We begin with the Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah. This marks day one. The ten days that follow are known as the days of awe, leading to day 10, the Day of Atonement, also known as Yom Kippur. Then, beginning on day 15 and continuing through day 21, comes the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, or the Feast of Booths. Just as the first four feasts point to the work of Jesus and his first coming, these three point forward. They're prophetic. The Feast of Trumpets points to the future trumpet call associated with the gathering of God's people. The Day of Atonement points to the completed work of Christ and also to the future repentance and restoration of Israel in the final days. And the Feast of Tabernacles points to the coming reality of dwelling with God, something Scripture indicates will be fully realized in the age to come. There are 15 days from the first trumpet blast to the beginning of tabernacles, and within that time we see a clear path. Awakening, repentance, cleansing, and finally dwelling. Now this progression matters. Nothing God does is by accident, and he loves to tell a story. Because most of us want to dwell with God, but we resist the process that leads us there. We want the closeness without confrontation. We want the presence without repentance. But throughout Scripture, God leads his people step by step. When we skip the process, we don't just move faster, we lose the depth. And in our digital age, when we can know what's happening on the other side of the world in a blink, this is more important than ever. We miss the depth behind the movement if we don't take time to slow down. So instead of rushing ahead, we're going to walk through this the way that it was designed, carefully, intentionally, allowing each step to do its work. All right. So the number seven, it carries deep significance throughout scripture. Often it represents completion or holiness. This rhythm is established in creation. Early we see it six days of work followed by a seventh day set apart as holy. In the same way, the seventh month in the Hebrew calendar is marked as a uniquely sacred month. Within this month are three appointed feasts trumpets, atonement, and tabernacles.

Trumpets As God’s Interruption

Julie Colbeth 5:42

The Feast of Trumpets serves as the entry point into the sacred season. It's not merely a celebration, it's a call to prepare. And this journey starts with a sound. In ancient Israel, when the shofar was blown, everything stopped. This was not background music or ceremonial noise, it was a summons. Leviticus 23 and Numbers 29 instruct the people to treat this day as a Sabbath. No work, no commerce, no ordinary activity. Instead, the day was marked by rest, sacrifice, and the intentional sounding of the trumpet. The purpose of the trumpet was interruption. I'm going to say that again. The purpose of the trumpet was interruption. It cut through daily life and it demanded attention. Everyone had to stop. In Jewish tradition, the shofar is understood as a call to awaken the soul. It was used as a divine alarm, urging people to examine their lives and return to God. Now this is significant because most of us are not resisting God outright. We are distracted. We respond to what is urgent rather than what is eternal. And the trumpet confronts this pattern. The trumpets serve as a signal, a jarring way to be woken up from our daily activities and be ushered into a new season. Like I said, all of us want comfort from the Lord, but often what we actually need is interruption. When interruption and disruption enter our lives, a broken plan, a difficult relationship, an unexpected hardship, we tend to treat it as something to fix or just endure. But with the pattern of this feast, interruption is not meaningless. It's an invitation. An invitation to stop, to reflect, to ask what God is doing and how we are responding. The Feast of Trumpets calls us out of autopilot and back into awareness. Do we see disruptions as God's wake-up call or just another thing to stress about? Do we stop and consider what God might be doing or saying through our discomfort? Do we turn our frustrations and anxieties and worries over to Him? Or do we try to shoulder the burden of the blasting noise and just carry on like nothing is happening? As modern-day believers, this feast can help to call us away from our frantic world and refocus our thoughts on our Savior. It can cause us to meditate on what God is doing in our lives and how we are responding or not responding to his voice. Are you hearing a trumpet call in your life? Stop and take notice. How are you choosing to live?

Days Of Awe And Real Repentance

Julie Colbeth 8:58

Now, following this day of trumpets are the ten days that lead up to Yom Kippur, known as the days of awe. While not explicitly commanded in Scripture, this period became established during the Second Temple period as a time set apart for repentance. This space between the trumpet call and atonement is intentional. It creates room for a response to the trumpet, not just inward reflection, but true outward change. Repentance in Scripture is not merely emotional, it's directional. It involves turning, restoring, and repairing what has been neglected or broken. The prophet Joel captures this clearly in chapter two. He says, Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes, let the bridegroom go out from his chamber and the bride from her dressing room. Let the priests who minister to the Lord weep between the porch and the altar. Now therefore, says the Lord, turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and he relents from doing harm. In ancient Israel, repentance was not just a private exercise. The nation moved together, fasting, confessing, and restoring relationship. Jewish tradition continues this emphasis, teaching that reconciliation with others must take place before seeking forgiveness from God. Repentance is relational, it's not just an internal thing. And this is where many of us hesitate. We may feel conviction, but we stop short of change. Scripture consistently ties repentance to action. John the Baptist puts it plainly when he said, Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Repentance is not proven by emotion or intent. Are you avoiding that person that you have had issues with because you really don't want to maintain a relationship with them? This feast helps to put it right in front of our face. What route is the Lord laying his axe to in your life? In Matthew 5, Jesus makes this even more confronting when he says, You have heard that our ancestors were told, you must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment. But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment. If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court, and if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the temple, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person, and then come and offer your sacrifice to God. Jesus doesn't even want someone to offer him a gift or a sacrifice until we are at peace with one another. How often have we come to church and sang worship songs and heard the word and secretly harbored bitterness or anger towards someone, or known that someone is angry with us, and we just can't be bothered to address it. We need to wake up, church, and hear the shofar blowing. The time to do the works of repentance are now. We can't continue to walk in this hypocrisy. James four six says, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Are you longing for that grace? The cost is humility. The days of awe press unto this question What is actually changing? It's not enough to hear truth. We are called to respond to it, and these ten days of contemplation gave the Jewish nation time to put their thoughts and heart intents to action. At the end of these ten days after the trumpet had sounded, after the interruption has come, after the call to return has been given, and space has been made for repentance, something shifts.

Yom Kippur And The Cost

Julie Colbeth 14:12

The window for response closes, and the most sacred day of the year arrives. Yam Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This is not just another step in the sequence. This is the culmination of everything that has been building. The awakening of the trumpet confronts our drift. The days of awe call us to turn. And now on this day something deeper must happen, because awareness and repentance alone are not enough. Now we have sin that must be dealt with. Leviticus chapter 16 describes this day in detail, beginning with the sobering reminder of the death of Nadab and Abihu. This establishes the seriousness of approaching God. This is not casual access. This is not something to take lightly. Once a year, one man was invited to enter the Holy of Holies, the place where God's presence dwelt above the Ark of the Covenant. This space was separated by a veil embroidered with cherubim, emphasizing holiness and separation. It was sacred and holy, but certainly not safe. Anyone who tried to enter uninvited would instantly be struck down dead. And so the high priest approaches, but not as he normally would. He does not come in his usual high priestly clothing. He usually wore ornate and symbolic garments full of gold and meaning. But on this day he lays aside all those things, no gold, no jewels. He only wears linen from head to toe. Because what is about to take place cannot be supported by appearance, status, or even symbolism. It must be approached in humility. The linen that the high priest wears before the presence of the Lord speaks of purity and simplicity. And notably it does not cause the high priest to sweat, because sweat speaks of toil, of human effort, and this place is not built for the efforts of man. No amount of human striving can earn the atonement that the priest is asking for. This is where everything the people have been doing in the days of awe meets its limit. Repentance brings them to the threshold, but it cannot carry them across because something else is required. The high priest enters the holy space, carrying the blood of sacrifices. He sprinkles it on the mercy seat, which was the lid of the Ark of the Covenant, the very center of holiness and divine presence. He also applies blood to the horns of the altar and offers incense that ascends in a cloud to cover the mercy seat. And while the high priest is carrying out this work before the Lord, the rest of Israel is not passive. The day of atonement was a busy one for the high priest, but for everyone else it was a Sabbath. The people were commanded to afflict their souls in Leviticus 16, verse 31. It was a day of fasting, traditionally from both food and drink for about twenty five hours. This kind of self-denial was meant to mirror the weight of sin and reflect a truly penitent heart. Leviticus 23 makes the seriousness of this clearer. Anyone who was not afflicted in soul on the Day of Atonement would be cut off from his people. Anyone who chose to work on this day, God promised to destroy. This was not optional participation, it was required humility. The word afflicted in Hebrew carries the meaning of abasing oneself, humbling oneself, and even dealing hard with oneself. It speaks of coming low before God, acknowledging the depth and seriousness of sin, and responding accordingly. So while one man stood before God on behalf of the people, the people themselves were bowing low, fasting, humbling themselves, and recognizing their need for atonement. Then comes the scapegoat. Two goats are chosen. One is slaughtered, offering its lifeblood as a sin offering to cover sins that it never committed. The other is taken in hand and used as a confessional. The high priest places his hands on the goat's head and confesses the sins of Israel over it. In that moment the sins of the people are ceremonially transferred onto the goat, and he is led outside the camp and cast out into the wilderness. I can imagine the significance of watching the scapegoat be led further and further away from the camp of Israel, the sin receding from the community, never to be seen again. This showed that the sin was not only atoned for, but also removed from the community. The scapegoat was destined to live away from every comfort it had ever known, bearing the weight of sin in exile. And as powerful as that image is, it also reveals a limitation, because this is a picture of what the old covenant could offer. Sin that was set aside, but not totally erased, because that goat still lived on somewhere out in the wilderness, not within the borders of Israel, not within the community, but he was still alive. Sin was dealt with, but it was not ultimately destroyed. And this is where the weight of this moment begins to point us forward, because this reminds us as New Testament believers that Jesus became not only our high priest, offering sacrifices for our sins, but he was also the pure, spotless Lamb of God who shed his blood for the remission of our sins. He does not simply carry our sins away, he removes them completely, a work that only he can do. It's important to notice something else in this chapter. Aaron, the high priest, was meant to do all of this work himself. Usually the tabernacle was a busy place full of priests, community members, the bleeding of sheep, the flutter of doves' wings, and the constant hum of activity. It was alive with movement and sound. But on this day, everything changes. It becomes quiet, still, silent even, except for the shuffling of the high priest's feet and the sounds of the animals that he is handling. All of this work falls to one man. And our New Testament ears again hear the echo of our Savior, who suffered and died alone, outside the gates of his community, just like that scapegoat. Spurgeon says this there was none with our Lord. He trod the wine press alone. He, his own self, bare the sins in his own body on the tree. He went in where the thick darkness covered the throne of God. And none stood by to comfort him. But here is where the story shifts from repetition to completion. Because in our world, this beautiful, weighty, and serious event does not need to happen year after year. Jesus, as our perfect sacrifice, did not manage or delay our sin. He removed it entirely and bore it in his body to the grave. And that changes everything, which brings this out of history and into your life, right into your lap. Are you still carrying the weight of what Christ has already removed? Do you believe that God the Father looks on you with love and acceptance now and forever? Even when you sin, even when you're stubborn and childish or selfish? Even when you fail and regress, the blood of Christ, being the most powerful substance in the history of the world, is still potent enough to cover you. Hear this piece of scripture from the book of Hebrews that shows the potency of our Savior. Hebrews 7 verse 23 to 28 says this. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able once and forever to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need, because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first, and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all, when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people's sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his son with an oath, and his son has been made the perfect high priest forever. Then in chapter eight, verse six it says, But now Jesus, our high priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God based on better promises. Do you hear that? He lives forever to intercede with God on your behalf. He is not limited by human weakness. In fact, Christ's power is made perfect through your weakness. As we learn from the life of Paul the Apostle, God specifically told Paul that when we are weak, he is strong. He is not bound by our insufficiencies. He overcomes them. He works in spite of them and has already conquered them through his death and resurrection. Our job is to surrender and submit over and over again, and he promises to continue perfecting us. And this is where the movement of these feasts becomes unmistakably clear, because atonement is not the final destination. It was never meant to be. Atonement clears the way, but it is not the end goal. God does not bring his people through repentance and cleansing just to leave them

Sukkot And Commanded Joy

Julie Colbeth 26:00

there. He brings them through it so they can dwell with him. Five days after this feast, everything shifts. The same people who are afflicting their souls now step into celebration. The same people who were fasting now begin to feast. The same people who are examining their sin now gather together in joy. Because once sin has been dealt with, the invitation is no longer to mourn, it is to abide. Thank God. The story doesn't end here because atonement was never the end goal. It was the doorway into what God intended all along. After the solemn day of atonement, five days later, the entire community of Israel is instructed to keep the festival of tabernacles, also known as the festival of booths or shelters, Sukkot. No more fasting, no more repentance. Now begins the abiding. Leviticus 23 tells us that for seven days the whole community of Israel would celebrate what almost feels like a merging of a camping trip and a banquet. The first and the last days were Sabbath rest days, no work to be done except what God instructed. Israel would offer gifts to the Lord, drink offerings, grain offerings, fellowship offerings, burnt offerings, free will offerings, and at the same time they would feast. On the first day they would gather branches and build temporary little shelters, simple structures, lean to's, or booths, some people call them, places that they would live and eat for the duration of this seven-day feast. Now building these little sukas was meant to remind them of their time in the wilderness, when their ancestors lived without permanence, and yet were completely sustained by God. Can you imagine how this would feel as a child celebrating this festival? There is something deeply human about this part of the story. Joy, community, celebration, and memory, late nights and good laughs. The festival was a celebration of harvest, of atonement, and of a thriving community life lived with Jehovah. It was not optional joy, it was commanded joy. They left the security of their homes and stepped into something temporary on purpose, to remember that their true security had never been in what they built, it had always been in their God. The Sukha itself preached the message. It was fragile and temporary and open to the sky, a lived declaration, God is my covering, God is my provision. The Jewish Talmud tells us that during this festival, a priest would draw water from the pool of Siloam and pour it out before the Lord at the altar while all the people sang hymns and songs. This ceremony brought to mind the water that God provided in the wilderness when he sustained his people in a place where there should have been no life at all. And it is at the height of this moment, on the seventh day of the feast, filled with intensity and expectation, that Jesus stood up and cried out, If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Now, doesn't understanding this whole feast drive home that statement so much more? Jesus is not interrupting randomly, he is stepping directly into the middle of a sacred moment and revealing himself as its fulfillment. He is saying the water that you are remembering, the provision that you're celebrating, the hope that you're holding on to, it is all found and fulfilled in me. Jesus once again fulfills the heart of the law and joins together the experiences of Israel with their true fulfillment seen in his life. And that's not

Jesus As Water And Light

Julie Colbeth 30:41

all. In this festival, we see the water and then we see the light. Another powerful ceremony took place during this feast, involving massive menorah lampstands that would be set up in the court of the women. These were not small fixtures, they were enormous, towering above the people, like floodlights. Each one of these menorah held a huge golden bowl that was filled with oil by a young priest that would have to climb up on a ladder to fill it. The wick of these golden bowls was made using worn priestly garments, so they were holy. When they were lit, the entire city was filled with light. It's recorded in Jewish histories that there was not a courtyard in all of Jerusalem that was not illuminated by these giant lampstands. Again, this was so much more than just a spectacle, it was remembrance. It pointed back to the pillar of fire that led Israel through the wilderness, the visible presence of God guiding them step by step. And in that moment, with the city glowing and the memory of God's presence alive in front of them, Jesus says, I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. This is not subtle. It is not metaphor alone. This is confrontation. Jesus is placing himself directly in the center of their history and declaring that he is the presence that they have been celebrating. What a statement! No wonder the Pharisees were plotting to kill him. Jesus really was the word become flesh that came to dwell among us. He came to tabernacle with us. And this points forward to something even greater. The final fulfillment will take place when heaven and earth are made new. Revelation thirty one three says this about the end of days. Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. This is the whole point of redemption. This is why the curtain was torn. This is why atonement had to happen, so that dwelling could be restored. God has always wanted to walk with us in the garden in the cool of the day, talking with us and just being with us with nothing in the way.

Awakening To Abiding With God

Julie Colbeth 33:35

The feast of trumpets calls us to wake up out of our slumber, out of our drift. The ten days of awe call us to return. Yam Kippur, the Day of Atonement, it shows us how we are cleansed, and the Feast of Tabernacles shows us how to dwell. Twenty-one days, but one story. And here is where it comes back to us, because some of us really want that dwelling without the turning. We want the presence without the repentance. But that has never been the pattern. God has never been after behavior modification. He has always been after fellowship, nearness, abiding, remaining. John fifteen four and five said this Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine. Neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. Do you hear the Savior's call in these feasts? Don't ignore his voice. Don't resist him, and certainly don't carry what he has already removed. Hebrews three fifteen encourages us Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. And if drift is the quiet, unnoticed movement away from him, then this is the invitation back. Because the goal was never simply to bring you out of sin, it has always been to bring you in to his presence. So as we close today, don't rush past this part. If you hear the sound of a trumpet in your life, don't ignore it. If God is calling you to turn, don't delay it. If there is something that he has already removed, don't keep carrying it. Because drift doesn't happen all at once. It happens when we stop paying attention. So, my friends, pay attention. Lean in, respond quickly and remain wherever he is, because the goal was never just to get you out of sin. It has always been to bring you into his presence.