Seeking God: Festivals of Tishrei and Biblical Hope

For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:

“Seek Me and live.."(Amos 5:4) 

The book of Amos speaks to us from the place where faith meets everyday life. It does not allow us to hide behind rituals, beautiful words, or the feeling that we belong to the right people. Especially as Rosh Hashanah and the festivals of Tishrei approach, when the sound of the shofar calls us to awaken, the words of Amos take on deep meaning for those who believe in Yeshua and await His return.

Amos asks,

“If a shofar is blown in a city, will not the people tremble?” (Amos 3:6)

The shofar is a sound that awakens. We can hear it with our ears and still remain exactly as we were, but the prophetic call is meant to reach the heart. At Rosh Hashanah, we can ask not only what the shofar symbolizes, but what it awakens within us.

For disciples of Yeshua, the shofar also carries a future hope. Paul writes,

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the shofar of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

The sound of the shofar therefore reminds us that our waiting is not merely symbolic. We believe that Yeshua will return. The important question is not only when He will come, but how He will find us when He does.

Amos does not allow the people to hide behind outward religion. He declares,

“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24)

True faith can be seen in the way we treat people. It is visible in our homes, in our work, in the way we handle money, in forgiveness, honesty, mercy, and in how we respond when others hurt us.

This message meets directly with the words of Yeshua. He said,

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7),

and also,

“By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

Waiting for Yeshua’s return should not turn us into people who only look toward heaven, it should also cause us to look carefully at the person standing beside us.

Amos calls out, “Seek Me and live” (Amos 5:4). During the festivals of Tishrei, this is an especially powerful invitation. For us, seeking God is not an attempt to earn salvation through good deeds, it is our response to the grace already given to us in Messiah. Yeshua said,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)

True repentance therefore leads us back to Him, not only as the Lord who will return one day, but as the Lord we follow today.

Amos also warns against false religious confidence:

“Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord… It will be darkness, and not light” (Amos 5:18)

We can speak much about the end times, signs, and prophecy, while still neglecting the condition of our hearts. Yeshua Himself said,

“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44)

Readiness for His return is not constant fear, it is daily faithfulness.

At the end of Amos there is also hope:

“In that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David” (Amos 9:11)

After the rebuke comes the promise of restoration. For us, Yeshua, the Son of David, stands at the center of that hope. We believe that He came, gave His life, rose from the dead, and will return as King.

Perhaps this is the call of Amos to us during the festivals of Tishrei. When the shofar sounds, we should ask not only what it symbolizes, but what it changes in us. When we speak about repentance, we should ask whom we need to forgive, from whom we need to ask forgiveness, where we have become indifferent, and where our love has grown weak. We are waiting for Yeshua, but until He returns, we are called to be faithful, merciful, honest, and loving.

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Yeshua!” (Revelation 22:20)

May this new year be a year of renewed faith, deeper love, sincere repentance, and a heart awake to the voice of God. May we walk closely with Yeshua, reflect His mercy to those around us, and remain faithful as we await His return. Shanah Tovah U’Metukah. May you and your loved ones be blessed with a good and sweet year, filled with His peace, grace, and hope.