By Olivier Melnick

In each of the three Jewish High Holy Days - Rosh Hashanah (New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) - there are gems hidden by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Beyond a yearly calendar of holy convocations, the Levitical Feasts (Lev. 23) as a whole point the reader to a deeper understanding of the God of Israel.

Year after year, as we celebrate God's provision for and preservation of the Jewish people, we are reminded that the same God who promised never to forsake Israel (Jeremiah 31:35-37) has also promised us forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). Here is a list of a few things Christians can learn from the High Holy Days:

By Cathy Wilson

Scripture tells us that Esther was "taken" (Esther 2:8). Where? To a place not of her choosing - she was taken to a harem! And, she was told to stifle her identity as a Jewish woman.

At first pass, the book of Esther reads like a modern reality TV series. The setting is the Persian palace of Shushan, the abode of dysfunctional King Ahasuerus. In the midst of a victory celebration gone wild, Queen Vashti rebels and is subsequently decrowned. What's a king to do? Beautiful virgins are gathered from the 127+ provinces within the kingdom to compete for the Queen's crown. All receive gift certificates for a year's worth of beauty treatments. (Who said Day Spas are the latest craze?) Might we see such a script on TV next season under the title of "Persian Idol"? I wouldn't be shocked!

By Dana N.

As we celebrate Purim, we remember God's deliverance through yet another attempt to destroy the Jewish people. We recall the heroism and bravery of young Esther and the faithfulness of her uncle Mordecai, who incurred the wrath of Haman after refusing to bow down to him. But I wonder how the story would have ended if Esther or Mordecai had responded differently to their situations?

Does your family keep heirlooms? No matter if you're rich or poor, the chances are that somewhere, hidden in an attic or a drawer, there is an object from another generation that has somehow passed into your family's possession. It could be a photograph. It could be a book. It could be a candlestick. From time to time, you might look at it and say, "If only it could talk. What a story it could tell!"

The Passover Seder plate is a little like that - for the story it tells is the story of the Jewish people. And the Seder plate is a silent witness of the finished work of Jesus the Messiah.