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See! For the LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” (Exodus 16:29)
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. (Exodus 16:11)
You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. (Exodus 31:14)
Did you ever consider why the punishment for breaking the Sabbath was death? Honestly, doesn’t that seem a bit severe for a loving and gracious God? Perhaps that’s why so many mistakenly believe that the God of the Old Testament is harsh and the God of the New Testament is loving – as if God could change!
Today the question of Christians celebrating Sabbath (or Shabbat as we call it in Israel) garners much debate. Sometimes, quite heated debate.
I contend that there is more to God’s command than we consider. We must answer the question, “Why would collecting food be punishable by death?”
I suggest that the answer is summed up in a single word: TRUST.
God wanted Israel and, through their witness, each of us to fully trust Him for protection and provision.
Collecting manna on the Sabbath showed more than disobedience, it manifested a lack of trust. And without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)
This morning wile reading Psalm 4 I was convicted that sleep/rest is really the sign of complete surrender and trust.
David was surrounded by enemies, even of his own family. He poured out his complaint to God and then, with full confidence in the protection and provision of God, put his trust in Him.
The reward for trusting God was a heart full of gladness and joy regardless of the immediate circumstances.
And at the end of the day, David could completely surrender to God and go to sleep! I am sure it was a peaceful sleep.
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)
Let’s take a quick look at three Hebrew words in that verse:
Peace = shalom. Shalom doesn’t mean an absence of war, but fulfillment, completion. In other words, David could lie down in shalom because he knew that his Sovereign God would bring complete fulfillment of the situation to a good end.
Alone. This word means isolation, separation. It is used of those separated from the community of Israel or the Israel’s separation from the rest of the nations. But it is also used of God indicating God’s “other-ness.” Indeed there is no God except the God of Israel.
Safety. The Hebrew here is betach which is usually translated as trust. It is the feeling of security which comes from knowing that one stronger is on your side. It pictures the parent holding a helpless infant.
So back to the issue of the Sabbath. God demanded that His people trust Him enough to lay stop working for themselves and rest. There is nothing we can do for ourselves that will be better than what He can do for us.
Therefore I speak to myself and to those who believe they need to work more than is healthy for body or family. The “work-aholic” is trusting in himself and not in God.
That is why God gave us the Sabbath, as a day to show our trust in His protection and provision and REST as we focus on His goodness and grace in Jesus.
So what are you doing on Sabbath that is so important? Truly it might be a matter of life and death.
The pink streaked sky proclaimed the beginning of the most special day of the week – Sabbath, God’s appointed day of rest.
A time to cease from labor to enjoy discovering the woman God created me to be.
A time to seek and enjoy my God.
A time to rest and to enjoy life!
My Sabbath began as I enjoyed an unexpected meal with a good friend. We were celebrating a surprise from the IRS – a refund! (I’d just been wondering how I was going to pay for the clothes I’d just “had” to buy because of my substantial weight loss.)
Upon returning home I turned off my cell phone and computer without even checking them. I refused to take the chance of being distracted.
For the next 24 hours I had only one priority – REST IN GOD.
God had provided a perfect environment for a really peaceful day.
Thank you Jesus and thank you Pat!
The Biblical Holiday of New Moon, Announcing the Feast of Trumpets Part 2
A New Beginning
How many times have we each said, “If I could only do [it] over.”? There is inherent in each of our hearts and minds the desire to be:
Good
Right
Accepted
Successful
Yet life seems constantly fight against us, leading, pushing, and/or driving us in a direction where do not want to go.
Whether in our personal or our professional lives, continued reassessment is necessary to keep us on track.
But it is a rare occurrence that allows us to retrace or correct our mistakes. Often the recognition of our failures leads to confusion, disappointment, shame, or discouragement. If not stopped, we can be bound and trapped by a never ending downward cycle of stress, anxiety, depression, or worse.
To stop the cycle and to give us a new beginning is the purpose and blessing of New Moon.
God delights in second, third and fourth chances. In fact, for the one who recognizes and admits his mistakes, there is no end of God’s willingness to forgive and restore.
The cycle of darkness and death is ended through the one in whom God’s light and life is made available.
Jesus said,
I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
I am the way, the truth and the life.(John 14:16)
open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me. Acts 26:18
The Promise of Rest
New Moon is a time to align ourselves with God’s plans and purposes for us. It is a time when we can align ourselves to receive and reflect his light into the darkness of the world. It is a time to realign ourselves with God’s love and promises of rest.
Rest is the promise Jesus makes not only on each Sabbath, and each New Moon, but every time the repentant and needy heart cries to Him.
The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!”
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.(Psalm 116:3-9)
Not coincidently, the Hebrew word for “rest” is nuach, which we studied in our previous article regarding the Sabbath.
Israel was promised nuach, when she received the fullness of her inheritance. She never entered into that rest, because of unbelief which eventually led her to disobedience and separation from God.
Nuach is all about the final rest of our inheritance. It’s companion word, shalom, connotes the peace which comes through fulfillment of destiny.
This triple holiday in the seventh month, God is practically shouting through the trumpet blasts that before us is His promise of our futures:
Fulfillment of our destiny
Final victory over sin, pain and death
On Friday night, as the trumpets blast the start of a new week a new month and the season of completion may you truly enter into the rest of Christ.
ANNOUNCING THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS
We have been considering the prophetic and personal significance of the three Biblical feasts which coincide on sundown this Friday, September 18th. What makes this date so noteworthy is that we are entering into the seventh month on God’s calendar.
As the number seven usually represents “completion”, that we are entering the seventh month on God’s calendar portends important spiritual principles for our lives and perhaps for the greater world around us.
In this article, we will focus on the holiday of New Moon, to be ushered in by the blasts of silver trumpets. (Numbers 10:2, 10)
Despite not being a Levitical feast of the Lord, New Moon was a well established celebration of ancient Israel. We noted in our study of the Sabbath, as recorded by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 66:22-23) it will also be celebrated by God’ future Kingdom community – both Jews and Gentiles united in faith.
Even today there are various cultures and traditions that are celebrating the emergence of the new moon. Often the focuses of the celebrations are on the moon – the created- rather than on the Creator – God. The purpose of this article is to restore the original intent and focus of the holiday.
These are some salient facts of Scripture regarding New Moon:
It’s Hebrew name, Rosh Chodesh means, “head of the month.”
It begins with the first sighting of the moon after three days of darkness when the earth blocked the moon from the light of the sun.
The New Moon was a family time of feasting (1 Samuel 2:5-6)
The prophets were available to hear and pray for the needs of the people (2 Kings 4:23)
Eventually Israel’s worship became polluted and defiled so God, ended their celebrations of his feasts. (Jeremiah 7:18, Hosea 2:11)
God promised to one day restore His feasts and receive pure worship (Zechariah 8:19-22, Isaiah 66:22-23)
The order of Creation
New Moon prompts us to recognize God’s order of Creation.
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years. (Genesis 1:14)
Consider the incredible accuracy of the placement and the rotations of the sun, the earth, and the moon. For twenty four days each month, the moon receives the light of the sun and reflects it back to earth. Then for three days, the earth moves into position, in alignment with the sun and the moon, thus blocking the sun’s reflected light. Finally on the third day, the earth has moved ‘out of the way” and the moon’s lesser light is seen and a new month begins.
God’s accuracy also recorded a variety of events which took place on the first of the month. Here are just a few:
The flood waters receded. and then dried up
The tabernacle in the wilderness was set up.
The Israelites were first commanded to celebrate Passover, even in the wilderness.
Aaron died.
The altar was restored and sacrifices resumed.
The Law was read.
If God takes such care in preserving the significance first of the month, shall we not do the same?
In Part II we will consider the personal and prophetic significance of this particular New Moon celebration.
Three Biblical feasts, each with eschatological significance were celebrated on Friday, September 18, 2009:
· The Sabbath
· The New Moon
· The Feast of Memorial Blowing
The conjunction and timing of these holidays are significant as they usher in the seventh month on God’s calendar.
The purpose of this article is to stimulate us to hear what God may be saying.
Holidays of Promise
Each holiday holds God’s promise of a new beginning
· The Sabbath promises His provision for a new week.
· The New Moon promises His presence for a new month.
· The Feast of Memorial Blowing promises the completion of His redemptive cycle.
The Sabbath and New Moon will be celebrated by all flesh in the end of days (Isaiah 66:22-23)
The Sabbath
Two Hebrew words are used to describe the Sabbath: nu’ach and shalom.
· Nu’ach, often in a military context, refers to the victorious rest after a hard battle has been won. (Joshua 1:17, Deuteronomy 25:19)
· Shalom is translated as “peace” – not simply a lack of war, but wholeness, fulfillment of purpose and destiny.
The New Moon
The celebration of the New Moon begins with blasts of silver trumpets (Numbers 10:2, 10), announcing the first sighting of the moon after the three days of darkness caused by the alignment of the sun, the earth and the moon. The holiday focuses our attention on God as Creator – who brought order out of chaos.
The Bible gives us a few salient facts about the New Moon celebration in ancient Israel
· It was a time of family feasting
· It was a time when the prophets were available to hear and to pray for the people’s needs
· When the people offered God defiled and impure worship God rejected their celebrations but promised that one day He would restore the feast when He restored and purified His people
The Feast of Memorial Blowing
The Feast of Memorial Blowing is more commonly referred to as Rosh Hashanah or the Feast of Trumpets. But its Hebrew name, truah, means a loud and prolonged shouting.
Because the Bible gives us little information about this holiday, we can study the Hebrew words used synonymously: truah and shofar:
· To call an assembly
· To declare war and advancement of the troops
· To rejoice and celebrate
· To announce the coming and coronation of the King
I suggest that the use of truah indicates that this holiday is all about the King. Could it be that the reason the Bible is so silent, is that God expected that we would understand the times and seasons of His first coming, His second coming and His eventual coronation.
Personal and Prophetic Implications
There is change everywhere. This is the best of times and the worst of times. Nations and communities are in a time of turmoil and uncertainty. Politics, economics, morals, traditions, cultures are all in a time of transition. We know where we’ve been, but not where we are going.
After years of waiting, “suddenlys” are exploding in our lives. But we feel unprepared, unsure of how to move. Clinging to old ways of “doing life” will not suffice in this new season.
Consistently God’s word has told us that this day – the day of His coming was near.
· The day when He would return in majesty and glory.
· The day when every eye would see Him and tremble in awe and fear.
· The day when He would use all His authority to judge the world in righteousness, justice and mercy in accordance to His word.
There is no road map for this season, there is only one ever constant – God and His word manifested in the flesh – Christ Jesus. He is the only reliable road map. Jesus said,
I am the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)
As the trumpet sounds on this unique day, Friday, September 18th listen for the voice of God shouting “WAKE UP!” He is calling us to be ready for everything He has promised individually, as a people, as a nation and as a Kingdom. The season of completion of purpose and destiny is upon us.
The time is near; the time is now when you will see the fulfillment of all God has spoken to you.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting ready!
 I didn’t like the Sabbath. Admittedly I didn’t know its significance and importance to God. All I did know was that it was very inconvenient.I’d only been in Israel a few days and wasn’t prepared for Shabbat (as we call it here). My hostess had warned me to be on the 2:30 bus home. I’d planned to stop at the grocery store when I returned, but the market was closed. The streets were empty and I had no food. Absolutely nothing in the small kitchen at the Bed & Breakfast. Not a snack. Not a drink. Not a pita. Not even a stick of gum. Nothing!
So I did the only thing I could; declare a fast and try to be very spiritual. It didn’t work. I wasn’t spiritual. I was just hungry.
My understanding and appreciation of The Sabbath quickly increased. God designed us in His image. As He “rested” on the seventh day, so should we. Not that God needed a rest as we know rest to be, but He took the day….why? I don’t know!
But He has told us that Sabbath was made for man. We need The Sabbath to cease from all our labors, to reflect on Him and to be restored in body, soul and spirit.
These days, even outside of Israel, I look forward to The Sabbath. I usually spend Friday night dining with good friends. Saturday is a complete day of rest.
No computer.
No phones!
Quite honestly I’m amazed that the world keeps on going without me!
The Hebrew for “new moon” is ‘rosh hodesh’ which means, the beginning of the month. So new moon is observed as the previous month ends and the new month begins.
Wikipedia defines new moon:
In astronomical terminology, the phrase new moon is the lunar phase that occurs when the Moon, in its monthly orbital motion around Earth, lies between Earth and the Sun, and is therefore in conjunction with the Sun as seen from Earth. At this time, the dark (unilluminated) portion of the Moon faces almost directly toward Earth, so that the Moon is not visible to the naked eye.
The original meaning of the phrase new moon was the first visible crescent of the Moon, after conjunction with the Sun. This takes place over the western horizon in a brief period between sunset and moonset, and therefore the precise time and even the date of the appearance of the new moon by this definition will be influenced by the geographical location of the observer. The astronomical new moon, sometimes known as the dark moonto avoid confusion, occurs by definition at the moment of conjunction in ecliptic longitude with the Sun, when the Moon is invisible from the Earth. This moment is unique and does not depend on location, and under certain circumstances it may be coincident with a solar eclipse.
The new moon in its original meaning of first crescent marks the beginning of the month in lunar calendars such as the Muslim calendar, and in lunisolar calendars such as the Hebrew calendar, Hindu calendars, and Buddhist calendar. But in the Chinese calendar the beginning of the month is marked by the dark moon. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_moon)
There is a good feeling about a “first” as it carries with it a sense of anticipation, expectation and hope. Perhaps to give us a continual renewal of hope God gave us a “first” to begin each month as well as a “last” to end each week. Scripture often links New Moon and Sabbath.
“Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall
make them of hammered work; you shall use
them for calling the congregation and for directing
the movement of the camps. …at the beginning of your
months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt
offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings;
and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I
am the Lord your God.” Numbers 10:2, 10
The monthly holiday of New Moon is first mentioned in Numbers 10:10 and its sacrificial sacrifices and offerings are
outlined in Numbers 28:11-15. Devoid of any further Scriptural explanation, New Moon was nevertheless part of the cycle of Israel’s celebratory calendar. By the end of King David’s life, New Moon was well established:
For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered
from twenty years old and above; because their duty was
to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of
the Lord, to stand every morning to thank and praise the
Lord, and likewise at evening; and at every presentation
of a burnt offering to the Lord on the Sabbaths and on
the New Moons and on the set feasts, by number according to
the ordinance governing them, regularly before the Lord.
1 Chronicles 23:27-28, 30-31
New Moon is included with the other feast days during the revival under Ezra and Nehemiah. The holiday has eschatological implications as we will be celebrating it during the Millennial Kingdom.
I do not have a theological explanation, but experience shows that prayers prayed on the New Moon seem to be supernaturally answered. Consider this testimony:
I have had all kinds of things on my New Moon Prayer List like needed reconcilations between people which happened. Practically anything I’ve needed to sell has been on my New Moon Prayer List and has all sold. One VERY difficult thing to sell is a timeshare – that sold. I also sold a Surburban (terrible gas mileage) BEFORE the gas prices went through the roof last year. If it had been after that, it would have probably never sold. The most miraculous though (but this is kind of a double thing) is that I sold a house last fall when houses had stopped selling. In the neighborhood in which I was living there were probably 20 houses for sale. Mine sold when the others didn’t, but the most amazing thing about this answered prayer was not only was it on my New Moon Prayer List, but it also sold DURING THE WEEK OF THE Parashah that has Deuteronomy 28 in it. As I’m sure you know, this is the scripture that basically says if you observe and obey all His commandments, the blessings will basically chase you down.
DL, Salem, OR
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