Celebrate
the New Moon
Rosh
Chodesh
ראש
חודש
“Blow the trumpet at the new moon.”
“And it shall be from new moon to new moon And from sabbath
to sabbath, All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the Lord.
“For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which
I make will endure before Me, declares the Lord, So your offspring and your
name will endure. And it shall be from new moon to new moon And from sabbath
to sabbath, All mankind will come to bow down before Me, says the Lord.”
“Thus
says the Lord God, 'The gate of the inner court facing east shall be shut
the six working days; but it shall be opened on the sabbath day and opened
on the day of the new moon.’”
Celebration
of the New Moon ( ראש חודש
, literally “head of the month) is included in
the commandments, something we may not have been taught in our earlier life.
We should however get in practice, because in “the new heavens and the new earth” “from new moon to new moon” will we “come
to bow down before” Him.
We may
not have noticed, but the new moon is spoken of several times in Scripture:
1 Samuel
20:5; 1 Samuel 20:18; 1 Samuel 20:24; 2 Kings 4:23; 1 Chronicles 23:31; 2
Chronicles 2:4; 2 Chronicles 8:13; 2 Chronicles 31:3; Ezra 3:5; Nehemiah 10:33;
Psalm 81:3; Isaiah 1:13; Isaiah 1:14; Isaiah 66:23; Ezekiel 45:17; Ezekiel
46:1; Ezekiel 46:3; Ezekiel 46:6; Hosea 2:11; Amos 8:5; Colossians 2:16
Not a
lot of detail is provided in Scripture as to how to celebrate the New Moon.
In several places it is placed in parallel with Shabbat1 and the feasts, which
gives some clues. Just as we celebrate birthdays, etc. in a variety of ways,
so the New Moon can be celebrated in diverse manners. Even Sha’ul said
we have the liberty of choice about how we observe the New Moon. A few ideas
to include in our celebrations follow, in no particular order.2
“Blow the trumpet at the new moon, At the full moon,
on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, An ordinance of the God
of Jacob.” (Psalm 81:3) This verse says
that blowing the trumpet ( שׁוֹפָר
, shofar) is an ordinance. So we should do it,
just as we should not murder – they are both ordinances.
2. Light
the Menorah.
God commanded
Moshe to make the first menorah in Exodus 25:31-40. He informed Moses that
the Menorah was to be located in what was known as the "Holy Place" in the
sanctuary of God. The scriptures teach that the Menorah was and is esteemed
of God a symbol extraordinaire. Indeed it has been referred to in scripture
as the "Lamp of God." (1 Samuel 3:3) If it is then we should embrace it
and perceive the lessons embodied therein. The lampstand occupied a place
of great prominence among the instruments used in worship throughout the Tanakh
and Brit Chadashah, including early mention in the book of Revelation (1:12).
The Menorah should retake its rightful place in worship of the One True God.4
Upon lighting
the Menorah, blessings and praise are appropriate:
בָּרְוּךּ
אַתָה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵנוּ מֶלֶךּ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר קִדְשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ
לְהַדְלִיק נֵר הַמִנוֹרַה.
Baruch
ata Adonai, Elohaynu melech haolam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzeevanu
l’hadlik ner haminorah. Amayn.
Blessed
are You, Adonai, our Elohim, King of the universe, Who sanctified us by His
commandments, and has instructed us to kindle
the light of the Menorah [and to be a light to the nations, and has given
us Yeshua the Messiah, the Light of the World.] Amen.
Father or
other Head of the House: And I saw seven
spirits of God burning before the throne!5
Family or
congregation: The Spirit of Love (Lord)
The Spirit
of Wisdom
The Spirit
of Understanding
The Spirit
of Counsel
The spirit
of Knowledge
The spirit
of Strength
(and) The
Spirit of the Fear of the Lord
All present: Yeshua is the light that lights every man that comes
into the world.
Now we
are the light of the world!
We will
shine forth as lights in a world of darkness!
Adonai
Yeshua, Hamashiach, you are our light and our salvation! Amen!
3. Worship.
“The people of the land shall also worship at the doorway
of that gate before the Lord on the sabbaths and on the new moons.” Ezekiel 46:3.
Worship
of the Lord is commanded. And of course if we love Him, we will want to worship
him. Worship of the Lord can and does take on any number of mannerisms.
You should choose the way of worship that puts you in closest communion with
Him.
Worship
in song, with or without music, we are familiar with. Any worshipful hymn
or other song is appropriate to either read or sing, with or without music
accompaniment, with or without dance. See also Psalms below.
Spontaneity
and individual participation are probably the key here. Express publicly
what you have to praise HaShem about. What has He done during the past month?
What has He done during your lifetime? One thought is to go around the family,
asking each person to publicly voice his or her praise for HaShem, for His
blessings especially during the previous month. Worship in praise is so deeply
rewarding to the soul.
5.
Worship by reading Scripture.7
Psalm 1048 speaks
of the Lord’s care over all His works and is appropriate to celebration
of the New Moon. Hallel, Psalms 113 - 118, is a chant of praise used at Passover,
Shabbat, Sukkot, Chanukah and Rosh Chodesh. Any of the many other Psalms,
Proverbs and other appropriate Scripture may be read as you feel led.
6. Eat
a celebration meal.
In 1 Samuel
20, discussion between Jonathan and David centered around the big meal in
celebration of the New Moon. “Tomorrow
is the new moon, and you will be missed because your seat will be empty.” By this we know that a celebration meal was part
of the observance practiced before the temple was built. So it is a proper
part of our celebration today.
(Good
appetite!) b’te’ahvon בְּתֵאָבוֹן
7. Blessings.
The father
or other head of the household may speak blessings on his family, emphasizing
current events in the family – spiritual, emotional, mental, physical and
financial, to end the celebration of the New Moon. Each part of the celebration
of Rosh Chodesh is meaningful, but none more so than when the father speaks
blessings over each child and his wife.
Blessing
is commanded to be a part of family life. “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.” Genesis 12:14) “This
is how you are to bless the Israelites.”
(Numbers 6:22) The blessing that G-d gave to Abraham and his family is to
be extended to all the nations of the world; the fundamental channel for the
impartation of that blessing is the family.
If you
are unaccustomed to speaking blessing into another’s life, be assured that
it is very biblical to do so. Isaac blessed Jacob in Genesis 27. Jacob blessed
his grandsons in Genesis 48. Aaron and his sons were instructed to bless
in Numbers 6. Balaam was instructed to bless in Numbers 23. Moses blessed
in Deuteronomy 1. We are instructed to bless the Lord in Deuteronomy 8:10.
Boaz was blessed in Ruth 2. Eli blessed Elkahah and his wife in 1 Samuel
2. David blessed his household in 2 Samuel 6. Children of the virtuous woman
bless her in Proverbs 31. As priests (1 Peter 2), why should we hesitate to
bless? Perhaps it is time we who “have faith to move mountains” begin
with the blessing of children. It may seem like a leap of faith, but it is
merely obedience to God’s command: “Bless the children of Israel.”
If nothing else, follow the pattern of Yeshua. Let it be said of you that
you took your children in your arms, “laid hands on them, and blessed them,”
as Yeshua did with the children who came to Him. (Mark 10:16)
And to
wrap up celebration of Rosh Chodesh, the Aaronic blessing is always appropriate:
יְבָרֶכְךָ
יְהוָֹה וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ:
יָאֵר
יְהוָֹה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ:
יִשָּׂא
יְהוָֹה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם:
Y'varekh'chah
Adonai v'yishm'rechah,
yaer Adonai
panav elechah veechunechah.
Yeesah Adonai
panav elechah, v'yahseym l'chah shalom.
The LoRD bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.
1. “and did so according to the daily rule, offering them
up according to the commandment of Moses, for the sabbaths, the new moons
and the three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of
Weeks and the Feast of Booths.” (2 Chronicles
8:13) See also 1 Chronicles 23:31; 2 Chronicles 2:4, 31:3; Ezra 3:5; Nehemiah
10:33; Isaiah 1:13, 14; 66:23; Ezekiel 45:17, 46:1, 3; Hosea 2:11; Amos 8:5;
Colossians 2:15.
2. Audio teaching on Rosh Chodesh
(New Moon) is available at http://joinedtohashem.org/resourcesjth/single.html.
3. Audio teaching on the shofar
is available at http://www.joinedtohashem.org/resourcesjth/series.html.
4. Did you ever wonder why the
cross is so glaringly missing, indeed totally absent, from the abundance of
symbolism to be found in the book of the "Revelation of Yeshua Hamashiach?"
It is simply nowhere there to be found.
On the other hand, the menorah
is so profoundly meaningful in the revelation of who He is in the power of
His resurrection and the light of His presence.
Yeshua
said that we were to be the "light of the world." And that we were to put
our light on a candlestick (Matthew 5:15). Could it be that the menorah would
surpass the cross as the symbol for representing His true followers?
Yeshua’s
followers everywhere should be encouraged to display the Menorah. "Let your
light so shine"
5. References from Revelation 4:5; Isaiah 11:1-2; John 1:9; Matthew
5:14; Philippians 2:15; Psalm 27:1.
6. Throughout Scripture worshippers
of HaShem are commanded to offer unto God the sacrifice of praise. The fact
that it is commanded means that it is a binding responsibility, and the fact
that it is called a sacrifice means that it is a form of worship, an offering
to be given to God.
But praise, in the biblical sense of the term, has fallen
on hard times. Too often it is ignored completely, both in the assembly and
in the daily life of the believer, simply being replaced by music. And frequently
it degenerates into a forced duty, or a boasting in which the self is exalted.
Most true followers would say that they are genuinely thankful for all that
the LORD has done for them; but genuine, individual praise is rarely a part
of their experience.
Biblical praise is very distinguishable from modern gratitude.
The simplified idea of “thanks” as we have it in English is not actually
in Hebrew–in fact, it is not a primary meaning in many other major languages
either. The concept of “thanks” (as we use it) is not a natural one, “praise”
is more spontaneous and genuine. This distinctive nature of praise is that
praise makes the object praised the subject of the sentence, whereas in thanks
the speaker is the subject, so praise involves looking away from oneself.
Praise is a lavish description of that which is spontaneously enjoyed, whereas
thanks can be a fixed duty. So praise involves a genuine appreciation. Praise
is expressed in a forum, whereas thanks can be private or silent. So praise
is encouraging and edifying to others.
Scripture repeatedly emphasizes that it was a serious
matter not to praise. It was a sin. If God gave benefits to someone, whether
material or spiritual, He did not intend that they be hoarded up by that individual
without sharing with people or without any praise being offered. Rather,
it was intended as a means of benefitting and edifying the assembly on the
greatness and grace of the living God (Remember the old ‘Testimony Service?’).
To rob God of His proper due was a major offense, one which the Levitical
laws addressed. The pious Israelite would not think of receiving from God
without praising. In fact, one of his greatest fears was to die and not be
able to praise in the midst of the congregation. The reason that praise was
so important to the life of the believer and to the congregational gathering
is that praise is essentially the public expression of loyalty to the covenant
and the LORD of the covenant. This is also why one could praise in the midst
of adversity.
7. Scripture provides strong evidence that at the festivals, the
holy days, and sabbath services the Torah (at least) was read to the congregation
and explained (see the sample of Ezra). Malachi makes it clear that the duty
of the priests included the instruction in Torah–they were the ones who
had knowledge of the word, and they were the ones who should have been advising
the people on decisions of life as well as explaining the sacrifices.
Rabbinic
sources trace the custom of reading the Scripture and explaining it to the
people back beyond the Great Synagogue. In time various portions of the Bible
had become set pericopes for the different occasions. In post-exilic and Yeshua’s
times the reading of Moses and the prophets was a regular feature of the assemblies.
1 ¶ Bless ADONAI, my soul!
ADONAI, my God, you are very great; you are clothed with glory and majesty,
2 wrapped in light as with
a robe. You spread out the heavens like a curtain,
3 you laid the beams of
your palace on the water. You make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the
wings of the wind.
4 You make winds your messengers,
fiery flames your servants.
5 You fixed the earth on
its foundations, never to be moved.
6 You covered it with the
deep like a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they rushed away,
8 flowing over hills, pouring
into valleys, down to the place you had fixed for them.
9 You determined a boundary
they could not cross; they were never to cover the earth again.
10 ¶ You make springs
gush forth in the vadi s; they flow between the hills,
11 supplying water to all
the wild animals; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 On their banks the birds
of the air build their nests; among the branches they sing.
13 You water the mountains
from your palace; the earth is satisfied with how you provide––
14 you grow grass for the
cattle; and for people you grow the plants they need to bring forth bread
from the earth,
15 wine that gladdens the
human heart, oil to make faces glow, and food to sustain their strength.
16 ADONAI‘ s trees are
satisfied––the cedars of the L’vanon, which he has planted.
17 In them sparrows build
their nests, while storks live in the fir trees.
18 For the wild goats there
are the high mountains, while the coneys find refuge in the rocks.
19 ¶ You made the moon
to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to set.
20 You bring darkness,
and it is night, the time when all forest animals prowl.
21 The young lions roar
after their prey and seek their food from God.
22 The sun rises, they
slink away and lie down to rest in their dens;
23 while people go out
to their work, laboring on till evening.
24 What variety there is
in your works, ADONAI! How many (of them there are) In wisdom you have made
them all; the earth is full of your creations.
25 Look at the sea, so
great, so wide! It teems with countless creatures, living beings, both large
and small.
26 The ships are there,
sailing to and fro; Livyatan, which you formed to play there.
27 All of them look to
you to give them their food when they need it.
28 When you give it to
them, they gather it; when you open your hand, they are well satisfied.
29 If you hide your face,
they vanish; if you hold back their breath, they perish and return to their
dust.
30 If you send out your
breath, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.
31 ¶ May the glory of
ADONAI last forever! May ADONAI rejoice in his works!
32 When he looks at the
earth, it trembles; when he touches the mountains, they pour out smoke.
33 I will sing to ADONAI
as long as I live, sing praise to my God all my life.
34 May my musings be pleasing
to him; I will rejoice in ADONAI.
35 May sinners vanish from
the earth and the wicked be no more! Bless ADONAI, my soul! Hallelu Yah!