New Beginning:  Rosh Hashanah

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts” (Leviticus 23:1-2).

 

The Feasts (Appointed Times) of the Lord comprise God’s Prophetic Calendar.  Each of the feasts declare a prophetic picture of the ministry of our Lord Jesus. We are currently entering into the appointed times for Fall Feasts.

The first of the Fall Feasts is Rosh Hashanah.  Rosh Hashanah literally means "the head of the year.”  The Feast begins on the evening of the first new moon after the fall equinox and lasts for 2 days.  This year, Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Wednesday October 2 and ends at sundown on Friday October 4.

   

The name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Bible. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar).

The Lord commanded Moses, “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation" (Leviticus 23:24).

Rosh Hashanah celebrates new beginnings in the Lord starting with God’s creation of the universe. Tradition states that Rosh Hashanah marks the sixth day of creation, when the LORD created Adam and Eve.

Rosh Hashanah also recalls the story of Isaac's near-sacrifice when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son as an offering.  Abraham obeyed God's command, built an altar, and prepared to sacrifice Isaac, but at the very last minute he was stopped by the Angel of the LORD. The Angel pointed out a ram caught by its horns in a nearby bush and told Abraham to sacrifice it in place of Isaac. The trumpet of God, the shofar (the ram’s horn), commemorates that event.

The account is a clear picture of the sacrifice of the Son of God by the Father.

The Lord continued speaking to Moses, "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation" (Leviticus 23:24).

The ram's horn (shofar) should be blown on Rosh Hashanah to remind believers of the sacrifice provided by the LORD Himself—Jesus, the Lamb of God.

Every time the shofar is blown, it is a reminder that God keeps His promises.  

On Rosh Hashanah, we Christians have an opportunity to celebrate our salvation through the atoning work of Calvary. Though we have no righteousness in ourselves, He has imputed unto us His righteousness.   

Romans 3:23:  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.“

Romans 6:23a:  "...The wages of sin is death..."

We all face physical death, which is a result of sin.  But a worse death is the spiritual death that separates us from God and will last for all eternity.  

Romans 6:23:   "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Salvation is a free gift from God to us.  We can't earn this gift.  We must reach out and receive it.

Romans 5:8:  "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.“

When Jesus died on the cross He paid sin's penalty. He bought us out of the slavery of sin and death! The only condition is that we believe in Him and what He has done for us.  Then we are joined with Him, and our life is in Him.  He did all this because He loves us and gave Himself for us!

God’s love poured out in Jesus on the cross is our only hope to have forgiveness and change.  His love bought us out of our slavery to sin.  His sacrifice is what saves us.. 

Romans 10:9,10:  "...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

Our Rosh Hashanah is the result of our being born again into the family of God. The Feasts of the Lord are all about Jesus.

Shana Tovah!! (Happy New Year!)