Notes for my Facebook Live Commentary
A new year a new OPPORTUNITY.
The Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall you have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation” (Lev 23:23-24)
Rosh Hashanah (“head of the year”) celebrates the new year, and it is the Jewish seventh month Tishrei 1.
God’s
people are to have a Sabbath.
The Jews
consider Nisan 1 as the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Nisan 1 is the
beginning of the lunar new year.
Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of Man. In Jewish practice, the months are numbered starting with the spring month of Nisan, making Tishrei the seventh month; Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the new calendar year, is also actually the first day of the seventh month. (Wikipedia)
Since Tishrei 1 celebrates the Sabbath when God rested and is the seventh month,working backwards Nisan 1 is the New Year or the a commemoration of the Creation of the first man when God rested, and Nisan 1 a celebration of the beginning of the Creation.
In the seventh month God is honored for what He did from the first to the sixth day of creation, ending when He breathed life unto the first man, Adam.
We are Adam, so Rosh Hashanah commemorates mankind in his glory.
What is glory? Likeness to God.
The western world uses the civil calendar once based on the position of the Sun to the Earth on various months of the year. In modern times most of the world uses the fixed date on the Gregorian Calendar set at January 1st. That is the Gentile version of Rosh Hashanah.
Rather than celebrating a New Year, Christians celebrate the beginning of Creation on January 1st.
Trumpets were blown to commemorate when God rested from His work of Creating. Rosh Hashanah celebrated God’s Creation and commemorated His new creatures after the angels fell.
Although the dates are different, the celebration should be the same. On January 1st, to honor God is a time to commemorate ourselves new creatures in Christ.
As such New Year’s Day is to commemorate our rebirth (born again; John 3:7).”If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor 5:17).
New Year’s is a celebration of old things passing away and all things becoming new. It is the opportunity of the Christian to commemorate God by a renewal of your relationship with Christ.
It includes
taking a Sabbath from the workings of the world and an opportunity to restart a
new beginning in Christ.
To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power. So that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thes 1:11-12 RSV)
1.
God
may make you worthy (by grace).
2.
Fulfill
every resolve for Good.
a.
Resolve
from the Latin resolvere: loosen, set free, etc.
b.
(John
8:31-2) “If you continue in My word, then are you my disciples indeed;
And you
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
c.
New
Years is a time of reflection and to make resolutions. What were you last year,
and what is it that God desires for you that are good?
3.
By
His Power… you are not alone.
4.
So
that Jesus may be glorified in you and you in Him. (Glorification is
goodness like God… in the Image of God just like Adam in the beginning.) You
resolve to be the living Image of God! Will you come short? Willingness is
the key.
5.
And
by grace, as God intended, not of yourself but with the Power of God.
How to be
resolute:
·
Pursue love (1 Cor 14:1)
·
Gentleness (kindness)
(Prov 15:1,28)
·
Be careful with your
words (words hurt) (Prov 12:18)
·
Reasonableness, impartiality
and sincerity (Jas 3:17)
·
Resolve animosities with
others (Mat 18:15-17)
·
Do what is honorable and
peaceable ((Rom 12:17:21)
·
Through generosity and
thanksgiving (1 Cor 19:11)
