Friday, September 21, 2012

The New Year


Shana Tova! Happy New Year!

We returned to Jerusalem just in time for Rosh Hashanah. Literally, it is the “head of the year” as it marks the beginning of a new calendar year. Biblically, it also marks the agricultural new year: it is a time for planting in Israel; in the seventh year it starts a Sabbath rest for the land; and every 50 years it is the beginning of the jubilee.

This moed, or “appointed time”, of G-d in the Biblical calendar is referred to as Yom Teruah, or the “day of blasting”, associated with blowing the shofar (Lev 23:24). On Monday, as we were in our apartment, we heard a shofar outside and ran to the porch.  There were a couple of observant Jewish men walking around our neighborhood asking people if they had observed the commandment of hearing the shofar blast for Yom Teruah. They then blew their shofar and helped the strangers fulfill the commandment of hearing the blast of the shofar. 


I love hearing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah because to me it is a reminder of that great shofar blast that will announce the coming of King Yeshua. It’s like an annual commemoration of the second coming of Yeshua!

The shofar blast is supposed to wake us up from our slumber in sin because it is a symbol of repentance. Repent for the King is returning! This is why it is sounded before Yeshua brings judgment to the entire earth as He returns as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Repent for the King of Heaven is coming to bring judgment!

Ezekiel 33:2-5 “‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, And he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the shofar to warn the people, Then if anyone hears the shofar but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the shofar but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself.’

Today, may we listen to the shofar blast and repent and renew our covenant with Yeshua whose blood atones for our sin. May His imminent return be soon and in our days!

No comments:

Post a Comment