Rosh Chodesh - A Remembrance for His People...

     ...and you shall know that I am YHVH your Elohim!

Tonight , as the sun sets outside my window and the new crescent moon is just visible, I have the joy of wishing you a Happy New Month (Rosh Chodesh..means "head of the month") and a Happy New Year (Rosh HaShanah...means "head of the year")!

(Actually I can't currently see the thin crescent of moon because of the bright city night lights and all the tall buildings around me...but I look forward to seeing it soon!)


"And יהוה (YHVH) spoke to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 'This month is the beginning of months for you, it is the first month of the year for you.'"  Exodus 12:1-2

This was one of the very first commandments YHVH gave to the people of Israel as He was about to lead them out of the land of Egypt, where the the sun god Ra was worshipped, into HIS land with HIS yearly calendar of months and appointed times, based on the moon's phases.

The sighting of the new moon sets the beginning of each month and is a critical part of determining the proper timing of each of YHVH's appointed times for His people.

This particular new month is also commanded by God in His Biblical calendar to be the first month of the year!  

He made this the beginning of the year to be a perpetual memorial to His people of the time He brought them out of Egypt...a remembrance for all generations of His mighty work on behalf of His people.


"...so that I show these signs of Mine before him, and that you relate in the hearing of your son and your son’s son what I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them. And you shall know that I am יהוה.”   Exodus 10:1, 2

“And you shall inform your son in that day, saying, ‘It is because of what יהוה did for me when I came up from Egypt.’  And it shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, that the Torah of יהוה is to be in your mouth, for with a strong hand יהוה has brought you out of Egypt.  And you shall guard this law at its appointed time from year to year."  

Exodus 13:8-10 

 (referring specifically to the festivals of Passover and Unleavened Bread, also part of the departure from Egypt, also commanded in the first month)

The sad thing is that very few people in the world follow this important command of YHVH (as well as many others).  Christians observe another new year.  Many observant Jews celebrate the official new year at the time of the Feast of Trumpets.  Most of the world has a new year date that is other than what YHVH commanded!
But as for me and my house (which is just me at the present time), I WILL SERVE THE LORD YHVH!

Another sad thing is that many people have taken what YHVH gave as a sign, a remembrance that should point His people to focus on HIM, and instead they have focused on the sign itself.  The moon has become a central element in much of the world's idol worship.

But YHVH tells us in His Word what purpose He had in mind when He created the moon...

Psalm 104:19 says, "He made the moon for appointed times; The sun knows its going down."

The word for "appointed times" in this verse is the Hebrew word "moedim."  

Moedim is the word used even today in the Hebrew language for all of YHVH's commanded and appointed times in the Word (such as the Sabbath, Passover, Sukkot, Yom Kippur, and all the other commanded set-apart days).

YHVH tells us in His Word that He created the moon as a sign of the appointed, set-apart times He has commanded His people to observe....and all of this is for one purpose:  

So we will know that He is YHVH our Elohim (God)...so we will focus on Him always!!

But instead, the moon has become for some a symbol of "mother earth" and other pagan ideas and for others it is something to be worshipped in itself.  Many cultures use lunar calendars, but not in the way YHVH has set up in His Word.
And others go the opposite extreme and say that anyone who follows YHVH's commands regarding the new moon, regarding His set-apart, appointed times and feasts, is actually falling into legalism and is not experiencing the "freedom" of a relationship with God (and yet these same people live daily by a calendar that includes names of false gods such as Saturn in Saturday, Frigga in Friday, Thor in Thursday, Janus in January, Mars in March, Augustus Caesar in August, etc).

Read the rest of Psalm 104...see how the creation is treated in YHVH's Word.  It's all about HIM!
Everything He has created and everything He commands and expects His people to do is all about HIM!
He wants us to be in relationship with Him, and He has made clear the way for that to happen.  (Remember, Yahshua, who is THE answer for the way to life with YHVH, also lived His life in complete obedience to YHVH's Word, His Torah, His commands.)

For many years I followed the traditions of man that said I must do certain things at certain times of the year.  I was taught that these traditions and actions and yearly celebrations are signs of God and His relationship with us (such as Christmas, Easter, etc).

BUT...if they do not fit into His commanded way of life, if they go against what He has commanded, then I don't want to have anything to do with them.

I know this could come across as negative (which I do not want to be).
So let me state it another way...

Shout for joy to Elohim our strength; raise a shout to the Elohim of Jacob. 

Lift up a song and beat the tambourine, the pleasant lyre and with the harp. 

Blow the ram’s horn at the time of the New Moon, at the full moon, on our festival day. 

For this is a law for Israel, and a right-ruling of the Elohim of Jacob. 

He appointed it in Joseph for a witness, when He went throughout the land of Egypt; I heard a language that I did not know. 

He says, “I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were freed from the baskets. 

You called in distress, and I rescued you; I answered you in the covering of thunder; I proved you at the waters of Meribah. Selah.     Psalm 81:1-7

“And in the day of your gladness, and in your appointed times, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over your peace offerings. And they shall be a remembrance for you before your Elohim. I am יהוה your Elohim.”   Numbers 10:10

In my deliberate study of YHVH's Word over the past few years to seek HIS way of life, while learning about how to keep the set-apart times He has commanded, I noticed how important the monthly moon phases were in many places in His Word.

So, in the past few months I have been reading YHVH's Word to specifically learn more about how He uses the moon every day, every month, every year as a sign of His faithfulness to His people, His desire to dwell in relationship with His people, His plan for LIFE!  

And now whenever I look up in the night (or day) sky and see the moon at various phases, my heart does a little leap of gladness!   At the same time, my mind goes immediately to focus on YHVH, and I say "thank you" for His plans, His faithfulness, His nearness, His mighty works on the behalf of His people!  

In my life up to this point, before I had intentionally read and paid attention to what His Word says about this command of the new month and the new year, seeing the moon in the night sky would not bring any response at all within my heart and mind (except maybe to say "how pretty or how big or how bright the moon is tonight").

But now my heart jumps when I see the moon!  

Why?  

Because I am reminded of so much of His goodness, the perfection of His plan, the intricacy and extent of His love for His people!

What a difference it makes to know and follow the Word of YHVH rather than just following traditions of man!  

His commands, precepts, instructions, purposes are so much richer and meaningful than anything man could come up with!  

Why do I waste my time following anything else in this world other than what YHVH has said?  

(good question)

His Word is full of these signs and remembrances!  So many items, events, parts of creation are used by YHVH as memorials for us to constantly remember Him and His faithfulness and His mighty works!

I won't go into details on any of these...you can research more on your own.
But here is only a partial list of what YHVH has given us as signs pointing to Him, remembrances that remind us that He is Elohim:

A rainbow - Genesis 9:15
Circumcision - Genesis 17:11
His NAME - Exodus 3:15, Psalm 135:13, Hosea 12:5
The Festival of Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread  - Exodus 12 & 13  (coming up soon!!)
The Stones on the priest's garment  - Exodus 28, 39:7
Tzitzit (tassels on garment corners) - Numbers 15:39-40
The Sabbath  - Exodus 20:8-11; 31:13; Deuternomy 5:12-15; Ezekiel 20:12 etc
The Word of YHVH - Deuteronomy 6; 11:18
The 12 stones at the Jordan River  - Joshua 4
Yahshua - His life, death and resurrection...He is THE sign!  - Isaiah 7:14;  Matthew 16;  Luke 2; Luke 11 (sign of Jonah)
YHVH's sustaining of Israel -  Mary's song in Luke 1
Communion... taking the bread and wine, symbolizing the body and blood of Yahshua -  Luke 22:19; 1 cor 11:24-25


So, as you look at the moon tonight, fix your gaze on YHVH...remember the faithfulness of your Elohim and rejoice! 
Let your heart do a little leap of gladness, and thank Him!

If we really know the Word of YHVH and truly live life in Him the way He has commanded, then we should be reminded of Him continuously throughout every day of our lives!

May this be so as we prepare ourselves for the coming Passover celebration.

Under His never-slumbering watch care,

Gina

With All My Heart and Being...

                                                ...Praise YAH!

Tonight many people around the world are celebrating, and many of those will celebrate with much gusto, putting their hearts and souls into welcoming what is generally recognized as the New Year.

If you have looked at my blog post from this time last year, you will already know that I am NOT celebrating the New Year tonight.    However, I am celebrating tonight....I am celebrating my weekly Shabbat with my Adonai.  Shabbat Shalom!

This blog post will not go into great detail regarding what YHVH's Word says about celebrating the New Year.  You can read that in my blog post from January 1, 2010.  Basically, I won't be celebrating YHVH's New Year until the spring...around April - the time around Passover  (see Exodus 12).

Okay, so January is not the month that Adonai chose and commanded for the beginning of each year.
But it is the time chosen by much of the world to begin each year.
So the question remains:
Why don't I celebrate with my friends and family?
Why do I choose to treat this day like any other day?
Why won't I attend the parties and say the traditional greetings?

The question can continue further:
Why don't I celebrate the holidays that Christianity has promoted as times to commemorate Jesus and His life on earth (e.g., Christmas and Easter)?  Why won't I participate in those?
Why won't I "fellowship" with my fellow believers by participating during these special times of the Christian year?

This question can become a paragraph and even a small booklet of questions:
Why do I insist on using YHVH's and Yahshua's Hebrew names?
Why do I celebrate the Feasts of the Old Testament rather than the Christian holidays?
Why do I follow Adonai's menu rather than the commonly accepted menu of the people around me?
Why must I be so different?

And then that last question frequently leads to the underlying (and sometimes openly hinted at) questions of:
Why must I be so difficult?
Why must I be so rebellious against Christian tradition?
Why do I alienate the people around me by making these choices?

The answer to all of these is quite simple - profoundly important to me, yet simple...

I don't want to pour all my energy, my passion, my heart and soul into something that is not what Adonai wants from me, into some tradition that goes against His Word.  Rather I want to pour all that I am, my heart and soul, into who HE IS, what HE says to be and do, what His Word commands.  My greatest desire is to know, to love, and to live in relationship with YHVH, the King of the Universe, my Creator, my Redeemer, my Adonai, through Yahshua the Messiah!

Do you know how many times our Adonai tells His people to do something with all of their heart and soul...with all of their very being?

Let's take a look at some of the familiar places in YHVH's Word.

1.  Moses, in Deuteronomy, constantly reminded the Israelites of YHVH's words and commands:

Deuteronomy 6:1-6
And this is the command, the laws and right-rulings which יהוה (YHVH) your Elohim has commanded...so that you fear יהוה your Elohim, to guard all His laws and His commands which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life....Hear, O Israĕl: יהוה (YHVH) our Elohim, יהוה (YHVH) is one! And you shall love יהוה (YHVH) your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your might. And these Words which I am commanding you today shall be in your heart...

Deuteronomy 10:12, 13
And now, Israel, what is יהוה your Elohim asking of you, but to fear יהוה your Elohim, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being, to guard the commands of יהוה and His laws which I command you today for your good? 

Deuteronomy 13:1-4
When there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he shall give you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder shall come true, of which he has spoken to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other mighty ones – which you have not known – and serve them,’ do not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for יהוה your Elohim is trying you to know whether you love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being. Walk after יהוה your Elohim and fear Him, and guard His commands and obey His voice, and serve Him and cling to Him.

Deuteronomy 30: 5-11
And יהוה your Elohim shall bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. And He shall do good to you, and increase you more than your fathers. And יהוה your Elohim shall circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed, to love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being, so that you might live...And you shall turn back and obey the voice of יהוה and do all His commands which I command you today....For יהוה turns back to rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, if you obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim, to guard His commands and His laws which are written in this Book of the Torah, if you turn back to יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being. For this command which I am commanding you today, it is not too hard for you, nor is it far off.


2.  When Joshua blessed the tribes of Israel, he also reminded them:


Joshua 22:2-5
And [Joshua] said to them, “You, you have guarded all that Moses the servant of יהוה commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. You have not left your brothers these many days, up to this day, but have guarded the Charge, the command of יהוה your Elohim.  And now יהוה your Elohim has given rest to your brothers, as He promised them. So now, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of יהוה gave you beyond the Jordan. Only, diligently guard to do the command and the Torah which Mosheh the servant of יהוה commanded you, to love יהוה your Elohim, and to walk in all His ways, and to guard His commands, and to cling to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your being.

3.  David spoke these words to his son Solomon:

1 Kings 2:3-4

And guard the Charge of יהוה your Elohim: to walk in His ways, to guard His laws, His commands, His right-rulings, and His witnesses, as it is written in the Torah of Moses, so that you do wisely all that you do and wherever you turn; so that יהוה does establish His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons guard their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their being,’ saying, ‘there is not to cease a man of yours on the throne of Israel.’ 

4.  King Josiah and King Asa both turned the people back to the commands of YHVH:

2 Kings 23:2-3, 25

And the king [Josiah] went up to the House of יהוה with all the men of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the House of יהוה.   And the king stood by the column and made a covenant before יהוה, to follow יהוה and to guard His commands and His witnesses and His laws, with all his heart and all his being, to establish the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant....And before him there was no king like him, who turned back to יהוה with all his heart, and with all his being, and with all his might, according to all the Torah of Moses; and after him none rose up like him. 

2 Chronicles 15:12-15

And they entered into a covenant to seek יהוה Elohim of their fathers with all their heart and with all their being; and whoever would not seek יהוה Elohim of Israel would be put to death, from small to great, from man to woman.  And they swore to יהוה with a loud voice, with shouting and with trumpets and with rams’ horns.  And all Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their being. And He was found by them, and יהוה gave them rest all around. 

5.  It is the cry of Psalm 84:2

My being has longed, and even fainted, 
For the courts of יהוה; 
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.


6.  Yahshua confirmed that this is the greatest command of YHVH:

Matthew 22:36-40
 “Teacher, which is the great command in the Torah?” 
 And יהושע (Yahshua) said to him, “ 'You shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your mind.'  This is the first and great command. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commands hang all the Torah and the Prophets.” 

I would like to give an example of why I want to follow the Word of YHVH rather than just depending on and following tradition.  This example is something that at first glance seems simple and unimportant, but upon deeper understanding and reading of the Word of YHVH becomes so deeply significant.

The word "HALLELUYAH."
It is also commonly spelled Alleluia and Hallelujah and sometimes Halleluia.  I have even seen it spelled as Halaylooyah.  I guess it can be a tricky word to spell just by sounding it out!

I, too, have had difficulty remembering how to spell this word and never really knew which form to use...until I actually read enough of God's Word to realize how important this word is.

We throw it around as a "catch-all" religious phrase.  We use it casually, without even thinking about it...
"Hey look, there's a dollar on the ground!  Hallelujah!"
"The store had my favorite kind of ice cream...hallelujah!"
"Today is supposed to be sunny and warm.  Hallelujah!"

We alternate saying Hallelujah and PTL (stands for Praise the Lord, which is what Hallelujah is translated to mean in our English Bibles).

Why is this word so important?  Why am I making a seemingly "big deal" out of this?

Let's break it down...

Obviously (I hope it's obvious), it is a Hebrew word.

Hallel ( הלל)  means to boast about, give glory to, give praise to.


YAH (YH or יה) is the shortened name of YHVH  (יהוה), the first two letters of His four-letter name!  


Remember, Hebrew is read from right to left.  Compare the first two letters of YHVH with the spelling of YaH.

So Hallelu YaH means praise (to) YaH.        הללו  יה
This is different than saying "praise the Lord" because "Lord" is just a title that has been used to replace the NAME of YHVH for centuries!

And do you notice that YaH is also the beginning of Yahshua's name (יהושע)?
This is because Yahshua (also Yeshua) means "YHVH is salvation."  Pretty important, I think, to keep the name of YaH where it belongs...in His Name!

This is why I use the Name above all names when I am referring to Yahshua, and the Name our Adonai said to use for Him, YHVH.

And do you know that the names of many people in the scriptures included the name of Yah?
We miss so much when we translate these important names into "anglicized" names!
Eliyahu (Elijah) means YHVH is El (God). 
Yesha'yahu (Isaiah)  means YHVH is salvation ...notice how close it is to Yahshua.
Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah)  means YHVH will exalt.
Tz'Fanyah (Zephaniah)  means YHVH has hidden.
Z'Kharyah (Zechariah) means remembered by YHVH.
Yoshiyahu (Josiah) means YHVH will deliver.

These are only a few examples of the many names in the scriptures that incorporate the name of YHVH and part of His character.  Can you imagine if you knew the Hebrew names of these people, and every time you read that name in the scriptures you were reminded of the meaning, and therefore reminded of who YHVH is?!?


Do you see why I want to know and use the proper names of YHVH, and why HalleluYaH is such an important word to me?
Do you see why I don't want to use the spelling of Alleluia?  It has no meaning...it replaces the Name of Yah with "ia."   It is yet another tradition of man that has changed YHVH's Word (and Name) and therefore has lost part of the depth of understanding of who He is and how we are to live in relationship with Him!

Perhaps it still seems to you that I'm making a big deal out of a small thing.  I hope not.  I hope you can see my point.  I hope you can see the beginnings of a much deeper understanding of our YHVH and His Word with this one simple example.

I have said before in these blog posts, and I will say it again now...
the more I take YHVH's scripture at face value and the more I read it literally (and try to see the original language rather than the translated language), the more I understand that I have been embracing so many man-made traditions and understandings and beliefs that actually go against what YHVH says!

All I want is to know, love and obey Yah!


Gina


FYI...do you know about www.e-sword.net ?   You can download various translations of the Bible for free.  One of the free translations available is the Hebrew Old Testament (Tanach) with Strong's Numbers.  I use this frequently as a helpful way to get back to the original language, and it is always available for me on my laptop!

Adonai's New Year - Eternally Tied to His Salvation!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Last night at sundown, the new moon (Rosh Chodesh) began the month of Nisan.

What is so special about that?

This is YHVH's commanded beginning of the new year!

It is also the beginning of the preparations for the spring appointed feasts of YHVH.

When Moses and the children of Israel were in Egypt, and the Lord was bringing warning after warning and plague after plague to Pharoah and the Egyptian people, YHVH prepared Moses and the Israelites for what He was about to do.

This isn't just about how YHVH delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. This isn't just about what He did for them with the lamb's blood on the doorposts and the passing over of the death angel and salvation of all Israel's firstborn. YHVH gave a picture, a pattern to His people that would unfold and grow deeper and richer as His Kingdom plan unfolded over the decades and centuries to come.

Exodus 12:1-2
(After one of many plagues failed yet again to sway Pharaoh's heart...)
YHVH spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt; he said, "You are to begin your calendar with this month; it will be the first month of the year for you."

This was the first command given to the people by YHVH as they were about to leave Egypt, follow Him to the land of inheritance, become His covenant people in His covenant land, and begin to fulfill all His purposes for them as His people and for the nations.

The first command...

...a new beginning...

...so important for what was about to unfold...

...stepping out in trusting YHVH when things looked like they wouldn't happen the way He promised...

knowing that HIS timing and timeline are perfect!

Take a look at what comes right after this command in Exodus 12...

[YHVH said] 'Speak to all the assembly of Israel and say, "On the tenth day of this month, each man is to take a lamb for his family...it is to be without defect...a male in its first year...You are to keep it until the fourteenth day of the month, and then slaughter it at dusk...take some of the blood and smear it on the two sides and top of the door-frame at the entrance of the house....Here is how you are to eat it: with your belt fastened, your shoes on your feet and your staff in your hand; and you are to eat it hurriedly. It is ADONAI's Pesach [Passover]. For that night, I will pass through the land of Egypt and kill all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both men and animals; and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt; I am ADONAI. The blood will serve you as a sign marking the houses where you are; when I see the blood, I will pass over [Hebrew: pasach] you - when I strike the land of Egypt, the death blow will not strike you. This will be a day for you to remember and celebrate as a festival to ADONAI; from generation to generation you are to celebrate it by a perpetual regulation."'
Exodus 12:3-14


YHVH's command to observe the new year leads directly into preparation for
Pessach (Passover)
...which then leads to
the Feast of Unleavened Bread
...which leads to
the Day of First Fruits
...which leads to
Shavuot or Feast of Sevens (Pentecost).

And the exciting part of all of these feasts is that Yeshua is the fulfillment of them all! They are a picture of HIM!

Even more exciting is that these feasts lead into the fall feasts.
And guess what?! Yeshua is the fulfillment of those too!

Do you see the way YHVH has laid out His covenant, His love, His plan, His salvation, His desire to dwell with His people? He has commanded us to observe these feasts and appointed times, and He uses them to show us HIMSELF!!

How awesome!

Today, since this is the new year, I only want to focus on the command to observe the new year.

It is very interesting to look at some of the events that happened on this day of this month throughout different parts of YHVH's timelime according to His Word.















It was on this day that Noah opened the covering of the ark and saw that the ground was dry.

Genesis 8:13 By the first day of the first month of the 601st year the water had dried up from off the earth; so Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked; and, yes, the surface of the ground was dry.


On the 27th day, he left the ark with his family and the animals.



This day seems to be a day of new beginnings and of cleansing.

In Exodus 40:2, YHVH commanded Moses to set up and anoint the tabernacle, HIS Dwelling Place, on the first day of the first month.
Then YHVH filled it with Himself!

Exodus 40:2 (see also verses 33-34)
YHVH said to Moses, 'On the first day of the first month, you are to set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. Put in it the ark for the testimony, and conceal the ark with the curtain. Bring in the table, and arrange its display. Bring in the menorah, and light its lamps'...(etc).



In 2 Chronicles we find Hezekiah involved in another important event happening during this month...the process of cleansing the temple.

2 Chronicles 29:3-7
In the first month of the first year of his reign, [Hezekiah] reopened the doors of the house of YHVH and repaired them. Then he brought in the priests and Levites and said to them, "Listen to me, Levites: consecrate yourselves now, consecrate the house of ADONAI the God of your ancestors, and remove the filth from the Holy Place. For our ancestors acted treacherously, they did what is evil from the perspective of YHVH our God, they abandoned him, they turned their faces away from where YHVH lives and turned their backs on him. They sealed the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps and stopped burning incense and offering burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Israel.

...and then in verses 15-19...
They gathered their kinsmen, consecrated themselves and, in keeping with the king's order and YHVH's words, went in to cleanse the house of YHVH. The priests went in to cleanse the inner part of the house of YHVH; all the unclean things they found in the sanctuary of YHVH they brought out into the courtyard of the house of YHVH, where the Levites took and carried them out to the Kidron Valley. They began consecrating on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they reached the vestibule of YHVH. Then they consecrated the house of YHVH in eight more days; so that on the sixteenth day of the first month, they had finished. Then they went to Hezekiah the king and said, "We have cleansed all the house of YHVH, including the altar for burnt offerings and the table for the showbread. Moreover, we have reconditioned and consecrated all the articles that King Achaz threw out during his reign, when he was sinning; and they are there, in front of the altar of YHVH."



It was on this day of the year that Ezra began his journey from Babylon back to Jerusalem to rebuild the House of YHVH (funded by the King of Persia!).

Ezra 7:9-10
[Ezra] began going up to Jerusalem from Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrived on the first day of the fifth month, since the good hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had set his heart on studying and practicing the Torah of YHVH and teaching Israel the laws and rulings.



YHVH gave Ezekiel a detailed vision of the blueprints of a temple that has yet to be built (and therefore must be coming in the future!). In the chapters preceeding Ezekiel 45, you can read for yourself the details of this amazing temple.

And then YHVH told Ezekiel how and when to cleanse and purify the temple.

Ezekiel 45:18-21
YHVH ELOHIM says this: 'On the first day of the first month you are to take a young bull without defect and purify the sanctuary. The priests will take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the door-frames of the house, on the four corners of the altar's ledge and on the gate of the inner courtyard. You are also to do this on the seventh day of the month for everyone who has sinned inadvertently. Thus you will make atonement for the house. On the fourteenth day of the first month you are to have the Pesach...


(Did you notice that the Feasts are still being observed during the time of this future temple?)


What an important day of new beginnings and cleansing
this day is!

This is about more than "new year's resolutions."
This is about seeking YHVH's commands, His law, His Torah, His precepts...seeking to live HIS way, always!
This is about coming before Him in purity and in His righteousness, about His Dwelling Place, about HIS SALVATION by the BLOOD of the LAMB!

There will be more to come on that topic soon as Pesach draws near...are you preparing for it?

I am!

In the eternal, everlasting covenant of our YHVH,

Gina

Happy New Year? What Does YHVH Say?

It is January 1 on the Gregorian calendar.
Is it "Happy New Year"?

For me, it no longer is.

I know this statement will bring forth a response from some people. I can only imagine the different responses that will come up.
(But I don't really want to hear them all!)

With my decision to follow the Word of YHVH rather than traditions of man and religion, I am discovering that just about EVERYTHING in my life has to change! Did I see these changes coming when I made this decision? No, honestly, I did not realize how much of my life is based on tradition rather than the Word of YHVH.

Am I sorry that I made this decision? NO!
It is difficult to make changes, I admit.
I am a creature of habit (and, I would guess, I am not alone in this).
It is hard to change so many things at once. It is difficult to allow YHVH to renew my mind, change my "spiritual eyes" to see His Word the way He wants it to be known, rather than the way it has been twisted into religion.
But with all I am, all my heart, soul and strength, I want to follow and know YHVH for who He is and for how He wants to be known by me!
I want to do everything HIS way...not my way, not anyone else's way!
Even if it means inconvenience. Even if it means pain.
Even if it means loss. Even if people don't understand.

I want to live what Paul says in Philippians 3...what might have been gain to me, I count as loss because of Yeshua the Messiah, and for the sake of knowing Him, I count all as refuse and loss in order to gain Yeshua!

So for me, giving up pagan traditions and ways of living that go against the Word of YHVH are worth everything I gain in relationship with HIM!

(I know some people will be reading this as judgment against our western way of Christian life...please keep reading before you judge my intentions.)

As I have been reading YHVH's Word with open eyes and with a willingness to see where I have been wrong, I have noticed that we humans have changed SO MANY things about what YHVH's Word says. I am apalled (but at the same time not surprised...the enemy has been hard at work from the very beginning of time to twist and change what YHVH says).

We have changed the day of the commanded Sabbath (and no longer keep it holy...set apart). We have changed the foods YHVH commanded us NOT to eat. We have changed the Set-apart Appointed Times (feasts) that He commanded for all generations. Now we celebrate pagan holidays (which He expressly forbids) and call them holy days. We have decided which part of His Torah, His commands, His mitzvot, His Word we will obey and which He no longer means for us to obey. This is just a start of the list of changes that have been made by humans (with much help from the enemy) that are being accepted and practiced by millions around the world as the "word of God". I don't want to get into all of these things right now...I will save them for other posts in the future. Today I just want to focus on the truth of this holiday that is being celebrated today around the world and what YHVH's Word actually says.

You might be offended at what I've said. You might be angry. You might decide I've gone off the deep end or off my rocker (or whatever other cliche you might want to use). But please just take a look at what YHVH's Word says! And then compare it to the common practices in churches today. Search it out for yourself before you label me as insane or critical or judgemental.

Ready for some research?

First, may I direct you to a website that someone showed me just today? You might be surprised at what you read...and you might be surprised to research more and discover the truth.

This article is called "New Years Blood Bath", and it addresses the tradition in Europe (and now Israel) of calling New Years "Sylvester". One of the Caesars first placed the New Year on 1 January (based on a god that was an "appropriate" choice for a new year), and he celebrated by murdering Jews. Read the article for more information on the term "Sylvester" and the foundations of the new year happening in January. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Blogs/Message.aspx/4011

For more information, check out the Wikipedia article entitled "New Year"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_year).

You will see that most of the "Christianized" world follows this calendar and this setting of the new year. You will also see that many other cultures have different new years based on various gods, various events in the seasons, various traditions, etc.

Even Rabbinical Judaism has established its own version of when the civil new year is, based on the oral tradition and teaching (Mishnah) of the sages. This new year (Rosh Hashanah) is celebrated in the fall (usually September), during the Feast of Trumpets.

The question here is not "who is right"? And the statement "our way is the right way" is an ignorant and dangerous one.

The ONLY thing that matters is what YHVH says!

So what does YHVH say?

First, let's look at what YHVH says about the seventh month (the month of Rosh Hashanah):

"YHVH said to Moses, 'Tell the people of Israel, "In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar. Do not do any kind of ordinary work, and bring an offering made by fire to YHVH."'" Leviticus 23:24-25

"'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; it is a day of blowing the shofar for you. Prepare a burnt offering to make a fragrant aroma for YHVH...'" Numbers 29:1-2

This Set-apart appointed time, called Yom Teruah (Day of Blowing the Shofar), was simply a day to blow the shofar, to rest and present an offering before YHVH. Through a series of events over the passing of many years, the sages of Judaism established this day as the new year (Rosh Hashanah) for the civil calendar (the day when the calendar year advances, among other things).

So does YHVH actually say when the New Year should begin?
Does He command a New Year in His Word?

Yes!

In Exodus, when YHVH was about to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, He spoke to Moses and Aaron:

"YHVH spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt; he said 'You are to begin your calendar with this month; it will be the first month of the year for you.'" (12:1)

Immediately following that command, YHVH commands the people to celebrate Pesach (Passover) from the tenth to the fourteenth day of the same month. This would be a commemoration of the miracle YHVH was about to perform on behalf of His people...bringing them out of Egypt by way of death of the firstborn and salvation through the blood of the lamb. And then YHVH led them out of Egypt, just as He said! (see the rest of this chapter in Exodus)

This month, known as Aviv in the Torah and known as Nisan now, usually happens in March or April in the Gregorian calendar.

Simply, this is the day and month YHVH commanded as the beginning of the year. I believe He has very specific and important reasons for ALL He commands His people to do! I want to follow His Word!

So, today for me is just another day. I have to begin writing 2010 on everything. I have to begin a new tax year. I have to live and function in a culture that sees this as the start of the new year. However, my heart and soul and focus is on what the Word of YHVH says. I will celebrate as He commands...every Set-apart day that He commands!

Celebrating Yeshua, and life in YHVH through Him,
Gina