Topical Bible: The Feast of the New Moon: Held First Day of the Month

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The Feast of the New Moon, observed on the first day of each month, holds a significant place in the religious and cultural life of ancient Israel. This observance is rooted in the lunar calendar that the Israelites followed, marking the beginning of each month with the sighting of the new moon. The celebration is characterized by offerings, trumpet blasts, and communal gatherings, reflecting its importance in the worship and rhythm of life for the people of God.

Biblical Foundation

The Feast of the New Moon is mentioned in several passages throughout the Old Testament, underscoring its role in the religious practices of Israel. In Numbers 10:10 , the Lord commands Moses, "Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the LORD your God." This verse highlights the use of trumpets, which served both as a call to worship and a reminder of God's covenant with His people.

In Numbers 28:11-15 , specific instructions are given regarding the offerings to be made on the New Moon: "On the first day of each month, you are to present to the LORD a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all without blemish." This passage details the sacrificial system that accompanied the New Moon, emphasizing the need for purity and dedication in worship.

Cultural and Religious Significance

The New Moon festival was not merely a time for ritual observance but also a period of communal gathering and celebration. It provided an opportunity for the Israelites to renew their commitment to God and to seek His guidance for the month ahead. The regularity of the New Moon observance helped to structure the religious calendar, ensuring that the people remained aligned with God's appointed times.

In 1 Samuel 20:5 , the New Moon is depicted as a time of feasting and fellowship: "So David said to Jonathan, 'Behold, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I am supposed to dine with the king. But let me go so that I may hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow.'" This narrative illustrates the social aspect of the New Moon, where families and communities would come together to share in a meal and celebrate God's provision.

Prophetic and Eschatological Dimensions

The prophets also spoke of the New Moon in their writings, often using it as a symbol of Israel's faithfulness or lack thereof. In Isaiah 1:13-14 , God expresses His displeasure with the people's empty rituals: "Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. Your New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. I hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them." This passage serves as a reminder that the outward observance of the New Moon must be accompanied by genuine repentance and devotion.

The New Moon also holds eschatological significance, pointing to the future restoration and renewal of God's creation. In Isaiah 66:23 , the prophet envisions a time when "from one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me," declares the LORD. This vision anticipates a future where the New Moon serves as a universal call to worship, uniting all people in the praise of the Creator.

Conclusion

The Feast of the New Moon, with its rich tapestry of offerings, trumpet blasts, and communal gatherings, remains a testament to the rhythm of worship and the covenantal relationship between God and His people. Through its observance, the Israelites were reminded of God's sovereignty over time and creation, and their own need for continual renewal and dedication to His ways.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Numbers 10:10
Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Letter vi. --For 334. Easter-Day, xii Pharmuthi, vii Id. April ...
... April; xvii Moon; ??ra Dioclet ... them because of their negligence, He removed from them
the new moons, the ... to these things, and thus having kept the feast, we may ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/letter vi for 334 easter-day xii.htm

The Author's views Respecting the Celebration of Easter, Baptism ...
... among themselves on account of the feast of Easter ... exortis; also, Salmon, Introduction
to the New Testament, 3 ed. p ... on the fourteenth day of the moon, while the ...
/.../chapter xxii the authors views respecting.htm

The Chronology
... on the Friday at the opening of the feast of the ... this date coincides with the full
moon, and also ... in Egypt, however, have furnished new information concerning ...
/.../rhees/the life of jesus of nazareth/iv the chronology.htm

How the Question Arose About the Due Time of Keeping Easter, with ...
... of the Law, began the celebration of the feast of Easter ... or deliver the Sacraments
of the New Testament, to ... you utterly exclude the twenty-first moon, which the ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xxv how the question.htm

Letter xix. --(For 347. ) Coss. Rufinus, Eusebius; Pr??f. The Same ...
... 63; Moon 15 ... His face from that of the Jews, as being outcasts, saying, Your new moons
and ... Let us keep the feast when the first of the week dawns upon us, on the ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/letter xix for 347 coss rufinus.htm

How the Abbot Ceolfrid Sent Master-Builders to the King of the ...
... which is also called the month of new things, because ... be called the Lord's day, and
the Paschal feast of His ... to the succession of sun and moon, month and week ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xxi how the abbot.htm

Mount Olivet. The Mount of Olives, 2 Samuel 15:30
... flames presently after the time of the new moon was stated ... And he who held up the
flame in Beth Baltin ... Motza: hither they came down" (in the feast of Tabernacles ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 40 mount olivet the.htm

Whether Sufficient Reason Can be Assigned for the Ceremonies ...
... And so it was held up, so to speak, by the cherubim, in ... chiefly to the movement of
the moon; wherefore this feast was kept at the new moon: and not at the ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether sufficient reason can be.htm

Ten Reasons Demonstrating the Commandment of the Sabbath to be ...
... the church, as well as the sun and moon in the ... Of this judgment are all the sound
new writers; see ... Jereboam's greatest sins, that he ordained a feast from the ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/ten reasons demonstrating the commandment.htm

Give us Today Our Needful Bread
... And over and above the feast of every seven years there is ... spoken ill against the
Holy Spirit is held fast by ... a month of ages to see God's holy new moon, and a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origen on prayer/chapter xvii give us today.htm