Celebrate Rosh Hashanah 2018: Jewish Roots Points to the Future
Why do we celebrate Rosh Hashanah?
Does this appointed time God established in the past point to our future?
How does Rosh Hashanah relate to the Jewish roots of Christianity?
Let’s investigate these three important questions…
Many Christians today don’t celebrate Rosh Hashanah, or for that matter, any other Feasts of the Lord. However, consider this, you may be missing out on a more in-depth experience with God when these days are merely passed over.
Whether you have one-on-one time with the Lord daily, or you are in a season of drought that leaves you feeling far from Him, understanding your Hebraic roots will truly transform your faith.
These appointed feasts are a way the Lord reveals Himself to us. They display His justice, mercy, and the future of His Kingdom.
Rosh Hashanah in the Bible
“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying: “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.”’”—Leviticus 23:23-25
“And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you, it is a day of blowing the trumpets.”—Numbers 29:1
In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, “beginning or head of the year.” It is the Jewish New Year. It is also referred to as Yom Teruah, which means, “a loud blast or shout.”
Traditionally Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the year because it is believed this is the anniversary of God’s creation of humanity through Adam and Eve.
How do you celebrate the New Year? Most of you, on December 31st of every year, stay up late and have food and drinks with friends and family. Some might shoot fireworks at midnight as a symbol of a new year.
But we encourage you to look at how the Lord instructs us to celebrate… and why.
The Feasts are a visual picture of Messiah
The Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah, is when God instructs Israel to celebrate the Hebraic New Year. The trumpet, or shofar which is a ram’s horn, blasts as a memorial.
But a memorial of what?
We celebrate in remembrance of the great grace God showed toward Abraham when He provided a ram as a sacrifice in place of Isaac.
Today, Believers possess the gift of the Holy Spirit through the blood shed by the Passover Lamb—Yeshua.
The sacrifice offered is filled through the blood of our Messiah, but God doesn’t instruct us to stop celebrating His mo’eds, or appointed feasts.
Rosh Hashanah Points to our future
The feasts give you an understanding of your relationship with God the Father through Christ.
We celebrate because, with each celebration and each passing year, we grow in our spiritual walk and relationship with God. He reveals more of who we are in Him.
We celebrate as each New Year rings in new hope. The hope you have in Messiah carries you forward and continues to transform your faith.
We celebrate as a reminder of God’s divine destiny for each of us. During Rosh Hashanah, the Lord instructs us to “remember,” yet it is also the Jewish New Year.
Often, as we prepare for the next part of our journey, don’t we recall past journeys?
This remembrance sweetens the anticipation of the journey ahead. God tells us to…
- “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for itwith perseverance.”—Romans 8:25
- “Our soul waits for the Lord; He isour help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.”—Psalm 33:20-21
- “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope.”—Psalm 130:5
Remember the year past.
Take inventory of your successes, as well as areas you want to grow.
Wait expectantly as the Lord ushers you into the New Year.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”—Jeremiah 29:11
>>>Find out your Godly strengths and transform your weakness’!<<<
Rosh Hashanah and the Jewish Roots of Christianity
The shofar blasts are the great symbol of Rosh Hashanah. Here are various ways the trumpet is used in scripture…
- To awaken and assemble the congregation
“Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps. When they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.”—Numbers 10:2-3
- In preparation to claim what is promised to you.
“And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.”—Joshua 6:4
- To awaken and refocus your attention on the Lord.
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last…’”—Revelation 1:10-11
The Bible speaks of a trumpet blast at Rosh Hashanah for the nation of Israel. For the Church today, it is an awakening blast of revelation. It’s a time for us to remember our spiritual heritage. To understand our roots.
When you remember what God has brought you out of, your hope and trust in Him mature. You look forward to His divine path for you.
When studying the Word of God, you can’t leave out your roots, or you lose footing in your faith. Examine the scriptures as a whole. It is a redemptive story that God designed to be read and understood as a complete work.
Imagine if you opened a book of 30 chapters and started reading at chapter 20. It wouldn’t make sense. You might be able to piece some general ideas, but without the character’s history and the foundation of the entire story, you miss the depth of the literature. You lose the full experience.
As Christian’s in today’s western world, we are bombarded with distractions. As a result of the enemy’s schemes, we lose sight of our Father and His Kingdom plan.
The Lord wants us to keep our eyes on Him. He knows that intentionally set times throughout the year help us remember, repent, and rejoice. Through this process, we enter His presence.
We want to encourage you during the appointed time of the New Year and new beginnings.
Check out our events page [HERE] for more information about our Rosh Hashanah celebration on September 9th. Doors open at 5:30 PM CT. Registration is FREE, but is required if you are attending on-site due to limited seating. We hope you can join us!