The Hebrew Month of Nisan: Miracles & Redemption

Two weeks before the Israelites began the Exodus, God spoke to His servant, Moses, regarding setting the Jewish calendar and sanctifying the Hebrew month of Nisan. He started by saying:

“This month [Nisan] shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.”—Exodus 12:2

This “mitzvah” (commandment) was the first given to the nation of Israel, even before they left Egypt, and it gave birth to the Lunar calendar the Jewish people have been following since then.

Thus, in Jewish tradition, the Hebrew month of Nisan is the “king of the months” and leads all the others; even the Hebrew letters that spell Nisan can be rearranged to spell the word “king.” So, while Rosh Hashanah is considered the civil New Year, Rosh Chodesh Nisan is considered the “new year for kings,” meaning that the years of a king’s reign were counted from Nisan 1 forward. 

The Hebrew Month of Nisan and the Tribe of Judah

The Hebrew month of Nisan is connected to the tribe of Judah (Yehuda). This tribe is not only known as the tribe of praise but also carries the name of the entire nation, which became recognized when “Yehudim” (Jewish) became synonymous with all the children of Israel. 

When Isaac blessed Judah, he said:

“Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise;

Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;

Your father’s children shall bow down before you.

Judah is a lion’s whelp;

From the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He bows down, he lies down as a lion;

And as a lion, who shall rouse him?

The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,

Until Shiloh comes;

And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.”

–Genesis 49:8-10 (emphasis added)

According to Jewish scholars, the honor of all tribes carrying the name “Yehudim” was because Judah readily admitted his wrong with Tamar and demonstrated moral courage and integrity. Judah took responsibility for his own actions and spoke in truth rather than embracing a lie to protect his own reputation (Genesis 38). 

Self-sacrifice and repentance unlocked a gift of generational honor.

Esther. Mordechai. Daniel. Abraham. Isaac. 

We see in the book of Esther where Mordechai, a man who is remembered for rejecting idolatry, is referred to as a “Yehudi” (Esther 2:5). Mordechai, a Benjamite, was exiled with the tribe of Judah. Yet, the gentile nations called all people exiled with the Judean kings “Yehudi” without any further tribal distinction.

In the book of Daniel, the Babylonians referred to the “three Yehudi/Jews” who refused the royal decree to bow down to idols. These men were known by their Hebrew names Chananya, Mishael, and Azzarya. However, you might be most familiar with their Babylonian names: Shadrach, Mishach, and Abendego. They stood in faith and in a place of self-sacrifice even when such defiance could have been a death sentence. 

“Yehudi” became a label for those who worshiped no god other than the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

In Hebrew, this form of self-sacrifice is called “mesirus nefesh” and represents a posture of honoring and sanctifying the name of God, the name of Hashem, above all else. No personal cost is too high.

We see this demonstrated in the story of Abraham and Isaac, where both father and son showed extreme obedience. Their willingness to sacrifice everything has since dripped down and unlocked generational blessings.
It is even believed that Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount) retains such a place of honor in Jewish worship because it was on this mountain Abraham and Isaac demonstrated self-sacrifice in their encounter with God. This is compared to Mt. Sinai, where God gave the Ten Commandments but is no longer recognized with such distinction.

When man’s self-sacrifice meets an encounter with the Father, there is a forever imprint. There is a shift. There is a release of holiness. Something awakened below that, in turn, awakens that which is above.

Laying down our self-will to participate in obedience to God’s instruction has a generational impact. Judah’s admission of guilt was a model of self-sacrifice and unlocked honor that all tribes should one day be called “Yehudi.”

Letter: Hey (Hei)

The Hebrew month of Nisan corresponds with the letter “hey,” also spelled “hei.”
This letter is unique in that it is created simply with a breath. If you say it out loud, it requires little effort from your lips or tongue. It is effortless and created without exertion.

The letter itself is formed with two letters in the Hebrew alphabet: “dalet” and “yod,” which represent the present material world (dalet) and the future of the World to Come (yod), creating a bridge between the physical and the spiritual.

According to the *Talmud, it is believed that God created the world with the barely audible and yet powerfully charged letter “hey” (the breath of God). We find the same letter in the Ineffable Four Letter Name of God, “YHVH,” and again in the name Y-ah, which is formed with a “hey” and a “yod”—the “hey” once again representing the world created and the “yod” the World that is to Come—God’s Kingdom, our destiny, and ultimately the fulfillment of God’s original purpose for creation. The “yod” represents the future and the intentions or the completion of a plan that first began as a thought but ends as a deed— “last in deed, but first in thought.”

All that was, is, and will be was spoken into existence, and the Hebrew month of Nisan carries a special tie to the power of our words, decrees, and proclamations. This is demonstrated in the verbal telling of the Passover story (Exodus 13:8) and the “All Says” of the Seder. We speak it out to remind our souls and spirits and, like our Creator, to breathe life into all generations at the table.

As the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, “hey” is symbolic of God’s presence within the human heart. This same letter was added to the names Abram and Sarai when God changed their names to Abraham and Sarah.

There was indwelling and, therefore, a shift in identity–an imprint on their DNA.

*Talmud is teaching and commentaries on the Torah that make up the basis of Jewish law.

Nisan: The Hebrew Month of Miracles and Anticipation 

Sacrifice unlocks the pathway towards miracles:

• The ram in the thicket for Abraham and Issac.
  
• The deliverance of the Jewish people through Mordechai and Esther.
  
• The fourth Man in the fire with Chananya, Mishael, and Azzarya.

According to Rabbi Yehudah, the editor of the Mishnah in its final form, it was the leader of the tribe of Judah who plunged into the Red Sea while the water was still flowing. In this act of great faith and self-sacrifice, the sea split into two, making a path for the new nation to cross.

Miracles transcend our own human understanding and perceived restrictions of nature.

The night of Passover is known as “Leil Shimurim”– a night of anticipation and a night that is guarded; in turn, we are to anticipate miracles just like the Israelites anticipated their deliverance. Exodus 12:42 says this:

“It is a night of watching to be observed for the Lord for having brought them out of the land of Egypt; this [same] night is for the Lord, to be observed and celebrated by all the Israelites throughout their generations.” (emphasis added)

The Exodus was brought forth from a place of anticipation, “mesirus nefesh” (self-sacrifice), and obedience that unlocked miracles and the birth of the nation who would have faith in the Name of Hashem.

Empowerment of Sacrifice 

The Israelites set aside a sheep for an offering to put the blood over the doorposts, and thus, the first Passover began from a place of great sacrifice. In Egypt, a lamb was not just an animal; it was worshiped as a god, so in essence, the Jewish people, who had been willing subjects to that point, had a mass slaughtering of Egyptian gods and then spread the blood visibly over their homes. Their obedience was an act of faith and proved the gentile gods were powerless in the face of what was considered “deicide.”  

Can you imagine what this night felt like? Plague after plague, the death of the firstborn, lambs slaughtered, and blood dripping from doorposts. From the ashes of this moment, the Exodus was birthed, and a nation of people with it–God’s people. It was the beginning of redemption, and like Judah (“Yehudi”), self-sacrifice became embedded into the spiritual DNA of the nation.

The name Yehudi embodied a willingness to embrace, sanctify, and honor Hashem’s name at all costs. That willingness and obedience have given Israel the strength to survive every program, war, and exile. 

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.”—Ezekiel 36:22 (emphasis added)

“Mesirus Nefesh”: A Common Thread

“Mesirus nefesh” is a driving key factor in Passover (and all the Feasts of the Lord), Purim, and Hanukkah.

Purim: Mordechai and Esther demonstrated exemplary risk and sacrifice and refused idolatry at all costs.

Hanukkah: The Chashmoniam demonstrated sacrifice as they fought for the cause of the temple, the Torah, and its commandments. Although greatly outnumbered, they led the battle against the Syrian Greeks  and refused to burn defiled oil representing “wisdom and the mind.”

The Jewish rebel fighters subsequently found one jar of undefiled oil that lasted eight days. This thread of miracles throughout the history of God’s people builds our faith and inspires our hearts that we serve the same God. Likewise, we should anticipate the miraculous in our lives.

Nisan and Kingship

The first day of the Hebrew month of Nisan marks a new year in the reign of the Kings of Israel.

A king exerts authority and control over those he is entrusted to lead. That control begins with his ability to lead and govern himself. Likewise, we are all “kings” in our way, as we must learn to walk in self-control with our hearts, minds, and emotions. We must lead ourselves before leading others through our words and actions.

When they left Egypt, the Israelites accepted God’s sovereignty over their lives and became fully dependent upon His Kingship, authority, and provision. The Exodus became synonymous with accepting the Kingship of Heaven for the Israelites and, eventually, the House of David. 

In the Hebrew month of Nisan, we are challenged to readily accept the yoke of God’s sovereignty anew. There is no better place to do this than at a Passover table– a place of renewal and restoration–a table where we accept all the cups He offers and receive redemption. 

The Power of Words

“Where the word of a king is, there is power; and who may say to him, ‘What are you doing?’”—Ecclesiastes 8:4

A king’s words carry power and authority, and he rules with them. The Creator of the World spoke everything into existence with power and authority. Likewise, as we are made in His image, our words carry power and authority, and “our words can bring death or life” (Proverbs 18:21).

At the Passover table when we retell the story of the Exodus, we bring clarity to God’s rule as King of the World. His Kingship gives us true freedom and we live to exalt and sanctify His Name with our words and deeds. 

The Hebrew month of Nisan is the month the Israelites emerged redeemed, and the glory of Hashem was revealed to the world. How much more so through the life, death, and resurrection of Yeshua generations later. 

Heavenly Outpouring

Yeshua created an awakening below in the hearts of men on earth that unlocked an awakening above for a heavenly outpouring.

When there is an awakening below, an awakening inside of us, it is the first step of a spiritual cause-and-effect that beckons a response from our Creator above, who releases in abundance.

The *Midrash says:

“The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: My children, make for Me an opening of repentance no bigger than the point of a needle, and I will widen it for you into openings through which wagons and carriages can pass.” -Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:3

Isn’t that so beautiful? Just the slightest awakening within us opens the heavens above for restoration and relationship.

Heartfelt words of repentance are some of the most powerful words we can utter. They are liberating and bring restoration that impacts not only the present but also the future. One small opening for repentance during the Hebrew month of Nisan opens a path to the abundance of Heaven.

*Like the Talmud the Midrash is Jewish commentary and interpretive writings. 

Prayer

This Nisan, may you expect the miraculous move of God in your life. May you put your feet under the Father’s table and receive all He has for you. May you receive redemption, deliverance, and a fresh identity. May your words be guarded that you only speak and create life and may that which is inside of you rise up and awaken. The King is beckoning His bride to come! May we all respond with a resounding “yes!” to His invitation.

The King is coming!