By John W. Ritenbaugh
Forerunner, "Personal," January 1994
From time to time the question arises whether a Christian should keep, observe, celebrate
or mark the << new moons>> . In the Old Testament, their
importance to the Old Covenant ritual is clearly stated, and even the New Testament
includes one reference to them in the context of religious observance. Their connection to
the marking of time and the proper observance of the holy days is evident throughout the
Bible. No book, chapter and verse directly annuls them.
So, in following the command to prove all things, let us examine relevant scriptures and
see what the Bible leads us to conclude.
Not Holy Time
"New moon" first appears in the Bible in Numbers 29:6:
Besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, the regular burnt
offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance,
as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.
It is important to note that there is no command from God to observe them in either
Testament. Instead, they are presented as a recognized and ongoing practice to which God
adds special sacrifices and offerings. These additions elevate them above an ordinary day,
but not to the level of a holy day.
Numbers 29:6 is primarily instruction for the Feast of Trumpets, which always falls on the
new moon of the seventh month, Tishri. The specific sacrifices for a new moon appear in
Numbers 28:11-15:
At the beginning of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD: two young
bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish; three-tenths of an
ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull; two-tenths of an
ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram; and one-tenth of
an ephah of fine flour, mixed with oil, as a grain offering for each lamb, as a burnt
offering of sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.
Their drink offering shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, one-third of a hin for a ram,
and one-fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering for each month throughout
the months of the year. Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering to the LORD shall be
offered, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
Add to this the command given in Numbers 10:10:
Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your
months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of
your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD
your God.
All these commands given by God?everything that He commands about the new moons?regard
specific offerings. All other information from the Scriptures about their observance is
implied.
Without question, the Israelites regarded them with a deference not given a common day.
Given the Israelites proclivity either to add or take from what God said, that is
not unexpected. But God nowhere?except for the Feast of Trumpets?designates the << new moons>> as holy time.
Adding to God's Commands
He does not command the Israelites to come before Him. He does not tell them to abstain
from work, nor does He say they cannot prepare food or buy and sell. Neither does He
instruct them to feast. Yet we can clearly infer from Scripture that the Israelites were
doing all of these things.
I Samuel 20 tells the story of how David and Jonathan determined whether or not Saul
intended to kill David. These events occurred at the time of a new moon, but the context
does not show what time of the year it was.
And David said to Jonathan, "Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail
to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third
day at evening. If your father misses me at all, then say, David earnestly asked
permission of me that he might run over to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly
sacrifice there for all the family" (verses 5-6).
This shows that feasting on the << new moons>> was not
looked upon as something unusual but expected as a matter of social custom. It was not
evil nor did God disapprove, but as He had not commanded it, feasting on a new moon was a
social custom.
Perhaps feasting on the << new
moons>> began with families
customarily making an annual sacrifice on one of them, as David mentions his family doing
in Bethlehem (verse 6). Again, God nowhere commands Israel to do this. Commentators feel
this feast was probably a thank offering on which the family feasted after Gods
portion was burned on an altar. They chose the << new moons>>
for these affairs, since they were not encumbered by the restrictions of Gods
law as the weekly and annual Sabbaths were.
Amos 8:5-6 gives an interesting insight into how far the Israelites may have gone in
adding to Gods commands about the << new moons>> . In
relation to the rapacious attitudes and practices of the Israelites, Amos charges:
Saying: when will the New Moon be past, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath that we
may trade our wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, falsifying the balances
by deceit, that we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals?even
sell the bad wheat?
There is a small chance that the new moon in question is the Feast of Trumpets. But if it
is not Trumpets, it sets up an interesting situation: As the Israelites ruling class
wallowed in wealth, it drifted farther and farther from a true worship of God. In
practicing some stringent traditions that God had nowhere commanded, they had attached
their own ideas to His law!
This strict observance did not at all impress God favorably! Totally out of harmony with
Gods aim of "justice run[ning] down like water, and righteousness like a mighty
stream" (Amos 5:24), they missed the intent of Gods law entirely! He desires
mercy and not sacrifice (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 12:7).
These verses strongly imply that the Israelites did not conduct business during the new
moon, but God never commands such a restrictive practice. Clearly, the day was different
from common days because of Gods assignment of special offerings. But in their
occasional bursts of zeal (Romans 10:1-3), the Israelites apparently believed that if the
little God required of them was good, then more would be better!
In theory it sounds good, but is it? Should we follow the Israelitish practice in light of
the twofold warning in Deuteronomy 12:32 and Proverbs 30:6 that we should not add to His
Word?
A Time Marker
In the sense that holy means "different," the << new moons>>
are holy. Gods addition of sacrifices on the << new moons>>
sets them apart as different from common days, thus attention is drawn to them.
Why? Because they accurately kept the Israelites aware of the passage of time. They
specifically kept them on target for the far more important festivals of Leviticus 23,
commanded assemblies at which all Israelite males were to appear before God (Deuteronomy
16:16).
Though the festivals are kept on the same dates each year (except for Pentecost), those
dates fall on different days of the week, which must be calculated from a new moon.
Passover falls 14 days after the new moon of Abib (Nisan). The Feast of Trumpets falls on
the new moon of Tishri. Atonement, Tabernacles and the Last Great Day occur ten, fifteen
and twenty-two days later, respectively.
The new moon of Abib (Nisan) begins the sacred year. Tishri, the seventh month, and all
the fall festivals arrive six << new moons>> later.
Five or six << new moons>> later (depending on whether it
is a leap year), Abib begins again along with the spring festivals. Thus the << new moons>> kept the Israelites on track with Gods plan and
the working out of His purpose.
From Colossians 2:16, the sole reference to a new moon in the New Testament, it appears as
though the early church observed them in some way, and they were castigated by their
neighbors for doing so. Exactly how they kept them is not clear. Surely they did not
observe them as Israel did, that is, with the assigned sacrifices and the blowing of
trumpets. Hebrews 5 through 10 make abundantly clear that those sacrifices typify Christs
many-sided work and are no longer required as part of the worship of God.
If it were not for their link to Gods festivals, the << new moons>>
could almost be taken as an anachronism today. But since the festivals are still to
be kept and dating them is tied to the << new moons>> , and in
the absence of a direct command to celebrate or convene on them, it seems right to mark
them by paying attention to their coming and going, at the very least.
A Tool To Be Used
Any spiritual guideline for us in observing them must be drawn from the fact that God
commanded sacrifices on them. As alluded to earlier, Israelites frequently chose to make
an annual thank or peace offering to God on the << new moons>> .
A portion of this offering was burned on the altar to God, a second portion was given to
the priest and his family and then a third portion was returned to the offerer. The
offerers portion provided the Israelite, his family and invited friends with a feast
following the solemnity of the offering at the altar.
The thank offering means exactly that: an offering given because the offerer was thankful
to God for the mercies and other gifts extended to him. The days of sacrificing are not
over?they have just been changed to spiritual ones.
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the
fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share,
for with such sacrifices God is well pleased (Hebrews 13:15-16).
One commentator mentions that these two verses form one of three notable definitions of
Christian service, along with Romans 12:1-2 and James 1:27, contained in the New
Testament. Much could be said about prayerfully expressing our praise and thanks to God.
Perhaps, without letting it become a ritual, we could use the << new moons>>
as a special time for giving thanks, as the Israelites apparently did. Whatever
good God had in mind in requiring them to mark the days with sacrifices, the Israelites
let slip because He later told them He hated their << new moons>>
(Isaiah 1:14; Amos 8:2-8).
Though definitely not on the level of a festival, the << new moons>>
are associated with them much like the preparation day is associated with the
weekly Sabbath. The lesser one points to and helps prepare us for the arrival of the
greater, more important one. The preparation day, though not commanded, plays an important
role in effective Sabbath keeping. Thus, it and the << new moons>>
are more like tools than commanded observances, but very important tools that
should not be neglected. At the very least, carefully mark their passing. If you establish
a custom for keeping them, remember it is your custom, not Gods.
© 1994 Church of the Great God
PO Box 471846
Charlotte, NC 28247-1846
(800) 878-8220 / (704) 544-2100