The Feast Of Trumpets Series

The Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah, Rosh HaShanah)

(Leviticus 23: 23-25)

Intro

1. Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year aka the Feast of Trumpets begins the High Holy Days of Judaism.

2. Jews who never attend the synagogue, even atheists, will often show up for The Feast of Trumpets and the soon to follow Day of Atonement. Jewish families pressure their children to attend the synagogue no matter what.

3. A Jewish parent called his son in New York. The father said to David, "I hate to tell you, but your mother and I can’t stand each other anymore, and we are divorcing. That’s it!! I want to live out the rest of my years in peace. I am telling you now, so you and your sister shouldn’t go into shock later when I move out." The father hung up, and David immediately called his sister and tells her the news. The sister says, "I’ll handle this." The sister calls Florida and gets her father on the phone. She pleads to her father, "Don’t do ANYTHING ’til David and I get there! We will be there Friday night." The father says, "All right, all right already." When the father hangs up the phone he hollers to his wife, "Okay, they’re coming for Rosh Hashana.” (source: http://www.101rosh-hashanah.com/jokes.html)

MAIN IDEA: The main significance of The Feast of Trumpets is that of God calling His people to gather together for spiritual awakening, repentance, judgment, and His enjoyment

I. Trumpets in the OLD Testament (23:23-25)

A. The term TRUMPET is not here in the Hebrew

• the word for blast or shout is used

• it was understood as a trumpet because it was a new moon

• Numbers 10:10, “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."

• The Feast of Trumpets is just the monthly New Moon ritual kicked up a few notches; same sacrifices, but more more;

• Since it was the 7th month (seven is special), and since it introduced the High Holy Days, it was reasonable intensified…

• These trumpets were made of silver and not Shofars

B. A memorial to COMMEMORATE

1. Remember to serve the LORD

Teshuvah (repentance)

• It was this day that Ezra read the Law to the people in Nehemiah 9, resulting in repentance and renewal

• So trumpets reminded the people to renew their commitment and it begins the repentance process

• We have some much information to process as Christians that we can get lost in the trivia and miss the big and main things. In a way, our Life With A Purpose series will be our Yom Teruah, as we try to realign ourselves with the importance of our relationship to God…

2. To remember God’s creation of the EARTH

Rosh HaShanah (Head of the Year, Birthday of the World)

• How did they decide that this was the day of the year the world was created? Because the first words of the Book of Genesis (Bereishit), "in the beginning," when changed around, read, Aleph b’Tishrei, or "on the first of Tishrei." Therefore, Rosh HaShanah is known as the birthday of the world, for tradition tells us that the world was created then. www.hebroots.com/chap7.html

• Although the logic is shaky, it makes sense; since God declared this day the first day of the civil new year, He may well have begun creation on this day

“There are four new years in the Jewish calendar. Nisan 1 is the New Year’s day of kings (the date for determining how many years a king has ruled) and for months (Nisan is the first month). Elul 1 is the new year for the tithing of animals. Shevat 15 (Tu Bishvat) is the new year for the trees, and Tishrei 1 is the new year of years. It also marks the anniversary of the creation of the world.” (source: http://www.hebroots.com/chap7.html)

3. The Trumpet reminds us that the Lord is SOVEREIGN

• Traditionally, Psalm 47 is read seven times

• The Trumpet is the instruement of royalty

C. Whereas the shofar blast was a call to arms, the TRUMPET blast was a ROYAL SUMMONS and WELCOME

The main significance of The Feast of Trumpets is that of God calling His people to gather together for spiritual awakening, repentance, judgment, and His enjoyment

II. Trumpets in Modern Judaism

A. Its NAMES

This gets complicated. So many names for the same day. Reminds me of a joke:

A city family decided to move to the country.

They bought a ranch and made plans to raise cattle. About six months later some friends came to see them.