OPEN: Today is the first day of the New Year – 2017. Many of us who live in Western cultures tend to take it for granted that the New Year has always started on January 1st. But that’s not true.
• The ancient Babylonians and Romans celebrated their New Year in March.
• The Chinese celebrate theirs somewhere between January 21st & February 21st and they party for 15 days.
• Ethiopians do theirs in September.
• Muslims have their New Year in November.
• And then there are the Thais people who celebrate in April. Do you know how they observe the coming in of the New Year in Thailand? According to one of my sources, they throw water on each other. They’ll use garden hoses, buckets of water and even squirt guns.
But perhaps the most important New Year celebration EVER was held by the Old Testament Israelites around the month we call September. They began with their Feast of Trumpets and ultimately culminated their rejoicing on the Day of Atonement.
Now, the Jews today call this New Year’s Celebration - Rosh Hashanah.
And they welcome the New year… with a Shofar.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5dO1m4HMCU - no more than 30 seconds or so)
(I pulled out a shofar I’d gotten in Israel)
This is a shofar I bought last year when you folks sent me to Israel. It cost $60. You could get one about twice the length for anywhere between $200 to $300. For that kind of money you’d think they’d throw in a couple of lessons on how to play it.
But they don’t.
This is a Ram’s horn.
In Jewish culture the Rabbis have made several observations about the horn’s role in Rosh Hashanah. They say they blow the Shofar at Rosh Hashanah as a way of signifying the need for folks to their need for repentance. And they say the curve in the horn reflects the posture of a person who bows before God.
On the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah (ten day festival) they read the story of Abraham about to sacrifice his son on the Mt. But God intercedes by supplying (A RAM). The rabbis seem to believe the ram reminds one of Abraham's willing sacrifice of that which was most precious
These reasons (the need of repentance, the reflection of a repentant man and the significance of the Ram in Abraham’s story) they say are why God used the Shofar in Israel’s history.
Well oddly enough, God never used the Shofar that way. I mean there’s not anything necessarily wrong with those thoughts of the Rabbis, it’s just that God really had a much more powerful message for the shofar.
For example, in Exodus 19 (the text we used for this sermon) we find Moses has led the people of Israel to the Mt. Sinai where God gave them His laws:
“On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet (shofar) blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.
Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the SOUND OF THE TRUMPET (shofar) grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.” Exodus 19:16-19
Now who’s playing that trumpet (SHOFAR)?
It doesn’t say, does it?
But it’s fairly obvious its not being blown by human lips.
I’m pretty sure THAT Shofar was blown by an angel.
And that horn wasn’t a pretty sound… it was a scary thing.
Exodus 20:18-19 tells us “Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the SOUND OF THE TRUMPET and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses,
“You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”
It was such a scary experience.
The people trembled and pled with Moses not to have to listen to God.
Hebrews 12:18-21 reflects on that day telling us that as Christians…
“(we) have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the SOUND OF A TRUMPET and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them… Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said,
“I tremble with fear.”
What’s going on here?
Why use this trumpet - this Shofar - in this way?
Well, here’s my guess is that THIS shofar was God’s trumpet of POWER.
You see God had just freed Israel from their slavery in Egypt. He brought up out of their captivity and had now brought them to the Mountain to receive His laws.
Now… were these laws optional?
Did they get to vote on them?
Did they get to decide – I’ll that one, but I don’t want that one?
No!
In fact, this whole light and sound show at the mountain were God’s way of declaring:
“I’m God and you’re not. If you decide to be my people, I will be your leader and these commandments will be mandatory.”
The Shofar that day was God’s way of announcing – your King has come.
ILLUS: In a few days Donald Trump will become the President of the United States. The time will come when he’ll walk into a room and the band will play “Hail to the Chief”.
What happens when that song is played?
People stand.
In the same way, when they play “God save the Queen” in the presence of the Queen of England everyone is called to stand at attention.
Why?
Because standing shows respect and this also shows that the person they stand to honor is recognized as the leader of the nation.
Here at the Mt. Sinai God was using the Shofar to call HIS people to STAND UP and recognize that HE IS their King. The sound of the shofar declared that their God was powerful, fearsome and worthy of obedience.
The next time we read about the shofar in Scripture is in the book of Joshua.
The Israelites have just crossed the Jordan River & they’ve come to the walls of Jericho.
Jericho was a formidable fortress. It was built to withstand a siege for weeks, months or even years.
How long did it take for Israel to take the city?
7 days
Do you remember the instructions God gave Israel?
Joshua 6:3 “You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days…”
Before they did that Joshua told the people: “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth…” Joshua 6:10
Not a sound, not a word, not a single noise… except…
Guess what did make a sound each day as the Israelites marched around the city?
The Shofar.
As the army of Israel marched around Jericho, the Priests blew CONTINUOUSLY on the shofars. (Joshua 6:9)
So, day after day – Israel marched around the city… and made no sounds except the blowing of the shofar. Day, after day, after day. It was a scary sight for the inhabitants of Jericho… who were already uneasy because of the tales they’d heard of God destroying the Egyptian army in the Red Sea. And now, here was this massive army silently marching the sounds of the shofar. Day after day after day for six long days.
But the 7th day… that was DIFFERENT!!!!
“On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets (shofar). And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet (shofar), then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” Joshua 6:4-5
Did that happen?
Oh yeah. The walls collapsed and the city fell to them.
But who won the battle of Jericho?
Was it Joshua that won the battle?
Was it Israel that won the battle?
No sir … it was God.
The blowing of the shofar declared – this wasn’t about Joshua
And it wasn’t about Israel.
THIS was all about GOD!!!
And when the city fell it belonged totally to God.
Israel was to burn everything in the city and take nothing out for themselves… because this was God’s victory!
We don’t read much about Shofars again until the book of Judges.
Israel had been disobedient to God and so He delivered them into the hands of the Midianites for 7 LONGGGG years.
But then – one day – the angel of God paid a call on a man named Gideon.
He said “Gideon – you’re going to go to war for me and you’re going to defeat the Midianites”
Now, that was no small task.
We’re told that when the Midianites made their yearly raid on Israel “they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in.” Judges 6:5
No man in his right mind would try to take them on.
But here God was calling on Gideon to go out and fight them.
Gideon tried to talk his way out of the job, but God eventually prevailed.
Now do you recall how many men God had Gideon lead into this fight? (300)
He actually started out with an army of 10,000 men… but God sent all but 300 home.
The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ Judges 7:2
And do you remember how that battle was won?
Judges 7:16, 18 “(Gideon) divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets (shofar) into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars….
“When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets (shofar) also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’”
And you remember what happened?
“When they blew the 300 trumpets (shofar), the LORD set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army (of the Midianites) fled...” Judges 7:22
Who won that battle?
Was it Gideon?
Was it the 300?
No sir – it was God.
It was HIS hand that brought the victory.
And once again – it was the sound of the Shofar that announced God’s power.
Every time the Shofar was blown in Scripture it seemed to declare
“I AM YOUR GOD!”
It is my power, my might, and my strength that will save you!
Or as it is said in Psalm 18:2
“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the HORN of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Now, getting back to New Years.
The Jews – to this day – herald in their New Year with the Shofar.
In the Old Testament – this was called the Feast Of Trumpets, and they blew Shofars and silver Trumpets EVERY DAY for 10 days… day after day after day.
I read one scholar who said he was puzzled the Bible didn’t say more about the meaning of this Feast of Trumpets.
Well, that scholar may not have understood the meaning of that Feast, but I’m pretty sure I know what this was all about. In the Old Testament - this was the beginning of their New Year. And when they blew their horns, they weren’t just blowing the trumpets as if they were some kind of noise maker.
Remember – the Shofar was used in Scripture to point to God and His power.
Well, guess what took place right after the Feast of trumpets?
That’s right - the Day of Atonement.
This was the day when God forgave the sins of the people.
Now God would do that regularly throughout the year as people brought their sacrifices to the Temple. BUT this day was special. On this day – the Day of Atonement – God had His high priest offer a special sacrifice for the sins of the nation and another sacrifice for his own sins.
It was THE day of the year where God forgave the sins of the nation.
It was a day of “starting over”… a lot like our New Years festivals.
And the sins were forgiven because GOD made it happen.
It wasn’t about the PEOPLE’S righteousness… or THEIR good deeds
It was because God was willing to forgive all their sins
As it says in Psalm 103:8-13
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.”
You know what the trumpets (Feast of Trumpets) were all about?
They were announcing the most important event in Israel’s history.
They DAY GOD FORGAVE THEIR SINS
It was a time of great rejoicing!!!!
In the same way Jesus said there is great rejoicing in heaven when a sinner is saved.
“I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:7
And it’s almost as if a shofar sounds in the distance every time a sinner
• Believes
• Repents
• Confesses Jesus as his Lord
• And seals the deal by allowing themselves to be buried in the waters of baptism.
It’s Jesus that forgives our sins.
It’s Jesus who changes our lives.
And it’s Jesus that gives us a reason to live every day of every year.
ILLUS There is a story about a little girl who proudly wore a shiny cross on a chain around her neck
One day she was approached by a man who said to her, "Little girl, don't you know that the cross Jesus died on wasn't beautiful like the one you're wearing? It was an ugly, wooden thing."
To which the girl replied,
"Yes, I know. But they told me in Sunday school that whatever Jesus touches, He changes."
I want to close with one more thought.
You may have already of it yourself, but there’s one more time the trumpet is blown in Scripture. I almost forgot it myself. Do you know when that trumpet is blown?
Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:51-52
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST TRUMPET. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
It’s the last shofar – declaring the 2nd coming of Christ.
It’s all about Jesus coming back for us.
It’s all about Him coming back in power and in might.
It’s all about His desire to reclaim His people.
CLOSE At the beginning of this new year I want you to remember that the Shofar tells us it isn’t about us. It’s about God, and about what His power, and His might and His mercy can do in our lives.
This New Year is a time to decide is this about US or about God?
ILLUS: I just joined the YMCA last week and the lady behind the counter said that it would be crowded in the exercise room for the next few weeks. But then she winked and said it would thin out as people began to waiver in their commitment to their New Year’s Resolutions.
Do you know why people give up on their New Year’s Resolutions?
Because the resolutions are all about THEM and their resolutions will hold out only as long as they can stay enthused.
By contrast – if you make the New Year all about GOD, things will be different. Because now what you do will be done to please God and – by His might and by His power, and by His mercy – you will succeed.
We believe in that so strongly here, that at the end of every sermon we offer a time of invitation. A time for you to give your life to God.
INVITATION
