Pinchas 41-5

Snake mouth

Numbers 28:1-15

'On the first of every month, present to the LORD a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect.

Num. 28:11 NIV

Who may celebrate the new moons?

The obligation of consecrating the new moon is one of the 613 commandments of the Torah given to the people of the covenant who left Egypt (Ex. 12:2). The text that we highlighted today commands the sons of Israel to present an additional offering – in Hebrew musaf,מוסף  – to the Eternal on every new moon. Since the sacred people have received the authorization to define and announce, through their acknowledged authorities, when every month starts, these days are called "yours". In this case, heavens submit to the decision of the highest responsible ones of the people of Israel who establish when the new moon must be celebrated.

The chosen and sacred ones from the nations have no obligation to sacrifice to the Eternal on new moons. However, they can also celebrate new moons due to their position in the Messiah in heaven. Besides, just as the ones redeemed from the Egyptian bondage had to start counting the months from the month of their departure, the ones from the nations who have experienced the effects of the death and resurrection of the Lamb of the Eternal, which happened also in Pesach, may sanctify and count the months together with the chosen people, remembering in a spiritual manner their first redemption in the Messiah.

In Psalm 81:3-5a it's written: “Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast; this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. He established it as a statute for Joseph when he went out against Egypt.” (NIV)

Is interesting to note that Yoseph is mentioned in a special way in relation to the new moon and the feasts. On the one hand, the people itself is called Yoseph, and on the other hand, it is a prophetic reference to the Messiah son of Yoseph, in whom all the ones redeemed from the nations are included.

In the Hebrew text of this Psalm there is an extra letter included in the name Yoseph. It's the letter hey –ה  – so his name is pronounced Yehoseph – יהוסף. In this way, not only the first three letters of the Eternal appear but also the first three letters of the name Yehoshua – יהושע – Yeshua's full name. Yoseph is one of the most important prototypes of the Messiah in relation to the gentiles' salvation. His ministry in Egypt resulted in the nations' salvation in the first place, and eventually of the people of Israel.

In this way, Yoseph represents the Redeemer Messiah as the head of the gentiles. In other words, those who from among the nations have accepted the lordship of Yeshua and his atoning sacrifice as the only and sufficient means of eternal salvation, have become part of his body. Yeshua is the head and the ones who belong to him are the parts of the body.

Psalm 82 says that the new moons and the feasts are for the people of Israel, and also as a testimony in Yehoseph, in whom are all those redeemed from among the nations.

Therefore, Noach's sons and daughters, redeemed from among the nations, not only may, but should celebrate new moons and the feasts, because they are all a shadow of the things to come in the Eternal's salvation programme for Israel and the world. All the new moons and the feasts are shadows of the Messiah and in the Messiah all those redeemed from among the nations are able to celebrate them together with their elder brothers, the sons of Israel.

Rav. Shaul underscores this fact in his letter to the Colossians in chapter 2. In verses 4 to 8 he warns against Greek philosophies that tried to make their way into the sacred ones' faith. He then makes a Messianic application of the text of the Torah that talks about Avraham's – the father of the believers' – calling. In verse 9 he says: "For in the Messiah all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" as a reflection of Genesis 17:1b “"I am God Almighty (El-Shaddai – the Powerful All-sufficient and Satisfier)" After resurrection, all of the Eternal's presence could enter in Yeshua's body completely.

In Colossians 2:10a it's written: “And you are complete in Him,” (MKJV) in reference to Genesis 17:1c “walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete)” (AMP)

In Colossians 2:11 it's written: “And in him ye have been circumcised with a circumcision without hands, by casting off the flesh of sins, by a circumcision of the Messiah.” (Murdock) in reference to Genesis 17:11: “And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin. And it shall be a token of the covenant between Me and you.” (MKJV) This means that when a son of Noach enters in Messiah Yeshua he experiences an inner circumcision which makes him participant in the covenant that the Eternal established with and in Yeshua, the seed of Avraham.

Then Paul goes on talking about the identification of the chosen ones from the nations with the death and resurrection of the Messiah through tevilah (baptism) and forgiveness of sins, deliverance from all debt and accusation, thanks to Yeshua's atoning death.

He then continues the text on verses 16-17: “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body (is) of Messiah. (KJV revised) Because of being accepted in Yehoshua ben Yoseph, elevated to a very high status in heaven and for being partakers in his body, precisely because of that, the chosen ones from among the nations can't allow anyone to judge them regarding food or drink, or feasts or new moons or Shabbats, which refers to the diet and celebrations for the people of the covenant.

Only those of the Messiah's body have the right to judge regarding these issues; not anyone from outside, not those Jews who are not part of the body of the Messiah, not gentiles who are not in the body of the Messiah. Only those in the body of the Messiah have the right to decide on these practices for the sons and daughters of Noach who have been chosen, set apart and introduced in the Messiah.

In this way, we can conclude saying that those grafted in from among the nations are not only invited to celebrate the new moons, but should do it, and thus not only remember their deliverance from the bondage of sin but also to announce and remember the final redemption that we await with the coming of the King Messiah in the clouds.

The celebration of the new moon starts with a festive dinner. You should eat better than on common days. Extra prayers are included in the food blessings. The chosen ones from among the nations should at least have one sacred convocation and sing praises, pray and share edifying teachings.