Good Morning.

Speak to the children of Israel, saying: “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.” (Leviticus 23:24)

Where the Hebrew calendar is concerned, the seventh month (called Tishri) is to the year what Sabbath is to the week. Three of the seven moedim (appointed times) fall within the seventh month starting with what most would call the Feast of Trumpets. In Judaism, this day is also called Rosh HaShana, which actually means “head of the year,” even though the month of Tishri is referred to as the seventh month. In the Bible this day is referred to as Yom Teruah or “day of blasts on a horn.”

The “blasts on a horn” refers to sounding the shofar or ram’s horn. Each day, for several weeks leading up to this day, the shofar is sounded to remind everyone that Yom Teruah is coming. Consequently, God’s people need to be awakened from their spiritual slumber and, thus, the shofar is sounded. In short, the theme associated with this day is repentance and turning back to the Creator with all of our hearts. In fact, it is said that the sound of the shofar is actually a “voice” — the voice of the Creator calling His people back to Him.

Taking it a step further, it is the voice of our Redeemer calling to us. Why do we say this? An innocent animal had to surrender its life in order to provide the shofar that is to be sounded, and so in reality, the sound of shofar is the voice of innocent blood calling out to God’s people. 

In these perilous times in which we live, it is very important that we do not lose sight of why we are here. We must not allow the cares of this world to cause us to drift off to sleep in relation to our calling but be sober and alert to God’s voice. Let our ear always be inclined to hear Him as He calls us to draw closer to Him, and especially as the Day of the LORD draws near. It seems appropriate, then, to close with Paul’s admonishment to the Ephesians: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Messiah will give you light” (Ephesians 5:14).

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill 

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