Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast day. For this is a statute for Israel, a law of the God of Jacob. (Psalm 81:3-4)
In the previous devotion we addressed the fact that, as Abraham prepared to present Isaac as a burnt offering upon the altar, God called his attention to a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. That ram became the sacrifice in Isaac’s stead (Genesis 22:13) thus alerting us to incredible truths that resonate through time. For instance, that the ram was entangled in the thicket speaks to the fact that we, as carnal creatures, are predisposed to be snagged by our inclination to go astray. That the ram was provided that others may live testifies that, though we are entangled in the snares of this world, God provides redemption through the sacrifice of His Son.
Suffice it to say that the events recorded in Genesis 22 have left a huge spiritual imprint, but there is more to explore. Jewish tradition says that the horns of this particular animal were preserved for future use — and this is where things really get interesting. It is believed that Abraham kept one of the two horns and God has the other. The one retained by Abraham is symbolic of the fact that God has given the shofar to mankind in order to remind us of what it costs to be redeemed — an innocent has to die in our stead — and what redemption requires of us.
For instance, the most desirable shofar is the bent horn of a ram which mirrors the bent or bowed posture of the one who humbles himself and repents. The mournful wail that the shofar produces is emblematic of the remorse and sorrow the truly repentant feel when they recognize their transgression and the hurt it imposes on us and others — and for that matter, the heart of God.
If you’ve ever been close to anyone who sounds a shofar, you may have noticed that some horns can give off an undesirable odor when blown. That smell is partially due to the residual effects of dead flesh. For a shofar to produce a proper sound, any dead flesh within the horn has to be removed, typically by air pushed through the horn. This process speaks to the fact that, the more God breathes into our lives, the more of our carnal nature is purged. As we are cleaned up, we are able to make a clear and joyful sound.
Obviously this process is not completed overnight — it takes time. Therefore, we must continually subject ourselves to His Word and Spirit in order to produce “the sound” our Creator desires to hear. There is coming a day when the last vestiges of our earthy nature will be removed for all time because, on that day when the trumpet sounds, we will be changed and completely conformed to the image of the Son of God. That point brings us to this final thought — what happened to the other horn, the one tradition says God kept for Himself? We’ll discuss that tomorrow.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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