Happy New Year! Wait... WHAT?
The Real Rosh Hashanah: God's New Year, Not Man's!
Did you know that according to God’s calendar—not man’s—the New Year begins when the barley in Israel reaches a stage called Abib (pronounced "AVEEV") at the start of a new month? 🗓️
This isn’t a man-made tradition—it’s God’s design!
"And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon in the land of Mitsrayim, saying, This new moon is the beginning of new moons for you, it is the first new moon of the year for you." — Shemoth (Exodus) 12:1-2
How Does This Work? 🌒🌿
The moon cycle moves from crescent to dark over 29.5 days. As soon as the first crescent moon is sighted in Israel, the new month begins. When that coincides with barley reaching the Abib stage, the Biblical New Year officially starts!
"Today you are going out, in the new moon Aḇiḇ." — Shemoth (Exodus) 13:4
What Is Abib Barley? 🌾
Abib refers to a specific stage of ripening: the barley is brittle enough to be damaged by bad weather, lightening in color, and contains enough dry material to be eaten when lightly roasted. Yet, it's still about two or three weeks from harvest.
A huge shoutout to the ministries in Israel who track the barley and moon cycles—without them, I'd be lost!
Devorah’s Date Tree is a great resource is use to keep up on the moon & barley cycles from the land of Israel.
Why Does This Matter? God’s Yearly Planner 🗓️
God’s appointed times follow this calendar! They are like divine appointments—set times when He calls His people to pause and fellowship with Him.
God’s Redemption Plan—Written on His Calendar ✝️
When you step back and look at God’s annual feasts from a big-picture view, they align perfectly with His plan of redemption through Yeshua (Jesus).
Passover & Unleavened Bread
God commands that His first appointed time, Passover, starts on the 14th day of the first month, followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the 15th day:
"Speak to all the congregation of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this new moon each one of them is to take for himself a lamb... Let the lamb be a perfect one, a year-old male. Take it from the sheep or from the goats. And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same new moon. Then all the assembly of the congregation of Yisra’ĕl shall slay it between the evenings.'" — Shemoth (Exodus) 12:3-6
'‘In the first new moon , on the fourteenth day of the new moon , between the evenings, is the Pĕsaḥ to יהוה. ‘And on the fifteenth day of this new moon is the Festival of Matzot (unleavend bread) to יהוה – seven days you eat unleavened bread.'
Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 23:5-6
Want to Celebrate the New Year God’s Way? 🎉
A great way to start you New Year off right is by taking time out of your schedule and enjoy a Passover meal with friends, family, or even make some new friends. This is Elohim’s first appointment to meet with Him and start our year off Right!
If you haven’t finalized your Passover plans, join us in the Kalamazoo area for a special Passover Celebration!
📍 Event Details: Go here to learn more
Wishing you a joyful and meaningful Passover, however and with whoever you celebrate! 🎊