Rosh chodesh: New moon

Rosh chodesh means new moon (lit. beginning of the month). Isaiah 66:23:

“Every month on Rosh-Hodesh and every week on Shabbat, everyone living will come to worship in my presence,” says Adonai.

In Colossians 2:16-17, Sha’ul/Paul wrote,

“So don’t let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh-Hodesh or Shabbat. These are a shadow of things that are coming, but the body is of the Messiah.”

Key texts used to interpret this in Christian tradition are Isa 1:13-14 (with no regard for the context) and Gal 4:10 (which speaks of the Galatians’ former pagan practices). So, participation in rosh chodesh is widely viewed by Christians as wicked. But Sha’ul was warning his readers about asceticism; see Col 2:20-23. Ascetic disciplines have no value in restraining indulgence of the flesh (Col 2:16-17; also see 1 Tim 4:1-9). Does Sha’ul’s instruction in Col 2:16 suggest his readers were or were not engaging in these things? They were! What does the Torah prohibit on rosh chodesh? Nothing!

A shadow leads us to the body that casts it—the body of Messiah. As shadow helps us to picture what the body is like, the festivals help us to foresee the age of Messiah. Shadows don’t fill in the details of depth, colour and texture; festivals are just a foretaste of the “things that are coming”. Things that have not come yet! What things? The Messianic era!

Gen 1:14 tells us that God made the sun and the moon for the purpose of setting up a calendar for signs and appointed times (mo’edim). Similarly, Ps 104:19 says, “You made the moon to mark the mo’edim.” Signs for what? Times appointed for what?

The Bible and Apocrypha present people who celebrated rosh chodesh as righteous (e.g. the anonymous woman from Shunem and Judith). Those who despise rosh chodesh are presented in Amos 8 as wicked. Worse are those who do evil but superficially observe Shabbat and rosh chodesh just to make a good impression (Isa 1). But worst of all are those who seek to annul the mitzvot altogether and to prohibit others from keeping them (1 Maccabees).

Now that there is no temple, Jews may not offer animal sacrifices; they can only offer t'fillim/t’fillin: prayers in place/remembrance of the offerings. Messianic Jews and Messianic Gentiles can participate in Jewish customs regarding rosh chodesh, and even develop new ones.

When the temple is rebuilt, offerings for rosh chodesh will continue (Eze 45:17). The Prince of Israel—Yeshua—and all the people of the land will give special devotion to HaShem each rosh chodesh (Eze 46:1-3).

Why observe rosh chodesh now?

1.    Eze 45:17 tells us that the offerings atone for the house of Israel.

2.    In observing rosh chodesh, we celebrate God’s covenant faithfulness to Israel—see Jer 31:35-36.

3.    Rosh chodesh speaks of the renewal! Isa 66:22-23 speaks first of the renewal of creation (tikkun olam), and then worldwide observance of rosh chodesh and Shabbat. Peter stated explicitly that Messiah’s return will bring about the renewal, (Acts 3:21).

Usually, Col 2:16 is read backwards, as though the Colossians were being judged for abstaining from the festivals, Shabbat and rosh chodesh. But Sha’ul’s wording implies the opposite: believers were being judged for keeping these practices. Sha’ul forbad such judgement; non-Jews are free to participate in them. They are a shadow of what has not come yet! Though the reality is Christ, Sh’aul does not say they are obsolete; they point to a future fulfilment. The Bible presents those who keep rosh chodesh rightly as righteous, and provides good reason to celebrate it—including eager anticipation of Messiah’s return to renew all things.

PS: A handout for this post is available for download here.