This week the Jews celebrate New Year! It´s the year 5782 now.
For me, it has always been September (and not January) anyway, when a new year begins: My birthday is at the end of September, and a new year of life begins for me. September also marks the beginning of a new school year (in the past for me, now for my children). And Matthias and I got married on September 6th (this year exactly the New Year’s Day!).
The Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) is not always on the same day, but sometime between 9/5 and 10/5, depending on when there is a full moon. But at least it´s always around the time when everything starts anew for me! And I only noticed this year!
The Jewish New Year begins with ten days of repentence. It is the anniversary of the first sin (Adam and Eve). The shofar is blown as a wake-up call for inner contemplation and repentance.
At the end of the ten days, Yom Kippur, the feast of reconciliation and the highest Jewish festival, takes place. It used to be the only day of the year when the high priest was allowed to enter the Most Holy. A sheep was slaughtered, and the Chest of God was sprinkled with its blood. Another sheep was taken to lay hands on it and thus symbolically the sins of the people, before it was sent into the wilderness to take away the sin. It is the feast of forgiveness of sins and demonstrates God's covenant with Israel.
The Jews take time to reflect and repent at the beginning of the year. They want to keep God's commandments, but they also realize how sinful they are and that they need God's forgiveness. As a symbol of this, they also throw a piece of bread into a river: God takes away our sins.
So the new year begins with contemplation and humility.
Nevertheless, it is also a celebration of joy and one wishes "Shana Tova!"- A good and sweet year.
Autumn is also the time of harvest and shortly after Yom Kippur, the Feast of Booths is also celebrated (in memory of the Exodus from Egypt). So there are three festivals in a row.
God forgives. God provides. God rescues.
Such good memories for a new year!
I want to trust God in this new year as well.
For me and my life. For everything around school and my children. For my husband and my marriage.
He takes away sin. He provides us with everything we need. He gives freedom and new beginnings.
The Hebrew word Shanna (year) has two meanings (I read that in a devotional book): on the one hand it means “repetition” (the year starts all over again), but on the other hand it also means “change” (actually the opposite!). God gives renewal and change. The New Year doesn't have to be the same as the last one. If I consciously go with God, who can create something new and make the dead come alive, then new things can also happen in my life.
The new year begins in autumn. And I know that God will create something green and new from the dying plants in my garden again, even if the branches will look dead in winter. The seasons remind us of God's faithfulness.
He forgives. He provides. He rescues.
Anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life emerges! God gave the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. He put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.
2. Corinthians 5:17-21