CCOG Newsletter

Less than two years after the children of Israel had come out of Egypt, Yahweh gave the priests a book of instructions - Leviticus. They had to learn how to worship and teach others to do so, as well. In the middle of the various instructions was the section about feast days and festivals, rituals and sacrifices. And in the center of this is a 3-verse snippet about Rosh Hashana, the Feast of Trumpets. The instructions were as follows: hold a public gathering, have a memorial by blowing trumpets, celebrate Sabbath by doing no work, and offer a burnt offering. This is it! No explanation as to what they were to celebrate or commemorate. Talk about dreaming small!

From the time of Moses, this was known as the feast of trumpets, and although there are many kinds of trumpets in the Bible, this feast came to be associated with the shofar. This was the trumpet of war, of victory, and the announcement of a new king. In a prophetic sense, this feast serves as the reminder that one day (soon!) the trumpet will sound the coming of the Lord!

Several Psalms are assumed to have been read at this feast: Psalm 24 - praising God for creating the world, Psalm 27 - a song for when David was surrounded by his enemies, Psalm 29 - a reflection on Yahweh's awesome power over all created things, Psalm 47 - a declaration that God is King, and He alone grants victory. The feast would begin the 10 "Days of Awe", in which people would meditate on the Lord, recalling and confessing any unrepentant sin.

There is debate regarding whether or not the children of Israel regularly kept this feast. If we aren't careful, we can easily fall into the same trap of doing the big showy deeds while leaving off the small ones.

From now until the end of the month, you are encouraged to participate in the Days of Awe, spend time in fasting and prayer, and read the Rosh Hashana psalms.

“Don’t forget in the dark what you learned in the light!” Have you ever heard that saying? This isn’t a Bible verse, but it’s advice. The idea is that you will have some “in the light” moments with God. Perhaps it was a very timely scripture passage that opened your eyes a little more to the awesomeness of God. Or maybe it was an answer to a prayer that gave you a great sense of His faithfulness. Perhaps you’ve had quiet times with prayer, Bible reading, and worship that left you feeling closer to God than ever before. But then the busyness takes over. Or maybe you are faced with a difficult situation or even a tragedy. In the dark, it’s hard to know what to think or what to do. So, many times, if we can just recall what we learned, or experienced in the light, we can find strength, hope, peace, and even joy.

But, to remember in the dark what you learned in the light, you must first have those “in the light” moments. This is where solitude comes in. You will gain a deeper knowledge of who God is and His ways. This will be your light. The overwhelming sense of His love, His faithfulness, and His vision for you will be light to you in the dark days.

In Psalm 13, King David is clearly having some dark days and feeling confused, even about God. But as you may already know, King David has had many other “in the light” experiences with God. Pay attention to the truths he draws upon in his time “in the dark.”

Ask Yourself:

- What have been your most memorable “in the light” moments?

- How have those moments helped you?

- When is the last time you have had one of those moments?

- What are you doing, or not doing, that could be affecting the frequency of those moments?

Pause to Pray:

Oh God, the Father of light, thank you for revealing … Help me to recall this truth when …

Take the Next Step:

Memorize Psalm 13:5-6. You can do it!