The Lord gave Moses very specific instructions about what the people were to do on what would become New Years’ Day of the Jewish civil calendar (the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish religious calendar):
“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. ‘You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.’ ”
Leviticus 23:24–25 (NASB)
These instructions can be summarized as follows: rest, remembrance, repentance, and worship.
Whether the day fell on a sabbath or not, it was to be a sabbath day of rest. While the sabbath was a weekly rest, this was an annual sabbath rest. Rest was necessary to reset, recharge, and prepare not for the week but the year to come. This sabbath was also different than the weekly sabbath because of the other three components associated with it: remembrance, repentance, and worship.
Israel was commanded to blow the trumpets as a remembrance of God’s sovereignty over the prior year. It was a time for reflection on what the Lord had done. The reflection on what God has done in the past fuels our faith for what He can do in the future. There is no better way to start the new year than full of faith.
Israel was also called to present an offering to the Lord on New Years’ Day. This was a call to repentance. It was an annual checkup for the soul so each person could start the new year clean and right before the Lord. The person who buys the shiny new car is more motivated to keep it clean than the person with the old, dirty one. New Years’ Day repentance placed the people in the best position to live right in the upcoming year.
Lastly, Israel was to have a holy convocation, a corporate worship of the Lord. Worship is the natural outgrowth of reflection and repentance. Worship places us in the proper posture of recognizing God’s sovereignty in what we have achieved and hope to achieve. It is the proper posture for starting a new year.
A new start to the year birthed out of time spent getting right with the Lord, praising Him for what He has done in the prior year and full of faith for what He can do in the upcoming year is a recipe for success of the highest order.
So break open a bottle of Champagne on New Years’ Eve and celebrate the end of 2024, but get with the Lord on New Years’ Day. When you do you might be surprised to see what He can do through you to advance His kingdom in 2025. GS