WITNESSING AND REJOICING

On Monday evening, April 7, the new moon was sighted in Israel. This new moon heralded the first month of the biblical Hebrew calendar, the month of Nisan. In the eyes of the LORD, this then was the beginning of a new Hebrew year.


In his weekly forum on the web, Rabbi Chaim Richman, Director of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem recently posted this piece:

"Two history making events took place on the first day of Nisan, within the space of one year. The first was when G-d, for the very first time directly engaged the entire nation of Israel and commanded them to begin marking time from the new moon of Nisan. Though still in Egypt, this marked the beginning of the end of Israel's exile as G-d has re-engaged the people. He takes them out from exile and places them in His world, as it were, the desert. But man is meant for this world and to exist indefinitely on the rarefied level that the Israelites now found themselves in was simply not viable. In order to make permanent and eternal their convenant with G-d, He had to be brought into man's world. And this is the intention of the tabernacle: to make a place, around which the entire nation is arrayed, in which G-d's very presence can dwell and be made manifest to the people. This is what took place on the first of Nisan, in the second year in the desert. And this is what G-d desires most of His children: to be welcome in this world.
And now we know why spring occurs each year during the month of Nisan: "The heavens rejoice and the earth is glad." (Psalms 96:11) The heavens and earth are rejoicing because G-d is "happy." His "dream" his been fulfilled. His children have returned to Him, and He to His children. Therefore we make the blessing in the month of Nisan: "Blessed are you, G-d, King of the universe, in whose world nothing is lacking, and has created beautiful things, and goodly trees for man to take pleasure in." What could possibly be lacking in a world in which G-d is present and His presence is manifest? Even the flowering trees, like the two witnesses who testify to the appearance of the new moon, these two trees that we bless, like all of nature, are witnessing G-d's nearness. Witnessing and rejoicing."


Does your heart soar, as mine did, when you read what Rabbi Richman wrote? God desires MOST to be made manifest to His people in a tabernacle where He can dwell! Oh, I just wrote of this a few days ago, didn't I? I wrote how we who are in Messiah Yeshua now ARE living tabernacles where God dwells! Filled with His Spirit, we invite Him to dwell within us, we "welcome Him in this world." Glory!


In the second part of the good Rabbi's post he mentions the number two twice: "two witnesses who testify to the appearance of the new moon," and "two trees that we bless, witnessing God's nearness." How thrilling to see the Rabbi writing of the "two" so prevalent in Scripture - and to know in my heart that these "two" are the very ones spoken of in Romans 11 (the two olive branches) and Ezekiel 37 (the two sticks) and Zechariah 4:3 and 4:11(the two olive trees). Zechariah 4:14 says, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth."


Many of us believers were out looking for that new moon, which begins the month of Nisan and sets the timing for the Passover Feast and all the feasts to follow - witnessing and rejoicing! And the rabbis of Israel were out looking for that new moon too - looking forward to the Passover when they will recall their deliverance from bondage in Egypt - witnessing and rejoicing! Indeed we are the two - the Church of Yeshua and the Jewish people - the two trees, like all of nature, witnessing God's nearness!