This Sabbath reading portion has a double title: Mattot, meaning "Tribes/Staffs", and Massei, meaning "Journeys of." Numbers 32 through 35 are included in this portion in which Moses writes a record of the Israelite tribes' journey through the wilderness with all of its arrivals and departures along the way. This is also a special Sabbath designated as Rosh Chosesh because during the next week, the new moon phase of the lunar cycle will usher in the new month on the Hebrew calendar called Av, which is the Hebrew word for "Father". This is what I will be studying for this entry. The Hebrew calendar is based upon the lunar cycle rather than the solar cycle upon which our calendar is based. Although many tragic events occurred for the Hebrews during the month of Av throughout history, the fact that this month is named "Father" brings focus back upon the divine compassion, comfort and sureness, not just of God, not just of Creator, but of our "Father."
Rosh means "head, highest, most important, beginning, first" and Chodesh means "month" or "new." Just as the Sabbath is observed weekly, Rosh Chodesh is observed as each new moon/month occurs. The new moon is not usually visible to the naked eye from earth. If you look at the chart of the lunar phases at the top of the page, the new moon is depicted in the middle on the right side of the image. If you look closely, you can see that there is only a very obscured depiction of the moon in the new moon phase. You can hardly see it. It is dark because, as we look from earth, the moon appears to be positioned between the earth and the sun, so the light of the sun is not reflected off of the side of the moon that faces us. NASA says that the moon rises and sets with the sun in this phase.
Although the moon in the new moon phase is not generally observable from earth, it is still there. It does not cease to exist as a celestial body. In the same way, the LORD asks us to perceive the new things that He is doing based upon His assurances that they are there, even if they are not yet evident to the human eye.
With the new moon comes a whole new cycle of the phases of the moon. In one of this Sabbath's readings, the prophet Isaiah mentions observances of the new moon. In Isaiah 66, the LORD asks His people, "Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?..." and also saying that (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-all-these-things already exist. (v. 1-2). The LORD then goes on to describe a very lackluster, careless, disrespectful worship by His people. The LORD even says that He is being brought abominations: "...and their soul delights in their abominations." (see v. 3). They treat the LORD in the same way that they would treat one of their useless idols according to this Word from Isaiah.
Isaiah also wrote here that what the LORD is looking for is the establishment of His home within the human soul: "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word." (v. 2). The idea of a physical building as being the dwelling place of God is "the way things have always been," which removes the newness of the LORD from man's perception and expectation, saying, "This is where we worship, this is how we worship, this is what we do, this is what we understand, this is what we are comfortable with, this is the way it has always been done." Jesus challenged this old way of understanding by bringing a new and revolutionary revelation based upon the promises of the scriptures. Jesus did not bring the revelation to a Jewish religious leader, nor to a respected or honored citizen of Jerusalem where the temple of God dwelt in impressive glory, but He brought this new thing to a Samaritan woman of scandalous reputation. This is not what one would usually "expect." This is not how it is "supposed" to happen. Jesus had sent His disciples away because He knew in the Spirit that the Samaritan woman would be coming to the well, and He was waiting for her arrival. He not only identified Himself clearly as the Messiah/Christ to her, but Jesus also revealed the heart of God: "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father (Av in Hebrew) in spirit and in truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (Jn. 4:21-24).
As the Samaritan woman expressed her understanding that the coming Messiah (Christ in Greek) would teach all things, Jesus said to her: "I who speak to you am He." (v. 25-26). We don't even know this woman's name, but Jesus purposefully waited for this woman to reveal new things to her, previously unimagined in traditional religious thinking of the time.
Later, the disciples would be shocked as Jesus prophesied to them that the magnificent temple in Jerusalem, which they reverenced and admired, would be totally destroyed. (Mt. 24:1-2). Jesus does say in His continuing prophetic message to His disciples: "...the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light." (Mt. 24:29). It is possible that Jesus was speaking of a new moon in this part of His prophecy. Soon after, Jesus would be arrested, tortured and crucified during Passover.
As we continue in the Sabbath reading from Isaiah 66 assigned because this Sabbath precedes a Rosh Chodesh new moon for the coming month of Av ("Father"), Isaiah speaks about a new thing the LORD is bringing to birth. The new birth will involve the delivering of a male child even before the birth pangs (hebel/habal - sorrows [see Mt. 24:8], pain, destruction, travail/destroy, corrupt, offend, take a pledge, to be ruined, to bind, to writhe in pain) begin. (v. 7). The LORD asks, "Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation (goy/geva/gev/ga'a - nation, heathen, Gentiles, people, descendants of Abraham, a body of people/the back, body/back as beaten/to rise up, risen, triumph, gloriously, be raised up) be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor (hul - pain, tremble, wounded, grievous, shake, tremble, be in anguish, to twist or writhe in pain, suffering torture), she gave birth to her (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-children." (v. 8).
Before the appointed time of terrible sorrow, pain and destruction, a male child will miraculously be brought forth in a surprising way. A nation is born of both Abraham's descendants and Gentiles, a body of people, whose origins are from a beaten back or body, and from a glorious and triumphant raising up. These are Zion's (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-children. This is how I would summarize the powerful Hebrew meaning found in verses 7 and 8, above. What or Who do you see in these verses from the Hebrew meanings?
When God fulfilled His prophecy here, who was able to perceive it, even though it had been obscured from sight (like the new moon), and who did not perceive it because they were happy with "the way things have always been done"? Paul described the Gospel of Messiah/Christ as a mystery of divine truth that had previously been hidden, but had now been revealed. (Eph. 3:1-7, Rom. 16:25-27, Col. 1:24-27).
The LORD continued, saying in Isa. 66: "Rejoice with (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her. That you may feed and be satisfied with the consolation of her bosom, that you may drink deeply and be delighted with the abundance of her glory." (v. 10-11).
What started with a people who had dishonored the LORD with indifferent worship, now reveals something new: the birth of the male child and a body of worshipers from all nations that suddenly comes forth afterwards: the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) children of Zion. Rejoice! (see Isa. 66:18-21).
The reading from Isaiah 66 of this Sabbath before Rosh Chodesh concludes: "For as the new heavens and the new earth (see also 2 Pet. 3:10-13) which I will make shall remain before Me,' says the LORD, 'So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,' says the LORD. 'And they shall go forth and look upon the corpses (peger/pagar - corpse, monument, ruins of men's idols/void of strength, tear down, destroy) of men who have transgressed (pasa' - transgress, rebelled, revolt, break away from just authority, expanding, spreading, multiplying, apostatize, march forward against) against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence (dera'on - eternal contempt, aversion, abomination, be repulsed) to all flesh." (v. 22-24).
Bible Prophecy may have more than one interpretation and/or application and fulfilment. I see here, however, from the Hebrew meanings involved, the promise of the coming of the suffering yet triumphantly resurrected Messiah/Christ, and the Body of both Jews and Gentiles that would come forth from Him, provided by the Av/Father God before the terrible destruction comes. In the last-mentioned verses from Isaiah 66 above, we see the newness created in and through Messiah/Christ, the male child who was born, and the eternal destruction and burning of the old, which had rebelled against all that is God. Revelation 21 tells us the same thing: "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea...Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new.' and He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.' And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega (*aleph-tav in Hebrew), the Beginning and the End. I will give the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Rev. 21:1-8, excerpt).
Not only does the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Lord Jesus make all things new to a massive extent as stated above, but He also makes us, the individual believer in His salvation and redemption, part of a new thing, a new creation, of new heavens and a new earth, as Isaiah prophesied. Paul wrote this truth: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new." (1 Cor. 5:17).
There are twelve new moons in a year, one for the beginning of each month on the Hebrew calendar. However, only a few are noted in the Sabbath reading portion cycle. This Rosh Chodesh or new moon for the soon beginning month of Av/"Father" is one of them. As we can see, the meanings we discovered in this Rosh Chodesh reading portion are powerful, to bring us into that newness of the Father whose Word says, "Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I hope in Him.!" (Lamentations 3:22-24). Although we may not see right now all of the newness that the LORD has provided for us, like the Rosh Chodesh new moon, the newness is there and will be revealed. We enter into the newness in the assurance of our faith in our Av Father, and in His Son, Jesus Messiah/Christ. That continuing newness will keep us through the days ahead.
If you would like to know more about and enter into the newness of our Father, you can join with me in my prayer: "Most Awesome God our Father, You have provided the Way for me to become part of Your new creation, and the newness of Your Spirit, through Your Son, Jesus, my Savior. I desire, Lord, to run into Your newness, to be covered with it, to become it. Forgive me, Lord, when I have clung to old things, old understanding, old ways, an old creation that is passing away, and failed to perceive the newness that You have made for me every day, every month, and every year. I will rejoice in Your newness! Help me, Father, by Your Word and Holy Spirit to bring Your newness through Messiah/Christ to all. The whole creation is groaning for the revealing of the sons of God. (Rom. 8:18-25). I pray for this in the name of Jesus, my Lord. AMEN."
*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.
I would also like to recommend for additional reading and entry from the Mending The Breach blog, written by The Berean, titled The Blood Moon Bride.
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