RoshChodesh

 

                                                             Phases of the Lunar Cycle

     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. 

Midwives

      This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Sh'mot, which means "Names." The title, Sh'mot, is also the Hebrew name for the Book of Exodus. The title comes from Exodus 1:1: "Now these are the names (sem [shem]- name, memorial, monument, conspicuous position, a mark of individuality, by implication honor, authority, character; to mark with a sign, to designate) of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob:" 

     Some who will be named in this reading portion are Moses, who was named by Pharaoh's daughter (Ex. 2:10), the Hebrew midwives, who intervened to spare the lives of Hebrew male babies (Ex. 1:15-20), and the LORD Himself, who revealed His name to Moses as I AM WHO I AM (Ex. 3:13-15), written in Hebrew as YHWH (each Hebrew letter may be interpreted as "Behold the hand, behold the nail").

     The two Hebrew midwives named in Exodus chapter 1 are Shiphrah (sipra/sapar - fair, brightness, beauty, most splendid, related to God's Spirit/pleasing, beautiful, bright, glistening, shine, brilliancy of sound as with a sopar/shofar trumpet) and Puah (splendid, to glitter, brilliancy, mouth). They had been brought before Pharaoh and directly commanded by him that when the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Hebrew women came to them to give birth, the midwives were to kill the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) male Hebrew babies as they were born, but to spare the female babies. How unusual it was for the Pharaoh himself, the most powerful ruler in the world at the time, to have Hebrew midwives come into his royal presence and issue to them his direct command. The two Hebrew midwives ignored Pharaoh's command: "But the midwives (yalad - beget, born, bring forth, midwife, delivered, act as a midwife, help to bring forth, declare one's birth) feared (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) God, and did not do as the king had commanded them, but saved the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) male children (yeled/yalad - child, son, young man/beget, born, bring forth, midwife, delivered, act as a midwife, help to bring forth, declare one's birth) alive (haya, haya - live, alive, save, quicken, revive, life, live forever, restored to life, preserve alive, keep alive)." (v. 17). The Hebrew word for "alive" includes the idea of restored to life and eternal life. As we can see from the Hebrew for "male child", the root word is the word for "midwife". The two are directly connected. There is no live delivery/deliverance without the midwife.

     Because of their actions: "...God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) God, that he provided households (bayit/bana - house, dwelling habitation, family, descendants as an organized body, temple, door/obtain children, build up, establish, made permanent, cause to continue) for them." (v. 20-21). 

     The Jewish Talmud (Sotah 11b), or Rabbinical Judaism, states that Shiphrah and Puah were close ancestors of Moses. It is a fact that directly after the account of the midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, in Exodus 1, comes the account of Moses' birth in Exodus 2. From the midwives who delivered children alive, God would bring forth the Deliverer of Israel, Moses.

     One of the interesting thoughts that I came across regarding this Sabbath reading portion and the Book of Exodus in general was that the LORD was birthing something. Because part of the meaning of "Egypt" in Hebrew is "double straits: narrow passage of water, narrow passageway, affording little space, confined in area, shut in, cramped, enclose, shut up, compress, limit, hemming in, fenced," the multiplying of the family of Jacob into the nation of Israel, coming forth from Egypt, is likened to being birthed through a narrow, confined birth passage.  The LORD told Moses regarding His people: "I have come down to deliver (nasal - draw out, pull out) them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land..." (Ex. 3:8).

     We see a similarity as Jesus teaches about the narrowness of the new birth into the kingdom of God and His righteousness: "Enter by the narrow/strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow/strait is the gate and difficult/narrow (thlibo - compressed, strait, contracted, narrow, to press hard upon) is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mt. 7:13-14).

      In this understanding, Moses, the Deliverer, leading the Israelites out of Egypt, can be perceived in the role of a spiritual midwife. Later, as the Israelites constantly complained and cried to Moses with their dissatisfaction and distress, Moses would cry out to God saying: "Why have you afflicted your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that You have laid (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) nursing child', to the land which You swore to their fathers?...For they weep all over me...the burden is too heavy for me." (Num. 11:10-14). Moses was not always happy being a spiritual midwife to the birthing process of a nation.

     In Judaism, God is credited with having the heart and purpose of a midwife, as they cite Psalm 22: "But You are He who took Me (Messiah/Christ) out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother's breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother's womb You have been My God." (v. 9-10).

     In speaking about Jerusalem, the LORD speaks of finding Jerusalem as a cast off birth and who had not been tended by a midwife: "...your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you to do any of these things for you...but you were thrown out into an open field...loathed on the day you were born." (Ezek. 16:4-5). The LORD then said, "And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!'. Yes, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!" (v. 6). The LORD midwifed the newborn Jerusalem, having pity on her. The spirit of the world on the other hand, like Pharaoh, will not assist in spiritual birth but will cast it off as unwanted.

     In Judaism the midwife is called meyalledet, or one who causes or helps with birth.  A Jewish midwife during a birth might traditionally recite prayers known as Tkhines which focus on asking God for a safe and easy delivery, for the well-being of both mother and child, and often include pleas for the baby to be born whole and healthy, with blessings for a good life; key themes of prayer also include invoking the compassion of God, referencing the stories of the midwives Shiphrah and Puah from the Exodus, as we read above, and expressing gratitude for the miracle of new life.           

     What does this have to do with us?

      The entrance into the Kingdom of God requires a new birth: "Jesus answered and said to him (Nicodemus, a rabbi), 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again (anothen - from above, from the beginning, anew), he cannot see the kingdom of God...unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." (Jn. 3:3, 5).

     Peter refers to believers as those who have been "begotten again" by God, and "having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God..." (1 Pet. 1:3, 23), and writes about us being "newborn babes" (1 Pet. 2:2).

     As we look at the Hebrew word and meaning for midwife again: yalad - "beget, born, bring forth, midwife, delivered, act as a midwife, help to bring forth, declare one's birth", we can see the importance that the role of the spiritual midwife, both male and female, plays in the kingdom of God. Whether we are able to directly aid in the spiritual rebirth of someone, or whether we serve as spiritual midwives through prayer, the godly and faithful midwife is honored and valued by the Lord, as He honored Shiphrah and Puah in Exodus.

     In these times before the return of Jesus, spiritual midwives, whether male or female, play a special and beautiful role according to the prophet Daniel. Let's remind ourselves of the meaning of the names of the midwives in Exodus, Shiphrah and Puah: "fair, brightness, beauty, most splendid, related to God's Spirit, pleasing, beautiful, bright, glistening, shine, brilliancy of sound as with a sopar (shofar) trumpet, splendid, to glitter, brilliancy, mouth."

     Daniel describes special people of God, particularly associated with the latter days, in the following manner: "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever." (Dan. 12:3). There is a special brightness that accompanies those who lead others into the (narrow) way of righteousness. The way is made narrow by the fact that there is only one name under heaven by which we may be saved - Jesus. (Acts 4:10-12).

     Jesus said that He is the light of the world and called us to be the light of the world also, telling us to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (see Mt. 5:14-16). Part of being a shining light is to understand what it means to be a spiritual midwife. In Genesis, a picture is given of a seemingly reborn earth. Before this rebirth of earth, God called forth light. The Holy Spirit lovingly and tenderly moved over the dark and void earth to be in the position to usher the earth and all that would inhabit it into that glorious light. (Gen. 1:1-5). As it was for the rebirth of the earth, it is the same for the rebirth of each soul that comes to the Kingdom of God. There is a guided movement or transition from darkness into light: "...you are...His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called (kaleo - utter in a loud voice, invite, call by name, to bear a name or title, to proclaim 'today') you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10, excerpt).

     To learn more about being a spiritual midwife in the Kingdom of God, you can join me in my prayer: "Father in heaven, You called me to be reborn in Your Son, Jesus, and I ask that I may also pray, teach, and lead others into this spiritual rebirth by Your Holy Spirit. Let me serve as a godly midwife, cleansing, applying salt, and wrapping in the white linen of Your righteousness those who are being reborn into Your Kingdom of light and life. As a shofar trumpet, let me sound or proclaim the day of rebirth in each new spiritual life, and let me speak and pray the blessing of God to keep and nurture that new life. I bless and glorify Your name for the mercy You showed to me and countless others in calling us to Yourself through Your Son, Jesus. 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. 

     

Birth

The Sabbath reading for this week is titled Tazri'a, which means "she bears seed", or "childbirth". This is also the Sabbath before the new month of Nisan begins. "Nisan" is a Babylonian word. The Hebrew word for this new month is Aviv. It is designated by God to be the first of the months of the year (Ex. 12:2). The Passover Feast, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread take place in this month. The new month of Aviv also represents the ripening of the barley harvest, and so it is also associated with the spring season, renewal, and, as we will see, birth. Aviv also means "to bring forth shoots", and the root word of Aviv, is the word av, meaning "Father". Not only is human birth mentioned in this Sabbath's reading, but a powerful spiritual birth as well. We will see that in all of these cases, the birthing process is very special in the eyes and purpose of God. Our understanding of the Hebrew words used in the commands of God regarding birthing offer a special view into His thoughts. Scientifically, we know that the woman's body becomes a filtering process for the life in the womb. The placenta removes toxins from the blood going to the fetus, and produces antibodies for the benefit of the unborn child. After the birth, the mother's body continues healing and cleansing for about six to eight weeks. Man did not have this biological knowledge at the time, but the LORD did, and He made the necessary allowance for this physical and spiritual cleansing process to continue for a specific number of days, either forty (gimel - meaning to ascend a level) or eighty (Pe - meaning an opening, an entrance, a beginning), in Leviticus 12. The LORD then said in Lev. 12:6: "When the days of her purification are fulfilled...". The Hebrew language used here reflects great beauty and delight. The Hebrew word translated as "purification" is tohar/taher. and means "glory, splendor, brightness, majesty, clearness, to purify, to shine, to be bright". The word "fulfilled" is the Hebrew word mala, meaning "consecrate, replenish, gather, overflow, abundance, to satisfy, complete, to make full". The mother's glory is made full to overflowing in this process. As the new mother completed her days of purification as mentioned above, she was to bring offerings to God. The first offering she must bring was that of a lamb (keber - to dominate, a ram just old enough to butt, sheep in general). She also had to bring a pigeon (yona - a dove/pigeon, endearment, gentle, ardor), or a turtledove (tor/tur - term of endearment, to be especially dear to, also a circlet or ornament for the hair made of pearl, gold, or silver; succession; to search out, select, to follow after, to show the way in an unknown place). The offerings made here show us a very special endearing love, not in weakness and helplessness, but in strength. There is an acknowledgement of royal succession and the diadem of honor between the new mother and the LORD. We see this same respect, marvel, and glory from God regarding birth in another reading for this special Sabbath before the month of Aviv. In Isaiah 66, the LORD revealed how far His people's hearts had gone from him. Their offerings were made worthless to God because of their lack of love, respect, and reverence for the God who called them, redeemed them, and delivered them (v. 3). The LORD said that He looks instead "...on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word." (v. 2). The LORD said that when He spoke, no one answered or heard (v. 4). However, in the middle of these sad observations, the LORD declared a great birth: "The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the LORD, who fully repays His enemies! 'Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?', says the LORD. 'Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?' says your God." (Isa. 66:6-9). What the LORD, who marvels in birth, was causing to be born in this prophetic word would affect Jerusalem, as well as the Gentiles: "Rejoice in Jerusaalem, 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...on her sides shall you be carried, and be dandled on her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem." (v. 10-13). This is not the end of the birthing, however, as the LORD spoke of the abundance of her glory (see above regarding the new mother's completion of purification). "For as the new heavens and the new earth 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 (Rosh Chodesh) to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me', says the LORD." (v. 22-23). The beginning of the new month of Aviv is signified by the appearance of a new moon, or Rosh Chodesh. We can never doubt, especially in this coming month of Aviv, that God will be birthing something in the earth, not only to restore the hearts of His people back to Him, but to also accomplish the defeat of His enemies, as He said in Isaiah. Warfare is won through birth! As the fulfillment of His prophetic promise to the Serpent of his defeat (Gen. 3:14-15), the LORD caused His Salvation to come to the world through the miraculous and enduring birth of a Child in Bethlehem to a virgin (Lk. 2:6-7). This same birth will impact spiritual and world events of these last days also (Rev. 12:1-17). Birth is not just a natural individual event, but it is full of spiritual importance in the timing and purpose of the LORD. If you would like to be part of what God is birthing in your life, and in the world, you can pray with me: Heavenly Father, in this Aviv season of birth, renewal and resurrection, I pray that Your purpose be birthed in Me and in the earth. I pray for the ripening of the harvest of God. Because of Your Son, Jesus, I have experienced the new birth by faith in Him, and in His resurrection. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I am able to "bring forth shoots", and be fruitful for Your kingdom. In Jesus' Name I pray, AMEN."