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by Dave Clark
Firstly, this is in no way to cast mud upon the understandings
of others. Instead, this is merely the result of my own investigations
-- as the Bereans would. If someone has additional Bible references to
pass on, along this topic line, I'd be more than happy to receive them.
You see, I believe that objective examination of the Bible shows the determination
of the first month of the year, by the barley harvest, to be almost purely coincidental in
nature. In other words, I've come to the conclusion that this usage is more one of
man's traditions rather than by explicit command of God. For, nowhere in the Bible did
I find a clear, "Thus saith the LORD," to test the beginning of the year against
the barley harvest. The following Bible quotations (KJV) are what I've found on this
subject.
The first reference to the barley, along this topic line, is during the plagues
of Egypt:
Ex. 9:31 And the flax6594
and the barley8184
was smitten:5221
for3588
the barley8184
was in the ear,24
and the flax6594
was bolled.1392
Interestingly enough, this means that there was no barley available at all,
that year, for this type of determination. At any rate, the next reference is a,
"Thus saith the LORD," type of reference:
Ex. 12:1 And the LORD3068
spoke559
unto413
Moses4872
and Aaron175
in the land776
of Egypt,4714
saying,559
Ex. 12:2 This2088
month2320
shall be unto you the beginning7218
of months:2320
it1931
shall be the first7223
month2320
of the year8141
to you.
I believe that here is where the first presumption is made. No instruction is
recorded, here or later, as to just how to determine which month is "this
month" as designated by the LORD to start the year — other than it
was the month in
which He brought them out of Egypt. I believe people use the next reference,
in connection with this one, to jump to the conclusion that the barley
determines the first month of the year:
Ex. 13:4 This day3117
came ye out3318, 859
in the month2320
Abib.24
Note the Strong's reference number (24)
is the same Strong's number given in Ex. 9:31 for the English phrase
"in the ear." Thus, seemingly, just because the name of the first month means the
same thing as the barley being just ready to harvest (being tender, or "green," in
the ear — basically, "spring"), man has decided that God must mean that the determination for the first month of
the year is to be based on the actual barley harvest.
Well, I have to tell you, I think our God is a more precise God than that.
Natural fluctuations in the weather patterns (including drought) can, and do,
cause wildly shifting patterns for the harvests of food crops. Then there are
the very real times in which there would be no barley harvest at all — due to
severe drought, disease, hail, a horde or two of locusts, or a Great Flood!
Meaning, Noah knew when the year began yet there was no barley harvest on
which to base it:
Gen. 8:13 And it came to pass1961
in the six8337
hundredth3967
and first259
year,8141
in the first7223
month, the first259
day of the month,2320
the waters4325
were dried up2717
from off4480, 5921
the earth:776
and Noah5146
removed5493 (853)
the covering4372
of the ark,8392
and looked,7200
and, behold,2009
the face6440
of the ground127
was dry.2717
Is God going to leave the determination of His "appointed times" or
"set times" (moed)
to the vagaries of a crop harvest that may come too early, too
late, or may not even happen at all? I think not.
To put that another way... Just because the name of the month means "the
month of the tender, green grain" doesn't mean that this month cannot occur
unless you actually have tender, green grain to go with the month. After all,
in the Jubilee cycle, they planted no barley for every seventh and fiftieth
years and, thus, would have had no barley harvest from which to make a new
year determination. There was also no barley harvest for the forty years in
the wilderness — yet, they knew the passing of the years. This includes the
commonly held notion that if the barley isn't ripe in the expected month, then
they were to wait until the next month to begin the year. I have found no
reference for this in the Bible. Thus, this would seem to be another of the
traditions of men. I have found two Biblical references for a "second"
Passover but this had to do with missing the first Passover for reasons of
being unclean or away on a far journey:
Num. 9:9 And the LORD3068
spoke1696
unto413
Moses,4872
saying,559
Num. 9:10 Speak1696
unto413
the children1121
of Israel,3478
saying,559
If3588
any man376, 376
of you or176
of your posterity1755
shall be1961
unclean2931
by reason of a dead body,5315
or176
be in a journey1870
afar off,7350
yet he shall keep6213
the passover6453
unto the LORD.3068
Num. 9:11 The fourteenth702, 6240
day3117
of the second8145
month2320
at996
even6153
they shall keep6213
it, and eat398
it with5921
unleavened bread4682
and bitter4844
herbs.
Num. 9:12 They shall leave7604
none3808
of4480
it unto5704
the morning,1242
nor3808
break7665
any bone6106
of it: according to all3605
the ordinances2708
of the passover6453
they shall keep6213
it.
Num. 9:13 But the man376
that834
is clean,2889
and is1961
not3808
in a journey,1870
and forbeareth2308
to keep6213
the passover,6453
even the same1931
soul5315
shall be cut off3772
from among his people:4480, 5971
because3588
he brought7126
not3808
the offering7133
of the LORD3068
in his appointed season,4150
that1931
man376
shall bear5375
his sin.2399
Num. 9:14 And if3588
a stranger1616
shall sojourn1481
among854
you, and will keep6213
the passover6453
unto the LORD;3068
according to the ordinance2708
of the passover,6453
and according to the manner4941
thereof, so3651
shall he do:6213
ye shall have1961
one259
ordinance,2708
both for the stranger,1616
and for him that was born249
in the land.776
Also:
2 Chr. 30:1 And Hezekiah3169
sent7971
to5921
all3605
Israel3478
and Judah,3063
and wrote3789
letters107
also1571
to5921
Ephraim669
and Manasseh,4519
that they should come935
to the house1004
of the LORD3068
at Jerusalem,3389
to keep6213
the passover6453
unto the LORD3068
God430
of Israel.3478
2 Chr. 30:2 For the king4428
had taken counsel,3289
and his princes,8269
and all3605
the congregation6951
in Jerusalem,3389
to keep6213
the passover6453
in the second8145
month.2320
2 Chr. 30:3 For3588
they could3201
not3808
keep6213
it at that1931
time,6256
because3588
the priests3548
had not3808
sanctified themselves6942
sufficiently,4078
neither3808
had the people5971
gathered themselves together622
to Jerusalem.3389
(just for enjoyment, see the rest of the story:
2 Chr. 30:13-27)
To continue, though, here are the rest of the references, along this topic
line, for Strong's reference number
24:
Ex. 23:15 Thou shalt keep8104 (853)
the feast2282
of unleavened bread:4682
(thou shalt eat398
unleavened bread4682
seven7651
days,3117
as834
I commanded6680
thee, in the time appointed4150
of the month2320
Abib;24
for3588
in it thou camest out3318
from Egypt:4480, 4714
and none3808
shall appear7200
before6440
me empty:)7387
Note that some have also used that last phrase (above) as further "proof"
that the determination of God's Feast was based on the barley harvest.
However, if you look up the Strong's reference for that word "empty" (7387)
you'll find that it means "undeservedly." This is not about empty hands (no barley).
Continuing:
Ex. 34:18 (853)
The feast2282
of unleavened bread4682
shalt thou keep.8104
Seven7651
days3117
thou shalt eat398
unleavened bread,4682
as834
I commanded6680
thee, in the time4150
of the month2320
Abib:24
for3588
in the month2320
Abib24
thou camest out3318
from Egypt.4480, 4714
Deu. 16:1 Observe8104 (853)
the month2320
of Abib,24
and keep6213
the passover6453
unto the LORD3068
thy God:430
for3588
in the month2320
of Abib24
the LORD3068
thy God430
brought thee forth3318
out of Egypt4480, 4714
by night.3915
And that's the end of them. So, what is the short and the long of this? In
short, there are two other methods used, both based on the cycle of the sun,
for determining the first month of the year. After all, God did set the sun, moon, and stars for signs, seasons, days, and
years:
Gen. 1:14 And God430
said,559
Let there be1961
lights3974
in the firmament7549
of the heaven8064
to divide914, 996
the day3117
from996
the night;3915
and let them be1961
for signs,226
and for seasons,4150
and for days,3117
and years:8141
Strong's reference number
226
says that the sun, moon, and stars are for "signals." Strong's reference number
4150
says that the sun, moon, and stars are to signal God's "appointed times" or the
"set times" (moed)
for His
Feasts. Thus it seems obvious, to me, that we are to await the first signal,
of the sun, to mark the vernal equinox. Then, we are to await the second
signal, of the moon, to mark the beginning of the first month of the year. Why
await the new moon after the vernal equinox? Because you have to
wait for the old year to end, or be completed (Strong's
8141 with
8666 and
8622)
— which is also what happens at the vernal equinox. At any rate... From
there (the new moon after the vernal equinox), we count off the days to His
spring Feasts — the Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. That way, if
there is no barley harvest at all, God's Feasts will still take place at their
appointed time.
That's just the way I see it. As chance may or may not have it,
the Millerite Movement and Ellen G. White agrees. Read the Appendix of either
The Spirit of Prophecy volume 4 (1884), page 497.2,
or
The Great Controversy (1888), page 681.4,
for what she believed:
"ANCIENTLY THE YEAR DID NOT COMMENCE IN MIDWINTER,
AS NOW, BUT AT THE FIRST NEW MOON AFTER THE VERNAL EQUINOX."
If she was wrong, in this belief, God would have corrected her. Why?
Because we're talking about God's "appointed times" or "set times" (moed)
here. Our God is a particular God. After all, Cain made the required offering,
at the correct time, and to the correct God. He only changed what was to be
sacrificed. God would not have us worship Him in our own way
nor at our own times. God would have us worship Him in His way
and at His
set times.
So, now, that being the long of it, why doesn't the Bible record this? I
wouldn't presume to guess at God's reasonings in this. However, it is a
well-known fact that, as historical recordings go, some of the most well-known
facts were omitted (from such historical recordings), apparently, because such
facts were so well known that they were not considered as needing
to be recorded. On the other hand, some people consider
Gen. 1:14 (as quoted above) to be such recording (albeit,
somewhat implicitly).
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