Exodus 12:2
“This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.…”
I’ve never noticed this passage before. It appears that God is changing their calendar to make this the new year. I’m not sure if there were two of them. Like a civil new year and a sacred one. Whatever the case, this was a big deal. This whole Egypt demonstration was significant. Egypt was a type of the old life of sin. The death of the first born was like Jesus’ sacrifice for sin. This was the beginning of a type of relationship with God that would remain for the entire Old Testament. It was also symbolic of the New Testament. As we accept Christ, our new life begins. It’s like a new year’s celebration. We leave the old life of sin. We see new year as special. We see it as a new beginning. If the old year was a bad one, we can start new. Many make new year resolutions. For example, “I want to get in shape”, “I want to read more”, “I want to be a better friend”, “I want to get a new job”, and so on. In our new life in Christ there are changes. We may know what they are. If we are involved in unbiblical behavior, we are joining with God to remove that. With His power, we can succeed. He will want to make changes that we are presently unaware of. These are harmful parts of us. God knowing best can see why. He will help us and fortunately He is patient. We celebrate New Year’s Eve. It’s as if we are saying, “this year is done. Tomorrow I get a clean slate.” It’s appropriate that we celebrate this. Personally, it was the right thing. I didn’t know how significant it was. I heard the message and while I was a church goer, I wasn’t secure in my salvation. I didn’t know I could be. I didn’t know about how it would change my life. I wasn’t aware of the lordship aspect of the deal. Some call it fire insurance; a “get out of hell free” card. I’m sure it was deeper than that. I had a respect for God. Looking back, it’s been an awesome life. Not that I’m celebrating myself. It’s the ride that God provided. I wouldn’t have designed it that way. His guidance opened doors; some were welcome, other doors required a bit of divine pressure for me to enter. It’s been said, “God provides the best to them that leave the choice to Him.” He has the long view. He knows how this present action plays out in ten years.
God has made the death of the firstborn (symbolic of Jesus) as the event marking the new year. Jesus’ sacrifice cause death to “pass over” those who are His. The joy filled life being reconciled to God awaits us in the new year. Lord, thank You for the sacrifice of Your Son. Thank You for symbolically laying it out in the Old Testament. Thank You, Jesus, for living it out in the New Testament. May we all accept the forgiveness and life God has offered, so we can live it out in His new year.