What does the Bible say?
The Lord our God insisted His people, the Israelites to gather up on the new moons, which is the beginning of a new month and worship Him for His goodness. Exodus 10: 10, Exodus 28: 11 records this.
- In 2 Chronicles 2: 4, we read of how King Solomon decided to keep up the practice of observing new moons when he built the grandiose temple for the Lord. It reads, "Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual showbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel".
- 2 Chronicles 8: 13 records "Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles" - which shows how King Solomon kept up his words before the Lord.
- In the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, this practice was restored, as recorded in Ezra 3: 5, " And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD".
- Nehemiah records, "Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God; For the showbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God" Nehemiah 10: 32, 33.
Why on the first morning?
- The beginning of a new month bestows the fresh start of a bunch of 30 days with new spirit, fresh hopes and a clean heart. Taking time to count upon His goodness all through the past month falls prime-most
- Thanking for all His goodness, gratefulness and tender mercies instills the hope within us that the Lord who led us this far, will lead on still further! What a great hope!!
- Trusting and confessing His promises with a heart of gratitude in the early hours of the day as the month begins keeps us going.
When we welcome a new month, we give thanks to God Almighty for His saving grace and for His mercy. Many can testify that we have come through great trials, hardships, pain, loss, grief, sadness and so much more, but through it all we say thank you Lord for the preservation of our lives.
Psalm 136 is one in which the Psalmist David expressed his gratitude unto God for the many thing that God had done for him. The verses from that passage says:
v23 “Who [God] remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
v24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth forever.
v25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
v26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Truly we can say, if not for the mercy of God, many of us would not be here today. Indeed we give thanks to the Lord who has kept us in our right mind, provided for us, protected us for dangers seen and unseen, and who blocked the enemy from destroying our lives.