Hi friends! Ready or not, we’re racing toward 2024. But is January 1 truly the beginning of the year? Well, in today’s society, virtually the entire world recognizes the first of January as New Year’s Day, so we’ll allow it to keep it’s title, and we will, of course, celebrate it.

Interestingly, the Creator of time did not clearly name the day or month of the new year. He simply described them as the first day and first month of the year. So, it begs the question: when is that day and month?

Exodus 12:2 gives us a clear hint of God’s idea of beginnings:

12 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, ² “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.”

He didn’t say, “January will be your beginning of months.” Though He prescribed the first month, He didn’t name it! But the clue is that Passover, which occurs in the first month, represents new beginnings and fresh starts.

If you are familiar with Jewish feasts, however, you may be asking, “What about Rosh HaShannah?” (the “head of the year”) Celebrating the head of the year during the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall simply makes no good sense! Rather, God decided to start the year with redemption. Passover foreshadowed the Lamb of God who later came to redeem the world from sin!

New years bring new beginnings. In Moses’ day, God instructed him to build the tent of meeting on the first day of the first month. (Exodus 40:1-2) During creation, God stretched out the heavens over the earth. Likewise, Moses was instructed to stretch the tent over the place of meeting. The idea of stretching or spreading is often associated with first days in Scripture. Thus, the tabernacle was set up and God’s glory fell on the first of the month!

It was a new beginning for the Jewish people and the tabernacle symbolically represents Eden. The hope in fresh starts is to open us to forgiveness and cleansing, and for us to leave old things behind.

Despite when the true “head of the year” is, January 1 is a wonderful opportunity to throw off the old and put on the new! (2 Corinthians 5:17) Jesus, whose birth we just celebrated, is waiting with open arms for us to run into His forgiveness and grace! May we all do just that this New Year!