Last year I preached this new year message in several churches where I was invited to preach. This message has blessed my heart so much. I hope this will bless you too as we celebrate the first Lord ’s Day this year. My three main texts are found in  Exodus 12:1-24, 13:1-10, Exodus 23:14-19 and Deuteronomy 16:1-22 Introduction: The month of January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was pictured as a man with two faces, one looking backward and the other forward. New Year’s Day provides a valuable time to ponder the past while anticipating the future. The New year In the Old Testament— The first month of the Hebrew calendar was in the spring, around March/April. In its later history the nation of Israel adopted all 12 months of the Babylonian calendar as their civil calendar. (The month of Nisan Being the first month) With regard to the year, the Jewish historian Josephus stated that Israel had two New Years—the commercial New Year, which began in the fall … [Read more...]