danshelper wrote:Is the "new moon" a consequence of being given over to worship the host of heaven?
I don't believe so, simply because Yahweh has designated the start of His calendar at the new moon after the ripening of Barley.
As far as I'm aware the pagans based the start of their calendar year at the vernal equinox, which is the start of spring for the Northern hemisphere when the sun starts to make its return. Or at the new moon after the vernal equinox to start counting the months. There were few calendars around in ancient times as they all tried to work it out for themselves, and obviously some brought their gods into the picture.
I've picked up some interesting passages from the Book of Enoch, for example chapter 77:12-14 "12Uriel [an angel apparently] likewise showed me another regulation, when light is poured into the moon, how it is poured into it from the sun. 13All the time that the moon is in progress with its light, it is poured into it in the presence of the sun, until its light is in fourteen days completed in heaven. 14And when it is wholly extinguished, its light is consumed in heaven; and on the first day it is called the new moon, for on that day light is received into it." One thing to notice is that Enoch was told the light of the moon came from the sun, a reflection in other words. Also, the passage tells us the first day of the month is when the light of the sun first touches the moon.
Another passage of note it chapter 64:9b "Respecting the moons have they inquired, and they have known that the earth will perish with those who dwell upon it, (and that to these there will be no place of refuge for ever." Another translation goes "Because of the sorceries which they have searched out and learnt, the earth and those who dwell upon it will be destroyed". Now maybe I'm reading in between the lines here but it seems to be that pagans mixed studying the sun, moon and stars with sorcery and astrology. Something of which judgement is pronounced upon them.
Another passage reads "The course of the moon’s path to the righteous is light, but to sinners it is darkness; in the name of the Lord of spirits, who created a division between light and darkness, and, separating the spirits of men, strengthened the spirits of the righteous in the name of his own righteousness." (Chapter 41:6) Now maybe I'm reading out of context, but understanding the path of the moon in accordance with Yahweh's ways is good, but to sinners it is darkness because they have mixed their understanding of it to false gods.
I'm sorry for using the very much debated, and questionable, Book of Enoch but their are some surprising nuggets in it. The problem with the BoE in this case is that it doesn't seem to link the cycles of the moon to Yahweh's Feasts.
I usually tend to stay away from the BoE but I know there's tons of info in it regarding the cycles of the moon.
danshelper wrote:Why does YHWH never use or authorize the use of chodesh as “new moon” in the first 5 books?
Sorry, can't help. I don't know the Scriptures in Hebrew, nor am I using software to help me verify it.
danshelper wrote:Why is “chodesh” always translated as “month” in the first 5 books?
Is "chodesh" linked to "qodesh"? Are they ever used to illuminate each other and provide clarification. I think someone like KP could maybe answer that.
danshelper wrote:Why would YHWH use a crescent moon – the quintessential symbol of idolatrous moon-god worship and occultism since ancient times – as a beacon/light (Genesis 1:14) to His set apart appointments? Would this not be mixing darkness with light? Isn’t this confusing?
Yahweh didn't set the crescent moon as a light, but the moon in general as the lesser light, to help us keep track of the months and to help us understand exactly when He will fulfil His Word. The moon is just the moon, to turn it into a god or something that it's not is idolatrous.
danshelper wrote:If YHWH who is Light and in whom is no darkness gave us the "lesser light" of the moon (which when full is 1/7th the light of the sun) for the moed/appointments (Genesis 1, Psalm 104:19)... If the appointments show the way to the Messiah, the Light of the world, the way to be renewed and restored to our relationship with our Creator... If YHWH defines the beginning of the month as first, head, chief, top, etc. ... If all nations have been given over to worship the host of heaven ... Why would we not consider that the full moon is YHWH's head of the month?
What I say now is just speculation but it's possible Satan knew what Yahweh would do while the universe was being created. We don't know how much he knew, but it seems to me he knew a lot because before Yahshua was born there were already religions who have father, mother and child figures to represent their deities. Satan already tried to counterfeit God's plan before it really got under way, or before mankind figured out what Yahweh was saying.
One reason why I also think pagans used the sun, moon and stars to work out their calendar was because it was obviously they followed a pattern that was tied in with the seasons. Plus the moon has a uniform cycles, hence being used as a time-keeper for monthly cycles.
Also, scientists say the sun is 450,000 times brighter than the moon according to their scales, while
Wiki sticks it at 398,359 times brighter. I also know the BoE uses the 1/7th scale for the moon's brightness compared to the sun.
Please feel free to tell me to "shove it" after I quoted the BoE. ;)