Chapter Six: An Introduction to the Renewed Moon Days

The Renewed Moon and Sabbath are referenced together.  This statement reveals that people were waiting for the Renewed Moon and a Sabbath to be finished so that they may begin to buy and sell.  The length of a weekly Sabbath day is known to be a day.  However, in the context of this passage, the people are waiting for a Sabbath day where the length is unknown because they are asking in essence, "when will the ... Sabbath" be gone?  Because the Ruach HaKodesh (Hoy Spirit) references the Renewed Moon in the same passage, this is a strong hint that we are speaking about the period of time during the renewal of the moon.  Nehemiah 10:28-31 and 13:15-22 are verses in scripture that set the principle to not buy and sell on the Sabbath day.  Let's read some verses from these passages.

There are brethren now who are observing the pure lunar-based Biblical calendar who keep the Renewed Moon(s) as an extension of the 4th Sabbath of the month.  It was indicated in an earlier chapter that a non-Biblical reference, the "Universal Jewish Encyclopedia" confirms this practice of keeping the Renewed Moon days as a Sabbath and agrees with scripture.  The language in scripture reveals that the Renewed Moon days are still separate and distinct days even though they may be extensions of the 4th Sabbath.

When we understand how Abba's timekeeping system works, His pure lunar based Biblical calendar will put passages of scripture in context and timing of events will become clear.  The verses in 1 Samuel 20:1-42 reveal the Renewed Moon days in the story about an incident where David consults Jonathan about his father's intent towards David.  King Saul, Jonathan's father was seeking to kill David, but Jonathan and David were dear friends.  David was to attend a feast with the king during a renewed moon but refrained from doing so.  Instead David asked Jonathan to find out what King Saul's intentions were towards David at the feast.  A careful look at the timing of days with the understanding of a Biblical lunar calendar reveals important principles about the Renewed Moon period.

At this time please carefully read through 1 Samuel 20:1-42 using both the King James Version (KJV) and New International Version (NIV).  The NIV will help you understand the story but lacks the proper use of key words to clearly identify events to specific days.  The KJV uses language that does more justice to the original scriptures for the referenced passages in regards to timing of events.  The translation of verses referencing time or days in the NIV makes it difficult to reconcile the days.  Please avoid trying to reconcile time or days using the NIV.  But, there are exceptions.  Key verses are presented in the right column and the discussion is in the left column.  Phrases that help identify time or days are underlined.  Verse numbers with phrases that help identify how a Renewed Moon day is observed are in bold and the phrases themselves are italicized.

The passages of scripture reveal that the Biblical month during this time was a 30 day month.  Let's see why this is so.  Please familiarize yourself with the calendar above. Verse 5 reveals that "to morrow" is referring to either day 29 or 30 of the month which is the Renewed Moon days.  Because David says he will hide himself "unto the third day at even" we know that he is either speaking of three days or the "third day" of the week. In consideration of verses 5 through 18 from both the KJV and NIV, we are impressed that "to morrow" in verse 5 is speaking about the 29th day of the month and the phrase "unto the third day at even" is speaking about the "third day" of the week. Why would this day be referenced as the "third day" instead of as the first day of the following month?  The reason is simple, there is no way David or anyone would know if the first crescent moon is going to be sighted on the evening of the 29th or 30th day at the time of David's and Jonathan's conversation on the 28th.  Therefore, the most appropriate way to reference this day is by the day of the week.  Whether this is three days later or the third day of the week, there is no confusion on which day David is talking about. Verses 24-26 reveal that David did not show up for the 29th day of the month and King Saul thought that David did not show up because David was ceremonially unclean for the renewed moon feast. Verse 27 is a critical verse.  This verse reveals that the phrase "on the morrow which is the second day of the month" is speaking of the 30th day or the second day of the renewed moon day.  Let's see why. A few brethren in the Body of Messiah have identified the mistake the translator's made in the translation of the phrase "second day of the month." The phrase should read, "second day of the renewal."6A The phrase "the month" is defined by Strong's #2320. The underlying Hebrew word is "hachodesh" which can be used as "month" or "renewal." Here is how Strong's defines this word: OT:2320 chodesh (kho'-desh); from OT:2318; the new moon; by implication, a month: -month (-ly), new moon. OT:2318 chadash (khaw-dash'); a primitive root; to be new; causatively, to rebuild:   KJV - renew, repair.   (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.)   Based on the definition in context of this study, we can see that another phrase "second day of the month" in verse 34 also can be translated as "second day of the renewal."  In this context, the timing of events begin to make sense. Verses 35 and 36 are the completion of what was started in verses 5, 19 and 20 where David arranges to meet with Jonathan on the "third day." It is now the morning of "third day" and three days have passed.  In light of this, 1 Samuel 20:5 begins in the morning hours of the 28th day of the month. In review, we know it is the first day of the week and the first day of the month because a Biblical month cannot be longer than 30 days.  However, the language of the scriptures kept referential integrity based on use of language at the beginning of 1 Samuel 20.

1 Samuel 20:5 (KJV) 5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even. 1 Samuel 20:12-13 (KJV) 12 And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee; 13 The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father. 1 Samuel 20:18-22 (KJV) 18 Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. 19 And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. 20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. 21 And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth. 22 But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away. 1 Samuel 20:24-27 (KJV) 24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. 25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. 26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. 27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day? 1 Samuel 20:33-36 (KJV) 33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. 34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. 35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. 36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

		They are a Sabbath (Amos 8:5).
		They are a day of feast like a Sabbath (1 Samuel 20:5, 24, 27, 34).  They sat down to eat "meat."
		They are a day to be ceremonially clean (1 Samuel 20:6).  This is similar to a Sabbath because we are told to keep the Sabbath holy.

Clarification of the Term "Meat":

The term "meat" for those of us who are new to KJV translations can confuse the reader to think that these men are having a barbeque or possibly cooking on a Sabbath.  Let's determine the definition of this word "meat" by looking at the Strong's definition in context of the story.

A search of the word "meat" in scripture reveals many references to Strong's definitions of which many are related to "meat offering" or Strong's #4503.  The Strong's definition used for the word "meat" in 1 Samuel 20 are Strong's #398 (verse 5) and #3899 (verses 24, 27, 34). Most of the references in the Torah to "meat offering" reveals that a "meat offering" is "flower mingled with oil."  This is basically bread.  Take a look at Numbers Chapters 7, 28, 29 and Leviticus Chapters 2, 6, 14 for examples.  After you finish reading the chapters, let's take a look at the Strong's definitions:

In consideration of the passages in Leviticus and Numbers, as well as the Strong's definitions above, it appears that when King Saul, Jonathan and Abner sat to "eat meat" they were dining with bread as the main course.  Bread, fruits and other sources of food other than meat can be typically prepared one or more days ahead of time for a Sabbath meal.

Symbolic Meaning of the Renewed Moon Days:

When I shared the truth about the pure lunar-based Biblical calendar and the Renewed Moon days about three years ago with a brethren I know from Tacoma, Washington, he noted to me that the Renewed Moon days may be a prophetic picture of the 8th day.^6B  The length of the 8th day is symbolic of eternity in scripture because we cannot measure the length of this millennial day.  The observance of the 29th or 30th days of the Biblical month as an extension of the 7th day Sabbath may symbolize the 8th day because each month we cannot measure the length of the renewal days until the first crescent is sighted.  In light of this, the Renewed Moon days are counted as either a continuation of the fourth Sabbath of the Biblical month or not counted (measured) at all. 

The non-existence of the moon in the night sky during the Renewed Moon days can symbolically hint to a verse in Revelation 21:22-25 (KJV) that speaks about the 8th millennium.  It is written: