Monday, August 20, 2012

New Moon Sighted August 19,2012

Nehemiah Gordon, our Israeli friend, reports the New Moon sited in Israel today, August 19th at 7:37pm. Even though the Jewish Calendar has today as the 1st of Elul, the 6th month of the year, in terms of actually "sighting" the moon the month begins tonight. You can find photos on his Facebook site.

In the early 1990s David Horowitz, founder of United Israel World Union (see unitedisrael.org) urged all those who share the common cause of love of YHVH, Torah, and the prophetic hope of the re-gathering of the "lost" tribes of Israel with Judah unite once a month, whenever the New Moon falls according to the standard Jewish Calendar, in praying together a special Prayer for Redemption. He saw it as a fulfillment of the Prophetic call found in both Zechariah and Malachi, both of whom spoke to the returning Exiles: Turn to Me and I will turn to you!  Those of you who know him know that he so often quoted this verse. 

The following prayer for the New Moon was drawn from various texts of the Hebrew Bible:

God of gods, Lord of lords, the Great, the Mighty, the Awesome, whose Name alone is YHVH, the Eternal God of Hosts, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Our Father, we fervently call upon You.

Ah Lord God, we are but dust and ashes!  We are ashamed and embarrassed to lift our faces to You, for our iniquities have risen above our heads, and our guilt has grown even to the heavens.  It is not on account of our own righteousness that we offer these supplications before You, but on account of Your great compassion. What are we?  What is our life?  What is our goodness?  What is our righteousness?  What is our strength?  In Your presence, Oh God, we are as nothing.

Yet You have declared Yourself merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and faithfulness.  You made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm.  Nothing is too difficult for You.  You are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, keeping covenant forever, showing mercy to thousands who fear Your Name and keep Your Commandments.  Now for a brief moment you have shown grace to us in leaving an escaped remnant who sigh and cry over all the sins of Israel and the nations.

You have declared, YHVH, our God, RETURN TO ME, AND I WILL RETURN TO YOU.  We do RETURN O God!  We fervently call upon You, we cry out to You, to SEND THE REDEEMER, to regather the lost sheep of all Israel, to crush the evil ways of the wicked.  We long for that day when the Torah will go forth from Zion to all the nations, when darkness will flee away, when the veil will be removed from all Israel and the nations, when the saints of the Most High will receive the Kingdom, when You will destroy the destroyers of the earth, when wars will be forever abolished, when justice and righteousness will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea, when “YHVH will be King over all the earth, and His Name One.”

Oh YHVH our God, God of Abraham Your friend, we call upon You together on this day, at this hour.  Oh YHVH hear!  Oh YHVH forgive!  Oh YHVH hearken and act!  Oh YHVH delay not!  For Your sake and for Zion, and for Your people, and for all humankind.  In the appointed TIME you will hasten it, for it will certainly come, it will not delay.  We bow the knee, we sigh and cry, we turn to You, YHVH, our Rock and our Redeemer.  Hear our prayer!

Reading and Meditation:

Zechariah 1:2-4
Malachi 3:16-24 (Hebrew)

Daniel 9:1-19; chapters 2 & 7

Ezra 9:5-15


We invite all of you who are so moved to join us in this prayer this evening (August 19/20) whenever it fits your schedule as the sun sets and the "evening and the morning" bring Day 1.






The new moon on August 19, 2012 sighted from Kfar Eldad at 7:40pm. Photo by Yoel Halevi of Hebrew in Israel.

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