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L’Shana Tovah. When you think of Rosh Hashanah there are probably several images that come to mind. Shofars being blown are probably one of them. But I would guess you think of the traditional Rosh Hashanah treat; Apples dipped in honey. In a little while we will be celebrating the new year with sweets of all kinds, including the very traditional apples and honey. Now the origin of our tradition of apples and honey is debated but there are a few facts we know. Scholars trace apples back to medieval times among Ashkenazi Jews, which were considered a rare and sweet treat.
But what about honey? We do not have to look hard in our Bibles for dozens of references to honey and honeycombs. Almost all these references connect the sweetness of honey to the pleasant parts of life. For example, the land of Israel is described as a good land, flowing with milk and honey, demonstrating that it is a great place to live. Therefore, the sweetness of honey represents the nicest parts of life.
It makes sense then that during Rosh Hashanah, as we enjoy the sweetest of biblical treats, we pray for a pleasant and blessed new year.
This desire for a sweet new year is not just something Jewish or biblical. Human beings are always looking for a sweeter and blessed life. Every year we hope will be better than the last. But every year in many ways that hope is thwarted. Year after year it seems the darkness of this world is steadily increasing. Financially, emotionally, physically, and especially spiritually the graphs seem to trend downwards for most in our society.
But every year we are told of new ways to find lasting sweetness in this life. If we just buy the right things, listen to the right people, do what society tells us, we will finally be happy. After changing every part of ourselves, inside and out, based on an ever-moving target, then finally we will experience all the sweetness life has to offer.
Yet these solutions do not seem to be fixing much of anything, in fact they are making things worse. It is why depression, and all sorts of other mental issues are on the rise. No matter how much we try to lie to ourselves and others how “sweet” our lives are we cannot mask the truth forever. Beneath the shiny and sweet veneer of social media are some real lemons.
These destructive attempts by our society to fix itself damages so many people. Ruining lives not just in this world but also trying to stop many from reaching the world-to-come. So, this morning as we begin our new year, I would like to share with you the secret to a sweet new year. We find the secret in Psalm 19:7-11. This psalm is a psalm of King David, a man who experienced the bitterness and sweetness of life.
In Psalm 19 we open with the sky above declaring every day the reality and majesty of our Creator. So, I must confess, the secret I am about to share is not much of a secret, it is available to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear. We begin with verse 7.
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
This verse is not a popular message today, but it is a true one. If you want to have your soul refreshed, then seek out the law of the Lord. Adonai’s law today is not written on tablets but written on the heart of every believer. He has done so through the Good News of Messiah Yeshua. In God alone do we find real rest for our souls. So here is the secret: If we are willing to lay our burdens on the Lord, then we will have a sweet new year.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
If you want to be wise, then seek out the good commands of the Lord. His commands are trustworthy to base your life on. They are an objective black and white truth in a world of shifting greys. People in general want to be wiser and hope to be in the coming year. But human wisdom is not trustworthy. So here is the secret: If we bring in the wisdom of the Lord and reject the so-called wisdom of our society, we will have a sweet new year.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
Everyone wants to be experience joy. Not just a temporary outward joy but a joy that reaches to our deepest parts. In the Lord’s commands there is joy. In fact, being joyful is a spiritual discipline! As King David declares in Psalm 16:11, the Lord is the one who fills us with joy. Any true joy we find in this world is because of the Lord. The joy promised to us from others is fleeting and usually has many strings attached. So here is the secret: If we are willing to let the joy of the Lord fill us, we will have a sweet new year.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The Lords commands are also full of light. In a world covered in darkness and confusion, the Lord radiates pure light that gives us meaning and understanding. God is light, in whom there is no darkness. Often at critical moments, like when the power goes out, our lights fail us. We find the flashlight has dead batteries or things just stop working. The light of our world is often the same way. It fails us in critical moments. What is provides is a false light that leads us deeper into confusion and darkness. So here is the secret: If we are willing to join ourselves to the Light of Life, then we too will radiate the light of the knowledge of God’s Glory and we will have a sweet new year.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The fear of the Lord is the righteous respect that He deserves. People in our world have little respect for themselves and even less for others. Mocking is not just something angsty teenagers do! At ages that we should know better, people mock the Lord, His people, and every command of His they do not like. So here is the secret: By treating our Creator as the Holy God that He is and not the mocking our society does, we will have a sweet new year.
The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.
Adonai’s decisions are firm and righteous. He is not like a man who changes his mind all the time. The Lord does not flip-flop. Human politicians and leaders are often not righteous or firm. It is hard to have a sweet joyful life with unstable leaders. If you have ever been friends or family to someone emotionally unstable you know what I am talking about. Not knowing which version of a person, you will be dealing with or what will set them off today. However, the Lord is the same yesterday and today and forever. He is firm and always right. So here is the secret: If we accept the full decrees of the Lord, not just the ones we like, then we will have a sweet new year.
So, to summarize these verses, what is the secret to having a blessed life? What is the secret to a sweet new year? Trusting and following the Lord will lead to a life filled with peace, wisdom, joy, and light. These “sweet things” of life are not dependent on our circumstances or us making it happen. They are freely given, a gift of grace, for all those who call Adonai their father and Messiah Yeshua their Lord.
But how can we be sure that this is the secret to a sweet new year? Maybe you are still doubting? Consider then the final two verses of this section in Psalm 19. Verses 10 and 11.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Following the Lord leads us to something exceedingly more valuable than a mountain of Gold. As sweet as honey is, even fresh honey, the commands of the Lord are sweeter. In following them we are not only warned of danger but are promised a great reward.
The ultimate reward of the Lord is life everlasting with our wonderful God and Savior in the New Jerusalem. A reward no amount of money can buy, or fame earn. The world promises us many “sweet things” but they are ultimately worthless. This reward is from the Lord alone and cannot be bought.
So, as we come to another new year and take stock of our lives, each of us has a decision to make. Will we seek a sweet new year through obedience to our wonderful Messiah, through His Word? Or will we seek sweetness elsewhere and be left wanting?
We have been promised the sweetest of rewards if we place our faith in Messiah Yeshua. We also have the promise of the bitterest of punishments for those who choose to reject Him. This is not my opinion; it is the direct words of our Messiah Himself. We read this promise, connected to His return prophesied in these High Holidays in Revelation 22:12:
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
As we continue reading, we see the promise of eternal life for those who are His servants and rejection for those who are not. As we contemplate our relationships during these Days of Awe, we need to make sure we know which promise we will be receiving.
It is my prayer this Rosh Hashanah that each of us would experience more peace, wisdom, joy, and light. That we would also be willing to share this open secret to a world in desperate need of the Lord’s goodness. May each of us reach the reward our wonderful Messiah makes available to all those who belong to Him. Shana tovah u’metukah, have a good and sweet year.