The Day Of The Blowing Of Rams' Horns (shophars) (Leviticus 23:23-25).
‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month (moon period), on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest to you, a memorial of blowing of rams' horns, a holy convocation.”
Rams' horns as described in Numbers 10:1-10 were blown at the commencement of every moon period, and on special and solemn days (Numbers 10:10). But the first day of the seventh month was a special day (compare Numbers 29:1). It was a solemn rest (shabbaton), a holy convocation. The rams' horns were blown as a memorial before Yahweh. They were a call to God to consider them on this special month of the year. All would be aware that on that day the rams' horns were being blown to call them to the Day of Atonement and to the Feast of Tabernacles.
It is no coincidence that the seventh month was so full of feasts. Seven was the number of divine perfection and completeness, and the seventh month must thus inevitably be full of awareness of and response to God. It was His month like no other was, a time for getting right with God, and rejoicing in what He had abundantly provided and looking to the future for what He would provide. No wonder it was welcomed with a special feast for the blowing of ram's horns. It would then be followed by the Autumn/Winter rains, the hopefully abundant former rains, which would prepare the ground for sowing, would bring nature back to life again, and would improve the grazing grounds so that the flocks and herds could prosper, all no doubt, they would think, the result of their faithful repentance and worship in the seventh month. And then later still it was followed by the latter rains in the spring which finalised what the former rains had begun, commencing the new year of harvests as another round of reaping began. Together their coming was the basis of their physical happiness and prosperity.
“You shall do no servile work, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh.”
It was a day when all servile work should cease, and an offering be made by fire to Yahweh. This would include as whole burnt offerings a bull ox, a ram, seven lambs of the first year together with suitable grain offerings in each case, and a young goat for a purification for sin offering, in order to make atonement This was besides the whole burnt offering for the month, and the daily whole burnt offerings offered with grain offerings and drink offerings. (For details see Numbers 29:2-6).
We should see the day of the blowing of the rams' horns as a wake-up call. Now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation (our full final deliverance) nearer than when we first believed (Romans 13:11). Are we alert and ready for that day, or are we sleeping as do others? (1 Thessalonians 5:6).