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and its name was construed as meaning "the day for ending the wrath of the gods." The
Israelites, on the other hand, made the sabbaths the feasts of a living and holy God. The
work of man became symbolic of the work of God, and human rest of divine rest, so that
the sabbaths became preeminently days of rest. Since, moreover, the LUNAR MONTH
had 29 or 30 days, the normal lapse of time between sabbaths was six days, although
sometimes seven or eight; and six working days were accordingly assigned to the crea-
tion, which was to furnish a prototype for human life.

Continuing, we read --

THE CONNECTION OF THE SABBATH WITH LUNAR PHASES, however, WAS
DISCARDED BY THE ISRAELITES...AND THE WEEKS WERE ACCORDINGLY
DIVORCED FROM THE DAYS OF THE MONTHS AND WERE MADE TO FOL-
LOW IN SUCCESSION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, a more regular correspondence
with the week of creation being thus secured [or, a more regular correspondence with the
economic realities of the environment in which they lived!]. The first lunar day, however,
or the day of the NEW MOON, retained, although no longer called sabbath, somewhat of
its sabbatical character, so that in the Old Testament IT FREQUENTLY APPEARS AS A
PENDANT OF THE SABBATH" (pp. 135-136, article "Sabbath, Observance in Old Tes-
tament Times).

The word "pendant" means "something that hangs from something else." Let's see how often
the NEW MOON and the weekly SABBATH "hang together" as the modern venacular goes. Notice
2 Kings 4:23 --

So he said, "Why are you going to him today? It is neither THE NEW MOON NOR THE
SABBATH." And she said, "It is well."

Go now to 2 Chronicles 24:31 --

And at every presentation of a burnt offering to the Lord on the SABBATHS AND THE
NEW MOONS and on the set feasts, by number according to the ordinance governing
them, regularly before the Lord.

Let's look at 2 Chronicles 2:4:

Behold, I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to Him, to
burn before Him sweet incense, for the continual showbread, for the burnt offerings
morning and evening, on THE SABBATHS, ON THE NEW MOONS, and on the set
feasts of the Lord our God.

Further, in 2 Chronicles 8:13 --

According to the daily rate, offering according to the commandment of Moses, for THE
SABBATHS, THE NEW MOONS, and the three appointed yearly feasts -- the Feast of
Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

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