The Sabbath was not regarded as a fast, but a day for rest from worldly occupation and holy joy; it was ordained by God _for man_ and the furtherance of his truest and highest interests (Mk. ii. 27, 28). “The thought of HIM, who is raised above all change, and who after the completion of the works of Creation rejoiced that everything was very good; this coupled with the cessation from work was to lead man up to the contemplation of his own origin from God. As the bodily refreshment restored his physical energies, so should the consciousness of union with the Almighty and the Eternal restore the true life to the soul[93].” (b) _The Month-Sabbath_, or _New Moon Festival_, was ushered in by blowing with the silver trumpets, and by the sacrifice of eleven victims in addition to the daily offering (Num. x. 10; xxviii. 11, &c.). Business and trade were in later times suspended (Amos viii. 5), sacrificial feasts were held (1 Sam. xx. 5–24), and the people resorted to the prophets for religious instruction (2 Kings iv. 23). The New Moon of the _seventh_ month (_Tisri_, October), being the commencement of the civil year, was observed with still greater solemnity. It was one of the seven[94] days of Holy Convocation. Not merely were the trumpets blown at the time of offering the sacrifices, but it was a day _for the blowing of trumpets_ (Num. xxix. 1–6), whence its name the _Feast of Trumpets_. In addition to the daily sacrifices, and the eleven victims offered on the first day of each month, nine other victims were offered as burnt-offerings with a kid for a sin-offering[95]. (c) During the _Seventh_ or _Sabbatical year_ the land was to lie fallow, and _enjoy her Sabbaths_ (Ex. xxiii. 10, 11; Lev. xxv. 2–7; Deut. xv.). No tillage or cultivation of any sort was to be practised, and the spontaneous produce of the fields, instead of being reaped, was to be freely gleaned by the poor, the stranger, and even the cattle. By this rest the land, like man, was to do homage to its Lord and Creator, and the poorest were to share without stint in those spontaneous blessings which by His will it brings forth, and the Israelite, who every seventh day acknowledged God’s claim on his time, thus acknowledged also His claim upon his land. In Deut. xv. we find that the seventh year was also to be one of release for debtors. In spite of the threatenings in Lev. xxvi. the Sabbatical year, as appears from 2 Chron. xxxvi. 20, 21, was greatly neglected; after the return from the Captivity its observance revived (see 1 Macc. vi. 49)[96].