The biblical calendar, especially the ancient Hebrew cycle, gives great weight to the idea of the “first month.” The biblical first month, Nisan (or Abib), is firmly anchored in redemptive history and the Exodus narrative, in contrast to the contemporary Gregorian calendar, which starts with January—a month frequently connected to New Year’s resolutions and secular beginning points.
It signifies the start of the liturgical year, which is especially required by God to celebrate the Passover and the Israelites’ spectacular liberation from Egyptian slavery. Therefore, comprehending the “first month” in Scripture involves more than just keeping track of time; it also entails acknowledging a season of fresh starts, sanctification, and remembrance that was predetermined by God.
A recurring theme of dedication and divine instruction emerges when texts about the first month are examined. Beyond the founding of the Passover, later biblical events—like the Tabernacle’s dedication in the desert, the formal beginning of several priestly services, and pivotal national moments of purification and rebirth—often took place during this momentous time.
These verses emphasize that the first month is a sacred deadline for establishing spiritual priorities and commemorating the freedom obtained through God’s intervention because it is a time to actively align with God’s commands, finish tasks devoted to His service, and enter into a purified state.
In the end, these biblical allusions provide believers with a potent spiritual model for embracing any new life cycle or season. The “first month” principles promote a new beginning based on divine remembering rather than human effort—the grounding reality that God has made it possible to escape slavery (Exodus) and find purpose (dedication). Studying these lines serves as a reminder to begin each new stage with acts of faith, purification, and gratitude, making sure that the groundwork for any new undertaking is established in remembrance of God’s most important deeds of salvation.
40 Inspiring Bible Verses About The First Month (2026)
1. Exodus 12:2
“This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.”
This is the pivotal decree where God establishes a new calendar system for Israel, making the month of their deliverance the official “first month.” This command signifies that their spiritual identity and timekeeping are forever tied to the act of redemption and separation from their former life in Egypt.
2. Exodus 12:6
“Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.”
This verse outlines the specific date and action required for the Passover sacrifice, which takes place during the first month. It highlights the necessity of the blood offering and the precise timing of God’s commanded memorial.
3. Exodus 40:17
“So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year.”
This passage records the official completion and consecration of the Tabernacle. Its dedication on the first day of the first month establishes this time as the season for completing sacred tasks, dedicating holy spaces, and initiating divine service.
4. Joshua 4:19
“On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.”
This verse marks the precise date of a profound national transition: the Israelites’ entry into the Promised Land after crossing the Jordan River. Landing on the tenth day of the first month underscores this time as a season for achieving God’s promises and moving into a new, promised destiny.
5. Ezekiel 45:18
“‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In the first month, on the first day, you are to take a young bull without defect and purify the sanctuary.’”
This verse, found in the context of Ezekiel’s vision for the restored temple, highlights the enduring importance of the first month as a time for purifying the sanctuary. It demonstrates that even in future spiritual restoration, the theme of cleansing and starting fresh in the first month remains central.
6. Exodus 12:18
“In the first month, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day, you are to eat bread made without yeast.”
This verse establishes the duration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which begins immediately following the Passover sacrifice in the first month. The command to eat bread without yeast (chametz) symbolizes the call for quick departure and spiritual cleansing, marking the first month as a period of purity and separation from the “leaven” of sin.
7. Numbers 9:1
“The LORD spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first month of the second year after they left Egypt, saying,”
This verse marks a critical point in Israel’s history: the time when God gave the command for the second, definitive Passover celebration. The timing, during the first month of the second year, reinforces the month’s role as the annual season for recalling and renewing their covenant commitment to God’s redemptive work.
8. Ezra 10:17
“By the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.”
This historical account records the completion of a major act of national cleansing and spiritual reform after the return from exile. The fact that the process was concluded precisely on the first day of the first month emphasizes this time as the deadline for major communal repentance and the establishment of purity.
9. 2 Chronicles 30:2-3
“The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem.”
This passage highlights the significance of the first month for the Passover celebration by noting what happens when it is missed. King Hezekiah had to postpone the festival to the second month because of a lack of priestly consecration and popular readiness. This confirms that the first month is the regular, expected time for national holiness and worship.
10. Ezekiel 29:17
“In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me:”
This verse records a prophetic word given to Ezekiel concerning the judgment against Egypt. It’s dating—the first month, on the first day—underscores that this period is not just for celebration and renewal, but is also a time when God initiates and delivers critical messages of judgment, direction, and national consequence.
11. Leviticus 23:5
“The LORD’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.”
This verse reiterates the core timing and purpose of the Passover festival within the first month. It serves as a foundational reference, emphasizing that the month’s primary significance is rooted in the commemoration of the Lord’s redemptive action—a ritual that must be observed precisely at the divinely ordained time.
12. Numbers 33:3
“They set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. The Israelites marched out boldly in full view of all the Egyptians.”
This passage records the precise date of the Exodus itself—the great departure from Egypt. Setting out on the fifteenth day of the first month confirms that this month is the absolute season of freedom, boldness, and the commencement of God’s journey with His people out of slavery and into the wilderness.
13. Exodus 13:4
“Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving.”
This verse uses the early name for the first month, Abib (meaning “ear of grain” or “spring”), to connect the timing of the Exodus with the agricultural cycle of spring harvest. This linkage underscores the month as a time of natural and spiritual new life, marking a powerful transition from bondage to the abundance of God’s provision.
14. 2 Chronicles 29:3
“In the first month of the first year of his reign, King Hezekiah opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired them.”
This records King Hezekiah’s immediate act of religious restoration. By opening and repairing the temple doors in the first month of his reign, he established a precedent that the season of the first month is the optimal time for initiating critical reforms, cleansing national worship, and returning to divine order.
15. Esther 3:7
“In the first month, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Xerxes, they cast the Pur (that is, the lot) in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.”
This verse highlights the timing of wicked schemes and human contingency. The casting of the lots (Pur) to determine the date of the Jewish destruction began in the first month (Nisan). This inclusion shows that while the first month is a time of divine command and redemption, it is also a period where the drama of good versus evil unfolds, often setting the stage for later deliverance.
16. Numbers 28:16-17
“On the fourteenth day of the first month the LORD’s Passover is to be held. On the fifteenth day of this month there is to be a festival; for seven days eat bread made without yeast.”
This passage in the Book of Numbers provides a detailed summary of the two major festivals celebrated consecutively in the first month: the Passover on the 14th and the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread starting on the 15th. This dual focus solidifies the first month as the primary annual season for memorializing redemption and maintaining ceremonial purity.
17. Ezra 6:19
“On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover.”
This verse records the joyous and significant event of the returning exiles celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem after rebuilding the temple. The fact that this momentous celebration of restored worship and national identity occurred precisely on the 14th day of the first month underscores the month’s enduring role as the sacred season of revival and covenant fidelity, even after generations of displacement.
18. Nehemiah 2:1
“In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king.”
This verse marks the beginning of Nehemiah’s powerful mission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The dating, placed specifically in the month of Nisan (the first month), highlights this period as the time when God often initiates national-level assignments, breakthroughs, and calls to service. Nehemiah’s prayer and subsequent bold action demonstrate that the first month is a season for faith-filled launching of God’s plans.
19. 1 Kings 12:32
“He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And he also installed priests at Bethel, at the high places he had made.”
Although this verse speaks of the eighth month, it serves as a powerful contrast. King Jeroboam’s attempt to establish his own illegitimate festival was a direct distortion of the sacred festivals held in the first month in Jerusalem. This juxtaposition emphasizes that the true significance of the first month is its divine origin and authority, which cannot be replaced or moved by human-made religious substitutes.
20. Ezekiel 45:21
“On the fifteenth day of the first month, you are to begin the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days only bread made without yeast is to be eaten.”
This verse, again found within Ezekiel’s visionary blueprint for a future temple, reaffirms the immutability of God’s calendar. Even in the vision of future redemption, the Feast of Unleavened Bread remains fixed on the 15th day of the first month. This confirms the month’s eternal purpose as the divinely set time for purity, new life, and the celebration of God’s redemptive power
21. Exodus 40:2
“On the first day of the first month you are to set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting.”
This verse reiterates the command for the physical erection and assembly of the Tabernacle. By placing this foundational act of worship infrastructure on the first day of the first month, God establishes this time as the season for prioritizing and completing structural work essential for corporate worship and His manifest presence among His people.
22. Numbers 7:1
“When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it. He also anointed all its furnishings and consecrated them. This happened on the day he finished, the first day of the first month.”
This passage confirms the completion of the Tabernacle’s setup and the subsequent anointing and consecration of all its parts. The first day of the first month is solidified as the day of inauguration and sanctification, marking the moment God’s dwelling place on earth became operational and holy.
23. Numbers 7:10
“When the altar was anointed, the leaders brought their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the altar. This happened on the day it was anointed, the first day of the first month.”
Following the Tabernacle’s consecration, this verse notes that the dedication offerings from the tribal leaders began immediately on the same day—the first day of the first month. This shows the month is a time for sacrificial giving and corporate commitment to supporting and participating in the newly established worship system.
24. 2 Chronicles 35:1
“Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month.”
This verse records King Josiah’s dedicated observance of the Passover according to the Law. His action, taking place on the traditional date of the fourteenth day of the first month, highlights the month’s persistent importance as the benchmark for righteous kings seeking to restore and honor God’s sacred festivals and ordinances.
25. Ezekiel 46:1
“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The gate of the inner court facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened.”
While referring to the New Moon generally, in the biblical calendar, the New Moon of the first month (Nisan) is of supreme importance as it dictates the entire month’s timeline and the dates of the major festivals. This verse, detailing the temple’s operations, underscores the sanctity and regulatory role of the beginning of the month in the rhythm of worship.
26. Exodus 12:15
“For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.”
This verse highlights the intense focus on purification and cleansing commanded for the first month. The necessity of removing all yeast from the house by the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread establishes this month as a period demanding thorough spiritual and physical preparation for holiness.
27. Joshua 5:10
“The Israelites camped at Gilgal and celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the plains of Jericho.”
This records the first Passover celebrated by the Israelites after entering the Promised Land. By strictly observing this sacred rite on the plains of Jericho on the fourteenth day of the first month, the people affirmed their covenant identity and obedience at the very start of their conquest, linking the month to covenant faithfulness in new territory.
28. Leviticus 23:6
“And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.”
This provides the core command for the commencement of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It starts on the fifteenth day of the first month, confirming the continuity between the redemptive act (Passover) and the subsequent requirement for sanctified living (Unleavened Bread) within this inaugural month.
29. 2 Kings 23:21
“The king commanded all the people, saying, ‘Keep the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.’”
While not mentioning the month directly, this command by King Josiah emphasizes the Passover’s central role as written in the Law. Since the Passover is fixed in the first month, this verse underlines the supremacy of observing God’s law and commands concerning the sacred time of Nisan.
30. Haggai 1:1
“In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,”
This verse details the timing of the prophet Haggai’s initial message, which did not fall in the first month. However, its specific dating highlights that, while the first month is for sacred festivals, God’s prophetic word and call to action can occur at any time, especially when the people have neglected the spiritual focus expected during the sacred seasons.
31. Jeremiah 41:1
“In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of the royal family and one of the king’s chief officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, Ishmael and his men assassinated Gedaliah.”
Similar to the previous verse, this describes a tragic event in a later month (the seventh). Its contrast to the first month serves to emphasize that the redemptive, cleansing, and restorative themes associated with Nisan stand in stark opposition to the treachery and chaos that can mark other periods of the year.
32. 2 Kings 25:25
“But in the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal line, came with ten men and struck down Gedaliah and killed him, as well as the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.”
This is another reference to the tragic assassination during the seventh month. It further reinforces the idea that the first month is set apart not just by positive celebrations, but by its difference from periods of tragedy and national upheaval that could occur later in the year.
33. Zechariah 7:1
“In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev.”
This specific dating of Zechariah’s prophecy emphasizes that, while the first month holds a unique place for annual covenant renewal, God’s ongoing communication and ethical instruction to His people are delivered throughout the calendar year, addressing their need for repentance and obedience in every season.
34. Ezra 7:9
“For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.”
This verse details the start of Ezra’s journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. His departure on the first day of the first month highlights this time as the divinely appointed season for initiating long journeys of spiritual purpose, returning to holiness, and undertaking great missions under God’s favor (“the good hand of his God upon him”).
35. 2 Chronicles 30:13
“A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, because they could not celebrate it at the regular time.”
This verse is the second part of the narrative showing the delay of the festival due to a lack of preparation. It underscores that the regular time for the Feast of Unleavened Bread is unequivocally the first month. This reinforces the theme that the first month is a sacred time for readiness and obedience in corporate worship.
36. Exodus 12:43
“The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner is to eat of it.’”
This verse, given in the context of setting up the Passover in the first month, highlights the exclusivity and specific requirements for participating in this sacred meal. It teaches that the redemption celebrated in the first month is tied to a covenant relationship and specific obedience, underscoring the theme of sanctification and distinction within the month’s observances.
37. Numbers 9:3
“They are to celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, according to all its regulations and laws.”
This reiterates the strict requirement for celebrating the Passover precisely on the fourteenth day of the first month. The phrase “according to all its regulations and laws” emphasizes that the first month is a time demanding precise adherence to divine instruction, leaving no room for carelessness or adjustment in matters of core worship.
38. Deuteronomy 16:1
“Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover of the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib he brought you out of Egypt by night.”
Moses explicitly commands the Israelites to “Observe the month of Abib” and connect it directly to the historical act of God leading them out of Egypt by night. This verse emphasizes that the first month is inherently a month of observance, remembrance, and acknowledgment of God’s power and timing in their redemption.
39. Exodus 23:15
“Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread without yeast, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt.”
This command reiterates the requirement for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, specifically tying the observance to the month of Abib. It establishes a perpetual link between the sacred time (Abib) and the sacred event (Exodus), making the first month a perpetual reminder of their liberated status.
40. Joshua 3:15
“Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during the harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing.”
While not mentioning the month directly, the context of the Jordan crossing (which occurred in the first month, as referenced in Joshua 4:19) is important. The Jordan River is at flood stage all during the harvest (the season of Abib/Nisan). This confirms that God chose the most difficult time (the flood stage) in the first month to demonstrate His power, teaching that the start of new beginnings is marked by miraculous intervention over insurmountable obstacles.
Conclusion
According to the Scriptures, finding joy during difficult times is a fundamental religious stance rather than an act of pretended optimism. It is a choice to put the truth of God’s unwavering nature ahead of the transient nature of pain. These verses continuously direct believers away from the current situation and toward the ultimate, assured hope of an unwavering presence of the Holy Spirit, a fulfilled faith, and eternal rewards. We turn suffering from a roadblock into a stepping stone by accepting the reality that hardships are necessary instruments for spiritual development—producing tenacity and demonstrated character—making our most trying moments the precise stage on which God’s greatest joy is displayed.
In the end, the biblical notion of joy serves as the best evidence for faith. A believer’s genuine praise of God throughout a difficult time is a significant testament to the world that their hope is genuine and their foundation is eternal. Therefore, the Bible’s assurance that we have a spiritual resource that the world cannot comprehend or take away is what consistently encourages us to rejoice in misfortune. We can fulfill our mission to exalt God even in our darkest hours by reflecting on these potent promises, which give us the divine perspective required to sustain an unwavering and dedicated joy.
