Many of us know that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways. But have you ever thought about what that means on a practical level? One of the clearest examples is the Biblical Calendar which begins in Nissan, corresponding to March and April on our calendar. To be in God’s timing, we must change how we think, and part of that change involves becoming acquainted with God’s calendar.
Romans 12:2 AMPC “Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].”
When we allow ourselves to step outside the familiar patterns of the world and into the ways of God, including the months, Feast Days, and weekly Shabbat, we step into the rhythm God set at the beginning.
God began His calendar with the freedom of the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage and led them through a process of getting to know Him in the wilderness. This process included getting to know Him as Healer (Exodus 15:26), Provider (Exodus 16:1-17:7), Protector (Exodus 17:8-16), Law Giver and Teacher (Exodus 20:1-23:19), Assistance Dispatcher (Exodus 23:20-33), Covenant Keeper (Exodus 24:1-8), and more. This covers the second and third months historically on the calendar.
We are better prepared to follow the Lord when we read and understand God’s nature and ways through the Torah (The first five books of the Old Testament). Therefore, God gave the law or, more accurately, pathway and teaching to Israel so they would know how to live and be blessed.
Joshua 1:8 CJB “Yes, keep this book of the Torah on your lips, and meditate on it day and night, so that you will take care to act according to everything written in it. Then your undertakings will prosper, and you will succeed.”
When we begin to see the law as David saw it in Psalm 119 and as holy, just, and good as Paul described it in Romans, we will love the law like David; we will see it as a pathway and not a hindrance.
We are now in the second month on God’s calendar, Iyar or Ziv, as it is also called in the Bible. The Hebrew name of the month is an acronym for I AM the Lord your Healer. In the first month, we see the God of supernatural miracles. In the second month, God reveals that if we walk in His ways, He will be our healer and provider.
Exodus 15:24-26 CJB “The people grumbled against Moshe and asked, “What are we to drink?” 25 Moshe cried to Adonai; and Adonai showed him a certain piece of wood, which, when he threw it into the water, made the water taste good. There Adonai made laws and rules of life for them, and there he tested them. 26 He said, “If you will listen intently to the voice of Adonai your God, do what he considers right, pay attention to his mitzvot and observe his laws, I will not afflict you with any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians; because I am Adonai your healer.”
How many times are we like Israel in the Exodus story? Yet, no matter how many things we see God do, we still doubt that He will continue being our healer, provider, defender, and all that we need Him to be. Iyar is the month that links Passover and Pentecost. It is the month we count the omer every day, which is a spiritual preparation process to receive fresh insight into the Torah and a new baptism of the Holy Spirit.
We began by looking at Hebrews 12:2, which tells us we need to change how we think. God’s plan for us this month is to go from worldly thinking to Hebraic thinking. The Old Testament isn’t old, and there is nothing new in the New Testament. New means renewed. Every command Jesus gave in the gospels can be found in the Torah, and the supposed negative comments from Paul are not negative at all but a continuation of Talmudic discussion. When we see the Bible as a whole, when we see the benefits and the linking from month to month on God’s calendar, we’ll realize that God has revival scheduled throughout the year and that by flowing with His calendar, we are equipped to stand up against the attacks of the Adversary.
Spend time meditating on who God is this month, specifically in healing, provision, and protection. The more you get into this flow, the more you will see the rhythms of grace in your life.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:28-30, The Messsage Paraphrase
To learn more about God’s calendar; including the Feasts of the Lord, Hebrew months, the Tribes of Israel, and the importance and blessing of giving during appointed times, read A Time to Advance: Understanding the Significance of the Hebrew Tribes and Months by Chuck D. Pierce with Robert and Linda Heidler
If you want to study healing this month, I recommend the following materials:
Christ the Healer by F.F. Bosworth
God’s Creative Power for Healing (mini book) by Charles Capps
Learn to study the Bible Hebraicly:
* The Mishnah (English translation with explanatory notes): Herbert Danby
*Everyman’s Talmud (The Major Teachings of the Rabbinic Sages): Abraham Cohen
*The Seventy Faces of Torah: Stephen M. Wylen
*The Way Into Torah: Norman J. Cohen
Casey D. Bell 