By Toni Ford
This year, I’ve decided to spend more time focusing on the months of the Jewish calendar and the meaning behind each month. Currently, we are nearing the end of the third Jewish month, Sivan, which falls during the months of May and June in the Gregorian calendar. As I’ve stated in my past columns, Chuck Pierce and Robert Heidler are incredible teachers when it comes to understanding the significance of the Hebrew tribes and months. If you are interested in learning more, I would encourage you to research the information they’ve shared on this topic.
As I’ve studied and researched each Hebrew month and the tribes associated with each month, I am amazed at the intentionality of our God in how He orders our steps throughout the year based upon what each month represents, each feast celebrated and each tribe associated with each month. Our God is a God of order, and as a result of His order, each month is designed to release a blessing into our lives. As we take the time to learn and understand His design, it is then that we will also learn how to progress from blessing to blessing throughout the entire year.
Therefore, let us take a few minutes to learn about the month of Sivan and its importance in our lives today.
Significance. Sivan is the month we celebrate Pentecost, or Shavuot, which is the second of the three major feasts of the year. Pentecost is actually a celebration of God’s provision revealed as a three-fold feast. The first feast commemorates the gathering of the wheat harvest that represents God’s physical provision. The second feast was the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people more than 3,000 years ago, which represents God’s provision of revelation. The third feast took place on Mount Sinai at the time of Pentecost, which was the provision of the Holy Spirit as demonstrated in Acts 2. Shavuot means “weeks” and marks the completion of the seven-week counting period between Passover and Shavuot/Pentecost. These 49 days are considered to be a time of introspection and self-refinement and a time to prepare ourselves for receiving of the Torah anew on Shavuot. Each day represents another step in this spiritual journey. Shavuot also means “oaths,” for on this day God swore eternal devotion to us, and we in turn pledged everlasting loyalty to Him.
Tribe. Sivan is associated with the tribe of Zebulun, who was the sixth son of Jacob and Leah. His name means,“a habitation” from a root word, which means, “to dwell in an exalted fashion.” The tribe of Zebulun was a faithful tribe unto the Lord and was known for its expertise in business and in the marketplace. This tribe developed and filled storehouses for provision, which was one of its roles. The tribe of Zebulun had incredible redemptive qualities and was very loyal. The members of this tribe knew who they were and to whom they were connected, which is a vital quality we will need to possess in the days ahead.
Connecting your talk to your walk. Proverbs 10:9 says, “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.” Not only does this month feature picture walking, which means “continuous, ongoing process,” going from one level of strength to the next, but also represents our connection between the words we speak and movement we make based on those words! Our words connect our mouth to our walk, so this is a month of refining our emotions and moving into God’s purpose for our lives.
Giving is key. There are three aspects of giving we need to focus on this month : substance, time and revelation. The month of Sivan is a time to review your giving process and receive new boundaries. Review your alignment this month and look for opportunities to give in these three areas. This realigning will lead to our ability to see more clearly. As we seek the Lord this month, He begins to pour out His Spirit with a greater revelation and understanding.
Lord, we thank you for this month of Sivan. While we begin to see the importance of each month, season and feast, we still ask You to continue to teach us and give us an even greater understanding. Lord, we pray for a fresh outpouring of the Acts 2 Holy Spirit! Cover our homes, our families and our places of work with Your provision and revelation. Thank you for being a God of intentionality!
If you would like me to join you in prayer please e-mail me at tonif77@gmail.com. I would love to pray for you!