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Up front, this is an 11th hour article. Frankly, things have been… strange and hectic. I’v felt as though we’re all stuck in some strange form of limbo where we’re drifting from the season that was into the season that will be. While I look forward to what the Lord has in store for us all, this place, this limbo presses my limits – but maybe that’s just me.
This week, there was an interesting string of conversation in my small group. We don’t generally do bible studies or sermon break-downs and we’re not some form of book club; we’re friends first and our group hinges on fellowship. Typically, our meetings consist of simple conversation, current events, personal issues or whatever else is on the hearts and minds of our members. Inevitably, their is some kind of revelation, for me at least, in what our illustrious leader calls “debriefing“.
See, this man has a special gift; he is able to pull at the threads of our conversation and identify some level of commonality, an unspoken theme which inevitably runs through them. In so doing, I generally find there’s a message being put forth that speaks to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us, through us. This week was of particular interest.
We actually began with a brief discussion of the latest Chiefs game and the miraculous turn around after it looked like everything was over. In the last thirteen seconds of the fourth quarter, they pulled out a field goal and pushed the game into overtime. I shared with group that, just that day I’d been in a Hebrew language class, taught by a brilliant native-born Israeli. He’d shared with us that in Hebraic thought, the number 13 isn’t taboo or unlucky, but points to the power of God almighty. He illustrated his point through an example using gematria:
The word in Hebrew “Echad” ~ אחד ~ can mathematically be expressed by the number 13: aleph = 1, chet = 8 and dalet = 4 for a total of 13. This struck me because when asked about the heart of the law, Yeshua recited the Shema! Here oh Israel, YHVH is our God, YHVH echad. It was a perspective that really struck me.
Furthermore, there is the lingering issue of a prophesy put forth by Bob Jones; that in the year the Chiefs win the Super Bowl, there will be a great revival, otherwise known as the billion soul harvest. I looked for this after the Chiefs did win, but alas, I have yet to see it. It’s possible that Bob “missed it”, but if this man was truly a prophet, then God will vindicate him and we will see those words come to pass… time will tell.
The next topic, put forth by our leader, was that of Dutch Sheets having prophesied a coming Jericho moment. This about bowled me over! For those unaware, the conquest of Canaan by Joshua and Israel is my wheel-house and there are layers of meaning in such a statement not immediately apparent unless you do some digging.
See, many don’t know that Jericho was the spiritual epicenter of Canaan in it’s day. That would mark this place as the central seat of paganism in that region, and further explains why God instructed the Israelite to take no spoils and to raze everything to the ground. (Dammit Achan – this is why we can’t have nice things!) Just like He’d judged the gods of Egypt during the Exodus, the toppling of the walls of Jericho was God announcing His judgement on the gods of Canaan in a manner that would remain just as famous as the exodus itself.
This then launched a series of events that would culminate in the conquest of the southern half of the land of Israel. From Jericho, to Ai and Beit El, the battle at Gibeon, to Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish… twice, Eglon, Hebron and Debir – every one of the cities fell before Joshua, their armies utterly destroyed and all this in a single year. Seriously. In fact, I could argue that this was completed before summer – you know: “In the spring, when Kings go to war”.
So for me at least, this is significant. I’m sure we can all see that there are powers that be that are wicked to the core. There are certainly no shortage of issues, both personal and corporate that we’ve all been praying into for years now – decades even. A Jericho moment and a spiritual conquest would be… GLORIOUS.
Now, here’s the common thread:
The Chiefs > Revival > 13 and the uniqueness of our God > Jericho and finally > spring conquest.
Ladies and gentlemen, our God is unique. He is all powerful and more over, He is a God of justice just as He is a God of mercy and grace. Personally, I think we need a big, fat, healthy dose of God’s justice – I’ll take that over what man passes off as “just” any day of the week.
I am encouraged – and let me tell you, I needed that encouragement. I hope you are encouraged as well; I don’t know what God is about to do, but I await Passover expectantly. After all, it was right after Passover that Joshua and the sons of Israel began their march.
Until next time,
חזק ואמץ – Chazak V’Ematz – Be Strong and of Good Courage!