The Month of
Adar
For a number of years I have been studying and praying for insight
into how the Lord moves and works in time. We learn in 1 Chronicles 12:32 that
the Sons of Issachar had an understanding of the times and knew what Israel
ought to do. They were masters of the Hebrew calendar.
In Exodus 12:2 the Lord established the Hebrew
calendar. “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be
the first month of the year to you.” The Hebrew calendar begins at
Passover in the month of Nissan. This calendar was God ordained and
introduced in the Bible.
The Hebrew Calendar is both a religious calendar and a civil
calendar. The Religious year begins at Passover in the month of Nissan and the
civil year begins at Rosh Hashanah in the month of Tishri.
To better understand how God moves in time and works in our lives
you can study the Hebrew calendar and the patterns that have been established
in the Word of God. Our Gregorian calendar is on a different time cycle
than the Word of God.
God is not in time. In the Bible He is defined as the Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the end. Through
a study of the scriptures we learn that He is the great Chronographer of the
ages. He reigns above time
and moves in and out of time.
The first mention of the calendar in the Bible is in Genesis 7:1. “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s
life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all
the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were
opened.”
The month of Adar is the twelfth month counting from Nissan. It is the sixth month counting from Rosh Hashanah
on the civil calendar. During a leap year the month Adar I is inserted. Adar II becomes the original Adar and
Purim is celebrated during this month.
The Hebrew Calendar runs on a nineteen-year cycle. Adar I is added in the third, sixth,
eighth, eleventh, fourteenth, seventeenth and nineteenth years of the cycle.
This month is the month that the Jewish holiday of Purim is
celebrated. It is on the
fourteenth of Adar. Purim
is a festive time. It is a
time to send out gifts. It is a joyful time to gather with family and friends
for festive meals.
God has established specific times in the Bible to fast and times
to feast. This is a time to
celebrate the ending of the year. We
are to end this season with rejoicing and great joy and embrace the new season
with expectation and faith.
During Purim the book of Esther is to be read. When the name of
Haman is mentioned, the people will hiss, boo, stamp their feet, and make
noise. The purpose of this is to blot out the name of Haman.
This is the month to watch for Haman’s decrees against us. The
enemy will appear behind something else. Haman deceived the King. It was during
this time that Esther fasted and prepared herself to go into the king. She made
the famous statement, “If I perish, I perish.” She found favor with the king
and her petition resulted in a divine reversal for Mordecai, Esther and the
Jewish people.
In the story of Esther you learn that Mordecai and Esther were
divinely positioned by God to bring deliverance to God’s covenant people. Haman
used astrology and casted lots to determine when to destroy God’s people.
(Esther 3:6-7) His wicked plot was overturned through the obedience of Mordecai
and Esther.
During this month I want to encourage you to pray for future
delivers to awaken to God’s call and arise! This same spirit of Haman is at work
today in Iran, which is ancient Persia. We must pray for Israel and the peace
of Jerusalem during this month.
Each of the twelve months on the Hebrew Calendar corresponds to
one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Adar
is the month that corresponds to tribe of Naphtali. Naphtali was the sixth son of Jacob by
Rachel’s handmade, Bilhah.
Naphtali means “Wrestlings or struggles. In Genesis 30:8 Rachel
makes this statement, “With great wrestlings, I have wrestled with my sister,
and indeed I have prevailed. So
she called his name, Naphtali.”
In Genesis 49:21 Jacob prophesies to his sixth son. “Naphtali is a
deer let loose; He uses beautiful words.” Moses prophecy to the tribe of
Naphtali is in Numbers 33:23. “And
of Naphtali he said: ‘O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full of the
blessing of the Lord, Possess the west and the south.’”
What are the instructions for this month? This is a month of praise. Naphtali is like a deer let loose. The
blessings of Naphtali indicated the ability to be swift and to harvest quickly. This is a month to prepare for the
harvest God is bringing you. This tribe was a tribe of valiant warriors.
This is a month to turn sorrow into joy. The month of Adar is a joyous month. The Jewish people begin the year at
Passover, a time of joy, and then end the year this month in joy and
celebration of God’s deliverance from the plots of Haman.
Just as God divinely positioned Mordecai and Esther to use
them to bring deliverance to His covenant people He will divinely position you
for your assignment for this season. Make
this a month to celebrate the ending of one season and the beginning of a new
season for your life.
This particular is important because the Prime Minister of Israel
is coming to our nation to address a joint session of congress. He is going to address the threat from Iran (Persia)
regarding their nuclear program. The
current administration is openly attacking the Prime Minister and some are
boycotting his speech. This is very
dangerous to our nation. Genesis 12:1-3
reveals that God blesses those who bless the seed of Abraham through
Isaac.
He is coming March 3, 2015 which is Adar 12 on the Hebrew
Calendar. This is the day before
Purim. Watch for two things to
happen. First, watch for what gets
exposed in this government. Second,
watch what God exposes as a threat to Israel.
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