Tag: Sivan

Sivan – 5777 (2017)

 sivan

Sivan is the month of Pentecost (or Shavuot as it’s called in Hebrew). Pentecost is God’s 2nd yearly feast (Ex 23:14-17)….. the first is Passover (Pesach), then Pentecost (Shavuot) and finally Sukkoth (Tabernacles).  Pentecost is the feast of harvest or weeks.  It is a celebration of provision.  It initially marked the ingathering of the wheat harvest.  Wheat ready to harvest marked a new season.  The provision from previous seasons could no longer sustain them in a new season.  Pentecost on Mt Sinai God provided the revelation they needed to walk with Him and understand His ways — it marked a new season for them.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  ~ Acts 2:1-4

Pentecost (Shavuot) was not a new thing to the disciples… they celebrated it every year.  In Acts 2 the church was born… marking a new season.  A time to go into all the world with the gospel… the provision of the last season wouldn’t sustain them… so at Pentecost, God poured out His Spirit and released His miraculous gifts. It marked the beginning of the “one-new-man” — the new humanity empowered to do God’s works.  Pentecost represents the release from Heaven of God’s provision in every area of our life.  God uses it to equip us with the new provision needed for a new season.  When we celebrate Pentecost it actually unlocks and releases God’s provision for this new season.  

This month expect God to open doors of provision that will equip you in a new season in your life.  

BUT SIVAN IS MORE THAN JUST PENTECOST — SIVAN IS A MONTH OF RECEIVING NEW BOUNDARIES

At Sinai God began to set boundaries for His people.  Boundaries help to define your identity… When God set boundaries for Israel He was defining them as a nation.  Eph 1:5 says we are predestined for adoption as sons.  The Rotherham translation says “in love marking us out beforehand unto sonship.”  

Predestined means to establish boundaries.. in dealing with people it means to determine their destiny.  Our destinies were determined.. marked out in sonship.  This is the position IN CHRIST that He planned for us to walk in!   

This is a month to press into the revelation of the boundary He set for us in the position of sonship.  Ask Him to extend your borders… to extend your territories as you walk as a son releasing the Kingdom.  

ENLARGE MY TERRITORY…….

The tribe associated with Sivan is Zebulon.  Zebulon was a tribe faithful to the Lord.  Deuteronomy 33:18-19 Moses prophesies over Zebulon that they will partake of the abundance of the seas and of treasures hidden in the sand.  In  Genesis 49:13 Jacob prophesied that Zebulon would dwell by the haven of the sea.  Their prophetic destiny was to engage in trade and become wealthy through commerce on the sea — their symbol is a ship….they are tied to the sea.  

In Joshua 19 when Israel entered the Promise Land, Zebulon was assigned a rich territory that was bordered by Asher, Naphtali, Issachar, and Manasseh.  It was a great land but it left Zebulon with a problem… their prophetic destiny involved the sea… and here they were landlocked!  How could they walk out their prophetic destiny where they were at??

GOD HAD PROMISED THEM A DESTINY BY THE SEA — BUT IN THEIR CURRENT SITUATION, THEY HAD NO ACCESS TO THE SEA!
What they did have was a wonderful trade route… the main east-west highway connecting the seas went through Zebulon.  So they had no seaport but they did have an opportunity to begin moving toward one’s destiny in trade…..and that’s exactly what they did!
As the tribe of Zebulon was faithful to press into it’s prophetic destiny something happened — God shifted Zebulon’s boundaries.  As Zebulon traded with those along the sea of Galilee, members of Zebulon settled in Naphtali and the 2 tribes intermingled.  The land became known as the land of Zebulon and Naphtali (Mt 4:13).  As Zebulon continued to be faithful to pursue their destiny right where they were, the same thing happened on the west with the tribe of Manasseh and the Mediterranean sea — God again shifted their borders.  
By the 1st century, the Jewish historian Josephus said the territory of Zebulun reached all the way from the Mediterranean sea to the sea of Galilee….. the Mediterranean sea that was originally portioned to Manasseh and the Sea of Galilee that was portioned to Naphtali.  Because they faithfully pursued God’s promise they gained seaports on two seas!
PURSUE YOUR PROPHETIC DESTINY WITH FAITHFULNESS!
Sometimes this happens with our lives.  We have received a prophetic promise of our destiny and it feels as if we’re landlocked so to speak…. like we are so far from walking in and fulfilling that promise.  Our present boundaries seem too narrow and not at all what God had promised us.  But don’t respond to the promise in unbelief….pursue your call with faithfulness.  Like Zebulon, work with what you presently have… they had a trade route and linked up with the tribes of Naphtali and Manasseh.  
Naphtali means “pleasant words” and Manasseh means “cause me to forget” because Joseph was able to forget his past troubles and hardships.  Apostle Paul in Philippians said “Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”  We need to say the same thing.
 
In order for God to enlarge our territory we need to be faithful in what we presently have and where we presently are…. by speak words of faith – declaring His prophetic promises over our lives.… and forgetting those things that are behind us — looking forward and pressing into our inheritance and the things purchased for us by Jesus at the Cross and Resurrection.  
Our boundary that God marked out for us is sonship (Eph 1:5)…. let’s ask God to enlarge our territory in this new season…. for a larger territory for us to release His Kingdom and be a light to the nations.
~ Robin