We recently spoke on the topic of the Scriptural pattern of time and found that there was a significant difference in how the Western world thinks about time, and how time is presented to us in the Biblical Scriptures. To me it was an eye-opener to discover that the very first of the entire collection of commandments in the Torah, was a commandment about time – about how the months of each year should be determined. And how the first month of the year was tightly connected to the observance of Pesach. “This month – the month of Pesach – must be the beginning of months for you, it must be the first month of the year for you” – Exodus 12:2. And very soon after this, right at the beginning of their journey through the wilderness, the people of Israel were reminded of the fact that Yahweh completed his creation in six days and rested on the seventh day. And they found out that this pattern of work on six days and rest on the seventh, was meant for them as well. The manna that Yahweh had provided was supposed to be collected before the end of the sixth day. Those who tested this commandment and tried to collect manna on the Shabbat, found nothing and had to stay without food. And so the pattern that was already set into motion during the creation of all things, was re-established in the wilderness and maintained for 40 years. Six days set aside for work – one day, the seventh day (not any other day of man’s choosing), set aside for rest and for honouring Yahweh, who highlighted this day right from the beginning.
There is no doubt that this pattern of keeping the Shabbat and the feasts in the wilderness, was continued in the promised land, and the entire subsequent history of Israel, up unto the birth of Y’shua of Nazareth, and beyond. The fact that these days were not mentioned in every book of the Tanakh, does not mean that they were not kept. The word “Shabbat” is not found once in the book of Joshua, but in the last chapter (Joshua 24) we find this testimony: “Israel served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of Yahweh which He had done for Israel.” The book of Judges, similarly, also never mentions the Shabbat, but the same testimony of Joshua 24, word for word, is found in Judges 2:7 – which clearly means that, although a certain group of people only did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25), there was another group of people – let’s call them a remnant – who remained faithful to the commandments of Elohim, including the Shabbat. In the 13 chapters of the book of Nehemiah the word “Shabbat” appears 13 times and in the 17 prophetic books, starting from Isaiah, onwards, the word “Shabbat” appears 17 times. And to me one of the most interesting things is the fact that the word “Shabbat” is used more times in the New Testament than in the Tanakh or the Old Testament – if one disregards only one book – the book of Exodus (where the word “Shabbat” occurs numerous times in connection with the manna and the giving of the commandments on Mount Sinai). All indications are that the day of the Shabbat has been observed continuously, at least by a small remnant, for the entire period of 3286 years since the receiving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, up until today, without skipping a week and without changing the day of the week.
So, in what way is the Biblical view of time different from that of the Western world? The fact that the Sabbath and the feast days are way down on the list of priorities of the majority of people today, is just a symptom of an extremely poor and superficial understanding of time. Time is not something that has been around for ever. It was created when Yahweh created the heavens and the earth, and when He numbered the days, the first day, the second day, etcetera. And when He dictated that time would revolve around the sun and the moon and the stars. The fact that we have time that is available to do things, and to plan things for the future and to remember certain things of the past, is one of the most precious gifts out of Yahweh’s hands. And Yahweh is the first and the final authority over time. He has been there before time. He created in the beginning – not the beginning for Him, but the beginning for us. He holds the seasons in his hands. Not only the seasons of nature, but also the seasons of major events in this world. And even the seemingly insignificant seasons playing out in the lives of individuals like you and me. He knows the end from the beginning and when we think it is the end or the last, it may be the beginning for Him – for He has no beginning or end.
And because Yahweh knows the future – even within his name one can sense His familiarity with the future – “I will be what I will be” – therefore, He has given us a complete new understanding of hope. The Hebrew word for “hope” is “tikvah” and the root of this word is related to a cord or a rope. Guess what? Hope is the “cord” that connects our “Now” to the “Tomorrow” of Yahweh! It is simply not true that we have no certainty about the things that we are hoping for. Not if those things are based upon Yahweh’s words. When He gives us a word in the form of a promise, we have a very strong cord that we can hold onto. We are not without Elohim and without hope in this world – not for a single moment! Just as a rope must be under tension to be useful, hope requires the “tension” of waiting. In the Scriptural view, the “waiting time” is not empty space; it is the time for us to witness the strength of the cord. The magnitude of the promises. But also the character of the One who gave us those promises and set up the cord. Those who wait upon Yahweh shall renew their strength.
When we refer to time in our daily routines, we think about watches and schedules and dead lines. In the Hebrew context, time is something completely different. The word “zeman” comes from a concept that means “to appoint, to invite and to prepare”. In the Talmudic tradition, the word for a formal invitation to say grace after a meal is “zimun”, from the same family as the word “zeman”. This suggests that when Yahweh gives us time, He is actually extending an invitation to meet Him, and to relate to Him, within that moment. The list of specific times set aside for prayer on the Shabbat, is called “zemanim”. One can clearly see the connection with the concept of “appointed times” in the use of the word “zemanim”. As the Creator-King of this world, Yahweh wants us to honour Him within every moment of our existence. He is not only the creator of the world in the beginning; He is the creator of every moment of our existence. But in His Word He has clearly revealed that there are certain appointed times, special days, that He has set apart as memorable get-togethers between His followers and Himself. And the logical conclusion is this: The ones who acknowledge that every living moment is a gift from Above, should have no difficulty, whatsoever, embracing the “zemanim” of the Almighty – the special days, the memorable get-togethers that He has set aside in his wisdom – over and above the fact that He would like us to spend every moment of our existence, in his presence and in honour of Him!
Let us try to put these principles into practice. In the Western view, if we are bored, we “kill time.” In the Scriptural view, time is a creation of Yahweh. To kill time is to destroy a gift. That is why the apostle wrote in the book of Colossians that we should redeem time – Afrikaans: “Koop die tyd uit!” When you have a gap in your schedule, do not “kill” it with worthless habits, but “fill” it, instead, with meaningful actions. Y’shua used the parable of the talents to teach his followers that we all have the responsibility of making the best of every gift that we have received from Yahweh’s hand. And is time not one of the greatest of these gifts?
There was a certain rabbi who once said: “A man must know that he has only this day, this hour, and this very moment.” Meaning: The time that is past, is past. It can no longer be used. It cannot be changed. It can only be remembered. And the time that is still to come, is not yet within my grasp. It is a gift that I have not yet received. So, what I have, is now. This is why Y’shua said: Do not worry about tomorrow … each day has enough of its own trouble. Let us make the best of the time that we have now … and the season that we are in, right now. Even if I do not particularly enjoy this time, it is still a gift from the Almighty. And if I acknowledge it as a gift, I can turn it around into something enjoyable and great! And even though I am not yet in possession of the times that lie ahead, I can take hold of the cord of hope, which is also a gift from Above. The time that I am in, right now, may be a time of difficulty, but the cord in my hand reminds me of the times of refreshment that Yahweh has promised. It is a cord that cannot be broken, because its Origin is true, steadfast and powerful.
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