11th month of God's year - Sh'vat

It’s good to remember that ALL God’s Appointed Times always have been, and always will be according to His Calendar. As will be read in this week’s Torah Portion “Bo”. Exodus 12: 2 “This month is to be for you the First Month, the first month of your year.”

So after sunset on Wednesday 29h January we entered the 11th month of God’s calendar.

This 11th month was later given the name Sh’vat probably during the Babylonian exile. It is believed to be a loan word from ancient Akkadian, possibly related to the word strike/lash, referring to the heavy rains of the season as winter draws to a close. Rain, in Jewish tradition, is tied with blessings of course, and we certainly need to be praying for plenty more in the weeks ahead, our “rainy season” has so far been very dry indeed.

However, this word Sh’vat - שבט - also stems from the Hebrew word meaning Spear, Sceptre and Tribe. Mostly used in the Tenach as TRIBE.

The head of the month can be seen as a time of spiritual renewal, receiving a new portion of time. All through the scriptures the New Moon/Month was often a day when the prophets heard from The Lord, being a day that was designated to wait upon The Lord, to discern His purposes and to receive prophetic revelation.

Ezekiel 26:1; “And it came to pass in the 11th year on the first day of the month that the word of the Lord came to me…”

Ezekiel 29:17; “And it came to pass in the 27th year in the first month on the first day of the month and the word of the Lord came to me saying…..”

Haggai 1:1. “In the 2nd year of King Darius in the 6th month on the first day of the month the word of The Lord came by Haggai…..”

The number eleven can also symbolise disorder, chaos and judgment. Coming after 10, which represents law, order and responsibility.

I think, therefore, that it is very significant that the first time we have the 11th month of God’s year mentioned in the scriptures is in Deuteronomy When Moshe gathered together The Children of Israel and began a 37 day “review of the Torah” which he concluded on the day of his death.

We read: “On the first day of the 11th month of the 40th year (that is the 40th year since the Exile of course) Moshe spoke to the people of Israel, reviewing everything The Lord had ordered him to tell them. Deut. 1:3

So Moshe spent this whole 11th month, and in fact the first week of the next month, reminding the Children of Israel of ALL THE THINGS THE LORD HAD ORDERED, knowing he would then die and the Children of Israel would enter the Promised Land without him. During this whole 11th month, Moshe repeats to the children of Israel of The Way of God, the Order of God. His Torah. Indeed, The only thing that is still dependable, unchangeable and forever, and was given to bring blessing to those who have ears to hear, and hearts to obey. God’s Way to live, and God’s Word stands for ever.

The only other time I could find this 11th month mentioned in the Tenach, is in Zechariah 1:7, where we have this amazing, glorious powerful prophecy: “On the 24th day of the eleventh month, the month of Sh’vat, (in the second year of Daryavesh,) This message from THE LORD came to Zechariah, the son of Berekhyah, the son of Iddo, the prophet.”

Here are a few snippets, It would take much too long to write it all:

• Here is what Adonai Tzva’ot says. I am extremely jealous on behalf of Yerushalyim and Tzion, and I am extremely angry with the nations that are so self-satisfied because I was only a little angry at Yerushalayim and Tzion, but they made the suffering worse, therefore Adonai Tzva’ot says; I will return to Yerushalyim with merciful deeds. My house will be rebuilt there, yes a measuring line will be stretched out over Yerushalayim, my cities will again overflow with prosperity, The Lord will again comfort Tzion and He will again make Yerushalayim the city of His choice. –

• Yerushalayim will be inhabited without walls, because there will be so many people and animals . I will be for her a wall of fire surrounding her, and I will be the glory within her. For Adonai Tzva’ot has sent me on a glorious mission to the nations that plundered you, and this is what he says, “Anyone who injures you injures the very pupil of MY eye.

• Sing daughter of Tzion; rejoice! For here I am coming; and I will live among you says The Lord. When that time comes many nations will join themselves to The Lord. They will be my people, and I will live among you. Than you will know that it was Adonai Tzva’ot who sent me to you. The Lord will take possession of Y’hudah as His portion in the holy land, and He will again make Yerushalayim His choice.

But how significant that this wonderful prophecy in Zechariah was given in this 11th month, a month seen as a month of chaos and disorder, and we hear The Word of the Lord proclaiming His purposes, His ways His plans, in response to the ways of the world, and the way the world treats Jerusalem.

Very poignant as we see “the world and his wife” having such strong warped opinions on how Israel responded to the horrendous genocidal massacre of 7th October 2023, and questioning Israel’s right to the Land The Lord God of Israel gave them as an EVERLASTING COVENANT.

A wake up call indeed to the UN, sadly many Nations in the world, to many “so called academics”, and sadly to many totally uninformed people who have just loved accepting the lies of Islam regarding The Chosen People of the Only God. Even more sadly replacement theology, which continues to be rife within the church. All the above causing global antisemitism to surge by 340% over the last two years.

The only Chag, festival, during this 11th month of Sh’vat, is Tu B’Sh’vat ( the 15th day of Sh’vat) which marks the New Year for Trees. This is the day it is believed when the sap begins to rise in the fruit trees in Israel—the start of a new growing season. This is obviously NOT scriptural, but rabbinical, and is one of the Four New Years mentioned in the Mishnah. There are a few customs and observances for this day, to plant new trees, and to eat fruit from the Seven Species (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olive oil and honey).

Finally in Jewish History it was on 28 Sh’vat 134 BCE that Antiochus V abandoned his siege of Jerusalem, after which the day was observed as a holiday in Hasmonean times.

So Abba Father we dedicate ourselves afresh to You as we enter this new 11th month, this new portion of time. Let it not be a month of disorder and chaos for Your Land and Your People, but a month of standing on the Rock of Your Word, standing firm in the chaos, and looking to You, our hope and our strength in times of trouble. May You continue to be “extremely” angry with the nations, and just a “little” angry with Israel.

יהי רצון מלפנין יהוה אלהינו ואלהי אבותינו שתחדש עלינו חודש טוב

באדנינו ישוע המשיח

May it be Your will Lord our God and God of our fathers, that you renew for us a good month in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah