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Topic: The year 5773:Ayin Gimel
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Karen Samford
Senior Member
Joined: 12/16/2011
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 989
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Posted: 09/25/2012 at 6:24pm
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SEPTEMBER 16, 2012
Written by:Melissa Flores
The Year 5773: Ayin Gimel
Sundown on September 16, 2012 marks the beginning of Rosh
Hashanah or Jewish New Year. According to Hebrew
tradition, today, the earth turns 5773 years old. 5773
will be known as the year ayin gimel, or ’73. This year
will reveal the Lord as our “Gracious Benevolent
Redeemer.” The Hebrew alphabet doubles as numbers giving
each character a numerical value. Since each Hebrew
character possesses a pictorial meaning as well, there
are layers of richness to each letter/number. Pictorial
dates tell a story, revealing the Creator’s design for
that particular year. Jewish calendar year, 5773, is
pregnant with opportunities for recovery and redemption.
During 5772, the winnower was at work, sifting the chaff
from the wheat. Not one of us has escaped the process of
being tossed and shaken. Rejoice, friend! Though you may
feel stripped and inadequate, useless chaff has been
loosed from your life. Divine ruach (the breath of God)
has blown consistently upon even the most solid areas of
your life. Unrelenting at times, the ruach has tempered
your faith and has given you new perspective. Yesterday’s
sweet spot is today’s chaff. Chaff is the husk or
encasing that surrounds the kernel of grain during its
maturation process. What protected and nurtured you in
times past will be separated from you in the day of
sifting. Only after experiencing the winnower’s wind can
you be ready for inclusion in the next chapter of
Father’s plan.
Sifting differentiates between what is worthless and what
is of value. Many in Father’s house, are feeling quite
worthless because the wind has blown away what they found
central to their identity. Some things have departed that
once gave us a sense of great significance. Perhaps you
have drawn your identity from a particular assignment,
ministry, relationship, or season of past success? Much
has blown away in the winds of 5772. Chaff has value and
purpose, in its season. Wisdom beckons us to recognize
the seasonal quality of what or who has exited your life
in the sifting. Chalk it up to process.
Sifting reveals not only the chaff, but also the mature,
whole grain. You have been discovered on the threshing
floor of God’s house [this is the fulfillment of ayin bet
or 5772].
Gimel or “3″
Number “3″ in the aleph-bet, gimel, is symbolic of the
camel. Gimel’s pictograph depicts a walking camel’s head,
neck and forelegs. Camels are burden-bearing beasts
employed by kings of old. Unusually tolerant of heat,
long periods of time can pass between waterings, making
the camel the desert-traveler’s choice of transportation.
For many, the past season has been a desert of hardship.
Frankly, I struggled sharing this word in light of the
prevalent discouragement among the body of Christ. The
promises of God, however, stand regardless of our
disappointments. “What if some did not have faith? Will
their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at
all! Let God be true, and every man a liar,” Romans 3:3-4
NIV. Don’t abandon hope, but humbly accept the word God
has planted in your heart, for it has the power to save
your soul. During ayin gimel, the Lord will demonstrate
faithfulness to the one who counts Him as faithful.
Camels are the desert ships of kings and their riches. In
2 Chronicles 9:1, the Queen of Sheba brought Solomon
gold, gems and spices on a caravan of camels. Eliezer
brought the bride, Rebecca, home to Isaac on a caravan of
camels. Kings and wealthy businessmen used camels to
transport goods along trade routes. The following facts
are shared on the American Bible Society website.
Camel caravans were important to the economies of cities
and empires.
Camels are the best desert pack animals due to their
amazing strength.
They can carry anywhere from 350-1000 pounds each!
Passengers could ride atop or be carried in baskets on
either side.
Camels can live on and digest thorny plants in the
desert.
Camels can survive many days without water as their body
stores and releases water on journeys.
Camels have callouses that protect them from the
scorching sand.
The eyelashes of the camel protect him from the blinding
sun and the blowing sand.
Camels possess an acute sense of smell that leads them to
desert water sources.
Benevolent
Ayin gimel illustrates the Father’s ability to provide
for His children, even in a barren wasteland. The Talmud
[writings of Jewish civil and ceremonial law] depicts
gimel as a wealthy man running to overtake an
impoverished man with provision. Jesus, our wealthy king,
has methods of sourcing His people during times of
hardship. He is not limited in how He can achieve gimel’s
aim! As I write, my husband reminds me of a vision he had
some months ago that corroborates this word. In his
vision, a group of people were walking across a stage.
From behind the stage curtain, a man emerged to overtake
the group. In a surprising gesture, he wrapped his arms
around a passerby, not to harm but to bless. Jonathan
wrote the vision down (a seed of confirmation for the
year 5773). As we cross the stage of ayin gimel, One will
be revealed Who is poised to overtake us with mercies.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life,” Psalm 23:6 KJV.
Redeemer
Gimel illustrates the redemptive power of Christ. It
could be said that the camel is a type of Christ, Who
lifts others and carries their burdens. Many will
traverse the wilderness of 5773 in the basket strapped to
gimel’s side. Don’t stop short with the mere hope of
survival. Never doubt that God can redeem the losses of
your prior season! Gimel never arrives on the scene
empty-handed. “See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him,” Isaiah 40:10 NIV.
Gracious
As the number “3″, gimel speaks of the third person of
the Trinity. If aleph “1″ is the Father – and bet “2″ is
the Son; then, gimel “3″ is the Holy Spirit of truth that
proceedeth from the Father and son (John 15:26). It is
the graciousness of the Holy Spirit that works redemption
not only for us, but in us. Furthermore, it is the
gracious Holy Spirit that works through us to make us
agents of redemption and benevolence for others. This is
the work of grace.
The forecast for 5773 ends at a dichotomy. In the days
ahead, we will both receive and become benevolence from
Heaven. Those who consume Father’s kindnesses and do not
return the grace, will face years of leanness ahead. The
one who receives from gimel and in turn pays it forward,
will become a part of Heaven’s caravan. “One man gives
freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly,
but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who
refreshes others will himself be refreshed,” Proverbs
11:24-25 NIV.
I leave you with this challenge. Give to others this year
as never before. If you’re struggling to put food on your
table, give to another of the little you do have. If ends
don’t ever seem to meet, work to bless another family in
need. As we release our material wealth to gimel, Father
can redeem us from materialism, fear and self-
centeredness. Truly we depend on Christ to be our gimel
in this year. However, by the end of gimel’s season, we
should have become the camel of provision in others’
lives.
Based on what we know about the camel, expect that you
will grow into the following Christ-like traits:
You will become important to the economy round about you.
You will have developed amazing strength by learning to
bear other’s burdens.
Just as the camel can live on and digest thorny desert
plants, so the undesirable things of this season will
serve to fuel your journey.
There will be times of refreshing that will hydrate you
for lengthy periods.
Your travels have given your feet callouses that will
serve to protect you from the blistering sands.
The eyelashes of the camel protect him from the blinding
sun and the blowing sand. Just the same, your vision will
not be impaired by inopportune circumstances.
Camels possess an acute sense of smell that leads them to
desert water sources. You will prove the inner guidance
of the Holy Spirit Who leads you in the way you should go
– the way everlasting.
Edited by Karen Samford on 09/25/2012 at 6:49pm
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