What Do They All Have In Common?
NOAH’S FLOOD
In Genesis chapter 6, the story of Noah and the great flood begins. After Adam’s fall, people became so wicked that God knew He would have to destroy humankind and begin again (verse 5). He instructed Noah to build an ark for the preservation of his family, a project which probably took 50-75 years.(1) Then, when it was completed, He sent the flood. It rained for 40 days and nights (Genesis 7:17), flooded the earth, and Noah’s Ark floated for 150 days before coming to rest on Mt. Ararat. Genesis 8:1-4 tells us:
“But God remembered Noah and all the animals and all the livestock that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided. Also, the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained; and the water receded steadily from the earth, and at the end of 150 days, the water decreased. Then in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat.” (NASB)
THE RED SEA CROSSING
After Israel’s incredible exodus from Egypt, during which God also demonstrated that the gods of Egypt were not truly gods but simply idols, Israel found themselves still in danger at the Red Sea. There was as yet one Egyptian god He had not exposed, Baal-zephon, their god of the seas. The first two verses of Exodus 14 inform us, “Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea’” (Exodus 14:1-2).
Why the geography lesson? God wants us to know that HE chose the place for this encounter. To many of the Israelites, as well as to Pharaoh and his army, it looked as though Israel was confused, disoriented, and wandering aimlessly in the desert. And they were, in fact, now trapped by mountains, the sea, and Pharaoh’s army. God sometimes enjoys allowing satan to believe he has won; at times, He even orchestrates circumstances to accomplish this. Such was the case here.
Scott Lancer, in an article for Associates for Biblical Research (Confronting Baal Zephon: The Spiritual Message of the Meeting of Israel and the Armies of Egypt) says, “Let us remember that God had been triumphing over not only Pharaoh and the Egyptians, but also the supposed power of their gods. The plagues were a drumbeat of victory as the gods of Egypt were, one by one, displayed to be impotent and powerless. And even more importantly, Yahweh wanted the Egyptians to know that He is the Lord” (14:4).(2)
Pharaoh no doubt believed that this god was more powerful than Yahweh. He supposed that Baal-zephon had led Israel into a trap and was now going to cause them to be destroyed in front of the place named for him.
Yahweh had other plans. His plan was to demonstrate that HE was the Lord of the sea. His authority, released through the extension of the rod He had given Moses, controlled the sea, not Zephon. Yahweh would lead his people THROUGH, not around, the sea that the Egyptians believed was under the control of Zephon. And instead of the Israelites being destroyed, it would be Pharaoh and the Egyptian army - in front of their supposed god!
ISRAEL CROSSING INTO CANAAN
In Genesis 12, God spoke to Abraham, promising him a family, a nation, ownership of the land of Canaan, and that He would use Abraham to bless the entire world. In Joshua 3, four and a half centuries later, this family now existed, had indeed become a nation, and under Joshua’s leadership, crossed into Canaan. Chapter 5 tells us:
“While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. Then, on the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and roasted grain. And the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.” (Joshua 5:10-12 NASB)
ISRAEL’S DELIVERANCE FROM HAMAN
In the book of Esther, we find the great story of Israel’s deliverance from Haman’s plot to destroy them. This wicked man had convinced the king to sign a decree to destroy the Jews (Esther 3:1-12). God used Esther and Mordecai to reverse Haman’s seemingly fail-proof plan. Esther called for a 3-day fast to pray for God’s protection, then approached the king asking for mercy for her people. God intervened, and Haman was hung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai (Esther 7:10). The feast of Purim celebrates this great victory over Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews (Esther 9:26-32).
THE COMMON DENOMINATOR
Now, what do these events have in common? The date: Nisan 17. Noah’s Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat; Pharaoh and his army were destroyed, and Baal-zephon was exposed; after Joshua and Israel crossed into Canaan and ate the fruit of the land, the manna ceased; and Haman was hung on his own gallows - all on the 17th day of the Hebrew month Nisan. That is miraculous and amazing!
One can only imagine the angels’ thoughts as they carried out their assignments. Take the Flood, for example: He’s going to start the rain, flood the earth, and cause enough of the water to dissipate so the ark touches Earth ON THAT VERY DAY? That’s impossible - but then again, we are talking about Yahweh!
How about the crossing into Canaan, eating the fruit of the land, and the manna ceasing? He said what?! Over the next four and a half centuries, He’s going to enable an old, barren couple to have a kid, multiply him into a NATION, preserve them through centuries of slavery, deliver them on this special day He has chosen, navigate around a rebellious generation waiting for all of them to die, the next generation will begin eating the fruit of this promised land - and He is going to land all of this on this same special day of the flood receding and the deliverance of this nation from slavery? Four hundred-plus years in the future, on Nisan 17? Well, if He said it, He’ll do it!
I suppose the angels were used to this stuff!
But why this date? God hadn’t told anyone, not even the angels, why He was doing these things on this date because He couldn’t disclose the mystery of how He would redeem humankind. And part of the plan included Jesus being resurrected on Nisan 17!
The new earth and humanity’s restart after the flood; the judging of the powers of darkness and Israel’s deliverance from slavery; the manna ceasing (a picture of Christ’s earthly body) and eating the fruit of Canaan; and Haman, a symbolizing satan, having the tables turned on him while God’s people are exalted, were all pictures of Christ’s resurrection and occurred…
ON THE VERY SAME DAY!
Get yourself a Hebrew calendar, and the next time satan tempts you to doubt God’s ability to fulfill one of His promises or His willingness to do so, pull it out and point to Nisan 17. He won’t hang around–he hates that day.
Pray with me:
Father, we are reminded today of Your words: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) You planned the day and time of the Resurrection from the foundation of the world. Sin and death don’t stand a chance against Your omnipotence and omniscience. You always know what to do and how to do it, and You possess the power to accomplish it.
You decided Yeshua would be resurrected on Nisan 17, and He was. You said satan was defeated, and he is. You said we are delivered from his authority, and we are. You said we would be welcomed back into Your family through Christ, and we have been. You said He would delegate His authority to us, and He has. You said we can do all things through Him, and we can. You said we are more than conquerors through Him, and we are. You said we always triumph in Him, and we do. You said we are healed by His stripes, and we are. You said Your perfect love casts out all fear, and it does.
You said You would send Your Spirit to indwell us, and You have. You said Christ would build an Ekklesia the forces of hell could not overcome, and He has. You told us to heal the sick in Christ’s name, and we can. You told us to disciple nations in His name, and we can. You said Christ is King over all the nations, and He is.
You said America will be saved, and it will! You said our prodigals were coming home, and they are. You said You would reap Earth’s greatest spiritual harvest in our day, and You will. You said the church Christ returns to would be glorious, and she will be.
Our decree:
We decree that God’s word is forever settled in Heaven!
Click on the link below to watch the full video.
___________________________