Tammuz—The Fourth Month of the Hebrew Year 5784
July 7 - August 4, 2024
Three Strategies for Going Through Difficult Times!
We know this fourth month is a time to be watchful (see historical sketch below). This month also teaches us how to shine as we go through difficult times.
Since the main purpose of teaching on the Hebrew months is to help us have and hold Biblical mindsets, here are three strategies or mindsets that will help us:
1. Joy—“Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You” (Ps. 40:16, 70:4).
2. Keep talking and speaking—even if only to yourself—about how good God is—Those same verses go on to say, “Let such as love Your salvation say continually, ‘The Lord be magnified!’”
3. Hope in God and His mercy (continually expect something good from God)—“Hope” is a very misunderstood word, and its power often grossly ignored. Psalm 33:22 clearly shows that God will pour out His mercy and help on those who are expecting (hoping for) it. It states, “Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.” In other words, if there is no expectation or hope from us, then probably not so much mercy/help will be poured out by Him. Let’s also remember the following promise from Romans 5:5, which states, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Historical Sketch
One of the intriguing days of this month is Tammuz 17 (July 23). Tammuz 17 is the day Moses broke the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments had been written, because the people had made a golden calf and were worshiping it. Tammuz 17 is also the day the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Babylonians in 423 BC, and again by the Romans about 500 years later in 70 AD.
Thus, Tammuz 17 marks the beginning of the three weeks known as the “dire straits.” These “dire straits” end on Av 9 (August 13), the date the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 423 BC—and then the second Temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
The Month of Tammuz
1. A month to see and establish the brilliance of your righteousness. Even when negative things happen, we can shine brighter and brighter through praise and declaration. See Isaiah 58:8 [1], Psalm 112:4 [2], and Daniel 12:3 [3]. Note that Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians during this month (see Jer. 39:2) [4], a very negative thing. However in this same month, Ezekiel also saw the glory of God (see Ezek. 1:1) [5]. Remember the lesson about “hope,” and fully expect to see the glory of God. Remember this whole decade of the 5780s is linked with proclaiming and declaring. Let’s shine in what we say! Declare, “I choose the boldness to make positive declarations!”
2. A month to make choices so we fulfill our potential. The month of the tribe of Reuben. He lost his inheritance as firstborn. Reuben is an example of someone with great potential who didn’t deal with his basic issues and failed to excel. The Lord wants us to deal with blind spots and other unresolved issues so we can spring ahead. Genesis 49:3–4 describes Reuben as follows: “Beginning of power; excellence and dignity; unstable as water” Declare, “Lord, I will keep declaring your goodness and will have hope/expectation in You! You will help me take care of my blind spots!”
3. A month to shine through our worship. Worship even when there are delays. God wants us to really shine this month, and one of the ways will be through worship. Ask the Lord to take your worship to a new level. Note that Moses’s face glowed after being with the Lord. Also notice that the people worshiped the golden calf (see Exod. 32:1) [6] because they couldn’t accept delay. Therefore, thank God for any delay and keep worshiping Him. Let hope be the anchor of your emotions. As we submit to Him in worship, He also brings issues in our lives into submission. Also note that God has given praise to us as a horn or weapon (see Ps. 148:14 [7]). Declare, “Lord, no matter what situation I find myself in, I choose to declare that you have an answer.”
4. A month to either accept your calling or to speak an evil report of who you are. We have a choice of which it will be. People fall into negativity because they don’t know how to speak out who they are. You must like yourself. If you don’t, then there’s something about the Lord that you don’t like. Look at past prophecies of who you are and declare them during this month. They will be like seeds you sow which will bring a great harvest heading toward the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall. Declare, “Lord, I am your child. You have called me. You have a greater destiny for me than I imagine and the time is now.”
5. The month of the letter chet [ח], which means “light radiating from your eyes.” The devil tries to put this light out. Chet is also tied to the number “8,” which signifies new beginnings; it also is referred to as the letter of “life,” but can also mean “sin.” Through this letter, God is showing us that we can, and must, choose correctly so we don’t fall into negativity. See Isaiah 42:6 [8] and Revelation 1:14 [9]. Declare, “Lord, your fire is burning in me. It’s your fire inside me that causes my eyes to shine with your light and life.”
6. The “filmstrip” month. Take time to look at yourself. If you keep going the way you are, how will you end up? Therefore, stop and make any necessary adjustments. Ask the Lord to show you how you might end up if you aren’t careful to walk with Him. Declare, “Lord, you are faithful to show all areas that need to change and you will reveal them at a time when I can successfully deal with them.”
7. The month where we must allow ourselves to be soft and vulnerable to the Lord. This month is linked with the constellation of the crab. Our shell must be removed so that we are vulnerable. If you don’t allow yourself to be vulnerable, you will become hardened and won’t be able to enter into the next stage of growth. Ask the Lord to remove any hardness or shell from you. Declare, “Lord, when adversity arises, I choose not to be stubborn and withdraw, but instead will quickly look to you.”
8. A month to guard your heart—what you feel and think, as well as your eyes—what you allow yourself to see. “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse” (Deut. 11:26). See also Deuteronomy 30:15, which states, “I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.” Declare, “I choose life.”
9. The month of the right hand—the aligning covenant. See Song of Solomon 5:2–12. Remember your covenants—the right hand has to do with covenants and relationships. Ask the Lord for a new level of intimacy with Him. We have just come through the month of Pentecost, which was about aligning. Now watch for those the Lord brings to align with you to move you ahead into your destiny. Declare, “The more I come into intimacy/friendship with the Lord, the better my covenants with people will be.”
(This material comes from notes taken from a series of lectures [on CD] given by Chuck Pierce [Glory of Zion]..
--
References
[1] “Then your light will shine like the sunrise; your restoration will quickly arrive; your godly behavior will go before you, and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard” (Isa. 58:8).
[2] “In the darkness a light shines for the godly, for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just” (Ps. 112:4).
[3] “But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3).
[4] “It lasted until the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year. On that day they broke through the city walls” (Jer. 39:2).
[5] “In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles at the Kebar River, the heavens opened and I saw a divine vision” (Ezek. 1:1).
[6] “When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, ‘Get up, make us gods that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!’” (Exod. 32:1).
[7] “And He has exalted the horn of His people, the praise of all His saints—of the children of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the Lord!” (Ps. 148:14).
[8] “I, the Lord, officially commission you; I take hold of your hand. I protect you and make you a covenant mediator for people, and a light to the nations” (Isa. 42:6).
[9] “His head and hair were as white as wool, even as white as snow, and his eyes were like a fiery flame” (Rev. 1:14).
We know this fourth month is a time to be watchful (see historical sketch below). This month also teaches us how to shine as we go through difficult times.
Since the main purpose of teaching on the Hebrew months is to help us have and hold Biblical mindsets, here are three strategies or mindsets that will help us:
1. Joy—“Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You” (Ps. 40:16, 70:4).
2. Keep talking and speaking—even if only to yourself—about how good God is—Those same verses go on to say, “Let such as love Your salvation say continually, ‘The Lord be magnified!’”
3. Hope in God and His mercy (continually expect something good from God)—“Hope” is a very misunderstood word, and its power often grossly ignored. Psalm 33:22 clearly shows that God will pour out His mercy and help on those who are expecting (hoping for) it. It states, “Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.” In other words, if there is no expectation or hope from us, then probably not so much mercy/help will be poured out by Him. Let’s also remember the following promise from Romans 5:5, which states, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Historical Sketch
One of the intriguing days of this month is Tammuz 17 (July 23). Tammuz 17 is the day Moses broke the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments had been written, because the people had made a golden calf and were worshiping it. Tammuz 17 is also the day the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Babylonians in 423 BC, and again by the Romans about 500 years later in 70 AD.
Thus, Tammuz 17 marks the beginning of the three weeks known as the “dire straits.” These “dire straits” end on Av 9 (August 13), the date the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 423 BC—and then the second Temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
The Month of Tammuz
1. A month to see and establish the brilliance of your righteousness. Even when negative things happen, we can shine brighter and brighter through praise and declaration. See Isaiah 58:8 [1], Psalm 112:4 [2], and Daniel 12:3 [3]. Note that Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians during this month (see Jer. 39:2) [4], a very negative thing. However in this same month, Ezekiel also saw the glory of God (see Ezek. 1:1) [5]. Remember the lesson about “hope,” and fully expect to see the glory of God. Remember this whole decade of the 5780s is linked with proclaiming and declaring. Let’s shine in what we say! Declare, “I choose the boldness to make positive declarations!”
2. A month to make choices so we fulfill our potential. The month of the tribe of Reuben. He lost his inheritance as firstborn. Reuben is an example of someone with great potential who didn’t deal with his basic issues and failed to excel. The Lord wants us to deal with blind spots and other unresolved issues so we can spring ahead. Genesis 49:3–4 describes Reuben as follows: “Beginning of power; excellence and dignity; unstable as water” Declare, “Lord, I will keep declaring your goodness and will have hope/expectation in You! You will help me take care of my blind spots!”
3. A month to shine through our worship. Worship even when there are delays. God wants us to really shine this month, and one of the ways will be through worship. Ask the Lord to take your worship to a new level. Note that Moses’s face glowed after being with the Lord. Also notice that the people worshiped the golden calf (see Exod. 32:1) [6] because they couldn’t accept delay. Therefore, thank God for any delay and keep worshiping Him. Let hope be the anchor of your emotions. As we submit to Him in worship, He also brings issues in our lives into submission. Also note that God has given praise to us as a horn or weapon (see Ps. 148:14 [7]). Declare, “Lord, no matter what situation I find myself in, I choose to declare that you have an answer.”
4. A month to either accept your calling or to speak an evil report of who you are. We have a choice of which it will be. People fall into negativity because they don’t know how to speak out who they are. You must like yourself. If you don’t, then there’s something about the Lord that you don’t like. Look at past prophecies of who you are and declare them during this month. They will be like seeds you sow which will bring a great harvest heading toward the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall. Declare, “Lord, I am your child. You have called me. You have a greater destiny for me than I imagine and the time is now.”
5. The month of the letter chet [ח], which means “light radiating from your eyes.” The devil tries to put this light out. Chet is also tied to the number “8,” which signifies new beginnings; it also is referred to as the letter of “life,” but can also mean “sin.” Through this letter, God is showing us that we can, and must, choose correctly so we don’t fall into negativity. See Isaiah 42:6 [8] and Revelation 1:14 [9]. Declare, “Lord, your fire is burning in me. It’s your fire inside me that causes my eyes to shine with your light and life.”
6. The “filmstrip” month. Take time to look at yourself. If you keep going the way you are, how will you end up? Therefore, stop and make any necessary adjustments. Ask the Lord to show you how you might end up if you aren’t careful to walk with Him. Declare, “Lord, you are faithful to show all areas that need to change and you will reveal them at a time when I can successfully deal with them.”
7. The month where we must allow ourselves to be soft and vulnerable to the Lord. This month is linked with the constellation of the crab. Our shell must be removed so that we are vulnerable. If you don’t allow yourself to be vulnerable, you will become hardened and won’t be able to enter into the next stage of growth. Ask the Lord to remove any hardness or shell from you. Declare, “Lord, when adversity arises, I choose not to be stubborn and withdraw, but instead will quickly look to you.”
8. A month to guard your heart—what you feel and think, as well as your eyes—what you allow yourself to see. “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse” (Deut. 11:26). See also Deuteronomy 30:15, which states, “I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.” Declare, “I choose life.”
9. The month of the right hand—the aligning covenant. See Song of Solomon 5:2–12. Remember your covenants—the right hand has to do with covenants and relationships. Ask the Lord for a new level of intimacy with Him. We have just come through the month of Pentecost, which was about aligning. Now watch for those the Lord brings to align with you to move you ahead into your destiny. Declare, “The more I come into intimacy/friendship with the Lord, the better my covenants with people will be.”
(This material comes from notes taken from a series of lectures [on CD] given by Chuck Pierce [Glory of Zion]..
--
References
[1] “Then your light will shine like the sunrise; your restoration will quickly arrive; your godly behavior will go before you, and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard” (Isa. 58:8).
[2] “In the darkness a light shines for the godly, for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just” (Ps. 112:4).
[3] “But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3).
[4] “It lasted until the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year. On that day they broke through the city walls” (Jer. 39:2).
[5] “In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles at the Kebar River, the heavens opened and I saw a divine vision” (Ezek. 1:1).
[6] “When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, ‘Get up, make us gods that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!’” (Exod. 32:1).
[7] “And He has exalted the horn of His people, the praise of all His saints—of the children of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the Lord!” (Ps. 148:14).
[8] “I, the Lord, officially commission you; I take hold of your hand. I protect you and make you a covenant mediator for people, and a light to the nations” (Isa. 42:6).
[9] “His head and hair were as white as wool, even as white as snow, and his eyes were like a fiery flame” (Rev. 1:14).