The Hebrew Month of Sivan | God’s Instruction & Your Identity
One of the primary themes we see throughout the Hebrew month of Sivan is connection. The connection we experience when we spiritually receive God’s instruction and apply it to our physical lives.
The Israelites received the Torah on the sixth day of the month of Sivan, and it was a monumental moment. The full realization of the moment came from walking out the instruction daily. Applying spiritual principles and living our lives in alignment with God’s instruction brings fullness to our lives and identities.
Unlocking Kingdom Destinies combines monumental monuments like Shavuot with the daily discipline of living according to received instruction. Living outside of God’s Word–even in one area of our lives–results in a disjointed alignment that hinders us from receiving direction. Curt Landry likens this to “spiritual blessing blockers.”
Proverbs 3:6 instructs us:
- “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (emphasis added)
During the Hebrew month of Sivan, we are reminded that living according to biblical principles applies to all areas of our lives:
- Business
- Relationships
- Ministry
- Family
- Health
- Finance
- Personal
- Leadership
You cannot segment one of these areas and live according to your own will if you want to seek spiritual wholeness. If you seek His direction, you must surrender “all your ways.”
The Hebrew Month of Sivan Is Associated With…
- The Feast of Shavuot (also called the Feast of Weeks).
- Daas– a connection of the physical/material with the spiritual, resulting in “completeness.”
- The number 7.
- The Hebrew letter zayin.
- The tribe of Zebulun.
The Feast of Shavuot and Daas (Connection)
The Feast of Shavuot celebrates the day God gave Moses and the children of Israel His instruction. This impartation of instruction rooted the nation with a new identity, culture, and spiritual DNA that would forever set apart the Chosen People. It also marks the culmination of the Counting of the Omer that began at Passover.
One of the traditions of Shavuot is to read the book of Ruth. Her story took place during this season (the barley harvest) and is a reflection of someone fully embracing her identity (Ruth 1:22).
We see this in her lifestyle choices of:
- Choosing faithfulness.
- Choosing humility.
- Choosing servanthood.
- Choosing to follow instruction and guidance.
- Choosing a life of faith and trust over comfortable and familiar.
For those who celebrate the Feasts of the Lord, Passover represents deliverance and we wait in great expectation for the month of Sivan and Shavuot for the impartation of God’s instruction. This instruction births identity and direction, bringing us to a place of wholeness or daas (intimate understanding or connection).
For the Israelites, Passover was a physical liberation, while Shavuot was a spiritual impartation. Both Feasts of the Lord and events were necessary to bring completeness (shelemius). And from this spiritual and physical alignment, our hearts are prepared to receive and embrace God’s instruction.
What Does It Look Like to Embrace God’s Instruction?
Similar to Ruth’s story, we:
- We not only hear but also apply God’s truth to our daily actions (James 1:22).
- We make changes to our habits and patterns to align with His Word (Romans 12:2).
- We embrace our identity as children of God and make that identity shift the basis for our decisions (John 1:12).
An identity shift is when we choose to become what we want to be and make our choices in alignment with that decision.
In other words…
- I am a child of God. Therefore, I rise early to spend time with my Father.
- I am a child of God. Therefore, I accept my Father’s invitation to join Him at His table.
- I am a child of God. Therefore, I do not operate in anger or fear because those do not represent who He is or who I am.
I am a child of God.
In the Hebrew month of Sivan, the newly born nation of Israel had to fully embrace its identity as the Chosen People, no longer slaves of Egypt. The foundation of this was created at the moment when the Torah, God’s instruction, was received, but it was walked out over generations. They had to embrace a new mindset.
Likewise, we must fully embrace and live in our identity as a new creation in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Received in a moment–walked out over a lifetime.
The Number 7
Even outside biblical culture, the number 7 is often recognized as “lucky number 7” with a positive association.
In God’s Word, we see the number 7 plays a significant role when it comes to His instruction:
- Seven is God’s perfect number–it represents wholeness/completeness.
- Seven days of creation–all creation was completed in this perfect number of days.
- The seventh day is the Sabbath–God’s perfect desire for us to walk in rest and relationship.
- Every seventh year is a sabbatical year in Jewish culture.
- Seven sets of seven years (49 years) result in a Jubilee restoration.
- Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Hebrew calendar civil year, is celebrated in the seventh month (Leviticus 23:23-25).
- According to Proverbs 9:1, the world was built upon seven pillars of wisdom (James 3:17).
- Seven lampstands (menorah), seven stars, and seven churches are mentioned in Revelation 1:20.
- Seven nations were cast out before the Israelites, according to Deuteronomy 7:1-5.
- Seven species listed in Deuteronomy 8:8 that represent an abundant economy and God’s provision for the nation of Israel (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates).
- Seven festivals that guide and enrich the year annually (Purim, Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Hanukkah).
- Seven gates we are each responsible for–2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils, and one mouth (Deuteronomy 16:18).
- Seven days of Passover, Sukkot, and for sitting shivah (the mourning period in Judaism).
Hebrew Letter Zayin
The Hebrew word zayin means “weapon, sword, or crown,” but it comes from the root word “zan,” which means “sustenance or nourishment.”
As Believers, we recognize that God’s Word is all of these things:
- A sword and spiritual weapon (Hebrews 4:12).
- Nourishment (Jeremiah 15:16).
- Crown of glory (Proverbs 4:7-9).
The sword is a weapon in both the physical and spiritual realms. It is both the possession and observance of God’s instruction that empowers and wields the sword in your hand.
In the Hebrew month of Sivan, we celebrate the integration of the spiritual and the material to bring wholeness and completion. We recognize the two realms often share attributes that, once united, prepare us to receive. Unity, not only with one another but within ourselves, positions us to receive from the Father’s heart.
We can see with our physical eyes but also with our spiritual eyes. True empowerment comes when we can discern in our spirits and truly see natural situations from a spiritual perspective. It is from this place that we can glean God’s direction.
The spiritual and the physical are inseparable, but we often live like they are completely autonomous. In the Hebrew month of Sivan, we seek to rectify that.
This season, we have the opportunity to receive a fresh impartation of God’s instruction. We are equipped, filled, and crowned to walk toward the promises of God from a place of wholeness.
Observing God’s instruction transforms the mundane of the material world into a powerful Kingdom tool. It facilitates a connection between Heaven and Earth. It is the spark that fuses the two worlds and allows the spiritual to empower the physical, thus Unlocking Kingdom Destinies. We see this modeled through the tribe of Zebulun.
Tribe of Zebulun
- “Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall adjoin Sidon.”—Genesis 49:13
The month of Sivan is associated with the tribe of Zebulun. Here is what we know about that tribe:
- They were a tribe of traders with a connection to maritime activities.
- Moses said of Zebulun: “For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas and of treasures hidden in the sand.”—Deuteronomy 33:19 (emphasis added)
The tribe of Zebulon was associated with harvesting Chilazon, the aquatic creature that creates the blue die associated with the blue tassels on the tallit. They had an anointing for abundance and locating hidden treasures.
Modeled Generosity
Jewish scholars teach that the tribe of Zebulun was generous and supported the tribe of Issachar in their Torah study. They did this through their commercial endeavors, thus modeling that all deeds can be carried out to pursue and glorify the name of God. By supporting their brothers the tribe of Zebulun demonstrated a heart that honored God’s Word through the gift of generosity.
Ready for Battle
The tribe of Zebulun was recognized for their willingness to step into the battle. We see this in the scriptures below:
- Zebulun and Naphtali were called by Deborah and Barak to fight against Sisera (Judges 4:6).
- The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the terraced fields (Judges 5:18).
- From Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty—50,000 (1 Chronicles 12:33).
Ready for Worship
They were also remembered for being part of the tribes who humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem for Passover in response to Hezekiah’s call (2 Chronicles 30:10-11). This moment marked a return to the Lord and became a great physical and spiritual unifier for the people of God.
Learning from Zebulun’s Example:
What does this tribe teach us?
- Embrace the land, inheritance, and role God has given you. Take the borders and embrace the challenge! The fruit? Abundance and hidden treasures that advance God’s Kingdom.
- Live generously and support God’s Word, realizing even the seemingly mundane can further His Kingdom when your life is submitted to Him. Your seed matters and isn’t just one gift but practicing a lifestyle of giving.
- Show up for battle when you are called to do so.
- Show up for worship with humble hearts when God calls.
Jesus’ Ministry Begins
It is interesting to note that Jesus’ ministry in the Galilee region began in the area of land given to the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun as a fulfillment of the prophetic words spoken by Isaiah:
- “Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”—Matthew 4:12-17
Key Takeaways for the Hebrew Month of Sivan
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”—Joshua 1:8
- Wait on the Lord and be present to receive God’s instruction from a place of unity.
- Acknowledge God in all your ways and live in a place of wholeness and completion.
- Embrace the Word of God as your spiritual sword, nourishment, and assignment.
- Like the tribe of Zebulun, answer God’s call to battle, worship, and live generously.
- Embrace your spiritual identity and live as who you have been called to be in Yeshua.