The Year of Victory

First of all, as I sit and write tonight I’m reminded that 3 years ago today we landed in Beijing, China, anticipating one of the biggest days of our lives in a long time…the adoption of our sweet girl, Grace!  So many memories have flooded my heart all day long…

But, that’s not what I want to write about on this 17^th day of January, 2017.

For many years now, I have been so intrigued by the study of numbers in scripture.  The last couple of weeks in December I began, as most of us do, thinking about the year to come.  And, as usual, I began to wonder what “17” means in scripture and how that might play in to this year of my life.

So…I opened our “Biblical Mathematics” book to the chapter on the number Seventeen and began to read.  To my beautiful surprise, I read that it means “VICTORY!”  How do we know that?  Well, there are tons of references in the book but here are a few to wet our appetites as well as some other research I found.

I love I Chronicles 29:11.  It’s a prayer David prayed, but let’s start in verse 10…you want to?

Then David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly:

“O LORD, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever!  Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty.  Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom.  We adore you as the one who is over all things.”

Victory in this verse is defined in the Key Word Hebrew Bible as nêtsach – a goal, i.e. the bright object at a distance traveled toward (remember I was studying this a couple of weeks before Christmas).  Splendor, confidence.  An attribute of God, namely, the kingdom, power, glory.  It points to God’s eternal, truthful nature that is contrary to lying or changing.

I love this!  This year, may VICTORY be my goal, your goal, our confidence; that bright star we’re traveling toward.

I also love I John 5:4 that says, “everyone born of God overcomes the world.  This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”

Now, for some interesting 17’s in scripture.  Psalm 73-89, is the Book of Worship and it’s comprised of 17 Psalms.  Psalm 90-106 follows that book and is known as the Wilderness Psalms, totaling 17 Psalms.  Conclusion: Victory is found in Worship and Walking out your faith.

Romans 8:35-39 lists 17 things that are unable to separate us from the love of God.  What could possibly bring victory more than being sure of the love of God in any situation?

“What can separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall

1. Trouble
2. Hardship
3. Persecution
4. Famine
5. Nakedness
6. Danger
7. Sword

“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.  No in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither

8. Death
9. Life
10. Angels
11. Demons
12. Present
13. Future
14. nor any powers,
15. neither height,
16. nor depth
17. nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Coincidence?  I don’t think so…

Finally, the Bible records many miracles on the 17^th day of Nisan resulting in victory:

 - Noah’s ark rested on Mt. Ararat
 - Moses led the Israelites through the parted Red Sea
 - Israel entered and ate the fruits of the Promised Land (the day of firstfruits)
 - The walls of Jericho came down
 - The cleansing of the Temple by Hezekiah (800 years after entering the Promised Land)
 - Queen Esther saved the Jewish nation from elimination…just to name a few.

No other day except Passover is mentioned so many times in the Bible.

Speaking of Passover, remember before Jesus was crucified, He had the Passover meal with His disciples (Luke 22).  Leviticus 23:5 says Passover begins on the 14^th day of the month.  Also, remember the Jewish day begins at sundown.  That means before sundown on the 14^th Jesus gave up His spirit.  If He was in the grave 3 days and 3 nights…and He was…that means He was raised from the dead on the 17^th day!!!  The epitome of ALL 17^th’s was the day of VICTORY…Easter morning!!

Be encouraged tonight…victory is on the way.  I’ve already seen it on this 17^th day of the first month of 2017 in my life, have you?