In His Time

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. -Genesis 1:14-19
 

 
 

The fourth day of creation introduces us to a very important principle. Simply put, God created structure and order to earth and called it time. Certainly, God was using time before this point because he referred to the first day, second day, and third day. However, the sun, moon and stars provide definite and easily visible markers for us to keep track of time. When the sun is shining, we know that it is the day time. This is most commonly the waking hours. Day time is traditionally when work is done because it is when the brightness of the sun lights our way. Day time is also a time of learning as the light of the sun reveals things that are hidden when it is dark. The sun sinks below the horizon and darkness comes. Although the moon and stars are sometimes seen at night, still the darkness prevails. This is when we rest and wait or prepare for the next daylight hours. This cycle of the sun rising and setting is just one example of timing. We also know that the sun appears higher in the sky during the summer months and lower in the winter months. The sun gives a reference to the changing seasons.

The moon also relates to timing. The moon effects the ebb and flow of the tides of the seas by exerting a gravitational pull on the earth. Depending on where the moon is in its orbit around the earth, the tides of the sea may rise or fall. This has a profound effect on the lives of certain animals that live in or around the edges of the seas. High tides may bring food from the depths of the sea for animals that live on the shore to feed. Other animals breed and lay their eggs depending on the tides.

Finally, though less obvious to the casual observer, the stars appear to move in the night sky. Actually, they do not move at all, but they appear to move to show cycles that the earth goes through. Astronomers have long studied the stars and noted that the timing of the appearance of a particular star can be predicted. Studying the timing of the sun's, moon's and star's appearances in the sky, has given rise to calendars as a tool to help with us with timing.

Solomon writes about time. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 reads, 'To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;'

Paul wrote in I Corinthians 3:5-9, 'Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.'

It is noteworthy that God created the seed bearing plants on the third day of creation and

followed that with establishing seasons and times on the fourth day. We know the Word of God to be true, their indeed is a time to plant and a time to harvest. There is much correlation and typology between planting and harvesting and the salvation of a man's soul. (See Seed of Faith in the January 1999 issue of The Shepherd's Script). There are many verses in the Bible that demonstrate this. Planting and harvesting are time dependent. Salvation is time dependent. Faith is planted in the heart of a lost man by the preaching of the Word of God. Romans 10:17 reads, 'So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.' (See Mark 4, the parable of the soils) When the seed is planted there are necessary processes that must happen before that seed will give rise to fruit. God encourages us in Isaiah 55:10-11 where he says, 'For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.' If the

seed of faith is truly planted in a man by the preached Word of God, God says that his word will not return unto him void, but it shall accomplish that which I [God] please.

Many believe timing is not relevant in salvation. Do not be deceived, time and timing are very relevant in salvation. The word of God is planted in the heart of the believer, it is watered, it brings forth fruit and then there is the harvest. Take heart and be encouraged, for it is the will of God that man wait on God and his timing for salvation.
 

The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. -Lamentations 3:25-26

- Brad Hill