Good Morning.
Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. (Genesis 8:4)
There is a belief that, before God determined the month called Aviv was to be the “beginning of months” (Ex 12:2), the calendar year began in the fall at the start of the Hebrew month called Tishri. That reckoning of time would mean that the seventh month indicated here would actually be Aviv. That would mean that the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat on 17 Aviv. Here is why this is important.
According to Exodus 12, the Passover lamb was to be slaughtered “between the evenings” on the fourteenth day of Aviv and eaten that night. For the next seven days, Israel was to eat only unleavened bread (matzah). During that seven days, on the day after the Sabbath — i.e. the first day of the week, Sunday — they were to bring their first fruits from their barley harvest.
We know that Yeshua was crucified on the “preparation day” (Jn 19:31) which was the fourteenth day of Aviv. We also know that He rose from the dead on the third day following His death which means that He was resurrected on 17 Aviv. In other words, that which provided salvation for Noah and redemption for mankind rested on the day that would, in all likelihood, be the day that our salvation — Yeshua means, “salvation right now” — rose from the dead. In so doing, He gave you and me the promise of eternal life and rest from the struggle of a fallen existence.
God didn’t allow the ark to come to rest in the valley; He caused it to come to rest on the mountain top. Likewise, God will bring us through valleys but always with the intention of bringing us to the top of the mountain, allowing us to rise above our problems and trials. So don’t be discouraged; testing only lasts for a season. There is, “a rest for the people of God (Heb. 4:9).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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