MY TIMES ARE IN YOUR HANDS

Psa 31:14

But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God.

Psa 31:15

My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

Psa 31:16

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake.

My times are in thy hand. In the Greek translation it is Kleros but in Masoretic Hebrew it is “et”

Times  in Hebrew is עֵת et

IN the LXX  SEPTAGUINT OT It was translated

Ps 31:14-16 LXX “But I hoped upon you Lord. I said You are my God.

My lots are in your hands. Rescue me out of the hands of my enemies

And out from the ones pursuing me.

Let your face appear unto your servant! Deliver me in your mercy!”

The difference I see here is between the words “times” or “et” in Hebrew and “lots” of “kleros” in Greek. How are the related?

Kleros is used in Psalms 4 times Ps 22:18, 31:15, 68:13, 125:3 and many places in OT

Kleros is a term in Greek for a piece of stone or wood used to make decisions.

Gaol is the equivalent Hebrew word.

Gaol means “a lot cast for the decision of questions like kleros”

The same word kleros for “rolling dice” was used in the prophetic words of David

Psa 22:18

They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

And fulfilled in reality at the crucifixion of Christ.

Jhn 19:24

They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

Psa 125:3

For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

This was saying that no evil influence or authority as symbolized by a “rod or scepter” will affect the “lot” of the righteous. Here the word in Hebrew is Gaol and it is similar  to kleros. It means a stone, like a dice, that is used to determine destinies.  Our destiny in always in Gods hands

IN the LXX lot was translated from “kleros” and in the Masoretic Hebrew “gaol” with the same idea.

Lots are like dice. They were cast to determine things by only chance.

It means luck, chance and what is your portion by chance

Lev 16:8

And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.

The priests determine who was the “lucky”goat. I think it was the scape goat because he was set free by sacrificing the other goat and then let loose into the wilderness. It reminds me of us. Most people say it was the scape goat that was sacrificed but remember that the other one died.

Yet it was again a roll of the dice.  This was called Astragalomancy a form of divination. But wait I thought God told his people not to do that.

In proverbs a lot was accepted as a way to determine things. But remember these were in times when the Mind of Christ and the revelation by the gift of the Holy spirit were not available,

Pro 18:18

The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.

Yes there can be not fight about whose opinion is right. The rolling of bones or dice is certainly neutral. But is it Gods will?

Pro 16:33

The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

So do we roll the dice of flip a coin to know Gods will? No matter if we make decisions according to Gods will or not, God is big enough to make it all work for the best. He is the one who wrote the last destiny….Paradise on earth through Jesus!

And it is true all is in Gods control ultimately. But not all things are Gods will. In those times casting lots was accepted because that was the best they could do to find Gods will. But today after Christ we have a better way. Speaking to Father. Seeking Him in prayer.

They basically cast dice to see who would get this portion of that portion.  Who would be selected for this or that purpose. Even the disciples, notably before they received the gift of holy spirit, cast lots to determine who would replace Judas as an apostle. I am not so sure they were hearing God primary will on this.

Act 1:26

And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Before the gift of the holy spirit came on Pentecost, God had to show people by casting lots or the priests urim and thurim by not any more

Act 1:24

And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen (anadeiknymi)”,

They prayed here and asked God to point out who was chosen of the two by drawing staws or casting wooden lots.  Now that we have the spirit of Christ dwelling in us there are no more “Crap shoots” I life and no more “Lady luck”: to deceive us. We can go directly to the Father and ask Him by way of the spirit!

The same word for show is was used when Jesus “appointed” or chose the seventy disciples

When Jesus made choices He prayed until He knew His Fathers wisdom, and he did not ever rely on casting lots or dice to get an answer. With having the holy spirit without measure He did not need that.

Here is the only other use of the word for “chosen” or anadeiknymi. Meaning “proclaim any one elected to an office”

Luk 10:1

After these things the Lord appointed (chosen) other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come

We see here that Jesus set our example that we too should follow. He did not used lots or dice. He prayed until He knew and He let God tell HIm!

Luk 6:12

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Luk 6:13

And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

Later and after the disciples received the gift of holy spirit on Pentecost it was different

God could shew and chose who He wanted to minister the word to by spiritual means.

Later Jesus Himself chose Saul to be the great apostle who would learn the great Gospel by revelation.

After the day of Pentecost when the disciples received the gift of the holy spirit, there was no need for lot casting. God could reveal in prayer.

Act 10:28

And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

“God had shewed Peter” but by praying and rolling dice?  No. It was by revelation in his prayer time.

Act 10:9

On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

And after Peter was filled with holy spirit on Pentecost, , I am sure he prayed in the spirit with tongues.  He was in spiritual prayer and he received a vision.  He was in a “trance” or in meditative state of mind when God spoke  to him three times to accept the Gentiles as brothers.

This would be a word of wisdom and a word of knowledge because Peter could not in any normal natural way know to go with Cornelius the Roman when he arrived at his door.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is a spiritual matter and is a supernatural way that God can shew us things that cannot be known by the physical world.

Many times lots were used to determine who inherited what. With the tribes of Israel taking over new land in the promised land they used this to determine which tribe inherited what.

At worst it could be divination and the devil could get involved. Even though God will have it all under control in the end. It doesn’t mean it is His first Will. At best it was a gamble and if lucky it was Gods will.

Kleros meant “the lots of several persons concerned, inscribed with their names, were thrown together into a vase, which was then shaken, and he whose lot fell out first upon the ground was the one chosen”

And also meant “what is obtained by lot, allotted portion”

In the times before Jesus lots were the common way to decide what things you were going to distribute or give to your children. It was used to determine who got what part of the booty after a victory in war.  A “lot” or “kleros” could mean more than bones or dice and a gamble. It also became to mean  a certain property, land, a farm, or an inheritance. In fact when the Bible speaks about inheritance. This is the English word translated from the Ancient Gree “kleronomia” which comes from lot or stones. Inheritance or Kleronomia came from putting kleros (or lot stones) with nomia (which meant distribute)

This is the only way in the  old testament inheritance was determined. It was determined by family lines, laws and sometimes stones.  . Kleronomia means inheritance and it was before determined by chance. Now our inheritance is determined by God our Father through not chance but by the Faith of Jesus Christ. A much more reliable inheritance!

But because of the work of Jesus we all are now chosen. We have all won the Lotto OF ETERNITY!

Jesus Himself said these words recorded as He spoke to Paul

Act 26:18

To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance (kleros)  among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

We have all won the Lotto sort to speak. We have all been blessed to be placed into Christ and we all have our parts among those who won. We are all set apart and part of the Body of Christ which is high above this world. We won the Lotto not by Luck. We won a place and an inheritance because of the Faith of Jesus Christ. Bless His name!!

Eph 1:11

In (CHRIST) whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

1Pe 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you

With this inheritance we no longer have to depend on casting lots or rolling dice or even playing the Lotto!  We have been give a gift of the holy spirit since Pentecost. This is incentive, our guarantee and our down payment for the Eternal Inheritance we have been chosen to receive. USE IT AND PRAY WITH IT!

When Jesus was on this earth He taught us to ask our Father. Later He gave us the means. So I firmly believe at best it is not necessary to roll lots to determine the will of God and at worst it can open the door to deceiving spirits to mis guide us. We have a Father in heaven we can ask so why ask stones or Lotto tickets??

Mat 7:7   Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

Mat 7:11  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Eph 3:20

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Jas 1:5

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

We have been given the gift of the holy spirit. The first manifestation of it is a Word of wisdom. So all we have to do is ask in prayer. Spiritual or with our understanding and then listen. Listen and believe that our Daddy in heaven is listening and speaking revelation to us. Who needs dice or lots We have Christ within us!

Another thing to think about as we read

Psa 31:15

My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

“My times” in the Hebrew Masoretic text is not translated from “lots”  translated not from

My times are in thy hand. In the Greek translation it is Kleros but in Masoretic Hebrew translation it is “Et”  עֵת. A time or an alotted season.  In Gods plan we are always in His hands. All our destinies and all our seasons are  controlled and under His power.

God and only God is wise enough to make all the seasons we pass through work together for good. 

Isa 33:5-6

The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times (et), and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.

Et our seasons, our experiences or even what we call our “fortunes” are all in Gods control. We are better to not to fear the Lord but worship and love Him. We are better to fear God by worshipping Him and approaching Him in prayer when times see bad.

We are better to rely not on fortune or luck but His revelation. His knowledge and wisdom as it is written in the scriptures and as He speaks to us through revelation words of wisdom and knowledge.

The book of Ecclesiastes speaks about these seasons or et in chapter three alone there it is 28 times.

This says a lot about all the “times” or fortunes we have in life

Ecc 3:1

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Everything in this life is in flux. Only thing that changes not is God. All the things dealing with men are in change.

Yet when things are done in the right time, or season they are done according to Gods purpose and Will.

Ecc 3:11

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

After listing so many seasons or times a man can go through, God shows us that we have Eternity set in our hearts. The fall has made us unable to see the whole picture as the Creator can. Only God knows the purpose of all. We are unable as we only live a few years in this life and die.

Ecc 3:13

And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

We should enjoy life while we can. For everything is temporary that man does. But God makes all seasons work together. We cannot add or subtract from God. All is made for us. So we should recognize He is in control and our lives really are in His Hand

Ecc 3:14

I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

Ecc 3:15

That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

The Word of God is unchangeable. All that advancement and evolution we see in human history is just an illusion. Things may rearrange according to their seasons, but nothing is new or old to an Eternal One. All we do is dependant on Him. Our times are all in His hands.

The scope of these verses in chapter 3 is to show,

“That we live in a world of changes, that the several events of time, and conditions of human life, are vastly different from one another, and yet occur promiscuously, and we are continually passing and repassing between them, as in the revolutions of every day and every year. In the wheel of nature (Jam. 3:6) sometimes one spoke is uppermost and by and by the contrary; there is a constant ebbing and flowing, waxing and waning; from one extreme to the other does the fashion of this world change, ever did, and ever will.”

That every change concerning us, with the time and season of it, is unalterably fixed and determined by a supreme power; and we must take things as they come, for it is not in our power to change what is appointed for us.

ALL OUR TIMES are in HIS HANDS. And the sooner we recognize this with meekness we can be saved. The sooner we can trust in Him as Love we will be saved.

He is with us and we are never separated from Gods Love

Rom 8:31-39

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And this comes in here as a reason why, when we are in prosperity, we should by easy, and yet not secure-not to be secure because we live in a world of changes and therefore have no reason to say, To-morrow shall be as this day (the lowest valleys join to the highest mountains), and in life we will have our highs and lows.

enjoy the good of our labour, in a humble dependence upon God and his providence, neither lifted up with hopes, nor cast down with fears, but with evenness of mind expecting every event. That is why we must remember

“To every thing there is a season, v. 1.” Yet all these seasons are in His Hands. The Question is can we trust a Father God that loves us?

“Those things which seem most contrary the one to the other will, in the revolution of affairs, each take their turn and come into play. The day will give place to the night and the night again to the day. Is it summer? It will be winter. Is it winter? Stay a while, and it will be summer. Every purpose has its time. The clearest sky will be clouded,”

Those things which to us seem to be just luck or not determined are, in the counsel and foreknowledge of God, punctually determined, and the very hour of them is fixed, and can neither be anticipated nor adjourned a moment.

So what we can do is stay close to God by our spirit, so we are able to say “I can do all things in Chirst” and be solid as He is….an unchanging Rock!

Ecclesiastes was made famous by the Song song by the Byrds. Turn, turn turn. But there is a great lesson in these words!!

All seasons are in His Hands and we can be sure of that. If we trust Him.

28 changes listed

A time for every purpose of God. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant as a person is conceived from a sperm and must die to shed the husk and be reborn to eternity.

A time to plant and a time to pluck that which was planted, including the harvest of eternal souls.

The first verses of chapter 3 poeticly indicate these changes. Twenty-eight in number, according to the days of the moon’s revolution, which is always increasing or decreasing between its full and change. Some of these changes are purely the act of God, others depend more upon the will of man, but all are determined by the divine counsel. Every thing under heaven is thus changeable, but in heaven there is an unchangeable state, and an unchangeable counsel concerning these things.

ALL SEASONS are in His hands.

There is a time to be born and a time to die. These are determined by the divine counsel; and, as we were born, so we must die, at the time appointed.

Act 17:26

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

Some observe that here is a time to be born and a time to die, but no time to live; that is so short that it is not worth mentioning; as soon as we are born we begin to die.

But, as there is a time to be born and a time to die, so there will be a time to rise again

Because all our time are in His hands! And we who are planted in the grave will rise again in a new eternal harvest.

1Co 15:36-37

Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

The same God that designed the changing seasons has put eternity into our heart. That will never die.

There is a time for men to plant, a time of the year, a time of their lives; but, when that which was planted has grown fruitless and useless, it is time to pluck it up.  There is a time and season to plant the seed of the Gospel so we will reap a harvest of souls to join us in the next world.

Ecc 3:11

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

We must make the best of that which is, and must believe it best for the present, and accommodate ourselves to it: He has made every thing beautiful in his time

“God’s works are well done; there are order, harmony, and beauty in them all. Even the caterpillar is a finished beauty in all the changes through which it passes, when its structure is properly examined, and the end kept in view in which each change is to issue. Nothing of this kind can be said of the works of man. The most finished works of art are bungling jobs, when compared with the meanest operation of nature.” Adam Clark

“Also that eternity hath he placed in their heart, without which man could not find out the work which God hath made from the commencement to the end.” God has deeply rooted the idea of eternity in every human heart; and every considerate man sees, that all the operations of God refer to that endless duration. See Ecclesiastes 3:14. And it is only in eternity that man will be able to discover what God has designed by the various works he has formed”  Adam Clark

One day we shall know as we are known!!!

But for now we can be close to the one that is Wisdom

The word of wisdom is the very first of the manifestation of Christ shown in the letter of Paul to the Corinthians regarding spiritual things. Wisdom and knowledge are needed to flow with Gods purposes and not against them.

Everything changes around us instant by instant except the Holy spirit who has ALL changes in His hands. The Eternal God  does not change. We do.

We must look at these scriptures through the revelation that Jesus has given to us.

Ecc 3:3

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

We know Jesus taught that he that lives by violence dies by it. We have been taught by Paul that are battle is not with people but demons and their lies. Are weapons are not on the level of the physical but our warfare is spiritual. With the sword of the spirit we kill the lies of the devil and deliver people. We kill and mortify the lies in our own sinful self that Christ might live in us. We pluck our rotten teeth so we can heal. We tear down the structures of false religion that hurts by teaching the Gospel that edifies and builds people up.

Ecc 3:4

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

When we love people we must weep with them when they weep. We have compassion as Jesus did. Look at the shortest verse in the KJV Bible. Jesus wept!

Jhn 11:33-35

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept.

Rom 12:15

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Ecc 3:7

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

All my times or seasons are in His hands but how do we know when to speak and when to be silent?

Sometimes Jesus preached as He did at the sermon on the mount. Sometime he did not speak when no one would believe the truth.

Mat 27:12

And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

Pontius Pilate did not believe the truth so it was time not to waste words on swine. Before Pontius showed he did not believe.

Jhn 18:37

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Jhn 18:38

Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.

There are many seasons always in flux so we need the stability of the gift of holy spirit to remain solid.

Only by walking with the Lord and His spirit.