God Appoints the Time
One of the most controlling influences of our life is “time!”
I would like to look at this topic generally for a few minutes. Every human being has been formed by our Creator in our mother’s womb and born at a specific time. We all experience “seasons” which are set times, appointed time or an appointed occasion. In the human life cycle, we are born as infants, experience our toddler years, and grow and learn during our school and college season. We experience new levels of independence during our young adult years, take on added responsibilities if we are married, raising children or are career oriented. Then eventually, we retire, which is an entirely different season of life for us, and finally our earthly life ends in the death of our physical bodies.
Looking more specifically at how we are governed by the clock, we have to be at work on time, then leave at a certain time, hopefully! We have trains, planes, and buses to catch. Then, there are doctor’s appointments and hair appointments - every part of our life seems to be geared to time.
When we have children, things can really become hectic! We watch the clock to be on time for school, sporting events, music lessons, concerts, practices and rehearsals for plays, and the list goes on and on. Sometimes getting everyone where they need to be on the right day at the right time gets so chaotic, we think or say, “ It just needs to stop for a few days!”
We are so focused on the busyness of our lives, we fail to think of, or lose sight of, the bigger picture!
In the midst of our busy schedules, if we will look at God’s Word, we will discover that He has appointed times in our lives. Psalm 139:16 and 17 (NLT), “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!” In Ecclesiastes we read that there is a ‘time’ for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NKJV), “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.” Looking more in depth at verse one, the Hebrew word used for ‘season’ means: an appointed time or a set time. ‘Time’, et in the Hebrew, means: a certain time, as having a limit, opposed to eternity (it lasts but for a time, nothing in perpetual.) Then, the Hebrew for ‘purpose’, chephets means: time for every matter or affair (event).
If we read the verse with these Hebrew meanings, it could read this way, "To every- thing there is a season, an appointed time, or set time, a certain time, that has a limit for every matter or event under heaven.”
When we can see clearly what this verse means , it is pretty amazing! This life is God’s master plan for His creation, His people!
Some years ago, our church went through an exercise where we each individually made a time-line of every significant event which occurred in our lives, beginning with our birth and ending with that “present” day. It was a very eye-opening activity. It revealed how God was constantly at work in each one of our lives throughout the years! It demonstrated visibly that God does have a plan for our lives and we could recognize His hand in working out the details of that plan, through our experiences!
What we need to grasp and understand is that God, in His infinite wisdom and knowledge, has definite appointed times concerning major events that occur in our lives, which leads and enables us to fulfill the purpose and plan He has for us.
The Hebrew word ‘moed’ used in the Old Testament for “appointed time” means: a fixed time, appointment, and appointed season. The root of moed is the verb, ya’ad which means: to ‘set’ or fix’, as in setting a time or fixing a date.
Isaac was born at an appointed time. Genesis 18:14 (NASB20), “"Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."
Jesus was born at an appointed time. Galatians 4:4 (NIV), “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.”
Paul was born at an appointed time. Galatians 1:15a (NKJV), “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb..”
There is an appointed time to be born, as we saw in Ecclesiastes 3:2.
Then we see in this amazing verse, Acts 17:26 (NKJV), ”And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,“
Psalm 139:16 (NLT) reads, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” All of our days were written in the Lord’s book before we were born! This knowledge is astounding and boggles the mind!
There is also an appointed time to die. Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV), “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,”
God sees time differently than we do. God has a divine perspective on the passing of time. In eternity, God sees “previous” time, “past” time, “present” time, and “future” time. 2 Peter 3:8 reveals that “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day.”
If we have perceived that the Spirit of the Lord is ‘about’ to do something, we need to realize that what He means could be totally different than what we are expecting. Remember, Abraham waited for twenty-five years for the birth of Isaac, his son of promise.
When Jesus told His disciples that He was ‘coming again’, they expected Him to return during their lifetime. When they asked Him when it would be, we read His response in Matthew 24:36 (NLT), “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” We gain more understanding by reading Acts 1:6 and 7 (NLT), “So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?" 7 He replied, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.” The word ‘authority’ here means: according to his own choice. He is the God of the Universe!
The angel Gabriel appeared and spoke to Daniel telling him that he was revealing “what shall happen in the latter times.” Then in Daniel 8:19b (NKJV) Gabriel spoke these words, “for at the appointed time (a set time, a point of time) the end shall be.”
We read of the Lord instructing Habakkuk to write the vision he had been given. In Habakkuk 2:3 (NKJV) the Lord said, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time.” Even the visions He gives are for appointed times!
Psalm 103:19 (NKJV), “The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.”
Isaiah 14:24 (ESV), is an important verse for us to hold on to. It says, “The LORD of hosts has sworn: "As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand,”
Whatever is happening in the earth today, those events will not affect the fulfillment of God’s appointed times! No matter what kingdoms arise or fall, no matter what men or governments are in power, God will bring about His kingdom at His appointed time! Absolutely nothing can thwart the plans of God! Hallelujah!
I will wrap up with two more scriptures, Daniel 4:35 (NLT), “All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, 'What do you mean by doing these things?”
Lastly, you can trust Him to finish in you what He has begun! Philippians 1:6 (NIV), "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Be encouraged my brothers and sisters! God has a purpose. God has a plan. God has already established His appointed times, and nothing will interfere with them coming to pass!
NLT New Living Translation
NKJV New King James Version
NASB20 New American Standard Bible 2020
NIV New International Version
ESV English Standard Version