The biblical month of 'Tebeth' is the tenth month in the biblical calendar and is linked to the tribe of Dan. It is according to the meaning also the month of ‘the mud, where one sinks’.
Dan, The Snake and the Lion
Dan was blessed by his father Jacob to be a powerful snake and by Moses to be a powerful young lion who operates with the suddenlies of God to diminish the influence of pride (cf. Genesis 49:16-17 i.c.w. Psalm 20:7; Psalm 33:17; Deuteronomy 33:22).
Genesis 49:16-17:
16 “Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan will be a snake by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.
16 “Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan will be a snake by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.
Psalm 20:7:
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Psalm 33:17:
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
Deuteronomy 33:22:
22 About Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s cub, springing out of Bashan (means: ‘fruitful stone less plain’).”
22 About Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s cub, springing out of Bashan (means: ‘fruitful stone less plain’).”
Likewise, Jesus also bears the attributes of a ‘serpent’ and a ‘lion’, among others, namely in the form of victory and triumph over sin and eternal kingship (cf. John 3:14-18 i.c.w. Revelation 5:5).
John 3:14-18:
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Revelation 5:5:
5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Righteous Words and Words of Wisdom
The snake in connection with Dan is pointing to righteous words as well to words of wisdom (cf. Matthew 10:16).
Matthew 10:16:
16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves. …”
16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves. …”
It is important that we judge from a place of righteousness and not from a place of bitterness, jealousy or greed. In order to rightly judge in accordance to 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 we must operate in righteousness, truth and mercy.
1 Corinthians 5:12-13:
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
Genesis 49:16-18:
16 “Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan will be a snake by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward. 18 “I look for your deliverance, Lord.
16 “Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan will be a snake by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward. 18 “I look for your deliverance, Lord.
The character of the mud in this biblical month points to the dimension of the first man Adam.
Genesis 2:6-7:
… 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.
7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
… 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.
7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
It is similar to the spinning potter’s wheel representing God’s cycle of eternity and the clay representing our temporary life time in the potter’s house at the time of Jeremiah (cf. Jeremiah 18:1-5).
Jeremiah 18:1-5:
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.”
3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel.
4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me.
6 He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.”
3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel.
4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me.
6 He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.
The Prophet Jeremiah in the Cistern and Challenging Circumstances
In link with the mud, we can read in Jeremiah 38:6 that the prophet was thrown by the officials of the king Zedekiah into the cistern where he sank into the mud.
Jeremiah 38:6:
6 So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
6 So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
Romans 8:28 says that everything has to work for good for those who love God.
Romans 8:28:
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Through this statement the cistern and the challenging circumstance of Jeremiah become a directive light for us in our time.
The cistern into which the prophet Jeremiah was thrown carried a divine statement into which God allowed the prophet to enter and to be positioned. It was the cistern of Malkijah – “My king is YAHWEH!” which was at the ground full with mud.‘Mud’ is the substance that God used as He created first time the human being (cf. Genesis 2:6-7).
Genesis 2:6-7:
… 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.
7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
… 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.
7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Psalm 7:15 and Proverbs 26:27 are clearly saying that the one who digs a pit falls into his own pit.
Psalm 7:15:
15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
Proverbs 26:27:
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
This means that from our challenging circumstances, blessing emerges which decimate the enemy in his seeming superiority. This means that we are positioned in the phase of transformation with our king Jesus Christ and thus are able to receive His prophetic plan for this time in our lives.
Coming Boldly Before the Throne of Grace
God’s prophetic plan for our lives is that we arise in boldness and coming into His royal ‘residence’ or rather palace before His throne of grace to activate divine justice in the world where we are personally not able to do it (cf. Esther 2:16 i.c.w. Hebrews 4:16).
Esther 2:16-18:
16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
Hebrews 4:16:
16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Divine Righteousness
The activation of divine justice is mentioned because the month Tebeth is linked to the tribe of Dan – ‘Judge’.
Dan was the 5’th son of Jacob (means: ‘heel holder’) and the first son of Rachel (means: ‘mother sheep’) who was conceived by her maid Bilha (means: ‘timidity, modesty’).
On the basis of Dan who was born as a fifth and as well as a first born son, we can see the hand of God and His favor upon Dan to execute divine justice.
Og, The King of the Amorites
The region of Bashan, from which the tribe of Dan sprang forth like a lion according to the blessing of Moses, was previously under the rule of king ‘Og’ (cf. Deuteronomy 33:22 i.c.w. Deuteronomy 3:11).
Deuteronomy 33:22:
22 About Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s cub, springing out of Bashan (means: ‘fruitful stoneless plain’).”
22 About Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s cub, springing out of Bashan (means: ‘fruitful stoneless plain’).”
Deuteronomy 3:11:
11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants. His bed was decorated with iron and was more than nine cubits long and four cubits wide. It is still in Rabbah (means: ‘The great’ – feminine) of the Ammonites.)
11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants. His bed was decorated with iron and was more than nine cubits long and four cubits wide. It is still in Rabbah (means: ‘The great’ – feminine) of the Ammonites.)
The name ‘Og’ means ‘He was bent.’
He was the king of the Amorites – ‘those, who live in the mountains’.
He was the king of the Amorites – ‘those, who live in the mountains’.
In the spiritual context, the plan of the ‘king Og’ is to oppress people by religion with the main goal to hinder them of entering into the fruitfulness and freedom of Jesus Christ.
The spirit of ‘Og’ drives people to live by own strength and self righteousness which is revealed by his ‘resting place’ (cf. Deuteronomy 3:11).
To be bent in this context can be a sign that sin is like a burden on a person who is oppressed by shame and guilt through the influence of an evil spirit.
For example, it can be a religious spirit that oppresses people but it is faith in Jesus Christ that is linked to freedom.
The Bent Woman
It is no coincidence that Jesus healed a crippled woman who was bent over for eighteen years (Note: 3 x 6 | 6+6+6= 18) in one of the synagogues on a Sabbath (cf. Luke 13:10-13).
Luke 13:10-13:
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”
13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”
13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
Because Jesus healed the woman on a Sabbath in the synagogue, it was a sign that He confronted by the healing the hearts of the religious people who lived in a legalistic way before God but didn’t have a real love relationship with Him.
The religious spirit is an antichrist characteristic because in its subtle approach of pride it defines itself only through works without faith as it refuses and relativises the given righteousness through Jesus Christ at the cross (cf. John 3:14-17).
John 3:14-17:
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness (see Numbers 21:8-9), so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness (see Numbers 21:8-9), so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Let us glorify Jesus Christ as the Son of the living God who sits on the throne at the right hand of the Father.
By rising up in grace from the righteousness of Jesus Christ, this month we will speak words and make decisions that will bring down the enemy in his structures and reveal God as a judge in the dimension of wisdom.
Amen and Amen.
In His Wisdom,
Daniel Glimm
