Tag: 40

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Om 40 te wees

Die weke voor my 40ste verjaarsdag in April, was dit asof die Here vir my klem gelê het oor die nommer 40. Jy sien, 40 is in my opinie, in Bybelse terme, nogals groot en significant soos die Engelse sou sê.

Soos wat die dae verby gaan is dit asof elke stuk wat ons lees vir die kinders elke aand klem lê op 40. Die Israeliete wat vir 40 jaar in die woestyn rondgereis het, konings wat vir 40 jaar regeer het, Jesus wat vir 40 dae in die woestyn was, so gaan die lysie aan en aan.

Ek besluit toe om my boek nader te trek om die dieper betekenis van 40 te probeer bepaal en te probeer verstaan HOEKOM die Here dit op my hart gelê het. Die boek is in Engels geskryf en ek kwoteer dus die Engelse verduideliking.

The numeric association can be calculated by multiplying four (material completeness, worldly kingdom) with ten (fulfilment, completeness) which implies the fulfilment of worldly or material dominion (or trial).

Die boek verwys dan verder na die 40 jaar wat die Israeliete in die woestyn was, Moses se tyd in die woestyn voor hy die instruksie van God ontvang het om die Israeliete te bevry, Jesus se 40 dae in die woestyn en vele ander. Presies soos my vorige paragraaf.

Weer ‘n aanhaling uit die boek: This implies that natural circumstances have to fall in place (fulfilled, matured) so that you can be released to take up your place in your calling (or position of leadership and authority). It symbolises that the time of trial is over and the time of release has arrived. This is also the number of Judah (in Hebrew) whose name means praise the Lord or celebrate. This is also the number for milk (in Hebrew) which symbolises the foundation (basis) of the Word of God which gives people a basic understanding of the teachings of the Word.

Die skrif wat hierna aangehaal word is Hebreërs 5:12. Ek trek my foon nader om my elektroniese Bybel op te soek om te lees wat staan in die vers. Ek kan nie my fisiese Bybel nou gebruik nie, want dit lyk omtrent of ‘n ORKAAN my tafels waarop ek werk getref het. (ja tafels met ‘n s wat impliseer meer as een – die wat my ken sal verstaan hoe ek werk). Dis papiere orals, soos wat ek, wat vir my soos maande voel, probeer orde skep in my werk en goed gedoen kry en geprioritiseer kry volgens dringendheid. Hopies wat bymekaar gemaak word, in afwagting van inligting wat aangevra was, om my te herinner om op te volg met kliënte, sodat ek die goed kan doen en gefinaliseer kry.

Die Afrikaanse vertaling van 1953 lees as volg: Want hoewel julle vanweë die tyd leraars behoort te wees, het julle weer nodig dat ‘n mens julle die eerste beginsels van die woorde van God moet leer, en julle het weer behoefte aan melk en nie aan vaste spys nie.

Ek krap omtrent nou kop oor die vers. Ek besluit om hom te vergelyk met ander vertalings en weergawes, net om te verstaan wat dit is wat die Here vir my wil wys.

Die New International Version verduidelik hom as volg: In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk not solid food!

Ek lees weer die verduideliking in my boek en dan snap ek dit!! Ons het almal as baba’s melk gedrink. Niemand het toe hulle gebore was fyn gemaakte pampoen of Purity geëet nie. Die moedersmelk (of in ander gevalle blik melk – maar melk bly melk) wat ons gedrink het, het ons die basis gegee om te kan groei en op ‘n punt te kan kom om wel die pampoen of Purity te eet.

Die vers impliseer nie dat mens op 40 nog nie reg is vir die spreekwoordelike grof geskud van God se woord nie. Nee, ek sien dit as volg – ons het tot nou toe melk gehad. God se woord ingeneem in makliker verteerbare happies en voedings. Dit is ons basis.

Ek lees verder in my boek. Daar is ‘n opskrif Maturity in Understanding. ‘n Simbolieke betekenis. It can be seen as the age of maturity, understanding and ability to rule, when a man reaches his intellectual prime. It also suggests completeness and conclusion (Num 32:13). It symbolises a period of rest (40 or 80 years). (Judg 3:11, 30; Judg 5:31; Judg 8:28).

Die teks in Numeri verwys na die toorn van die Here wat ontvlam het teenoor die Israeliete en dat Hy hulle veertig jaar lank in die woestyn laat rondswerwe het. Hy het dit gedoen tot die HELE geslag verteer was wat kwaad gedoen het in die oë van die Here.

Sjoe!!!! Hy was BAIE KWAAD vir hulle! Ons almal weet hulle was ongehoorsaam en ons mis soms die skrif oor HOEKOM hulle in die woestyn in gegaan het en WAT God se plan was! Die Here moes skoonmaak, die wat oortree het moes eers doodgaan. Wow. Dis nogals groot….

Die skrif uit Rigters (ek moes eers my Bybel na Engels stel om Judges te vind en weer terug na Afrikaans om te weet wat die Afrikaanse naam van die boek was – lag maar, ek sukkel soms om te vertaal so vinnig terwyl ek tik). Terug na my punt wat ek wou maak, ek het besluit my vorige sin was eintlik te lank en deurmekaar om NOG verder te lees, ek moet nou ‘n hele nuwe paragraaf begin vir dit wat ek probeer sê!

Rigters 3:11 vertel ons die land moes vir veertig jaar rus. Vers 30 verwys na die land wat tagtig jaar moes rus. Al die ander teks in Rigters verwys na die land wat vir 40 jaar moes rus op verskillende tye van verskillende Rigters wat die volk gelei het.

Ek dink ‘n oomblik na oor die teks. Wat probeer die Here vir my sê? Soos wat ek dink en tik, voel ek die roering in my hart. Dis asof die Heilige Gees vir my wil wys dat die tyd voor veertig nog nie reg was nie. Ek was nog nie reg nie.

Miskien was ek soos ‘n stuk grond wat gerus het vir 40 jaar, as mens nou so daarna wil kyk. Ek weet net diep binne in my gees, toe die Here die eerste keer, op ‘n 27 jarige ouderdom vir my gewys het wat Sy planne vir my lewe was, was ek vir seker nie reg nie. Ek was nie mature genoeg nie. Nie volwasse nie.

Ek het tot nou toe net melk gedrink, dit bietjie vir bietjie ingeneem, verteer, oor nagedink en gegroei in die proses. Maar ek is nou reg, reg om die volgende stap te neem na volwassenheid en God se woord te verkondig op die manier wat Hy wil hê dit moet gebeur!

Hier is op 40! Being forty and fabulous (also known as Fortabulous!). Dankie Here vir die geleentheid om U instrument te wees. Mag ek altyd net verkondig wat U wil hê ek moet verkondig. Mag elke liewe mens altyd onthou dat die nie oor my gaan nie maar oor God. Alle eer kom Hom toe, ALTYD!

Being 40
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Being 40

The weeks leading up to my 40th birthday in April, it was as if God was showing me the significance of the number 40 over and over. In my opinion 40 is a very significant number in Biblical terms.

As the days passed by, it is as if every single Bible story we read to our children before they went to sleep, featured the number 40. The Israelites that wandered in the desert for 40 years, Kings that ruled for 40 years, Jesus that was in the desert for 40 days, and so the list goes on.

I then decide to look up the meaning of 40 in my book to try and understand the meaning of the number and WHY God laid it on my heart.

Text quoted from the book: The numeric association can be calculated by multiplying four (material completeness, worldly kingdom) with ten (fulfilment, completeness) which implies the fulfilment of worldly or material dominion (or trial).

The book refers further to the 40 years that the Israelites were in the desert, the time Moses spent in the desert before he got the instruction from God to free the Israelites, the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert and a few others. This is more or less the same as a previous paragraph in this blog what God had shown me beforehand.

Another quotation from the book: This implies that natural circumstances have to fall in place (fulfilled, matured) so that you can be released to take up your place in your calling (or position of leadership and authority). It symbolises that the time of trial is over and the time of release has arrived. This is also the number of Judah (in Hebrew) whose name means praise the Lord or celebrate. This is also the number for milk (in Hebrew) which symbolises the foundation (basis) of the Word of God which gives people a basic understanding of the teachings of the Word.

The text quoted with this is Heb 5:12. I decide to look up the scripture on my electronic version of the Bibles on my phone, as the desks that I work on, look like a paper tornado went through them (yes you read correctly – plural, more than one desk. Those who know me will understand that I need SPACE to work on). It looks like that, because I am trying to create order in my work life and it feels like it has been going on like this for months!! The constant prioritizing of urgent matters and working, tending to requests from clients…papers lying, waiting in anticipation for responses from clients after requests have been sent, not wanting to put it away as I will surely forget to follow up on these matters.

Initially I read it in Afrikaans. I then decide to read it in English too, to ensure that I gain a proper clear understanding of the scripture that God has placed before me.

I also decide to select the option to compare versions on the Bible app. This helps me to read it in different versions of English and Afrikaans, to gain a deeper and better understanding of what is being said.

The New International Version explains it as follows: In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk not solid food!

I read the meaning in my book again. Then I grasp it! As babies, we all drank milk. No one ate solid foods like pumpkin or Purity when they were born! The milk that we drank, whether it was breast milk or milk from a tin, gave our bodies the foundation to grow so that you can get to the point where you can eat your pumpkin or Purity.

The verse does not imply to me that, at the age of 40, one is not ready for the deeper more meaningful information contained in God’s word. No, you see, I see it as follows – up to this point in time, I have had milk. God’s word was given to me in smaller portions, the form being easier to digest. This was the basis for me.

I read on in my book. There is a heading Maturity in Understanding. A symbolic meaning. It can be seen as the age of maturity, understanding and ability to rule, when a man reaches his intellectual prime. It also suggests completeness and conclusion (Num 32:13). It symbolizes a period of rest (40 or 80 years). (Judg 3:11, 30; Judg 5:31; Judg 8:28).

The text in Numbers refers to the time when the wrath of God flamed up towards the Israelites and He banished them to the desert for 40 years. He did this until the ENTIRE generation that sinned against Him and in His eyes, were gone.

Wow! He must have been MAD at them!! We all know how unfaithful they were and how disobedient they were towards Him. But sometimes we miss the scripture about WHY they went into the desert and WHAT the plan was with this. God had to cleanse the Israelites, the generations that were unfaithful and disobedient towards Him had to die first. Wow, this is BIG!

The scripture in Judges (just an after thought – I did not know what book Judges was in Afrikaans at the time when I typed the Afrikaans version of this entry. I had to select the English version on my bible first and then go back to Afrikaans to get to the name in Afrikaans….I was chuckling at myself while I struggled to do the translations of the book names…). Anyway, back to the point about the scripture in Judges – I have decided that the previous sentence was now too long and confusing that I have to start a new paragraph to explain this.

Judges 3:11 tells us that the land had to rest for forty years. Verse 30 refers to land that had to rest for eighty years. All the other verses in Judges refers to the land that had to rest for forty years in different times when different leaders were leading the Israelites.

I think for a moment about the scripture. What is God really trying to tell me? While I was typing this, thinking it over, I feel the Holy Spirit press on my heart. It is as if He wants to show me that the time was not right for me before 40. I was not ready.

Maybe I was like a piece of land that had to rest for 40 years, if you want to look at it like that. I know, deep inside my spirit, that, when God showed me the first time, at the age of 27 years what He had planned for me, I was not ready! I was not mature enough for the task.

Until now I had drunk milk. Little by little I took it in, digested it, thought it through, growing in the process. But now I am ready! I am ready to take the next step to the maturity to spread God’s word in the manner that HE wants me to do it!

Here is to being 40! Being forty and fabulous (also known as Fortabulous!). Thank you God for the opportunity to be Your instrument. May I always only preach and say what YOU want me to say. May each and every person ALWAYS remember that it is not about me, but ALWAYS about God. All the Glory be to God and Him alone!

Om 40 te wees
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Veertig

So 40 is baie “topical” soos die Engelse sal sê en met goeie rede. Volgende week die tyd is ek 40 en nie meer 39 nie. “What a scary thought!”

Jinne het ek nou vir jou planne gehad vir die laaste 40 dae voor ek 40 word. Gedink ek gaan elke dag (ja Saterdae en Sondae ingesluit) oefen want ek soek mos daai lyf, skielik hierdie gesonde leefstyl onder die bad matjie uitruk en begin uitleef, gemors kos uitsny en so gaan die lysie aan en aan.

Ek dink ek verstaan nou vir die eerste keer wat my man bedoel as hy sê ek plaas te veel druk op myself.

Kon dit nooit verstaan nie, want jinne een dag nie tot op die maksimum benut nie is ‘n totale mors van tyd. So het ek gedink. Vergeet dat ek net ‘n mens is en ‘n ma is….dat ek ‘n Beroepsvrou is wat alles andersins moet in pas (perfek) soos een of ander 5000 stuk legkaart in 24 uur sodat die prentjie reg vertoon….

Gou het ek besef dat my “40 day to do list” eintlik net ‘n “ek-plaas-druk-op-myself” lysie geword het.

Ek kyk na foto’s wat van my geneem is die afgelope naweek en dan dink ek dat ek eintlik maar moes volhou met minstens die oefen item op my lysie (ek oefen darem 1x per week maar ek wou 7x per week). Ek dink heeltyd by myself dat die arme mense om my wat heeltyd in DAAI gesig en lyf moet vaskyk ??

Maar dan iewers tussen als deur voel ek weer hoe die Here my hart aanraak….ek voel hoe Hy sê dat ek nou is waar ek moet wees op alle vlakke nie net fisies waar ek woon nie. Alles is binne Sy plan.

Hoe fantasties is dit nie net nie??

Hy weet presies hoeveel grashalmpies is op ons erf.

Dis “amazing”. Ons dien so ‘n wonderlike God!

Ek haal weer diep asem en kyk vir myself in die spieël en weet die foto se beeld is wind skeef in vergelyking met dit wat ek sien in die spieël.

Ek is tevrede met wat ek sien in die spieël.

Ek het gedoen wat ek kon om my lewe om te draai sodat ek wel kan sê met trots dat ek oefen en dat dit deel van my roetine is nou, al is dit nie elke dag nie.

Dis ten minste 1x per week wat meer is as 2 jaar terug….

So “cheers” vir my lysie, al kon ek net sommige van my doelwitte byhou en volhou, weet ek dat ek my beste gedoen het om goed te verander in my lewe voor ek 40 is.

Fourtabulous coming soon and in counting….