Gad

Next week we are entering into the next Hebrew month - Elul.  It is the month represented by the Tribe of Gad.  The following was written about Gad by the staff at Glory of Zion in Corinth, Texas:

Gad was the seventh son of Jacob and Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid. Gad means 'troop/soldier" or "good fortune." Mazel tov! It also meant a "camp” or a "company" as in a troop. Leah's seven sons made up a troop. What good fortune this was!

Jacob's blessing in Genesis 49:19 is, "Gad will be plundered by marauding bands, but he will turn and plunder them." In other words, if you strike at me I will strike back and win. Moses' blessing likened Gad to a lion. In Deuteronomy 33:20-21 he declared "Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad's territory! Gad is poised there like a lion to tear off an arm or a head. The people of Gad took the best land for themselves; a leader's share was assigned to them. When the leaders of the people were assembled, they carried out the Lord's justice and obeyed his regulations for Israel. Gad was a tribe that raised cattle and sheep. They saw the land east of the Jordan as being the best for their cattle. Since they were men of war they were also best suited to protect the land from the eastern enemies, Moab and Aram (Syria).

In Chronicles 12:8-14 the tribe of Gad is described as "men of valor, men of war fit for the battle, who could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions and were swift as the roe upon the mountains...captains of the host: the least of them commanded a hundred men and greatest, a thousand". Gad together with Ruben and Simeon were stationed on the south side of the tabernacle, Gad was faithful to carry out their pledge to side with Israel and fight on their behalf when needed and to remain in unity with the rest of the tribes of Israel.

Gad is connected to the sixth month, Elul (August-September) in the Hebrew calendar. Tradition says Gad was born and died on the 1Oth of this month. In Jewish history this was and is a month for repentance and forgiveness. This month followed the previous two months where God dealt with the sins of the people in the wilderness at Sinai. Moses sought the favor of the Lord on behalf of the people because the Lord was ready to destroy them because of their unfaithfulness and idolatry (Gen 32-33). The people repented and God forgave them and made a new covenant with them.

This is a month when "the King is in the field!" His light shines on us all. He moves among his people and loves for us to approach him. This is a time where he lavishes his mercy and forgiveness on us. This was the time biblically when Moses approached God for the third time on Mt Sinai for God to rewrite His covenant tables.

The anointings for the month include:

1.     The ability to gather a company of warriors

2.     To war and have victory over ones enemies

3.     To remain aligned in war

4.     Leadership

5.     To receive the forgiveness of God

6.     To walk in the light and presence of the Lord

The traditional symbol for God is a tent and the banner color was grey or silver. The stone could have been the grey-banded agate.