The Tribe of Gad
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:
- The ability to gather a company of warriors
- To war and have victory over ones enemies
- To remain aligned in war
- Leadership
- To receive the forgiveness of God
- 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.
Here is the posting from “Elijah List.”
"When the Gadites Rise the Goliaths Will Fall" by Jennifer LeClaire, Fort Lauderdale, FL
"When the Gadites rise the Goliaths will fall." I heard the Holy Spirit speak those words Tuesday night after I hung up from our Appeal to Heaven prayer call.
We're praying out the prophecies over the nation and we were praying out a prophetic word Tim Sheets released, part of which read: "As Esther, they will rewrite them by My statutes. Governors of the culture will now come forth. Remnant warriors will now emerge who have the heart of David, the wisdom of Solomon and the tenacity of Paul."
While I was praying through that part of the prophecy, the Holy Spirit started showing me the Gadites. I began to pray for the mighty warring Gadites to rise and take out the Goliaths. Again, when I hung up I heard the Holy Spirit say, "When the Gadites rise the Goliaths will fall."
Who Are the Gadites?
The Gadites came from the tribe of Gad. Gad was the seventh son of Jacob. His name means "troop." The Bible describes the Gadites as "men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with a bow, and who were skillful in battle, who went to war" (1 Chronicles 5:18). When Jacob blessed his 12 sons before he died, he prophesied, "Gad shall be attacked by raiding bands, but he shall raid at their heels" (Genesis 49:19). In other words, it looked like Gad had lost the fight but he made a comeback. Isn't that what it looks like in America even now? (Photo via Wikipedia)
We find another mention of the Gadites in 1 Chronicles 12:8: "From the Gadites mighty men of valor, men of the war battalion, who could handle shield and sword, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains, separated themselves for David in the stronghold in the wilderness" (MEV). Remember, it was the Gadites who stood on the side of righteousness with David amid Absalom's great rebellion. The Gadites are the ones who will stand strong amid the Great Falling Away we're seeing in the Church even now.
Matthew Henry's Commentary describes the Gadites this way: "They were able-bodied men, men of incredible swiftness, not to fly from, but to fly upon, the enemy, and to pursue the scattered forces. In this they were as swift as the roes upon the mountains, so that no man could escape from them; and yet they had faces like the faces of lions, so that no man could out-fight them. They were disciplined men, trained up to military exercises; they could handle shield and buckler, use both offensive and defensive weapons... They were daring men, that could break through the greatest difficulties. What enemies those were that they met with in the valleys, when they had passed Jordan, does not appear; but they put them to flight with their lion-like faces, and pursued them with matchless fury ..."
Goliath Must Fall
The Gadites had faces like lions. I like that. It means the fierceness and boldness showed on their faces, intimidating their enemies. Proverbs 28:1 says, "The wicked flee when no man pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion."
How bold is a lion? They aren't called the king of the jungle for nothing. The Bible calls the lion "strongest among beasts" (see Proverbs 30:29-30). Amos asked, "The lion has roared; who will not fear?" (Amos 3:8) You can hear a lion roar from miles and miles away. And Peter warns us to, "Be sober and watchful, because your adversary the devil walks around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Of course, Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (see Rev. 5:5). (Photo via Jennifer LeClaire, Charisma Magazine)
Goliath, on the other hand, was just an uncircumcised Philistine. Unlike the Gadites, Goliath was not in covenant with God. Goliath could not claim the promises of God. Goliath may look big—and he is—but he is no match for the Gadites. In your life and in this nation, Goliaths have risen up to war against us. But take heart. When the Gadites rise, the Goliaths will fall. Rise up now, bold as a lion, and decree and declare your victory over Goliath. Stand for truth amid the rebellion! It's time to roar! Decree and declare that the Goliaths attacking this nation will fall, in Jesus' name!
Used by Permission from Charisma Magazine.
Jennifer LeClaire
News Editor at Charisma Media,
Founder of Jennifer LeClaire Ministries
Email: jennifer@jenniferleclaire.org
Website: jenniferleclaire.org
Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, co-founder of AwakeningTV.com, a leader in the New Breed Revival Network, and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening; Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still, Small Voice of God; The Making of a Prophet and Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft.
The entire article can be read at: http://elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=15003
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