In the 38th week of 1975 (September 22), Sarah Jane Moore attempted to assassinate the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford, with her .38 Special revolver. She missed. In the 38th chapter of Isaiah, the prophet told king Hezekiah he was going to die. The king cried out to God and the sentence of death was withrawn. Death missed. He had 15 years added to his life.
The 38th week is a prophetic turning-point in the year. It is a time gate in the year like the book of Zechariah (the 38th book) in the Bible. It is a season we must be encouraged to pray (Zechariah 10:1-2).
BIBLICAL PATTERNS FOR THE WEEK
There are five Biblical patterns for understanding the 38th week:
- The third day of creation. This is because the 38th week is the third week in the 7-week season that began September 3.
2. The Book of Zechariah – this is the 38th book of the Bible.
3. The seven 38th chapters of the Bible (Genesis 38, Exodus 38, Job 38, Psalm 38, Isaiah 38, Jeremiah 38 and Ezekiel 38).
4. The third four chapters (9-12) of the sixth book of the Bible (Joshua).
5. The third 10 books of the Bible (Ecclesiastes – Amos)
B. BIBLE READING SUGGESTIONS FOR THE WEEK
Going through the 38th week of the year is like taking a journey through the 38th book of the Bible (Zechariah). It is also like walking through the 38th chapters of the Bible. So, the Book of Zechariah and the 38th chapters of the Bible are great guiding lights for the week. Zechariah is the 14-chapter book before Malachi – the last book of the Old Testament.
You may want to read the suggested passages as follows but also be free to follow the leading of the Spirit of God:
September 17: Genesis 38; Zechariah 1-2.
September 18: Exodus 38; Zechariah 3-4.
September 19: Job 38; Zechariah 5-6.
September 20: Psalm 38; Zechariah 7-8.
September 21: Isaiah 38; Zechariah 9-10.
September 22: Jeremiah 38; Zechariah 11-12.
September 23: Ezekiel 38; Zechariah 13-14.
VERSE FOR THE WEEK
Ezekiel 38:22-23: “And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”‘
C. THOUGHTS AND PRAYER POINTS FOR THE WEEK
How should we live and pray in this 38th week? What’s in the heart of God for the 38th week?
Here are 9 things the Bible indicates concerning the 38th season:
1. It is a season of gracious intervention against death. God intervened to reverse the pronouncement of death against Hezekiah in Isaiah 38. He also intervened in the family of Judah (Genesis 38); He intervened through Ebed-melech to save Jeremiah’s life (Jeremiah 38); and intervened for His people against Gog (Ezekiel 38). God saved the 38th President of the United States from two assassination attempts within 3 weeks in 1975 (September 5 and 22).
2. It is a season of desperate cry for mercy from God. Psalm 38: 1-22 is a cry for mercy. It will be good to read the entire chapter. Mercy bypassed death and helped Judah and his family in Genesis 38. Mercy delivered Hezekiah from death in Isaiah 38. Mercy saved Joshua the High Priest in the third chapter of the 38th book of the Bible. Mercy saved the 38th President of the United States (Gerald Ford) from two assassination attempts in September 1975. Mercy saved Nigerians from the Abacha regime in the 38th year of the nation (1998) when the killer-Head of State died suddenly.
3. It is a season when men and powers who are like towering Cedars and Oaks may fall (Zechariah 11: 1-2). Archbishop Benson Idahosa of Nigeria, a vibrant minister of the gospel died suddenly in the 38th year of Nigeria. The Head of State, General Sami Abacha died suddenly the same year.
4. It is a season of revelation. It is a time learn and receive knowledge from Heaven. It is a season to uncover things covered up. God teaches in the 38th season. He took over to question His servant in Job 38. He taught Zechariah the prophet in the 38th book of the Bible.
5. It is a season of recovery and vengeance when God rises against those who rise up against His people (Ezekiel 38; Zechariah 1:21).
6. It is a season of construction and reconstruction in the House of God. The Tabernacle was in the making in Exodus 38.
7. It is a season of divine visitation. God began the restoration of His servant, Job, in the 38th chapter of the Book of Job. The servant of God did not hear the Voice of God until the 38th chapter. In John 5, Jesus healed the paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda who had suffered 38 years.
8. It is a season of change. The Bible mentions two people who emerged kings in Israel in 38th seasons. The first was Ahab – who became king in the 38th year of Asa (1 Kings 16:29). The second was Zechariah the son of Jeroboam – who became king in the 38th year of Azariah (2 Kings 15:8).
9. It is a season to battle selfishness. There are 60 first-person pronouns (me, my and I) in the 22-verse Psalm 38. Judah and his sons exhibited selfishness in Genesis 38. Exodus 38 opens with the making of the altar of burnt offering where lives are laid down by sacrifice; and the making of the Bronze Laver for washing. In the 41-verse 38th chapter of Job, God asked His servant 38 questions to pul him out of his self-centered thoughts. Isaiah 38:10-17 has 33 first-person pronouns (me, my and I). The Book of Zechariah (the 38th book of the Bible) is about God’s determination “to cast out the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it” (Zechariah 1:21). The British -America War of 1812 ended in 1814 (the 38th year of the United States). It was a victory against the selfishness of the Colonial Master.
DON’T GIVE UP!
This week, fight until you win. The 38th week is not for quitters. Tamar did not give up in Genesis 38. She knew she belonged to the House of Judah by marriage. Circumstances worked against her but she hung to what she believed until she won. Twins came! Hezekiah did not give up in Isaiah 38. He was very sick and received a word from the Lord that he would die and not live. He went the Lord in prayer and cried until change came. God added 15 years to his life. Ebed-melech did not give up in Jeremiah 38. Wicked people in authority threw Jeremiah into a waterless dungeon and left him to die there. He believed Jeremiah should not die in that pit. He took the matter to the king and obtained favour. The king released 30 men to help him rescue Jeremiah. That was a mighty deliverance. God rescued Obasanjo from Abacha’s prison in the 38th year of Nigeria (1998). It began with a death sentence, then life imprisonment, then 15-year jail term and then freedom. Believe God and press for a turnaround this week – for yourself or for someone else.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Pray that God will be merciful and turn things around in the nations as the psalmist prayed in Psalm 38; as God had mercy on Hezekiah in Isaiah 38, and the man who had suffered 38 years in John 5.
2. Pray that God will raise an intervention-force for His persecuted and oppressed people as He used Ebed-melech to help Jeremiah in Jeremiah 38.
3. Pray that the Lord will bring down hindering oaks and cedars in the nations as He did to Gog In Ezekiel 38; and as He did with the Abacha regime in Nigeria’s 38th year.
4. Pray that we would see, hear, and understand what the Lord will be showing us this season as it was with Zechariah in the 38th book of the Bible. He learnt by asking and answering questions.
5. Pray that the Lord will raise His craftsmen to terrify the horns scattering the nations as He did for Judah in the 38th book of the Bible.
6. Pray that this will be a week of reconstruction and restoration in the House of God in the nations as in the 38th book of the Bible. Pray that Heaven will break the silence concerning certain situations in the nations this 38th week as in Job 38.
7. Pray that the Lord will purge your heart of selfishness in this week and season. Pray that He would dethrone selfishness and also take down the selfish in the nations this week.
Happy 38th week of the year!
