What Time Is It?
and there was evening and there was morning day one Genesis 1:5 (my translation)
Evening/ Morning – Our concept of time was invented to serve the purposes of the British Rail System in 1847. Obviously, this “railway time” (as it was called) was needed to coordinate the management of the trains, but it did not interfere with “local” time, the time kept at each town across Britain. It wasn’t until 1929 that the world adopted the 24 hours global time measurement. Although we imagine that time “zones” have always been part of life, this is not true. They are less than 100 years old – and they are entirely artificial, determined only by the agreement of various nations to divide the world into roughly 15 degree longitudes. If we look even further back in human history, we find that the mechanical clock was not invented until the 13th century. Prior to that invention, time was usually determined by sun dials. Of course, using a sun dial meant that the time of the day varied according to the season and the location on the globe. In other words, before 1929 there was no worldwide standard to measure time. More importantly, the adoption of a universal standard of time was motivated by the need to regulate production across geography. “The clock, not the steam-engine, is the key-machine of the modern industrial age” (Lewis Mumford).
Why is this little recognized fact so important for us? It is important because once we see why we regulated our lives by this artificial device, we realize that the 24 hour day and the 24 global time zones are completely independent of the biblical perspective. No “day” in the Bible is 24 hours long. No year is 365 ¼ days. Everything depends on the season, the geography and the designation of sacred time. In fact, the only standard measurement of time in the Bible is the Sabbath and its occurrence every seven days is completely independent of astronomical clock time. Clock time is a necessity for modern capitalism. The “week,” a cyclical measure not connected to any astronomical event, finds its roots in the Sabbath, established by God, not by the sun and the moon or the rotation of the earth.
Modern research has uncovered another kind of time – biological or psychological time. This time is determined by cycles within the organism. It is our awareness of internal time consciousness. It is not governed by the clock. Simple reflection tells you that your personal biological clock does not mimic the mechanical clock. In fact, in order to fit into the modern, post-industrial world, you have to force your body to function according to a standard time when your own body rhythms resist such conformity. Your personal wake, eat, work, sleep cycles are not standard. That’s why we need alarm clocks.
But what if God established a temporal cycle built into creation? What if Sabbath time is really the foundational cycle of all that exists within the human perspective? Isn’t this exactly what the Bible suggests? Doesn’t Scripture teach us that every living thing is subject to the Sabbath cycle? The Sabbath cycle does not depend on any other temporal duration except that fact that God rested. It is also crucial to realize that the first thing Man did after his creation was rest. Man’s first task was to enjoy the Sabbath. It should come as no religious surprise that the world has systematically desacralized biblical time. The world has altered God’s calendar, God’s weekly pattern of work and rest and God’s view of the day. And to what purpose? So that Man is removed from God’s creation even at this most basic level. Clock time has not given Man freedom. It has enslaved him to more and more tasks within the same temporal span. It has removed the sacred depth of time by replacing it with the slavery of inexorable motion. Clock time promotes lives of shallow hurry, not lives of contemplative rest and enjoyment.
“The Sabbath – God’s claim against our time – implies that time has an ethical dimension.”[1] Shulevitz concludes that not observing Sabbath dishonors both God and His creation. If Sabbath time is built into the creation itself, dishonoring Sabbath is not only a sin, it is sheer foolishness. It is the death of delight and the worship of toil.
Topical Index: time, day, morning, evening, Sabbath, Genesis 1:5
[1] Judith Shulevitz, The Sabbath World: Glimpses of a Different Order of Time, p. 24
Amein…Shabbat Shalom!!
What a delightful discovery it was for me to learn there are two types of time. There is chronological time, “clock time” the seconds, minutes, hours (yes, all man-made) roll by. Tick,tick,tick goes the clock (unless it’s digital!) and so does my heartbeat. (Are you listening?)- I am.
I was rather forced into it by the installation of an aortic replacement valve made from metal. This resulted in a rather metronome sounding “tick” and gave new meaning to “with every beat of my heart.” I am (very) “in tune” with my mortality. Just a heartbeat away from eternity (when does eternity start?) is more than just words to me- we are (you and I) one heartbeat away from the Exit/Entrance Door.
My Maker, Creator, Lover and Friend has, in His mercy and Providence (I love that word) given me a second chance to live again. Literally? Yes, literally- and thank you very much- (from the bottom of my heart?)- Yes, -it is true, and very much so.
Chronos time or as we love to say- “As Time Goes By.” Again, time keeps on slippin’,slippin’ slippin’ into the future. (I am “using time” in writing this blog.) (There went seven seconds of my life.) Are you worth my “time?” Yes, dear ones- you are. So “worth it.” For G-d “so” loved..He gave.
There is another “type” of time. More rare, more valuable, more thrilling. It is kairos time. (Remember?) Those fleeting “glimpes of glory”- when G-d “shows up.”- Have you ever experienced these golden moments? Oh please.. – don’t miss them. They are precious to us..”good stuff!” – the stuff memories, hope, and confidence in Elohim are made of. Kairos moments..- let me tell you about the time..(do I have any “stories” to share?)- lol!- Yes m’am, yes sir.. -scads). Has G-d been active in my life?- I love (love) to say it, and know it- “G-d did that!!”
Ben Franklin said, (at least we attribute it to Ben) -“do not squander time, for it is the stuff life is made of.” And as we each (day-by-day) grow a little more gray and a little less flexible and notice our abilities to “do” are decreasing- even tho’ we fight it tooth and nail- “moth and rust continue to corrupt” and in this world, we (all of us) are “tribulated.” The “rest of the story?” Come on now.. “remember?”- Remember His words? Help me now.. let’s say this (and know- yes, experiencially) together.. “in this world you (I’m talkin’ to you) will have (will have) tribulation, BUT (love those Bible buts!)-“be of good cheer” (huh?)- I have overcome the world.” This, my friends, is what He said. This ain’t Ben speakin’- this is the word of our Good Shepherd- the ONE we may now (today) refer to as “Abba-Father.”
Today, the Sabbath day, spend “quality time” with the ONE(s) you love. Time cannot be saved, it can only be spent. For the next twenty four- let us together watch for and wait for-our Elohim to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think. He is our Immanu’El, G-d with us. Always. Amen. It is “time” for us to pray. “Bent-knee” time, -kairos time. “O clap your hands, all you people; shout to G-d with the voice of triumph.” (Psalm 47.1)- “We do not pray for victory- we pray from Victory.” “Our G-d (El Gibbor) reigns.”
Skip, speaking of time, today’s post is timely for me because I’ve been wondering what the title/name Ancient of Days actually means. Would you be willing to elaborate on that? Would it mean something like Very Old of Earthly Time? I will also do a study on it. Is anyone else interested?
I received this from a friend today and it goes along with today’s word
Excellent analogy:
If you start with a cage containing five monkeys and inside the cage, hang a banana on a string from the top and then you place a set of stairs under the banana, before long a monkey will go to the stairs and climb toward the banana.
As soon as he touches the stairs, you spray all the other monkeys with cold water. After a while another monkey makes an attempt with same result … all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.
Now, put the cold water away. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and attempts to climb the stairs. To his shock, all of the other monkeys beat the crap out of him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five monkeys, replacing it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment… with enthusiasm.
Then, replace a third original monkey with a new one, followed by a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him up have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs. Neither do they know why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.
Finally, having replaced all of the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys will have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, none of the monkeys will try to climb the stairway for the banana.
Why? Because in their minds… that is the way it has always been!
Ron
“The clock, not the steam-engine, is the key-machine of the modern industrial age (Lewis Mumford).”
“What if Sabbath time is really the foundational cycle of all that exists within the human perspective?”
A couple of points.
When I was in college, I could never figure out how folks like Lewis Mumford could figure out things like the statement above; it really fascinated me.
Saturday, the Sabbath, has always been by far my favorite day 🙂
I think the “God timing” goes beyond Sabbath as well, into the cycle of years and giving the ground a rest every 6 years. When farmers do that, their soil is refreshed (in Medieval times crop rotation was standard since they couldn’t cover everything in pesticides and chemical fertilizers).
While I understand why our commercial world needs the clock, I am certainly no fan. I get up early (waaaay too early) because my job starts at 7:12 and I have to be there by 6:40. My days feel non-existent because when I get home it’s all chores, getting the kids to bed, and then passing out. I know God didn’t intend for our days to be this way, but I am also thankful that I have a job. What a blessing my summers are when time slows down and I can live more closely on “Sabbath time.”
I like my Saturdays, but with two small children I don’t think I get much rest. LOL! They’re adorable though, and I’m thankful that I have that time with them since I see them so little during the week.
Great post, Skip. Fascinating history, also! The work I did years back on light etc also revealed a different clock…and a revised chronology of biblical events, but I think the simple truth you point out here is more important, more significant.
And how your last para hit me! As a (perhaps 😉 former work-a-holic, this was an eloquent yet powerful reminder of the danger of not keeping Sabbath.
I’ve been pondering recently on the ways in which we can slip into idolatry, of one sort or another. Stuff like fashioning a more comfortable god, rather than the one revealed in Torah, not much different than what took place a few thousand years ago. We just do it more obliviously now. And so, the ref to “worshiping toil” is yet another way of falling into the age-old trap.
As I read the entire bible, two things stand out to me that, more than anything else, seem to displease Yahweh; idolatry, and not keeping his sabbath. I could not count how many times this is echoed in the Torah. So I guess worshiping toil instead of resting on the Sabbath is really a pretty poor choice! Thanks for the reminder !
Shalom Trevor,
It has always been a fascination to me that the first thing that He brought man/them into was a place of rest and delight, and this speaks deeply to the intent of our Creator for His creation. Modern mans twisted and warped mindset of producing through always working, works against this very principle of creation and set in place order. Yet he persists in this delusional thinking of trying to improve on God’s plan, and in the name of progress (it has no defined boundaries and refuses to let those boundaries be defined) moves headlong and stubbornly to the edge of disaster and destruction. Yet the Sabbath still cries out to man to cease striving and rest, and confronts this childish thinking, and calls out for childlike trust in the Creator and Sustainer of it all. The Sabbath is a strong reminder that we were created for His glory and purpose and not ours.
Thank you for bringing out the two things in Scripture that YHWH seems to be displeased with the most, idolatry and not keeping the Sabbath. Sabbath was set apart and made holy within the very structure of the created order, and it was the very first impression He revealed to man about His character. That is why all the Torah instructions regarding Sabbath and mans keeping of this set apart day! May we all come into a deeper and revelational understanding of this set apart holy day.