After Jesus had stayed with the woman and the Samaritans while He was on his way back to Galilee, He went to Cana. This was the place where He had turned water into wine and was considered His first miracle. As He got to the city an official had gone to him and begged for Jesus to come back to Capernaum to heal his son, who was close to death. At first when we read His response it almost sounds like Jesus was unwilling or even quite sarcastic in His answer when He says, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe". But it was not because He was unwilling for we later read He healed the young boy, but it was because He did not want to only be known as a miracle worker. The story though seems to have a deeper meaning as all things of the Spirit does.
To the man whose son was "close to death" the world was about to end. If his son died there would be no doubt that the man would have mourned and might have never came back from the sorrow that many people go through after loved ones have passed away. But this is not the point. To the nobleman it was the proverbial 11th hour. Time to him was almost at the end. He was ready to quit and give up because all that he knew was about to end. But as we read Jesus said, "Go, your son lives." And when the man got back home he found his son alive and well. Again this is not the point. When he asked the people around when it happened they answered him, "At one in the afternoon." In Hebrew that would mean the 7th hour.
Many people believe that the Bible is full of numerology and perhaps there is something there to make a connection. But what is there is unmistakeably a spiritual symbolic meaning of numbers. The difference between the two is that numbers do not bring spirituality like numerology suggests. Jesus uses numbers to show He is in control. The number seven is huge, a sign of God's perfection. And in the case of the young boy being healed, Jesus had a plan. To the nobleman, the 11th hour was at hand. Death, destruction, despair was all around. All was lost. But when he found Jesus, Jesus made it the 7th hour. He gave hope, He restores, He gave life. Because He works in His time.
Sometimes in our lives we try to tell God what to do and if we don't get what we want then God either hates us, is not a fair and just God, or He must not be real. It is during those times we feel desperate, stressed, insecure, and worried about life. But we don't realize this is His world. It's His plan. And sometimes we just have to wait for His timing. This doesn't mean that bad things will not happen. Death will still occur. Trials and tribulations will enter our lives. But if we hold onto faith then it never has to be teh 11th hour. God has the final say. With God it is always the 7th hour.
In times when the 11th hour is upon us, pray to God to show you the 7th hour and His peace will come upon you and replace all your burdens, if you let Him.
