When are numbers and dates important to God?

Yesterday's post was about the numbers of the date 11-11-20-14 and I am sure some people think that even taking the time to do that is just goofy. 
That has been the word used to describe me over the last fourteen years, so I might as well get used to it, to my critics, I admit it, I am goofy.

But seriously, Why would anybody pay attention to the numbers of a date?   

I am so glad you asked... 

Because right after publishing yesterday's post on numbers, I was wondering if I would earn the title goofy again by some of those who might happen across this blog. However, I was encouraged by reading Ezekiel 24 this morning. 

In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me: son of man, record this date, this very date because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. Ezekiel 24:1-2

Here Ezekiel is commanded to record the date, 10-10-9. Let's just take a look at the numbers the Holy Spirit lists in the passage and then commands Ezekiel to record it "nine - ten - ten." 

Nine (teth) Visitation  Teth is a snake in Hebrew. It can also signify being surrounded, for the snake was often pictured in a circle swallowing its tail. The number nine speaks God's “visitation.” This is a Hebraism that pictures God as an Invest igator “visiting” a person, city, or nation to expose the hearts, gather evidence, and “see” firsthand, as it were, the truth of a matter. It is much like a divine court case where the evidence is uncovered and presented to the judge for judgment.  
Nine is visitation and manifests the Holy Spirit's leading, training, and judgment (learning to discern right and wrong) in the life of the believer, and acts as a witness against the unbeliever to expose the secrets of his heart.

Ten (yod) Divine Order, Law  Yod is a closed hand. Because ten is also the number of the law, which brings divine order, it signifies “the works of the law...

Ten is the number of divine order being reestablished one way or another through the judgment of the law (as pictured by the Ten Commandments). In other words, it manifests the actual sentence of the law which follows the gathering and presentation of the evidence. After the Holy Spirit has revealed the evidence to expose men's hearts (i.e., number nine), the Judge reveals the law. That is, he pronounces the sentence (i.e., number ten) according to the law. Ten is the number that portrays that time of judgment when men either receive reward or come under divine judgment. One way or another, the law must be fulfilled and the divine order reestablished.

"the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day." v2

 "  'I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent, you will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign Lord.'"  Ezekiel 24:14 

When are numbers and dates important to God? 

When he wants to communicate a clear message that might otherwise be missed. In this case it was the message "the time has come"

Why couldn't He just say what he means? He is a gracious God, He is the creator of the visual learner as well as the auditory and kinetic learner, for some the numbers have to line up with the words.

excerpts taken from The Biblical Meaning of Numbers author Dr. Stephen Jones.