Tag Archives: Peace

Requiescat in Pace

06 Monday Mar 2023

Posted by in Isaiah 45:7, Studies

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Hello and welcome-or welcome back-to Renaissance Woman!

This post is the conclusion to my study of Isaiah 45:7 which I began in January of last year!  I don’t know that I’ve ever devoted so much time to one single passage of scripture but, every time I began to look at a single word, vistas opened up before me so vast I still have not fully comprehended them.  I could continue in this single passage of scripture for the rest of my life, I think.  I have merely taken a peek beneath the surface with this study and do look forward to exploring the depths in later studies.  For this post, let us take one more look at Isaiah 45:7:

“I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.”  That’s from the New King James Version.  The Amplified renders it: “I form the light and create darkness; I make peace [national well-being.  Moral evil proceeds from the will of men, but physical evil proceeds from the will of God], and I create [physical] evil-calamity; I am the Lord Who does all these things.”

I mentioned in one of those early posts how the Amplified translation bothered me.  It seemed to me that stressing God created physical evil rather than moral evil was not only splitting hairs but a heavy-handed attempt to let God off of a hook He seemed to put Himself squarely on.  No such distinction was made in how the Hebrew word for evil was used in other passages so either God created darkness and evil or there was a terrible misunderstanding of this particular passage.  Coming back to the Amplified version of this passage after the last year of study, I find it still bothers me but for different reasons. 

Whether physical rather than moral evil is meant, we are still left with a problem with God creating any sort of evil at all.  Even translating the word as “calamity” rather than evil has caused a twisted view of God to permeate the church.  Malcolm Smith addresses this in his booklet No Longer A Victim.  In the chapter entitled “Confronting God”, Bishop Smith talks about the evils and sufferings people have endured and the question that arises: “how can a loving God allow this?”  He relates what one woman he was counseling said, “…I am the victim of the Almighty God Himself.”  Bishop Smith then goes on to say:

“Historically, the Church has not helped us here, for we have been taught that this is indeed the way things are.  We have been told that every cruel and vicious evil to rake across our lives is God’s strange strategy of love.  The Church has taught the world to label every tragedy caused by nature on a rampage as ‘an act of God’, while telling those inside the Church that the terrible tragedy is ‘the will of God’.” (Smith, 30)

I can see why the translators of the Amplified Bible chose to make the distinction between moral evil and physical evil.  The Bible does make clear there are those evils that flow out of the darkened hearts of mankind.  I was recently reading a study and came across Jeremiah 19:5: “’(they have also built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings to all, which I did not command or speak, nor did it come into My mind)’”.  I have shared scriptures in previous studies about the heart of humankind and Paul has his list of “works of the flesh” in Galatians 19:21 so both the Old and New Testament do make it clear there are many “evils” that cannot be blamed on God but that human beings are responsible for.

While I do understand the distinction, I’m not convinced it would have been necessary if the translators had taken a close look at the meaning of “create”.  If the translators define create as “to make something out of nothing” then this passage is definitely a problem and caveats do need to be made to attempt to clarify the difference between the evil that originates in the heart of humankind and that which would come from God.

I found no basis for defining “create” as “to make something out of nothing” in the original Hebrew nor the English definition found in the dictionary.  When I look up “create” in the New World Dictionary, I find the base of our English word is kre and means “to grow” or “to cause to grow” like cereal.  The entire definition of “create” is as follows: 1) to cause to come into existence; bring into being; make; originate; esp., to make or design (something requiring art, skill, invention, etc.) 2) to bring about; give rise to; cause [new industries create new jobs] 3) to invest with a new rank, function, etc., 4) to be the first to portray (a particular role in a play). 

A simpler definition I hold in mind whenever I read the word “create” after conducting this study is “to cause something new to come into being and grow towards a specific purpose”.  It is a definition that fits every occurrence of the word in the Old Testament from Elohim creating in Genesis 1, to the Sons of Eli creating in 1 Samuel 2:29, and to the Israelites creating in Joshua 17:17-18.  Applying it to Isaiah 45:7 I find there is no basis for thinking this passage is saying God “creates calamity” in that He is the origin of it.  I find no scriptural basis for calling physical evils like tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes “acts of God” and claiming they arise from His will.  In this, I am in agreement with Bishop Smith who writes: 

“Instead of slandering God by placing the cries of this world’s anguish at His door, we must take the sin of man seriously…mankind fell, that man sinned, and he is now set against the love plans of the God who created him.  By default, man is now fighting the blueprint of his architect-and he is pursuing a pathway of self-destruction.  The truth is that outside of the salvation that comes to us from God in Jesus Christ, we will all destroy ourselves and our neighbors.  The tornados, hurricanes, volcanos, floods, and earthquakes are merely a physical expression of the spiritual state of man, who is the lord of the planet.” (Smith, Page 33)

I am aware of the Bible recording an instance where God did cause a flood and volcanoes and upheaval to deal with the evil of humankind.  This is a vast and complex subject I would like to devote a future study to and I am also aware I cannot possibly discuss it in any detail here.  I would like to point out the story of the flood was an instance of God having to drastically intervene in the history of mankind.  Amos 3:7 says, “Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” and I find the story of the flood is no exception.  Noah was the human instrument in that situation.  It took a great deal of time to build the ark and, while the Bible is not explicit in Genesis, I imagine doing so caused some curiosity.  2 Peter 2:5 describes Noah as a “preacher of righteousness” so I find there is enough evidence to suggest the Biblical flood was not something that happened without warning.  His covenant also still stands that He will never allow a flood to destroy the earth (See Genesis 9:9-17). I do not see that this story of the flood provides us with a Biblical basis for assigning all floods as well as volcanoes, earthquakes, etc. to God. Especially as they tend to happen without warning and the Bible is clear: God never does anything unless He first reveals His secret.

We do not need to go looking for a prophet in this day and age. The Book of Hebrews opens with, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (verses 1-2).  This speaking to us through His Son is what I find prophesied in Isaiah 45:7. Instead of a picture of God claiming calamity as His own creation, I see a glorious picture of the heart of our God and how He has chosen to deal with humankind.

Let us look at this passage again and see it as a prophecy of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the one in whom “was life and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-5).  He is the light of the world appearing in the very midst of darkness.  He is also the peace made.  At His birth all of creation echoed with the cry, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men! (Luke 2:14).  The Hebrew word translated “peace” in Isaiah 45:7 is shalom and doesn’t just mean “peace”.  It means “completeness, soundness, welfare, peace” and we are, each one of us, made complete in Him (Colossians 2:10).

I see no reason to interpret this passage as God stating He is the one who creates the calamities that befall us.  I definitely see no reason for the Amplified to have said the “peace” Isaiah 45:7 speaks of is “national peace.”  That is an unnecessary addition in my opinion.  What I do see in Isaiah 45:7 is a foreshadowing of the truth expressed in Galatians 1:3-4: “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father”. 

Humankind is still so darkened in its understanding.  As those around us continue to live as beings independent from God determining for themselves what is good and evil, we will live in the midst of great evils.  We do not live here alone.  The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in the world today and He brings Jesus and the Father right into our hearts and therefore in the midst of whatever circumstance we find ourselves.  We walk in darkness.  Jesus is the light in our darkness and, as the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see Him more and more every moment, He causes something new to come into being and grow until there is no more darkness.  The same is true for whatever evil that might befall us.  He is our peace, our completeness, our welfare, our very life in the midst of the greatest of evils and He causes something new to come into being and grow until death itself is swallowed up in His life.

Jesus Christ is the One who spoke to the tempest and calmed the raging storm.  Since John 1:18 says, “No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him,” then Jesus Christ is the will of God.  The will of our Father as revealed in Jesus is love-union with Him, light instead of darkness, perfect peace, deliverance from all sorts of evils, and a calming of the storms.  To say devastation is His will for us is a terrible slander.

Let us rest in the Peace that Jesus Christ is: the Peace that only the Lord can give.  May that peace flow out of us to the world around us.

Amen.

Unless noted otherwise, all Scriptures are quoted from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1982

References

The Comprehensive Study Bible, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1984

Brown, F., S. Driver, and C. Briggs, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Eighteenth Printing, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody Massachusetts, 2018

Smith, Malcolm, No Longer A Victim, Pillar Books and Publishing Company, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1992

Strong, James, LL,D., S.T.D., The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1990

Knowing His Rest

05 Monday Dec 2022

Posted by in Personal Essays, Writing

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Hello and welcome to a new post on Renaissance Woman!

This post is going up on the blog a bit later than usual as I travelled to San Antonio for the weekend to take part in a retreat.  The Bishop of my church was going to do some teaching and then we were all going to celebrate his 70 years in the ministry!  The theme of the weekend was “A Living Rest” and it was as I was on my way back home I saw the truth of that illustrated.

I have not travelled on my own in almost twenty years.  And, any travelling I have done has been as a passenger in a vehicle.  I have not flown anywhere in all that time.  It so happened my family could not travel with me to the retreat and, if I wanted to go, I was going to have to go on my own.  I did consider staying home but decided I couldn’t be a coward, I was a grown adult, and my brain injury was not going to keep me home.  It did not and, though I did experience struggles, everyone I asked for help was so incredibly nice and I got to where I needed to go with all my questions answered.

I had a marvelous time but was definitely ready to get home.  It was as I waited for my return flight that I sat in the airport watching the day grow darker and darker as the fog settled in.  I occasionally glanced at the board to see if the fog would be enough to cancel my flight but there was never a change in status.  Despite the thickening fog, my flight remained on time.

The day was still foggy and damp by the time I boarded my plane and took my window seat but the pilot and flight attendants made their announcements and the flight attendants made their final checks.  The pilots began taxiing away from the terminal.

I was enjoying watching it all through the window: the different colored lights, the way the pilots so easily maneuvered that massive plane away from the terminal and onto the runway.  A gray fog still hung over the other planes and various buildings and I could only continue to watch as the pilots fired up the engines and took off, apparently unperturbed by the fog. 

Then, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.  My seat was directly over the wing and I could easily see one of the engines outside my window.  As the plane rose into the air, the engine was all I could see.  Anything else including the ground from which we were pulling away, was obliterated from sight by thick fog. 

I was certain the pilots couldn’t be relying on their own sight: they couldn’t be able to distinguish anything more than I could.  No doubt they had to be relying on their instruments which must be so sophisticated that they render human eyesight unnecessary.  The pilots must have implicit trust, not only in their training but in their instruments, that taking off into a blinding fog wasn’t worth a second thought.

As for me, I was in control of nothing.  Lift off or cancellation, none of it was my choice.  All I could do was sit in my seat and trust the pilots.  My trust was both in their abilities and in their trust in the capabilities of the aircraft.

That trust was not misplaced.  In only a few moments, the plane had ascended above the clouds themselves and there wasn’t a wisp of fog to be seen.  The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and I was on my way home.  As I looked out at the clouds spread out as far as my eye could see and lit by the sun, I saw illustrated what I had learned at the retreat.

A close translation of Galatians 2:20 is, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, the One loving me and giving Himself over on my behalf.” (See the Literal, King James, and Greek Interlinear)  I’ve mentioned it before but it fascinates me that the Greek tou, which is not 3588 in the Strong’s Concordance but 5120, appears three times in this passage and is translated “in”, “of”, and “the (One)”. 

It may seem like splitting hairs but I find there is a massive difference between living my life by faith in the Son of God and living by faith of the Son of God.  Within the context of my illustration, I could have freaked out, gripped the armrests of my seat, and said over and over, “I have faith in the pilots, I have faith in the plane, I have faith that weird noise I heard doesn’t mean the engine is about to fly off this wing.”  Or, I could do as I did and rest in my seat, marveling that the fog was no deterrent to their taking off and knowing that as long as the pilots and flight attendants remained calm, there was no reason for me not to do so.  I suppose I could say my faith was “in” them but it wasn’t, not really.  My faith was their faith and I could enjoy the takeoff in perfect rest because the pilots and flight attendants knew what I did not and the pilots could see what I could not.

One of my Bible Teachers shares a similar illustration.  He was on a flight that began to experience turbulence and was getting nervous but then saw the flight attendant in her seat scrolling through her phone, unfazed by being bounced around.  I see exactly what he is saying as we encountered turbulence coming into Denver.  I looked around to see the cabin shifting back and forth and could feel the plane bump and jerk.  I looked out to see the wing raising and lowering and realized the pilots weren’t fighting the turbulence but were-quite literally-rolling with it.  One of the flight attendants then announced that while we were experiencing some turbulence, it was quite normal to do so coming into Denver.  Again, I could rest in their experience and knowledge.

Jesus Himself is my living rest.  Jesus is my forerunner (Hebrews 6:20).  He is the One who is far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named (Ephesians 1:21).  He declares the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done (Isaiah 46:10).  My faith is His faith made a reality in me through the indwelling of His Spirit.  There are so many times I am following the leading of the Spirit and yet fog settles into the situation and I cannot see the outcome.  Lift off or cancellation?  The result is entirely out of my control.  Yet I rest.  I rest in Jesus Christ who has overcome the world.  I rest in the certainty that He sees what I cannot.

Just one more observation before I close: once the plane was above the clouds, it appeared as if we were hovering.  I knew that wasn’t possible and that the plane was travelling at hundreds maybe thousands of miles per hour. (I have since Googled it and found the average airspeed of a 747 is 550mph).  And so, even though I looked as though we weren’t moving at all, I knew that wasn’t the truth.

I have these times in my Christian life as well.  My vision is not obscured: the sun is shining and the sky is blue.  And yet I looks to me as if I am not making any progress at all.  Here too, my faith is the faith of Jesus Christ.  Because He is in me and I am in Him, I share His Oneness with the Father who has created me in Christ Jesus for good works which He prepared beforehand so that I would walk in them (See Ephesians 2:10).  Not only that, but I know His word is true and that He who has begun a good work in me will continue to perfect and complete it until the Day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).  It doesn’t matter how it may appear to me for I am in the current of the Holy Spirit and we are ever pressing on towards the goal.

Jesus Christ is the perfect gift given by the Father for the world.  I in Him and Him in me I find not only my very life but a perfect living rest.

Praise His name!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!

Amen.

References

Galatians 2:20 Interlinear: with Christ I have been crucified, and live no more do I, and Christ doth live in me; and that which I now live in the flesh — in the faith I live of the Son of God, who did love me and did give himself for me; (biblehub.com)

Green, Jay P., The Interlinear Bible: Hebrew Greek English, Volume 4, Authors for Christ, Inc., Lafayette, Indiana, 1985

Marshall, Reverend A., The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1958,1970

Strong, James, LL.D., S.T.D., The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1990

In the Current of Peace

12 Monday Sep 2022

Posted by in Isaiah 45:7, Studies

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“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”

This is Matthew 5:9 and is the passage of scripture I’ve had in mind since beginning this particular study on peace.  I have been certain that I must understand exactly what peace is before I can make it and now, after gaining a greater understanding of the peace of God, I want to take a look at this scripture.

First, a brief recap on just what is the peace of God.  It is not the absence of something.  The way the world looks at peace is it exists as long as there is no open conflict and this conflict can mean anything from verbal disagreements to open warfare.  I have seen this is not the case in the peace that comes from God.  His peace is a facet of His life and becomes a way we live.  It does not depend on circumstances and, in fact, His peace is all the more real in the midst of conflict.  Peace is an aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit and the peace of God grows in us and flows out of us more and more as we understand who we are in Jesus Christ and who He is in us by the Indwelling of His Spirit.

As I studied the Hebrew letters comprising the word for peace (shalom), I was struck at the relation to the heart.  The letter Lamed is the middle letter of shalom and is the tallest of the Hebrew letters.  It is the only one that ascends above the line and I learned this extending upward symbolizes the aspiration of the heart.  The first letter of the Hebrew word for heart (Leb) is the Lamed and Lamed has to do with what the heart longs for: to rise up, to elevate, and to connect to God.1 The third letter of shalom is the Mem and, while studying the Mem, I found another reference to the heart.  In his book, Mr. Bentorah writes the Mem represents a broken heart.  The little break in the left hand corner of the letter Mem shows us a picture of our hearts as vessels filled with pain and suffering but with a little hole in the corner where all that pain and suffering can pour out so God Himself can refill the heart with His love and presence.2

I do want to devote more study specifically to the heart but wish to stay focused on peace for the sake of this current study.  Reading these references to the heart reminded me of two scriptures.  The first is Isaiah 26:3 and I’m quoting it out of the Amplified Bible: “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.”  The second is Colossians 3:15 and, again from the Amplified: “And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live].”

I see in these two scriptures both the absolute truth of God’s statement in my study passage-“I make peace”-and how we are peacemakers.  The peace is not ours in the sense that we have anything to do with making it.  God Himself is the source of it, it belongs exclusively to Him, and He freely gives it to us.  We are not passive recipients.  We keep our minds stayed-and other translations have fixed-on Him and I do like all the verbs listed in the Amplified: commit, lean, and hope.  We also let His peace rule in our hearts.  The English word ‘let’ in this passage amuses me because it sounds so easy.  We just simply let His peace rule.  I don’t know about you but the “letting” is one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do, especially when I am in a situation where I am being verbally and emotionally attacked.  When I am faced with being-by necessity-in close proximity to someone who is dismissive, belittling, and patronizing, the most difficult thing for me to do is “let” His peace rule.  I have to constantly remind myself that all I am in Christ and all He is to me is also His desire for that person.  I have to remind myself of their identity, choose to see them as one beloved of the Lord, and one for whom Jesus is actively seeking. 

We say the words “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” every time we quote the Lord’s Prayer and I wonder how often we take time to consider what that means.  I know Jesus Christ.  I know my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.  I know this is true because the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation has opened the eyes of my heart to see this reality.  That’s it.  I don’t know it because I have studied hard and learned it although I learn more and more what exactly my inheritance in Jesus is through study so will not ever disparage study!  My point is I am not who I am in Christ Jesus because I’m special.  I do choose to respond to what He has shown and continues to show me.  I fix my heart and mind on Him and choose to keep my attention there no matter how I am treated or what I might experience.  This keeping of my focus on Jesus Christ can be a battle but I can do all things through Christ who infuses His strength to mine (Philippians 4:13) and His Spirit in me is my strength.

It is so very difficult to explain this Christian life.  I choose but can only choose what He has revealed to me.  I commit myself but can only do so because His Spirit strengthens me.  It is me but it’s also Him.  It is a we and us but I am not disappearing into Him.  I’m aware of constantly aligning my will and thoughts and decisions with His.  There really is no better description that “I am crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in (of) the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). 

This is how we make peace.  The Strong’s Concordance gives the Greek word translated “peacemakers” in Matthew 5:9 as eirenopoios.  The word is a compound word and can be broken down into eirene-peace- and poieo.  It takes a veritable paragraph to define poieo.  The main definition is “to make or do” but then there is a list of words which all seek to fully explain its meaning.  The very first is “abide” and I am immediately taken to the upper room where Jesus is explaining the life that was about to be the disciples’ life and is our life now.  “Abide in me and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself (and let us not forget Peace is part of that fruit!) unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).

“I make peace,” God declares through His prophet.  My study of Isaiah 45:7 has shown me how true that is.  I won’t repeat my study on the word “make” but I do not think I am wrong when I say He is peace and, through the workings and processing’s and chastising’s and corrections; makes the peace He is a reality in us.  His is the strength enabling us to keep ourselves in Him.  We abide in Him, and His peace flows out of us like a never ending stream to the world around us.  Truly we are blessed to be peacemakers because we will be recognized as sons of God! (Weymouth New Testament).

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Amen.

Unless noted otherwise, all Scriptures are quoted from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1982

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRp8BGVAt8k
  2. Bentorah, Chaim, Hebrew Word Study: Beyond the Lexicon, Trafford Publishing, USA, 2014, Pages 119-120

Other References

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. (biblehub.com)

The Amplified Bible, Expanded Edition, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, The Lockman Foundation, 1954,1987

Strong, James, LL.D., S.T.D., The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1990

Carried on the Water

05 Monday Sep 2022

Posted by in Isaiah 45:7, Studies

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Hello, Readers!  Welcome to Renaissance Woman and the post that almost didn’t happen.

I did spend last week focusing on my study of Isaiah 45:7 and began looking at the last letter of shalom, the Mem.  I found it fascinating but did not feel I was gaining understanding as there are so many different aspects to the Mem.  I learn a great deal from the Hebrew letters and I find there are times where it is easy to feel cast adrift in a sea of information, treading water-as it were-and searching for an anchor from which to write a post. This analogy is apropos as the closest word to the spelling of Mem (מם) is the word mim (מים) which is the word for water.

The Mem is a bit different than the other letters I’ve looked at so far in that Hebrew letters are words themselves and yet Mem is not.  It is spelled with two Mems: the open Mem at the beginning and the closed Mem at the end and, according to Robert Haralick, is not vocalized anywhere in the Pentateuch or, for that matter; anywhere in scripture.  The closest word is, again, water which is spelled with the open Mem, the Yod, and the closed Mem.  Chaim Bentorah writes, “From this we learn that water is the carrier of the Yod.  The Yod is a messenger from heaven, a message of heaven” (Bentorah, 120). 

It is in this idea of a messenger and message from heaven that I find my anchor.  The Mem is not only associated with water but with the Hebrew word for mother (ahm or em אם) and the word for womb (rechem רחם).  The opening at the lower left hand corner of the Mem is a picture of the opening in the womb through which the mother gives birth.  But, the final form of the Mem is closed. Robert Haralick says that, since the Mem is the balancing point of all manifestation, the open Mem is the female aspect and the closed Mem is the male aspect.  They are married by the Yod.” (Haralick, 199)  Reading this reminded me of Genesis 5:2: “He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created.” 

It also reminded me of a book I recently finished reading which I have mentioned in a previous post.  The book is Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose and, in it, she recounts how her husband heads into the jungle to share the gospel with the Kapauku people.  Darlene is left behind in the city of Macassar as the trail is considered to be too difficult for women.  Darlene’s husband Russell is speaking with the Kapauku chieftain who finally says the gospel is all well and good for Russell, who is obviously a spirit person who comes from the spirit world beyond the mountains, but means nothing to a mere man like him.  Russell Deibler protests and insists he too is a mere man but the chieftain doesn’t believe him because neither he nor any of the other missionaries who came with him have a wife or children.  Russell Deibler tells the chieftain he does too have a wife and the chieftain demands to know where she is.  The story is both humorous and fascinating and I don’t have space to share it all.  The upshot is, Darlene is sent for and it isn’t until she arrives in the village and the Kapauku people see her that the gospel begins to be believed.  I was struck how this story shows the importance of both men and women.  None is more important or of more worth than the other: both are necessary. 

Fascinating as the story is, since this is not a post on gender equality, I move on to an article I found titled “The Mystery of the Closed Mem” by Daniel Botkin.  The open Mem is the form that appears at the beginning or middle of Hebrew words while the final form, the closed Mem, appears at the end of words with one exception.  That exception is in Isaiah 9:7 and is the word l’marbeh which is translated “of the increase”.  Mr. Botkin points out the word marbeh appears in other places in the Hebrew bible and is always spelled with the open Mem at the beginning.  The only place where the word appears with the closed Mem is in this passage where Isaiah is prophesying the birth of the Messiah.  Like Mr. Bentorah and Mr. Haralick, Mr. Botkin also describes the closed Mem as a closed womb and the open Mem as an open womb.  His conclusion is this instance of a closed Mem where it ought to be an open Mem tells us that this child will be concealed within the closed womb of the Virgin Mary.  The Epistle to the Hebrews opens with: “God who at various times and in various ways, spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…” (Verses 1-2a) and, in this study, I see a picture of the water of the womb of Mary carrying the best message from heaven: the Word made flesh, God from God.

Both Mr. Bentorah and Mr. Haralick say the Mem represents knowledge of God.  Mr. Bentorah uses water as his analogy and says the open Mem is like the surface of the water that can be seen from a boat and is the revealed knowledge of God.  The closed Mem is like the world hidden in the depths of the sea which cannot be readily seen and is like the hidden knowledge of God.  Mr. Haralick writes, “…the beginning Mem has an opening at the bottom.  This alludes to the fact that from below we can perceive God through the functioning of the universe.  The final Mem is closed.  This alludes to the fact that although we perceive God, the king (melek מלך), through the functioning of the universe, ultimately God remains unknowable and hidden” (Haralick, 203).

I cannot deny the truth of this.  I am finite and cannot begin to comprehend the Infinite Person, the One who created all that is and was and ever shall be.  I would not be able to know Him were it not for Jesus.  He is the interface-if I can use that word.  He is the One in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells (Colossians 1:19, 2:9-10).  He is the place where heaven and earth meet (John 1:51).  In Him we are One with The Father (John 17:20-26).  Because we are in Him we can know God because, although “No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known]” (John 1:18, Amplified).

The seventh chapter of John’s Gospel records Jesus saying, “’He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trust in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.’ But He was speaking here of the Spirit, Whom those who believed (trusted, had faith) in Him were afterward to receive” (7:38-39a, Amplified).  The Holy Spirit is this living water and He carries the reality of the message from heaven that is the risen and ascended Jesus to us today in that He bears witness of Jesus and leads us into all truth (John 15:26, 16:13).  The Mem is the first letter of the Hebrew word meleah (מלאה) which means “something fulfilled, abundance”.  The living water of the Spirit fills us to overflowing, we know Jesus as our very life, and our peace is made complete.

Unless noted otherwise, all Scriptures are quoted from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1982

References

Microsoft Word – THE MYSTERY OF THE CLOSED MEM-2.docx (jewishroots.net)

Bentorah, Chaim, Hebrew Word Study: Beyond the Lexicon, Trafford Publishing, USA, 2014, Pages 119-122

Diebler Rose, Darlene, Evidence Not Seen: A Woman’s Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II, HarperSanFrancisco, Harper Collins Publishers, San Francisco, California, 1988, Pages 22-33

Haralick, Robert M., The Inner Meaning of the Hebrew Letters, Jason Aronson Inc., Northvale, New Jersey, 1995, Pages 193-204

Strong, James, LL.D., S.T.D., The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1990

Pathways of Peace

22 Monday Aug 2022

Posted by in Isaiah 45:7, Studies

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Good morning!  Welcome-or welcome back-to Renaissance Woman where I am continuing my study of Isaiah 45:7 specifically the word “peace” which is the Hebrew word shalom.  Shalom is spelled Shin (ש) Lamed (ל) Mem (ם) and, this week, I am continuing to look at the Lamed.

The word Lamed means “to learn, study, become familiar with” and also means “to teach”.  Over the past few weeks, I have written about the importance of having the Holy Spirit as our teacher.  Teachers, Pastors, and Church Leaders are important but it is the Holy Spirit alone who leads us into the truth that is Jesus Christ (See John 16:13, John 14:6).  Jessica Hottle recently posted to her social media “let Jesus guide you. Not people!” and that made me chuckle.  She made the same point I’ve been trying to make over multiple posts and thousands of words but she managed to do it in six. No one has ever accused me of brevity!  I agree: let Jesus be our guide.  In Matthew 11:29 He bids us come to Him and learn of Him and, as I’ve meditated on the meaning of the Lamed, I’ve been wondering just how in this day and age we learn from Jesus.

Interesting, the word Lamed spelled Lamed (ל) Mem (מ) Dalet (ד) but pronounced Lim-mood means “a disciple, one who is taught, a follower”.  I have heard people lament the age in which they have been born and heard them wish they’d been alive during Jesus’ day.  What would it have been like to walk with him on the shores of the Sea of Galilee! Oh, to sit at his feet, to walk with Him, to listen to His words as He spoke them!  Oh, to be one of His disciples!

I have a book on everyday life and customs during Bible Times and, out of curiosity, I looked up what it would have meant to be a disciple.  I read: “In Old Testament times, young men had the chance to become pupils of the prophets and priests.  Samuel, for example, was given to Eli while he was a small boy and trained by the priest.  The prophet Isaiah gave private teaching to a group of disciples.  These disciples lived with their masters, learning from them throughout the course of the day.  They sometimes sat at their feet, learning by lecture and discussion.  At other times they learned by their teacher’s example, or from object lessons that presented themselves throughout the day.  They would quiz their students, checking to see if any light bulbs were going on in their heads.  This one-on-one relationship was the best way to instill learning in the next generation…when Jesus walked upon the earth, he called disciples to his side, and for three and a half years they lived at his side and learned from his teachings.  Sometimes they sat at his feet (Luke 10:39), or learned from his example (John 13:15).  Many object lessons were presented to them (Mark 4:2), and Jesus quizzed them to see if they understood what was spoken (Luke 9:20). 

I laughed a little at the anachronism of “light bulbs going on in their heads” but zeroed in on the necessity of the one-on-one relationship.  I understand the desire to have been there in person at the beginning but I cannot help thinking how limited walking with the man Jesus would have been.  He couldn’t have a one-on-one relationship with all of his disciples at the same time.  I read through the gospels and find the crowds getting smaller and smaller until it’s just the Twelve.  Of the Twelve, only Three saw His transfiguration and, of the Three, only One laid with his head on Jesus’ breast.  Not everyone experienced the same level of closeness so I personally do not look on the days when Jesus walked this earth as a man as halcyon days.  Indeed, Jesus Himself said: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).

Those days of Jesus’ ministry were limited to a tiny segment of the planet and, even if I’d been alive and living there and then, it would have been impossible to choose to be His disciple.  I don’t necessarily mean my gender would exclude me but rather that the custom of the day was a disciple would choose which Rabbi he wished to follow.  Not so with Jesus: He did the choosing.  It’s better to be alive in this moment because now we live in a day of no limitation.  The call to all mankind now is “Come!” (Matthew 11:27-29, John 7:37-38, Revelation 22:17). We don’t have to run after Him and ask Him where He’s staying because we know He sits at the right hand of the Father and we know we are in Him. 

 Luke 6:40 says, “A disciple is not above his teacher but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” What an amazing thing it would be if all we had today was the same as that possessed by Old Testament and Jesus’ disciples.  We can read the Red Letters in our Bibles and learn from the very words of Jesus.  What an example He left for us to emulate!  How tremendous that His words and example are not all we have!  We do not live alongside Him but abide in Him and we know He abides in us because of His Spirit (1 John 3:24).  We do not have to strive to follow His example for His very life is in us and it is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us.  We do not have to try to be like Him because His Spirit is the first fruits within us and we can know His promise is sure: when He is revealed, we shall be like Him. 

While studying the Lamed, I watched a video on the Shivimpanim channel.  The Rabbi mentioned the Hallel which are special prayers said on Holy Days and pointed out there are two Lameds within the word.  Hallel is also one of the root words that comprise Hallelujah, a phrase that means “Praise the Lord!”  The Lameds in the word Hallelujah are a beautiful lesson.  I know that I will be like my Teacher Jesus Christ because I see Him.  I see Him because His Spirit is within me opening my eyes.  With my eyes opened to behold Him, I cannot but shout, ”Hallelujah!” because I see Him, I know Him, and I have learned from Him.  This learning and knowing is at the very center of my peace.

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Amen.

Unless noted otherwise, all Scriptures are quoted from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1982

Spiritual Mentor and Christian Life Coach – Jessica Hottle

 References

Everyday Living: Bible Life and Times, MJF Books, Thomas Nelson Publishers, New York, New York, 2006

(3) Secret of the Hebrew letter Lamed – YouTube

(3) LAMED – Secrets of the Hebrew Letters – YouTube