Genesis 1:1 (KJV): In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
The words 'In the beginning' here are 'Be-Reshiyth' in Hebrew, and these are the words that lead the way for all the other words in the Bible! According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the word 'Reshiyth' here in Hebrew means 'first, beginning, head, chief, choice part, best, firstfruit'.
Genesis 1:1 (word for word) sounds like this in Hebrew: Be (In the) reshiyth (beginning) bara (created) Elohim (God) et hashamayim (the heaven) ve'et ha'aretz (and the earth).
Let's look now at the words 'Be-Reshiyth' ('In the beginning'), which consist of the Hebrew alphabets 'Beth' and then 'Resh-Aleph-Shin-Yod-Tav':
The alphabet 'Beth' (בְּ) is a picture of a 'house', and in the context of Genesis 1:1, it means 'housed in'.
The alphabets 'Resh-Aleph-Shin-Yod-Tav' (רֵאשִׁ֖ית) picture this: 'The Head (Resh), being sacrificed (Aleph), the God (Shin/Shaddai), whose hands (Yod), are at the cross (Tav)'.
Note: Hebrew is written right to left, and every Hebrew alphabet (i.e. alefbet) has a picture.
Do you see Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach) now from the very beginning in Genesis 1:1? As a teacher of the Word, I'm here to unveil Christ in the Word of God (for He is in the Old Testament concealed, and He is in the New Testament revealed); and yes, Christ is there even from the very first verse of the whole Bible! Because He is the Word!
Let's now cross-refer to John 1:1. It says, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God'. See the words 'In the beginning' again? John 1:2-4 then follows, 'He (The Word) was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him (the Word), and without Him (the Word) nothing was made that was made. In Him (the Word) was life, and the life was the light of men'.
Note: 'The Word' here refers to 'Jesus Christ our Lord' (John 1:14).
John 1:9-10 continues, 'That (The Word) was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him...' Psalm 119:130 confirms this, 'The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple (i.e. those who lack understanding)'. John 1:12 then says, 'As many as received Him (The Word), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.' Amen.
The book of Colossians explains much about Christ being the Head, the Firstfruit (see Colossians 1:15-18). Here, the apostle Paul wrote clearly to show that Christ is preeminent ('proteuo' in Greek), i.e. first and foremost in everything, and that a believer's life should also reflect this priority: In all that you are and you do, you are in Him (in Christ)...
- alive in Him (Colossians 2:13),
- walking in Him (Colossians 2:6),
- rooted in Him (Colossians 2:7),
- built up in Him (Colossians 2:7),
- hidden in Him (Colossians 2:3),
- established in Him (Colossians 2:7), and
- complete in Him (Colossians 2:10).
Praise the Lord!
Acts 17:28 also says, 'In Him (In Christ), we live, we move, and we have our being'. Amen!
In conclusion, as believers, and together in one body (of Christ), let us continue to 'hold fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments; and grow with the increase that is from God' (Colossians 2:19). In Jesus' name. Amen.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Guard your rest - The Samson story
Judges 16:16 (NKJV): And it came to pass, when she (Delilah) pestered him (Samson) daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death...
There are many things one can learn from Samson's life experiences and mistakes, and I believe nothing is written in the Bible without a purpose (or reason). His story might be a tragic one, but at least he did fulfil his calling in the end (Judges 16:23-31).
Samson was to be a son of rest because His father's name, Manoah (Judges 13:2) means 'man of rest, quietness, being settled' in Hebrew. The word 'Manoah' here is of the same word as 'Noah' ('Nuwach' in Hebrew), which also means 'rest, quietness, being settled'. You see, only a son of rest (like Noah) could build his Father an ark! (Genesis 5:29)
Note: When I write about 'rest' here, I'm referring to one's inner rest, and not so much about one's physical rest (though there is a place for this too).
'Building an ark' here simply speaks of 'building God's plan/blueprint'. In other words, it takes a son of rest to be able to fulfil God's 'plan/blueprint' effectively. For Samson, God's plan/blueprint for him was to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines (Judges 13:5).
Even though he did have a weakness for women (and he couldn't control his lust for them), I believe the underlying reason for his downfall was due to his inner rest being taken away. This was the real secret of his strength, i.e. he 'being at rest' in the Lord. When one is at rest in the Lord, that's when His strength would also come and take over!
Of course, having said all the above, one also cannot deny that he (Samson) should have restrained himself from being enticed by harlots, and should have fled (from them) in the very first place. The Bible says 'to flee youthful lusts' (2 Timothy 2:22). This 'carelessness' on his part in turn opened a 'loophole' for the enemy to come in and take advantage of him, and it eventually led to his inner rest being robbed away!
Let me explain now from the Bible.
From Judges 16, you'd see that not until Samson's rest was being taken away did he get overpowered by the Philistines. And the woman in the thick of this whole thing was none other than Delilah (Judges 16:4). And the lords of the Philistines then came up to her (Delilah) and said to her, "Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver." (Judges 16:5) And Delilah did as they said (Judges 16:6-15). By the way, and interestingly, the name 'Delilah' in Hebrew means 'to drain someone of his rest, to exhaust someone of his energy, or to thin something out'!
Judges 16:16-17 then says, 'And it came to pass, when she (Delilah) pestered him (Samson) daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, that he told her all his heart, and said to her, "No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."'
The word 'vexed' here simply means 'being drained, distressed, or annoyed'. In other words, Samson was so 'drained' by Delilah that he eventually lost his inner rest. The Bible says he was being pestered daily with Delilah's words, and pressed hard, probably from every angle! And as a consequence, his soul grew so tired even to the point of death! And that's also when he told her all his heart's secret.
Judges 16:19 says, 'Then she (Delilah) lulled him (Samson) to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him'. This speaks of Samson being cut off from his rest in the Lord. The number 'seven' in Hebrew means 'finished, perfect, completed work, or enter into rest'. For example, the Bible says 'six days God worked' (Genesis 1:31), 'on the seventh day, God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day' (Genesis 2:2), and 'then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work' (Genesis 2:3).
Now, let's see what happened to Samson when he lost his 'seven locks' (i.e. rest) that eventually caused him to lose his strength (i.e. his authority and power). Judges 16:21 says, 'Then the Philistines took him (Samson) and put out (i.e. bore out) his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza (i.e. 'being treated harshly and roughly in a stronghold'). They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison'.
'Put out his eyes' here means 'losing his perspective and vision in life'. In other words, when God's people lose their rest in the Lord, they'll also lose God's perspective and vision for their lives. This may even lead to them being 'bound' and 'imprisoned' (i.e. 'taken captives') in the 'stronghold' of the enemies.
So, people of God, never allow anyone (or anything) to rob you of your rest in the Lord! When your heart (and soul) is at rest in the Lord, you'll be less likely to make any rash decisions that may cause you to regret later in your life. Guard your rest in Him and continue to stay in His rest! Also, when one is at rest, he/she can receive God's wisdom and revelation more clearly and accurately. In contrast, one cannot if he/she is anxious or in distress. The solution is to cast all your cares (and anxieties/worries) to the Lord, for He is the Lord who cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
Today, as a believer in the New Covenant, you can find perfect rest in Christ because of all that He has already done for you on the cross. His work on the cross is already finished and completed. The Bible says 'be diligent to enter into this rest' (Hebrews 4:10-11), i.e. resting in the perfect work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Amen.
Note: Having written all the above, I would also like to end with this: Your God is also a God of second chance. Judges 16:22 says, 'However, the hair of his (Samson's) head began to grow again after it had been shaven'. And Samson found strength again (Judges 16:23-31). There's still hope, my friend, no matter what your mistakes may be in the past. Let the bygones be bygones, and begin to look to Him afresh and anew today. He's here for you, and His love (for you) never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). Let this day be a new day and a new beginning for you as well, and I pray His strength be released upon you afresh and anew all over again. In Jesus' name. Amen.
There are many things one can learn from Samson's life experiences and mistakes, and I believe nothing is written in the Bible without a purpose (or reason). His story might be a tragic one, but at least he did fulfil his calling in the end (Judges 16:23-31).
Samson was to be a son of rest because His father's name, Manoah (Judges 13:2) means 'man of rest, quietness, being settled' in Hebrew. The word 'Manoah' here is of the same word as 'Noah' ('Nuwach' in Hebrew), which also means 'rest, quietness, being settled'. You see, only a son of rest (like Noah) could build his Father an ark! (Genesis 5:29)
Note: When I write about 'rest' here, I'm referring to one's inner rest, and not so much about one's physical rest (though there is a place for this too).
'Building an ark' here simply speaks of 'building God's plan/blueprint'. In other words, it takes a son of rest to be able to fulfil God's 'plan/blueprint' effectively. For Samson, God's plan/blueprint for him was to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines (Judges 13:5).
Even though he did have a weakness for women (and he couldn't control his lust for them), I believe the underlying reason for his downfall was due to his inner rest being taken away. This was the real secret of his strength, i.e. he 'being at rest' in the Lord. When one is at rest in the Lord, that's when His strength would also come and take over!
Of course, having said all the above, one also cannot deny that he (Samson) should have restrained himself from being enticed by harlots, and should have fled (from them) in the very first place. The Bible says 'to flee youthful lusts' (2 Timothy 2:22). This 'carelessness' on his part in turn opened a 'loophole' for the enemy to come in and take advantage of him, and it eventually led to his inner rest being robbed away!
Let me explain now from the Bible.
From Judges 16, you'd see that not until Samson's rest was being taken away did he get overpowered by the Philistines. And the woman in the thick of this whole thing was none other than Delilah (Judges 16:4). And the lords of the Philistines then came up to her (Delilah) and said to her, "Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver." (Judges 16:5) And Delilah did as they said (Judges 16:6-15). By the way, and interestingly, the name 'Delilah' in Hebrew means 'to drain someone of his rest, to exhaust someone of his energy, or to thin something out'!
Judges 16:16-17 then says, 'And it came to pass, when she (Delilah) pestered him (Samson) daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, that he told her all his heart, and said to her, "No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."'
The word 'vexed' here simply means 'being drained, distressed, or annoyed'. In other words, Samson was so 'drained' by Delilah that he eventually lost his inner rest. The Bible says he was being pestered daily with Delilah's words, and pressed hard, probably from every angle! And as a consequence, his soul grew so tired even to the point of death! And that's also when he told her all his heart's secret.
Judges 16:19 says, 'Then she (Delilah) lulled him (Samson) to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him'. This speaks of Samson being cut off from his rest in the Lord. The number 'seven' in Hebrew means 'finished, perfect, completed work, or enter into rest'. For example, the Bible says 'six days God worked' (Genesis 1:31), 'on the seventh day, God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day' (Genesis 2:2), and 'then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work' (Genesis 2:3).
Now, let's see what happened to Samson when he lost his 'seven locks' (i.e. rest) that eventually caused him to lose his strength (i.e. his authority and power). Judges 16:21 says, 'Then the Philistines took him (Samson) and put out (i.e. bore out) his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza (i.e. 'being treated harshly and roughly in a stronghold'). They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison'.
'Put out his eyes' here means 'losing his perspective and vision in life'. In other words, when God's people lose their rest in the Lord, they'll also lose God's perspective and vision for their lives. This may even lead to them being 'bound' and 'imprisoned' (i.e. 'taken captives') in the 'stronghold' of the enemies.
So, people of God, never allow anyone (or anything) to rob you of your rest in the Lord! When your heart (and soul) is at rest in the Lord, you'll be less likely to make any rash decisions that may cause you to regret later in your life. Guard your rest in Him and continue to stay in His rest! Also, when one is at rest, he/she can receive God's wisdom and revelation more clearly and accurately. In contrast, one cannot if he/she is anxious or in distress. The solution is to cast all your cares (and anxieties/worries) to the Lord, for He is the Lord who cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
Today, as a believer in the New Covenant, you can find perfect rest in Christ because of all that He has already done for you on the cross. His work on the cross is already finished and completed. The Bible says 'be diligent to enter into this rest' (Hebrews 4:10-11), i.e. resting in the perfect work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Amen.
Note: Having written all the above, I would also like to end with this: Your God is also a God of second chance. Judges 16:22 says, 'However, the hair of his (Samson's) head began to grow again after it had been shaven'. And Samson found strength again (Judges 16:23-31). There's still hope, my friend, no matter what your mistakes may be in the past. Let the bygones be bygones, and begin to look to Him afresh and anew today. He's here for you, and His love (for you) never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). Let this day be a new day and a new beginning for you as well, and I pray His strength be released upon you afresh and anew all over again. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Monday, October 22, 2012
A restful heart and soul
1 Chronicles 22:7-9 (NKJV): And David said to Solomon: "My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of the Lord my God; but the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight. Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest ('manuwach'), and I will give him rest ('nuwach') from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.'"
Only a man of rest can build God's house (speaks of God's things, destiny, or calling in one's life) effectively. A man of war (speaks of strife, including worries, anxieties, restlessness, etc) cannot! The Hebrew word 'manuwach' here simply means 'a man of rest, a man of quietness, or a man whose heart is settled'.
Interestingly, the Hebrew word 'nuwach' (meaning 'rest, quietness, settled') here is the same word 'Noah', whom God called to build Him an ark (Genesis 6:14). You see, only a restful man can build God an 'ark' (also speaks of God's things, destiny, or calling in one's life)!
Interestingly, the Hebrew word 'nuwach' (meaning 'rest, quietness, settled') here is the same word 'Noah', whom God called to build Him an ark (Genesis 6:14). You see, only a restful man can build God an 'ark' (also speaks of God's things, destiny, or calling in one's life)!
Note: When I write about rest here, I'm referring to one's inner rest (i.e. a restful heart and soul), and not one's physical rest, though the latter is also important in life. I'm also not implying that one should just laze around all year, doing nothing and waiting for money (or goodies) to fall from the sky!
You see, one can be busy and thriving in life, yet restful in the inside. On the other hand, I've also seen people who are on holiday physically, but yet anxious, restless, or worrisome in the inside!
From the four Gospels, one can see that Jesus was a busy Man during His over three years of ministry on earth, but yet inside of Him, He also had such deep and unshakeable rest and peace. For instance, in the midst of the chaotic wind storm and the waves beating into the boat where He was in, out of the abundance of what's inside of Him, He then spoke, "Peace, be still!" (Mark 4:39), and the sea became calm again.
From the four Gospels, one can see that Jesus was a busy Man during His over three years of ministry on earth, but yet inside of Him, He also had such deep and unshakeable rest and peace. For instance, in the midst of the chaotic wind storm and the waves beating into the boat where He was in, out of the abundance of what's inside of Him, He then spoke, "Peace, be still!" (Mark 4:39), and the sea became calm again.
When your heart (or soul) is at rest (in spite of whatever happens around you), you'll also then be able to receive His revelation or wisdom more clearly and accurately, which in turn leads to clear and accurate decision-making on your part. However, if your heart (or soul) is always anxious, restless, or worrisome, you can't!
Note: The 'soul' here includes the 'mind, will, and emotion'.
Note: The 'soul' here includes the 'mind, will, and emotion'.
Hebrews 4:9-11 says, 'There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works (i.e. self-effort, striving at work) ... Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, ...'
People of God, Jesus has already given you His rest (Matthew 11:28-29). The Bible also says, 'Peace He leaves with you, His peace He gives to you; not as the world gives, but the peace that comes from Him' (John 14:27). So, let your heart and soul be open to receive it today. And no matter what you see (or hear) outside of you today, or what happens in the world right now, never allow anyone (or anything) to take this inner rest away from you (or even rob you of it)! Instead, keep receiving this rest and peace (that comes only from Him), day by day, every day of your life. And whatever you do (or say), you'll also do it (or say it) out of this rest and peace in you. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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