Genesis 37:1-36, Genesis 39:1- 41: 1-57
Many times when we have a vision we want to complete it quickly or get to it hurriedly because it gives us satisfaction. Sometimes when we arrive in our destination too quickly we end up frustrated and not satisfied. Instead of being fulfilled we get into a lot of problems regarding our mission/vision.
Joseph was a very handsome young man in the Bible who had a dream when he was very young that one day he would be a ruler. Did he get there easily? No.
In Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” God didn’t say He would direct our jumps, but rather our steps. Every day we may encounter a situation, problem, trial or tribulation that may build a character in us that moves us towards our dream.
One of the problems PNG faces today it due to irresponsible leaders who have no sense of being a good leader. Most leaders are not ready to lead when they are given leadership roles. They don’t have the ability to handle the big things that they’re dreaming about. This is because they don’t have the experience or character for them.
Sometimes we have to travel the longer route to develop our character and produce responsibility in us. If God was to tell us of our next move we may give up the dream so He can only show and lead us as long as we are willing to let him lead.
So what is the story with Joseph that should make us learn from? When he was 17 years old, he had a dream from God in which his father, mother, and brothers were kneeling down before him. In his mind, he was Prime Minister. God gave him a vision, yet He didn’t tell him how he was going to get there. Suppose God had said, “Joseph, you’re going to become a great ruler, and here is what I planned to get you there. First, your brothers are going to tear your favourite coat off. Second, they are going to throw you in the pit. Third, they are going to sell you as a slave. Fourth, your master’s wife is going to lie about you, accusing you of rape. Fifth, your master is going to have you in jail, where you will be forgotten for a long time. When all of this is done then, you will be elevated to become the Prime Minister of Egypt. If God had said all of these, Joseph would have replied and told God that he would rather remain as a shepherd boy.
But God did not tell him these; He just showed him every step of the way tribulations that produce character and responsibility in him. We were not born with these things, they are learnt. Joseph may found himself wondering where God is in his ordeal in the pit. God’s reply to Joseph may be something like this: “I’m with you in the pit, and I’m working on your character because you can’t rule well without it.”
God’s ways of getting us where we need to go are often different from what we expect, but there is always a good reason for them.
If our dreams take longer to be fulfilled, that is still alright. By the time we get to our destination we will be ready and we will break people’s wrong perception of us.
Thursday, 17 December 2009
Friday, 11 December 2009
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Names of the Bible
This is a continuation of the last post.
In Isaiah 9: 6 it declares, for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty Elohim, The everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace.
So here it says that the name of Jesus will be the above mentioned titles. “The name “Yahshua” does not mean any of these things. What Isaiah is prophesying here is the fact that the Messiah’s name would be the same name as the Father Himself. This is confirmed in the following verse:
John 17:11--"And now Holy Father, KEEP THEM BY THE POWER OF YOUR NAME, THE SAME NAME YOU GAVE ME, so that they may be one, even as we are one."
We now know from this scripture that the name given to Jesus was the same name as the Father, which was Yahweh. So, here we have the answer to our mystery question. Yeshua has TWO NAMES! He has his natural born name (Yeshua) and His divine name (Yahweh). Christianity does teach that Jesus has a human nature and a divine nature. But do we fully understand why? Is it possible that we have overlooked the significance of the name of God as it relates to His son? Could this be a direct link to the nature of God and how the Father relates to the Son?
Remember, Hebrew names have great meaning. So when Moses was calling on the name of God (Yahweh), he was calling on His character and His being. In the same way, when we call on “the name of Jesus” we are actually calling on the name of Yahweh THROUGH what Yahshua did for us at the cross. Remember, every time you utter the name “Yahshua”, you are literally saying “Yahweh is salvation”. That’s what the name means. Yashua (Joshua in English) had always meant, “Yahweh IS salvation.” But now it had become a reality through what Jesus did on the cross.
Mt 11:27 Everything has been delivered to me by my Father, and no man knows the Son except the Father, nor does any man know the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
John 14:6 Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
It is to this name, the name of YAHWEH, that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. In PHIL 2:9-10 Therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, That at the name of (given to) Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, of those on earth, and those under the earth. Why would Jesus need to be given a new name if "Jesus" was the all important name? Because the “man” Yahoshua submitted himself to the will of the Father inside of Him and that “man” was exalted and was given a name that was above all names. And what name is above all names? YAHWEH. His earthly, natural name was “Yahoshua” (Joshua), but he was given a new name. And that new name would be the same name of the Father and the same name that he carried inside of him while on earth. And that same name would be the name that would be placed inside of us to aid us in accomplishing the Will of Him who sends US.
Therefore next time we say in Jesus’ Name, let’s realise that we are putting our entire faith in the person and name of Yahoshua and what He has done on the cross. Jesus declares that whenever we ask God anything in Jesus’ name the Father will give to us. This means that in our prayer for healing, when we say in “Jesus’ Name”, healing comes over our sick bodies because it is by His stripes that we are healed (1Peter 2:24). If we pray for protection, in Jesus ‘name, we are kept safe because the blood of Jesus protects and delivers us from evil (Exodus 12:13).
So when we pray in Jesus’ name, it is not based on what we have done or have not done but based on Jesus (Yahoshua/Yaweh) and His finished work at the cross. Therefore when we ask in Jesus’ name, lets pause and think before we say Amen!.
I pray that this will be a blessing to you as I was blessed when doing the study/reading.
In Isaiah 9: 6 it declares, for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty Elohim, The everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace.
So here it says that the name of Jesus will be the above mentioned titles. “The name “Yahshua” does not mean any of these things. What Isaiah is prophesying here is the fact that the Messiah’s name would be the same name as the Father Himself. This is confirmed in the following verse:
John 17:11--"And now Holy Father, KEEP THEM BY THE POWER OF YOUR NAME, THE SAME NAME YOU GAVE ME, so that they may be one, even as we are one."
We now know from this scripture that the name given to Jesus was the same name as the Father, which was Yahweh. So, here we have the answer to our mystery question. Yeshua has TWO NAMES! He has his natural born name (Yeshua) and His divine name (Yahweh). Christianity does teach that Jesus has a human nature and a divine nature. But do we fully understand why? Is it possible that we have overlooked the significance of the name of God as it relates to His son? Could this be a direct link to the nature of God and how the Father relates to the Son?
Remember, Hebrew names have great meaning. So when Moses was calling on the name of God (Yahweh), he was calling on His character and His being. In the same way, when we call on “the name of Jesus” we are actually calling on the name of Yahweh THROUGH what Yahshua did for us at the cross. Remember, every time you utter the name “Yahshua”, you are literally saying “Yahweh is salvation”. That’s what the name means. Yashua (Joshua in English) had always meant, “Yahweh IS salvation.” But now it had become a reality through what Jesus did on the cross.
Mt 11:27 Everything has been delivered to me by my Father, and no man knows the Son except the Father, nor does any man know the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
John 14:6 Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
It is to this name, the name of YAHWEH, that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. In PHIL 2:9-10 Therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, That at the name of (given to) Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, of those on earth, and those under the earth. Why would Jesus need to be given a new name if "Jesus" was the all important name? Because the “man” Yahoshua submitted himself to the will of the Father inside of Him and that “man” was exalted and was given a name that was above all names. And what name is above all names? YAHWEH. His earthly, natural name was “Yahoshua” (Joshua), but he was given a new name. And that new name would be the same name of the Father and the same name that he carried inside of him while on earth. And that same name would be the name that would be placed inside of us to aid us in accomplishing the Will of Him who sends US.
Therefore next time we say in Jesus’ Name, let’s realise that we are putting our entire faith in the person and name of Yahoshua and what He has done on the cross. Jesus declares that whenever we ask God anything in Jesus’ name the Father will give to us. This means that in our prayer for healing, when we say in “Jesus’ Name”, healing comes over our sick bodies because it is by His stripes that we are healed (1Peter 2:24). If we pray for protection, in Jesus ‘name, we are kept safe because the blood of Jesus protects and delivers us from evil (Exodus 12:13).
So when we pray in Jesus’ name, it is not based on what we have done or have not done but based on Jesus (Yahoshua/Yaweh) and His finished work at the cross. Therefore when we ask in Jesus’ name, lets pause and think before we say Amen!.
I pray that this will be a blessing to you as I was blessed when doing the study/reading.
Monday, 23 November 2009
Names of the Bible
continuation of Names of the Bible
Many times we say a prayer and finish it off by saying in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen. So do we know what the name of Jesus is and how or why we use it? Let’s explore and find out why we use "in Jesus' name".
The whole book of Exodus discusses about the Israelites being lead by Moses out of Egypt. In Exodus 3:13 Moses asked God what he will say to the Israelites if they asked him who sent him.
Ex. 3:13- 15 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
The phrase “EHYEH (I am) ASHER (who/that) EHYEH (I am) DOES NOT ONLY mean “I AM that I AM”. The Hebrew word here is “Hayah”, which can also mean “To be”. “Hayah” is also not in the present tense, but the future, imperfect tense. The imperfect tense means that something is undone and incomplete, to be revealed in the future. And because Hebrew names described the character of that which was named, the real meaning can also be “I WILL BE THAT I WILL BE” as He had not revealed His complete character as of yet. The Messiah would bring completeness and fullness to His great name.
Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ Anytime you see “LORD” in all caps like this, you are seeing the name of God. The Hebrew for “LORD” is “YHVH” (Yud, Heh, Vav, Heh) or “Yahweh”. God says that “Yahweh” is His name forever. There is no “The” in front of “LORD” in the original language. The verse should say, “Yahweh Elohim of your fathers, Elohim of Abraham, Elohim of Isaac, and Elohim of Jacob, has sent me to you.”
The word “Elohim” means “plural majestic magistrate, judge”. Kings were also called Elohim along with anyone in great authority. The meaning of the name “Yahweh” is amazing when you break down what each individual letter means.
YUD-HAND or DEEDS
HEH-REVEALS
VAV-NAIL or SECURITY
HEH-REVEALS or OPENS
So, the very name of God means, “The Hand that reveals the nail that opens. So what do we mean when we say “In the name of Jesus”.
First of all, let’s find out what Jesus’ real name was in that time period as it obviously was not “Jesus”. The Letter “J” was not to be invented for another 1600 years! If you saw the movie “Passion of the Christ” by Mel Gibson, then you might recall everyone calling him “Yeshua”. This is the short form of “Yahoshua”, which, (Are you ready for this?), was the Hebrew name for Joshua. So, if “Jesus’” real name in English should be “Joshua”, then why do we call him “Jesus”? Where did we get the word “Jesus”from? It is a horrible attempt to translate “Yeshua” into the Greek “Ieosous”, and then they mixed in a little Latin to end up with “Jesus”. The name “Yahshua” (Joshua) is the combination of two Hebrew words, “Yah”, which is the short form of “Yahweh” (like Jim is the short form of James) and “Shua”, which means “salvation”. So the name Joshua means “Yahweh is salvation”.
Mat. 1:20-21 says, "Behold an angel of YHWH appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Spirit of YHVH. And she will bear a Son; AND YOU WILL CALL HIM "YAHSHUA" (YAH IS SALVATION) FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS."
The very name our Messiah was given gives glory to the Father. And what does “Yahoshua” (Joshua) mean in Hebrew word pictures?
JOSHUA: (all caps are actual meanings of each letter.)
YUD- a WORK of the HAND
HEH- to REVEAL
VAV-the NAIL/SECURITY
SHIN-that DESTROYS
VAV-the SECURITY
AYIN-of the EYE or EXPERIENCE
This just makes me so excited and blows my little brain. Just as the first Joshua was chosen to reveal the security of Yahweh to the Israelites that would destroy the Israelites security in themselves, so the second Joshua (Jesus) was the hand that revealed the nail that would bring true security to the people of Yahweh and destroy the security that man had in his own experience. There was a prophetic reason why Moses was not allowed to take the people into the Promised Land. Joshua was to be the proto-type and foreshadow of the True Joshua to come.
Now that we know the actual name that the disciples called the Messiah (Yeshua), and the real name of God (Yahweh) and their Hebrew meanings, let’s unravel some very interesting verses in the New Testament that are commonly just glossed over without thought. In the process we will see how the name of God relates to the Son.
Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; Something that is often overlooked in this passage is that it is a direct quote from Isaiah. Paul is quoting Isaiah 45:23: “I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto ME every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” Yahweh is the one talking and He says that everyone will be bowing to HIS name (Which we now know is Yahweh). Yet, Paul says that everyone will be bowing before the “name of Jesus”. Will we be bowing to two names? Is Isaiah quoting YHVH correctly, or is Paul correct? Well, they both are.
Let’s go further and discover what Jesus says in the New Testament
Jesus says in John 5:43 "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me…” Yeshua came in the name (by the authority of and in the character of) the Father. Just as a messenger that is sent from a king has no authority unless he has the king’s signet ring, in the same way, Yeshua says his authority comes directly from the Father and is intimately connected to The NAME.
Yahweh Bless till then...
Many times we say a prayer and finish it off by saying in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen. So do we know what the name of Jesus is and how or why we use it? Let’s explore and find out why we use "in Jesus' name".
The whole book of Exodus discusses about the Israelites being lead by Moses out of Egypt. In Exodus 3:13 Moses asked God what he will say to the Israelites if they asked him who sent him.
Ex. 3:13- 15 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
The phrase “EHYEH (I am) ASHER (who/that) EHYEH (I am) DOES NOT ONLY mean “I AM that I AM”. The Hebrew word here is “Hayah”, which can also mean “To be”. “Hayah” is also not in the present tense, but the future, imperfect tense. The imperfect tense means that something is undone and incomplete, to be revealed in the future. And because Hebrew names described the character of that which was named, the real meaning can also be “I WILL BE THAT I WILL BE” as He had not revealed His complete character as of yet. The Messiah would bring completeness and fullness to His great name.
Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ Anytime you see “LORD” in all caps like this, you are seeing the name of God. The Hebrew for “LORD” is “YHVH” (Yud, Heh, Vav, Heh) or “Yahweh”. God says that “Yahweh” is His name forever. There is no “The” in front of “LORD” in the original language. The verse should say, “Yahweh Elohim of your fathers, Elohim of Abraham, Elohim of Isaac, and Elohim of Jacob, has sent me to you.”
The word “Elohim” means “plural majestic magistrate, judge”. Kings were also called Elohim along with anyone in great authority. The meaning of the name “Yahweh” is amazing when you break down what each individual letter means.
YUD-HAND or DEEDS
HEH-REVEALS
VAV-NAIL or SECURITY
HEH-REVEALS or OPENS
So, the very name of God means, “The Hand that reveals the nail that opens. So what do we mean when we say “In the name of Jesus”.
First of all, let’s find out what Jesus’ real name was in that time period as it obviously was not “Jesus”. The Letter “J” was not to be invented for another 1600 years! If you saw the movie “Passion of the Christ” by Mel Gibson, then you might recall everyone calling him “Yeshua”. This is the short form of “Yahoshua”, which, (Are you ready for this?), was the Hebrew name for Joshua. So, if “Jesus’” real name in English should be “Joshua”, then why do we call him “Jesus”? Where did we get the word “Jesus”from? It is a horrible attempt to translate “Yeshua” into the Greek “Ieosous”, and then they mixed in a little Latin to end up with “Jesus”. The name “Yahshua” (Joshua) is the combination of two Hebrew words, “Yah”, which is the short form of “Yahweh” (like Jim is the short form of James) and “Shua”, which means “salvation”. So the name Joshua means “Yahweh is salvation”.
Mat. 1:20-21 says, "Behold an angel of YHWH appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Spirit of YHVH. And she will bear a Son; AND YOU WILL CALL HIM "YAHSHUA" (YAH IS SALVATION) FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS."
The very name our Messiah was given gives glory to the Father. And what does “Yahoshua” (Joshua) mean in Hebrew word pictures?
JOSHUA: (all caps are actual meanings of each letter.)
YUD- a WORK of the HAND
HEH- to REVEAL
VAV-the NAIL/SECURITY
SHIN-that DESTROYS
VAV-the SECURITY
AYIN-of the EYE or EXPERIENCE
This just makes me so excited and blows my little brain. Just as the first Joshua was chosen to reveal the security of Yahweh to the Israelites that would destroy the Israelites security in themselves, so the second Joshua (Jesus) was the hand that revealed the nail that would bring true security to the people of Yahweh and destroy the security that man had in his own experience. There was a prophetic reason why Moses was not allowed to take the people into the Promised Land. Joshua was to be the proto-type and foreshadow of the True Joshua to come.
Now that we know the actual name that the disciples called the Messiah (Yeshua), and the real name of God (Yahweh) and their Hebrew meanings, let’s unravel some very interesting verses in the New Testament that are commonly just glossed over without thought. In the process we will see how the name of God relates to the Son.
Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; Something that is often overlooked in this passage is that it is a direct quote from Isaiah. Paul is quoting Isaiah 45:23: “I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto ME every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” Yahweh is the one talking and He says that everyone will be bowing to HIS name (Which we now know is Yahweh). Yet, Paul says that everyone will be bowing before the “name of Jesus”. Will we be bowing to two names? Is Isaiah quoting YHVH correctly, or is Paul correct? Well, they both are.
Let’s go further and discover what Jesus says in the New Testament
Jesus says in John 5:43 "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me…” Yeshua came in the name (by the authority of and in the character of) the Father. Just as a messenger that is sent from a king has no authority unless he has the king’s signet ring, in the same way, Yeshua says his authority comes directly from the Father and is intimately connected to The NAME.
Yahweh Bless till then...
Monday, 16 November 2009
Names of the Bible
In order to understand the Bible in its context we need to understand a little bit or more if given the chance to study Hebrew and perhaps learn how the Jewish people lived at that time. It will help us to quote the Bible correctly and believe the truths. Many times I hear people misquote John 8:32 saying the truth will set you free, no, the truth will not set you free, unless you have the knowledge of the truth then it will set you free. The Bible is God breathe and inspired by the Holy Spirit and so it can enable us to live our lives with joy and abundance.
The Hebrew language is an ancient language that first started in pictograph form (meaning that originally the words were pictures that eventually evolved into letters.) But as time went on, the letters still retained many of their original meanings. Whereas the letters of the English alphabet have no meaning until combined with other letters to make a word, the Hebrew letters have meanings individually as well as when they are combined to form a word. So not only do you have the obvious meaning of the word, but you also have the hidden meaning as you combine the individual meanings of each letter. There are no vowels in the Hebrew alphabet (aeiou). For example in the Hebrew alphabet, the first letter is Aleph meaning an Ox and the last letter is Tav meaning cross (+)/mark/sign/covenant. When you pause and think, you can see that the ox represent the lamb who was Jesus and the cross/convent represents Jesus’ death on the cross. It is finished cried Jesus. Every human being's sins have been paid for, past present and future. There is hope for all who are alive.
God Himself emphasises the importance of names.
In Hebrew thought, a name is not merely a random combination of sounds created for random designation. The name conveys the nature and essence of the thing named. It represents the history and reputation of the being named. Many times, Hebrew mothers would name their children based on what they looked like, or their initial personality. The ancient Hebrews believed that your name was representative of your character. The emphasis that God and the Hebrews put on names was so weighted, that at certain times, He finds it necessary to change the names of certain people to properly reflect their new nature or prophetic role.
Let me illustrate just a few. The name “Adam” is spelled with the letters “Aleph, Dalet, and Mem”, in the Hebrew language (no vowels in Hebrew). The letter Aleph means “breathe, first, leader or divine”. Dalet means “to enter, door”. And Mem means “water, chaos”. So what is the meaning of Adam’s name? It could mean “The first divine leader that entered through the door of many waters”.
In the book of Psalms 18:16 He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. Interestingly enough, the last two letters of Adam’s name (Dalet and Mem) combined make up the Hebrew word for “blood” (Dam).”. And Aleph by itself means “first or divine”. So, his name also means, “The first one with Divine Blood”, which he obviously did have, as he was created directly from the Father. This is partly why Jesus is referred to as the second Adam as He also had “divine blood” and carried a similar role.
Furthermore, in Genesis 17:1 – 27 God made a covenant with Abram and his wife Sarai and then told them of their new names. Originally the name Abram was given to him by his father Terah and later changed to by God. Abram means exalted father and Abraham means father of many.
In Genesis chapters 1 and 2 we have the naming of all creation. We find that Adam named Eve, his children and all the animals, while God named the darkness, light, sky and land. This is very interesting. It looks as if Adam had authority over his wife, children and the animals, while God had authority over sky land light and darkness. When someone owns something or if they give birth to a child they name that thing or person because they have authority and responsibility over that thing or person. Abram was named by his father, the one who had authority over him. But when Abram left his father’s house and headed on his own, God, who respected Terah’s authority previously, now takes his authority and changes his name indicating a change in authority.
The name “Abram” means, “The first leader of house, the most important head of house over many.” When God changed his name, He added a “heh” before the “mem” and so changed the meaning of his name to “The first leader of house, the most important head of house THAT WOULD REVEAL OR OPEN for many.” The tremendous significance is found in the covenant and promise that God gave to Abraham that through him, the Seed of the Messiah would come forth that would open the door for the Gentiles to come near to the Father. In Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. God changed his name from being the “Father of many”, to the “Father that would reveal or open for many”. His name could not stay the same, because his mission had changed. Now that we understand Abraham we can then move on to find out about Sarai.
Firstly, in Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, And between your seed (Satan’s kingdom) and her Seed (Christ’s kingdom); He (Christ) shall bruise your (Satan’s) head, and you (Satan) shall bruise His (Christ) heel."
In this verse we see that the seed of the woman will finally tear down or crush the head of the serpent. With this in mind, let us look at how this might relate to the meaning of the name “Sarai” and why God changed her name at the same time he changed her husband’s. “Sarai” means “To destroy head of house (authority) through hands or deeds”. Up until this point there was no promise given that would destroy the “head of house” (satan) and his curse on mankind. All we had was, these prophesy, in Genesis 3, but there was no action taken on it until the Covenant with Abraham. But interestingly enough, right after God gives them the promise of the Messiah through their seed, He changed both of their names to reflect the promise and their new roles in that promise. Remember, at this time, her womb is closed and cannot bear children in her old age. Watch this! He removes the last letter (Yud), which means “hand or deeds” and adds the letter “Heh”, which means, “To reveal or open”. And what did God do? He opened her womb, so as the promise of the Messiah could come through her! So her new name (Sarah) would now mean, “The one who would destroy the head of the household (Satan) through the opening of the womb”! And of course, we know that Christ came from the line of Isaac, Sarah’s son. I’ll pause here and will write some more...
Till then, God bless
The Hebrew language is an ancient language that first started in pictograph form (meaning that originally the words were pictures that eventually evolved into letters.) But as time went on, the letters still retained many of their original meanings. Whereas the letters of the English alphabet have no meaning until combined with other letters to make a word, the Hebrew letters have meanings individually as well as when they are combined to form a word. So not only do you have the obvious meaning of the word, but you also have the hidden meaning as you combine the individual meanings of each letter. There are no vowels in the Hebrew alphabet (aeiou). For example in the Hebrew alphabet, the first letter is Aleph meaning an Ox and the last letter is Tav meaning cross (+)/mark/sign/covenant. When you pause and think, you can see that the ox represent the lamb who was Jesus and the cross/convent represents Jesus’ death on the cross. It is finished cried Jesus. Every human being's sins have been paid for, past present and future. There is hope for all who are alive.
God Himself emphasises the importance of names.
In Hebrew thought, a name is not merely a random combination of sounds created for random designation. The name conveys the nature and essence of the thing named. It represents the history and reputation of the being named. Many times, Hebrew mothers would name their children based on what they looked like, or their initial personality. The ancient Hebrews believed that your name was representative of your character. The emphasis that God and the Hebrews put on names was so weighted, that at certain times, He finds it necessary to change the names of certain people to properly reflect their new nature or prophetic role.
Let me illustrate just a few. The name “Adam” is spelled with the letters “Aleph, Dalet, and Mem”, in the Hebrew language (no vowels in Hebrew). The letter Aleph means “breathe, first, leader or divine”. Dalet means “to enter, door”. And Mem means “water, chaos”. So what is the meaning of Adam’s name? It could mean “The first divine leader that entered through the door of many waters”.
In the book of Psalms 18:16 He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. Interestingly enough, the last two letters of Adam’s name (Dalet and Mem) combined make up the Hebrew word for “blood” (Dam).”. And Aleph by itself means “first or divine”. So, his name also means, “The first one with Divine Blood”, which he obviously did have, as he was created directly from the Father. This is partly why Jesus is referred to as the second Adam as He also had “divine blood” and carried a similar role.
Furthermore, in Genesis 17:1 – 27 God made a covenant with Abram and his wife Sarai and then told them of their new names. Originally the name Abram was given to him by his father Terah and later changed to by God. Abram means exalted father and Abraham means father of many.
In Genesis chapters 1 and 2 we have the naming of all creation. We find that Adam named Eve, his children and all the animals, while God named the darkness, light, sky and land. This is very interesting. It looks as if Adam had authority over his wife, children and the animals, while God had authority over sky land light and darkness. When someone owns something or if they give birth to a child they name that thing or person because they have authority and responsibility over that thing or person. Abram was named by his father, the one who had authority over him. But when Abram left his father’s house and headed on his own, God, who respected Terah’s authority previously, now takes his authority and changes his name indicating a change in authority.
The name “Abram” means, “The first leader of house, the most important head of house over many.” When God changed his name, He added a “heh” before the “mem” and so changed the meaning of his name to “The first leader of house, the most important head of house THAT WOULD REVEAL OR OPEN for many.” The tremendous significance is found in the covenant and promise that God gave to Abraham that through him, the Seed of the Messiah would come forth that would open the door for the Gentiles to come near to the Father. In Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. God changed his name from being the “Father of many”, to the “Father that would reveal or open for many”. His name could not stay the same, because his mission had changed. Now that we understand Abraham we can then move on to find out about Sarai.
Firstly, in Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, And between your seed (Satan’s kingdom) and her Seed (Christ’s kingdom); He (Christ) shall bruise your (Satan’s) head, and you (Satan) shall bruise His (Christ) heel."
In this verse we see that the seed of the woman will finally tear down or crush the head of the serpent. With this in mind, let us look at how this might relate to the meaning of the name “Sarai” and why God changed her name at the same time he changed her husband’s. “Sarai” means “To destroy head of house (authority) through hands or deeds”. Up until this point there was no promise given that would destroy the “head of house” (satan) and his curse on mankind. All we had was, these prophesy, in Genesis 3, but there was no action taken on it until the Covenant with Abraham. But interestingly enough, right after God gives them the promise of the Messiah through their seed, He changed both of their names to reflect the promise and their new roles in that promise. Remember, at this time, her womb is closed and cannot bear children in her old age. Watch this! He removes the last letter (Yud), which means “hand or deeds” and adds the letter “Heh”, which means, “To reveal or open”. And what did God do? He opened her womb, so as the promise of the Messiah could come through her! So her new name (Sarah) would now mean, “The one who would destroy the head of the household (Satan) through the opening of the womb”! And of course, we know that Christ came from the line of Isaac, Sarah’s son. I’ll pause here and will write some more...
Till then, God bless
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Gift
Proverbs 18:16
A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.
Another word for gift in this context is talent. God has deposited in each person a talent that the world will make room for. When you realise this talent you will learn to use it to its fullest potential to fulfil your vision or passion in life.
Education does not make room for you but your gift does according to God’s word. Our families and society made us think that education is the key to success but when you pause a little and think, you will find that is not. If that was the case then every degree holder would be financially secure and happy.
Education, together with your gift will guarantee you success. I know of people who have Ph.Ds. and are not successful in their jobs. Some, who are directors of companies that run down the company instead of improving it. However, there are other people I know who don’t hold Masters Degree but do very well.
The world will not move for you just because you are smart. However, when you exercise your gift the world will not only make room, but will also pay for it. My encouragement to every Papua New Guinean out there, identify your gift and develop it. Perfect it or improve your skills and make yourself a commodity. We don’t have to look elsewhere for skilled workers because we are the ones that can better our country. We are the ones that can truly make a difference in our own country(PNG).
A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.
Another word for gift in this context is talent. God has deposited in each person a talent that the world will make room for. When you realise this talent you will learn to use it to its fullest potential to fulfil your vision or passion in life.
Education does not make room for you but your gift does according to God’s word. Our families and society made us think that education is the key to success but when you pause a little and think, you will find that is not. If that was the case then every degree holder would be financially secure and happy.
Education, together with your gift will guarantee you success. I know of people who have Ph.Ds. and are not successful in their jobs. Some, who are directors of companies that run down the company instead of improving it. However, there are other people I know who don’t hold Masters Degree but do very well.
The world will not move for you just because you are smart. However, when you exercise your gift the world will not only make room, but will also pay for it. My encouragement to every Papua New Guinean out there, identify your gift and develop it. Perfect it or improve your skills and make yourself a commodity. We don’t have to look elsewhere for skilled workers because we are the ones that can better our country. We are the ones that can truly make a difference in our own country(PNG).
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